Skip Bayless on T.O.

[Spaceman Spiff]

I figured we could use another TO thread to hold us over until training camp starts. and then we can overanalyze every little detail that happens in training camp....

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=bayless/050729&num=0

By Skip Bayless

Page 2

So Philadelphia Eagles management has proved to be harder of nose than the toughest Eagle of 'em all, Chuck Bednarik.

Eagles management has effectively given Terrell Owens an old-school forearm shiver right in the big mouth. The message: Shut up and play for the remaining six years on the contract you signed, pal.

As a prominent agent told me the other night: "The Eagles have all the leverage here."

Uh, think again.

If big, bad Eagles management thinks it is teaching this guy a lesson, the owner and general manager and coach haven't learned their lesson. Forcing him to play without improving his deal will be a disastrous victory. Win the battle, lose the war.

As long as Owens remains an Eagle, he's holding them hostage.

This guy will sabotage a season, without conscience or remorse. This guy is fully capable of deluding himself into believing the Eagles have treated him so unfairly that he will quit on them in selected games. This guy is the best I've ever seen at slowly ... draining ... the ... life ... out ... of ... a ... playoff ... team.

He is a destructive force to be reckoned with. He can use the media to make life miserable for his coach and his quarterback. He can use his leave-me-alone body language to make the locker room feel like a meat locker to teammates. He can be so good in practice and games -- and suddenly so terrible.

Terrible Owens.

For the Eagles' organization, keeping him will be cutting off its hard nose to spite its face. The 49ers thought they could tame the beast inside Owens in 2002 and 2003 and win a Super Bowl with him. Bill Walsh, then a 49ers advisor, thought so. So did Terry Donahue, then the general manager.

Somewhere, Walsh and Donahue are saying "good luck" to the Eagles. They know all too well that T.O. will soon stand for nothing but Ticked Off.

Thursday on ESPN2's "Cold Pizza," Drew Rosenhaus, who was born to be T.O.'s agent, said it's 50-50 whether Owens will report when Eagles camp opens Monday. But, said Rosenhaus, if Owens does, "He won't be a happy camper."

Here we go.

That's why, if the Eagles were smart, they would announce right now they're open to finding poor Terrell a new home. Yes, open the phone lines to any and all trade offers and see if anyone is crazy enough to bite. Tell the NFL world: "We won't give him away, but give us your best shot -- preferably a proven receiver."

See if you can start a bidding war.

Two complications, of course: 1) You're asking for a No. 1 receiver in return for a guy who immediately wants to be paid like the No. 1 receiver in football. And 2) You would be violating what feels faintly like a form of old-school collusion among some NFL owners.

Several have made it sound as if they're committed to showing these upstarts they will not beat the system by holding out. It seems that Owens now thinks if he makes enough noise, he can create almost annual free agency for himself. Now he says he wants to team up with Michael Vick in Atlanta, where Owens makes his offseason home.

No doubt some owners are thinking: If we let him talk his way out of Philadelphia, by next year he'll want more money to play with Peyton Manning.

Atlanta owner Arthur Blank has already made it very clear his franchise has no interest in Owens -- even though Atlanta's biggest need, obviously, is a wideout so good that Vick will prefer throwing to running. So you get the feeling that owners are basically saying, "Don't give these malcontents an escape route."

But there's always one coach or owner just desperate or ****y enough to think he can win big with Owens.

One Denny Green or Al Davis.

A couple of months ago, I proposed an Owens-to-Oakland trade -- T.O. straight up for Jerry Porter. The Raiders indicated they weren't interested because Davis loves Porter and because Owens' money wouldn't fit under their cap.

But Davis has been known to work cap magic when he wants to, and this still would be an excellent deal for both teams. You laugh, but I think Owens and Randy Moss could make a devastating one-two punch. Owens could make lots of catches. Moss could make the catch.

The Eagles have indicated they don't love Porter. But he would give them a chance to win this season's Super Bowl. Owens will not.

Green, entering his second year as the Cardinals' head coach, came within a missed field goal of a Super Bowl while coaching Moss in Minnesota. Green surely believes he can handle Owens. How about Anquan Boldin for Owens?

True, Owens soon might be saying that Kurt Warner makes him miss Jeff Garcia. But Green might be able convince Owens that if he gives Arizona one great year, he would be taken care of financially.

The Eagles should open the bidding right now and encourage Rosenhaus to play matchmaker. And if Owens' reputation and the lower leg he injured last season have scared off the rest of the league -- if no team offers anything near equal value -- at least the Eagles can say, "We tried, Terrell."

