Well, he’s seriously done. Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens was suspended indefinitely this week for actions detrimental to the team. This means he’ll be suspended for four weeks, which is the NFL limit, but the Eagles have already said that he will not play for the remainder of the season.
Why was he suspended? Remember last week when I ripped on Brett? Well T.O. had something to say about it. Actually it was NFL sportscaster Michael Irvin who said that if Brett Favre were the QB for the Eagles they would be undefeated. T.O. simply agreed. But what could he possibly have been thinking? He bad-mouthed the one guy that gives him the ball.
That’s not it though. He also publicly criticized the Eagles’ organization for not celebrating his 100th touchdown. Further proof of just how selfish T.O. is. So they called him out. The Eagles finally told T.O. that he can’t get away with the same theatric egotism.
I couldn’t be more pleased. As far as I’m concerned T.O. represents just about everything that’s wrong with the NFL. He has no concept of what a team player is, and he doesn’t seem to care about anything except his own stats, especially that salary stat.
I hate his mocking end zone dances. I hate the way that he yells at his teammates. And I hate the way he runs his mouth at all times without any regard to what the repercussions might be. That’s what got him in this mess in the first place. There are even rumors that he got in a fist fight with teammates in the locker room. He has no respect, and he doesn’t deserve to be on that team.
What’s horrible about the NFL is that it’s that kind of tactless scandal-for-the-sake-of-self that creates a guy like T.O. Take a look at Chad Johnson. Last year you didn’t know anything about him. This year he shows up with a checklist for defensive corners he’ll burn, and runs his mouth a little more. Before you know it he’s on SportsCenter all the time, and soon he’ll want more money.
All the while, a guy like Hines Ward, a four-time Pro Bowl receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, earns an eighth of what T.O. makes, and can’t get his contract renegotiated. This guy smiles the whole time he’s on the field, and plays the game just to play. Despite his nasty blocking skills and touchdown receptions, Hines doesn’t get half the media coverage that Randy Moss does.
Congratulations, T.O., as much as you want to add to your 103 touchdowns, you can’t. As much as you and your agent think that you were wronged by the Eagles, they still won’t have you. As much as you think you’re the best receiver in the league, you don’t get to play. And as much as I hate the NFL, it’s that much better when you’re not in it.
The view from the bench
