| The Terrell Owens Argument | ||||
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So, if you need your memory refreshed on the column I'm speaking of, go here and get a quick speed read. Back with me now? Ok, good, I'll continue forward. Without further interruption, I'll present you with 10 arguments based solely against Gene Wojciechowski's column, giving you a different, yet mostly factual view as I see it.
1. The VH1 reality show will not be a hindrance Read that last statement carefully. I'm not saying T.O. will be dominant in Buffalo. All I'm saying is that if he isn't, it won't be because of his part in the show. Owens has prided himself on staying fit and ready. No doubt he'll be ready for training camp and the season. That leads me to my next point. 2. (a) Owens was still highly productive in 2008, despite what news reports would lead you to believe That's right, the guy was still one of the best pass catchers in the league. Although you'll hear all the big columnists point out that he "only" had 69 catches, I think most teams would be hard pressed to turn down that kind of production, but only if the guy's name isn't Terrell Owens. Owens comes across as somewhat of a sore subject for some owners and coaches, much the way you've likely seen from Michael Vick this summer. Also, not to sound like too much of a T.O. homer so to speak, Owens did face consistent double coverage last season. The argument goes that it shouldn't have mattered, as a dominant receiver would beat it anyways. Well, that would assume that you have someone on the other side that can at least keep that safety help somewhat honest. Don't get me wrong, I like Roy Williams, but opposing defenses knew that Jason Garrett wouldn't look Williams' direction until in a comeback situation late in the 4th quarter. It has to be the only explanation for the numerous occasions per game (not just on the season) that you would see Williams completely uncovered behind the secondary waving for the ball, only to never even get a glance in his direction. Also, we shouldn't forget that the entire team had to endure Brad Johnson with a taste of Brooks Bollinger during the season. Johnson misfired at least 4 touchdown opportunities well over Owens' head as well as numerous mid-field passes. It was just an ugly sight to watch a guy that was supposed to be a sure-fire backup struggle to hit open receivers, or at least keep the ball in the stadium. 2. (b) Owens wasn't to blame for several late game collapses Going off the reservation a little (away from the response at least for this point), I'd like to note that T.O. was not solely responsible for several late game collapses that quite honestly cost the Cowboys their season. Owens was not on the field when Tony Curtis missed (read as didn't even stand up) his block on a punt against the Cardinals in overtime. For those that don't remember, the punt was blocked and recovered for a touchdown and the game, and more importantly McBriar was lost for the season with a broken foot. This was the same game that ended up leaving Tony Romo shelved for 3 games with a fractured finger on his throwing hand. Owens wasn't on the field when the defense collapsed against the Pittsburgh Steelers, or on those 2 back-breaking runs that sealed up the game (twice) for Baltimore. Does anyone remember Ken Hamlin? You can thank him for those long runs. Possibly my most important point on this subject comes next. 3. The supposed conspiracy I'm sure we all know about the argument of whether or not Owens threw a fit about Tony Romo and Jason Witten drawing up plays together. The fact is, I don't care whether he did or didn't anymore. However, assuming that he did, he had pretty good reason, and went about it in the right manner. Was it Owens who complained to the media? No. He went to a coach and voiced his displeasure (again all based on the assumption that it actually happened), much the way the folks over at ESPN have been virtually pleading for him to do for years. So what went wrong? Someone else, who is yet unnamed, (supposedly)leaked the information to Ed Werder. Now back to my point about Owens having a reason to complain. Go back and look at the Pittsburgh game. At the end of the game, who was it that bobbled a Tony Romo pass to seal the loss for the Cowboys? It wasn't Owens, if that's what you are indeed thinking. It was none other than Jason Witten. The fact is, and I'll probably catch a lot of criticism for this, Witten had more dropped balls than Owens last season. That being said, there isn't another tight end I would want on my team. It is revealing how differently Owens is judged based on his history. Drops have almost become an actual stat, if your name is Terrell Owens (and maybe you can throw Braylon Edwards in there too).