This is their only hope.

This, or cave in and give him a new deal. Rosenhaus says he has had recent "dialogue" with Eagles management, but at this point, it's difficult to believe those discussions are anything more than lip service.

The fact remains that the NFL Players Association advised Owens not to sign his current seven-year, $42 million contract, with $10 million signing bonus. But Owens gratefully signed it because: 1) his former agent had blown the free-agent deadline; 2) he had been traded to Baltimore; and 3) he had thrown such a fit until he had been allowed to sign with Philly and play with his dear friend and soul mate, Donovan McNabb.

Yes, the same McNabb he ripped after the Eagles lost in the Super Bowl. "I wasn't the one who got tired," Owens said.

That's right, Owens has burned the best bridge he ever had. ESPN's Sal Paolantonio reported that McNabb tried to rebuild it by inviting Owens to offseason workouts in Phoenix attended by all the Eagles receivers. McNabb, said Paolantonio, received a chilly response.

Typical.

Once, when I covered Owens' 49ers, a team executive dismissed him with, "He's as dumb as a chair." I disagreed then and do now. Terrell Eldorado Owens has brilliant PR instincts -- governed by deep, dark insecurity. That's right: All his egomaniacal celebrating sometimes masks a shrinking confidence.

The 49ers thought counseling might help him. Apparently, it didn't.

Owens has a history of creating often inexplicable feuds with executives, coaches and teammates -- especially quarterbacks. He had a very public fight with then-49ers coach Steve Mariucci during the 2001 season. Though Owens led the league in touchdown catches in 2001 and 2002, he constantly dropped sarcastic hints that he could catch many more if Garcia had a stronger arm.

My theory: Owens always builds in excuses to take the pressure and potential blame off him.

History will continue to repeat in Philadelphia.

Management, for some unknown reason, was always "out to get him" in San Francisco. He always wanted to be traded because he wasn't making enough money. Yet he always mixed emotions because he practiced hard, worked so hard on his body and avoided the police blotter.

Very bottom line: I'm not sure I've encountered as talented a player in any sport who was more interested in promoting himself and less interested in winning.

Owens is far more trouble than he's worth.

Manny Ramirez, on the other hand, is worth the trouble. Manny was World Series MVP. The bigger the moment, the more I want Manny at the plate with runners in scoring position.

If I'm Manny's manager and teammates, I just ignore him until his current "trade me" funk passes. History says it will.

But what exactly has Owens done to prove he's great in the clutch? The Eagles won two pressure-cooker home playoff games without him. Owens had virtually no pressure on him when he "courageously" returned to play with a slight limp in the Super Bowl. A patchwork New England secondary backed off and let him catch the ball underneath because he had no top gear.

Owens couldn't have written himself a better script: He became a hero to gullible fans for catching nine passes for 122 yards -- and no touchdowns.

Now, he says, the Eagles are "disrespecting me and my family" by not making him the NFL's highest paid receiver.

The Eagles have no chance against this guy and his media posse.

Of his relationship with McNabb, he now offers this threat: "I don't think it's great, and I think that's going to be a problem."

He will continue to peck away publicly at McNabb. His attacks on Garcia hit bottom with raising questions about the quarterback's sexuality.

Trading T.O. now is the only way out.

Heading into 2003, the 49ers were a consensus playoff team. Management considered them Super Bowl-caliber. Owens had other ideas.

In game after crucial game, Owens dropped pass after random pass. Management couldn't be sure if this was premeditated from game to game or if Owens had just generally quit on the team. But it was as shameful a season-long display as I've witnessed -- and it was shocking that it didn't make more national news.

"SportsCenter" highlights of TD celebrations can be dangerously misleading. When the Eagles giddily signed this guy, they seemed to have no real idea of what they were getting into.

Owens slowly ... drained ... the ... life ... out ... of the 2003 49ers, who finished 7-9.

That's why the Eagles are about to be history.

Skip Bayless can be seen Monday through Friday on "Cold Pizza," ESPN2's morning show, and at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN's "1st & 10." His column appears twice weekly on Page 2. You can e-mail Skip here.

[Westbrook36]

Terrell Owens is no friend of mine.

[orlskinsfan]

YIKES!

[ccsl2]

Skip Bayless has no clue...trade TO?? Yeah right!

The Eagles will be right back at square 1 if the trade TO...Just pay the man and keep it moving...the longer it drags out, the worse it will get.

