MJ agrees: There's no T.O. in team
M.J. Editorial Board
Issue date: 11/15/05 Section: Perspectives
The Philadelphia Eagles were right to suspend disgruntled receiver Terrell Owens for the rest of the season.
In what became a media circus, Owens was sent home from training camp in August after an argument with Coach Andy Reid.
He publicly criticized his teammates, coaches and employers through the media many times over the course of the season, got into a fight with teammate Hugh Douglas, and didn't issue a genuine apology for all of his actions until it was too late.
Owens was initially upset that the Eagles refused to re-negotiate his contract before the season, his second year into a seven-year, $48.97-million deal.
He was right, however, in pointing out that because NFL teams can cut or reduce players' salaries after bad or injury-shortened years, players should also have the ability to petition for raises after performing above expectations.
But Owens went about things in the wrong way. If he had kept his mouth shut and played the way he did last season, while making his displeasure known privately, the Eagles would have been more accommodating.
An individual cannot place himself above the team, which Owens consistently did.
It was distracting to his teammates and coaches, making it hard for them to do their jobs.
Reverend Jesse Jackson and politician Ralph Nader have both called for Owens' suspension to be reduced.
He will miss three more games without pay and then get paid approximately $1 million for the final four games to sit home.
With all due respect to Jackson and Nader, they should find something more important to pour their time and energy into.
Owens told CNBC he needed to restructure his contract in part to help "feed his family," which is insulting to all of the fans who root for the Eagles and pay their hard-earned money to see him play.
Owens wants the Eagles to release him so he can join another team. But he already wormed his way out of playing for the Baltimore Ravens, the team he was first traded to, and shouldn't be allowed to do the same with Philadelphia.
His actions sent a bad message to other athletes. If he had been allowed to get away with his destructive behavior, it could have led to a bevy of similar problems for professional sports leagues.
Owens is one of the best players in the NFL, but the Eagles did the right thing, even if it may cost them a few wins this season.
In what became a media circus, Owens was sent home from training camp in August after an argument with Coach Andy Reid.
He publicly criticized his teammates, coaches and employers through the media many times over the course of the season, got into a fight with teammate Hugh Douglas, and didn't issue a genuine apology for all of his actions until it was too late.
Owens was initially upset that the Eagles refused to re-negotiate his contract before the season, his second year into a seven-year, $48.97-million deal.
He was right, however, in pointing out that because NFL teams can cut or reduce players' salaries after bad or injury-shortened years, players should also have the ability to petition for raises after performing above expectations.
But Owens went about things in the wrong way. If he had kept his mouth shut and played the way he did last season, while making his displeasure known privately, the Eagles would have been more accommodating.
An individual cannot place himself above the team, which Owens consistently did.
It was distracting to his teammates and coaches, making it hard for them to do their jobs.
Reverend Jesse Jackson and politician Ralph Nader have both called for Owens' suspension to be reduced.
He will miss three more games without pay and then get paid approximately $1 million for the final four games to sit home.
With all due respect to Jackson and Nader, they should find something more important to pour their time and energy into.
Owens told CNBC he needed to restructure his contract in part to help "feed his family," which is insulting to all of the fans who root for the Eagles and pay their hard-earned money to see him play.
Owens wants the Eagles to release him so he can join another team. But he already wormed his way out of playing for the Baltimore Ravens, the team he was first traded to, and shouldn't be allowed to do the same with Philadelphia.
His actions sent a bad message to other athletes. If he had been allowed to get away with his destructive behavior, it could have led to a bevy of similar problems for professional sports leagues.
Owens is one of the best players in the NFL, but the Eagles did the right thing, even if it may cost them a few wins this season.