4. The finger pointing In the article, Gene accuses Owens of blowing up 3 teams by pointing fingers at everyone but himself. I'll give him the first 2, although I'm starting to think McNabb had as much, if not more, to do with what went wrong in Philly. In Dallas, Owens might not have been the most pleasant teammate, but he really didn't voice his displeasure publicly any more than most other receivers in the league. Sure he mentioned that he likes getting the ball, but so does every receiver. I'd be worried if he DIDN'T want the ball. I just find that bashing Owens for the same old thing is kind of idiotic at this point, and even less productive than months fans spend complaining about the BCS system each year in college football. 5. The missed meetings Several times with the Cowboys, you would hear reports of Owens missing meetings. I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure the only unexcused absence was this past season, and Owens was fined. His reason? He overslept. Now before you get out your handcuffs and put him in prison, I want everyone to think about how many times in their life they've gotten up late from reasons such as not hearing the alarm clock, losing electricity, anything really. It happens, and it happens to most, if not all of us. He is far from the only player in the league that it happens to either. Definitely not a reason to get rid of the guy or call him a locker room cancer. 6. Outbursts on camera Think of your favorite NFL team. Imagine the quarterback or receiver yelling at his offensive line or some other unit after a bad series on the field. Many would call that guy a leader... unless his name is Terrell Owens. Owens gets crucified for doing what the media wanted the Cowboys to bring in Ray Lewis to do. "But Brandon, he does it on camera, and that's just unacceptable." Well, imagine how many cameras are stationed in those stadiums and then imagine trying to get something across to teammates without cameras seeing you, all the while knowing they are waiting for you to say or do something that even looks like you're unhappy. Never mind the fact that your team is down by 10 in the 4th quarter. Kurt Warner got into a sideline argument this past season with none other than the famous Todd Haley (whom Owens got into a yelling match with in his first season in Dallas).
Boldin was seen doing the same during the playoffs. The Warner-Haley tirade was written off as just a game situation in which mutual respect for one another allowed them to communicate as such. Really now... I guess some people can have it both ways. 7. Being one of the guys As far as "acting" like he is one of the guys but really faking it, please explain to me why none of his former teammates have publicly criticized him, even going as far as to praise him for being a good citizen around them. Definitely not something you say about a guy that is now gone and you won't have to play against unless you both make it to the Super Bowl. Sure Wade Phillips may have taken a jab recently at training camp, but other than that, a normally vocal franchise has been mostly quiet about the subject. 8. Owens will improve the Bills offense The Bills already have a pretty good receiver in Lee Evans. With the addition of Owens, even if the catches don't flow Terrell's way, you'll see Evans getting better releases off of the line of scrimmage. This is T.O.'s last go-round, so to speak, so playing on a one year deal at the age of 35, I doubt you'll see too much complaining from Owens. 9. Never assume fans have amnesia As a Cowboys fan, I was somewhat insulted at the notion that fans have selective amnesia. That is to say once Owens was signed, we chose to forget was happened in the past. It isn't amnesia, Gene. It's called hoping for the best given the current situation, and true fans follow that religiously unlike bandwagon jumpers, whether they agree with the decisions or not. Just because T.O. was a Cowboy doesn't absolve him of everything he did, it just means we want him to be a productive player on the team. 10. Owens did not spit on DeAngelo Hall Although DeAngelo Hall came out after the 2006 game between the Cowboys and Falcons and claimed Owens hauled off and just spit in his face, he later back off of those statements, admitting that they merely got in each others' face and obviously some scatter spray happened. Let's not make it a bigger deal than it really is, and of all people, are we really taking the credibility of DeAngelo Hall into consideration here? So there are your 10 responses, take them or leave them. Whether you feel the decision to release Owens was a good one or not or agree with the Bills signing of him, I just presented it the way I see it. The way I see it, the guy deserves to be a typical NFL receiver just like any of the other guys. The Bills will most certainly be better with Owens on the field, whether their record shows it or not. The Cowboys have potential to be better this season as well, but it won't be due to the release of Terrell Owens, and any other logic just seems unfounded and thoughtless. Be careful what you wish for Cowboys fans, it may end up hurting your team in the end.
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 18 August 2009 18:58 ) |