[Dirk Diggler]

Maybe I'm wrong, but it always seems like black journalists feel that players are holding the cards in these standoffs when nothing can be further from the truth. Unless you are a QB, you are replaceable - plain and simple.

[ccsl2]

Originally posted by Dirk Diggler

Maybe I'm wrong, but it always seems like black journalists feel that players are holding the cards in these standoffs when nothing can be further from the truth. Unless you are a QB, you are replaceable - plain and simple.

You know Skip Bayless is white right?

And I don't think black journalist think that the players hold all of the cards..I think it is good just to see another point of view...generally, folks always assume the the owners are on the right side and the players are on the wrong side...but some players have a point..and IMO, TO makes a good case to be paid more...this issue is gonna be prevalent until the NFL comes up with a way to compensate the players better without full blown guaranteed contracts.

[Dirk Diggler]

You know Skip Bayless is white right?

Of course i knew that - i was just throwing it out there in the middle of this thread.

Actually, I think it's just lame that he tries to blame his situation in San Fran for the reason that he now has a bad contract in Philly. He couldn't wait to get out of San Fran - he went to the team he dreamed of playing for. He signed a contract at perhaps a discounted price in order to play for them. And one year later he aint happy. If it was all about the bling, i don't know why he didn't request a trade to the team that could pay him the most.

[ccsl2]

Originally posted by Dirk Diggler

Of course i knew that - i was just throwing it out there in the middle of this thread.

Actually, I think it's just lame that he tries to blame his situation in San Fran for the reason that he now has a bad contract in Philly. He couldn't wait to get out of San Fran - he went to the team he dreamed of playing for. He signed a contract at perhaps a discounted price in order to play for them. And one year later he aint happy. If it was all about the bling, i don't know why he didn't request a trade to the team that could pay him the most.

I agree...and then Skip Bayless says that he had "no pressure on him in the Super Bowl becauise he came back courageously from a broken leg"...that is one of the dumbest statement i have ever read in my life...I don't think Skip Bayless likes TO at all...plain and simple...bnottoem line is that if the Eagles can void his contract at anytime, then he should have the right to breach his or ask for more money if he out performs it.

[TLusby]

I agree with the writer and I believe the Eagles front office will not deal TO and will force him to play out of arrogance. He will be the cancer that makes this team 9-7 and thereby missing the playoffs. The Redskins, Giants, or Cowboys will surprise the football media and take the division.

[G-Prime]

Originally posted by Westbrook36

Terrell Owens is no friend of mine.

According to that article TO is about to be a very good friend of mine =)

[4thStBully]

even though i think t.o. is not makng "market value" he is a cancer.

i hope philly keeps him b/c i think skip is right on with this commentary.

the funny thing is, t.o. used to be one of my favorite players, now he is one of my least favorite. nothing beats sean taylor punking this punk.

[Chachie]

I hate Skip Bayless ALMOST as much as I hate our NFC East opponents.

Bayless 1

Philadelphia 0

[stevenaa]

The teams "can" hold all the cards if they get together and say enough is enough (I'm sure that's some sort of illegal collusion).

These guys make ridiculous money. In most cases, more in a few years than 99% of them would have made in their lifetime in another profession. I don't begrudge them the ability to ask for more money, but I do believe there is a right way to do it. TO signed the contract, against Union advice, because he wanted to play in PA with McNabb. He made a conscious decision to accept less money to get in the situation of his choosing. He could have turned down the contract. This is 100% TO's doing and if he becomes disruptive, I expect Reed to sit him for the year. Ban him from their facilities.

[ccsl2]

Originally posted by 4thStBully

i hope philly keeps him b/c i think skip is right on with this commentary.

Skip Bayless has no clue and that logic hes is spitting about the Eagles winning 2 "pressure cooker" games w/o TO is laughable...They played Minnesota, who last time I checked, could not stop anyone on offense, and Atlanta who played in a dome for most of the year, and was a 1 dimensional team...they didn't need TO for those games.

And then to say that there was no pressure in the Super Bowl (yeah right, McNabb felt so much pressure he couldn't breathe at the end of the game)...TO was the main reason they were even close in the game...and yeah NE didn't let him get deep, but all the underneath passes he caught, he set the Eagles up to score...Skip needs to come up with argument that has less holes in it!

[mookie0720]

Skip Bayless had a vendetta against TO even worse than Len P has against the Redskins.

[ccsl2]

Originally posted by stevenaa

The teams "can" hold all the cards if they get together and say enough is enough (I'm sure that's some sort of illegal collusion).

These guys make ridiculous money. In most cases, more in a few years than 99% of them would have made in their lifetime in another profession. I don't begrudge them the ability to ask for more money, but I do believe there is a right way to do it.

They do make ridiculous money, but they don't make anywhere as near the money the owners make, and the players assume more risk than the owners, and more risk any of the players in any other sport. I would understand if this was Todd Stinkson acting like this, but this is TO..the team's MVP from last year...he put his career on the line for the Eagles in the Super Bowl, and they can't guarantee some more money for him??? Would you rather have a Happy TO with a lil more guaranteed money, or a pissed off TO who could potentially cause major problems?

[bird_1972]

Wow. I didn't realize the situation in Philadelphia had deteriorated to this point. Honestly, I was hoping to play a full strength Eagles team this year. It's not like we got completely owned last year. We hung with 'em with TO on the team.

[Westbrook36]

Originally posted by ccsl2

They do make ridiculous money, but they don't make anywhere as near the money the owners make, and the players assume more risk than the owners, and more risk any of the players in any other sport. I would understand if this was Todd Stinkson acting like this, but this is TO..the team's MVP from last year...he put his career on the line for the Eagles in the Super Bowl, and they can't guarantee some more money for him??? Would you rather have a Happy TO with a lil more guaranteed money, or a pissed off TO who could potentially cause major problems?

Of course they don't make as much as the owners. Are you suggesting they should? The OWNER bought the team, they should make the lion's share of the money. Don't be ridiculous.

[Westbrook36]

Originally posted by bird_1972

Wow. I didn't realize the situation in Philadelphia had deteriorated to this point. Honestly, I was hoping to play a full strength Eagles team this year. It's not like we got completely owned last year. We hung with 'em with TO on the team.

Deteriorated to what point? What is suggested by a guy who would dance for three days straight if TO ruined the Eagles and thus frames every article he writes to this conclusion?

Last time I checked, Andy Reid isn't waiving any white flags. :doh:

[ccsl2]

Originally posted by Westbrook36

Of course they don't make as much as the owners. Are you suggesting they should? The OWNER bought the team, they should make the lion's share of the money. Don't be ridiculous.

Not suggesting that at all...my point is as much money as the owner's make and rightfully so, the Eagles can work it out so TO gets more guaranteed money...McNabb got his, and he got his before he actually got past the NFC Championship game.

[KingTaylor22]

Originally posted by mookie0720

Skip Bayless had a vendetta against TO even worse than Len P has against the Redskins.

I don't know abut that...

[Walking Deadman]

Originally posted by Westbrook36

Terrell Owens is no friend of mine.

But you love him so.......:cry:

This article by Bayless is horrible. The Eagles deserve credit by standing firm to Owens and Rosenhaus' demands.

Yet, Bayless is demanding trade in this article (mainly if the Porter/Owens trade happened, he could take credit I suppose).

No team in the NFL would take that trade for TO if they follow the old proverb: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

No way he'll be a team guy for anybody, even the Patriots.

And, TO wants to be a problem: Use the Dan Snyder to L. Coles approach: buy TO a big screen and send his complaining butt home (suspend his sorry butt). TO will STFU after a couple of weeks since the media will have no reason to interview him and he has that "family to feed".

[ZkinsFan]

thank god we didnt get TO

[stevenaa]

They do make ridiculous money, but they don't make anywhere as near the money the owners make, and the players assume more risk than the owners, and more risk any of the players in any other sport

Risk is relative. The owners of are on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars plus are responsible for hundreds of employees. The owners purchase the team and invest their money to get a return. They have a huge risk. Even though it may not be a risk of career ending injury, people are all to quick to dismiss the rich owner's risk.

TO made this choice knowing he was taking less money.

If a player signs a contract that is commenserate to his worth, then excels on the field for a few years to a level commenserate with the top players in the league, he should ask for more money equal to what the others at that level are getting. I have no problem with that situation. Of course, no player is going to give back money when he plays well below his contract, which is the norm for a lot of first round picks.

[4thStBully]

Originally posted by ccsl2

Skip Bayless has no clue and that logic hes is spitting about the Eagles winning 2 "pressure cooker" games w/o TO is laughable...Skip needs to come up with argument that has less holes in it!

i agree with skip that t.o. sabotages the team.

have you not noticed a trend with t.o.? always ****ing and moaning on top of the fact that he is an attention whore. cant wait until we play them, he's soft.