05-03-2005, 06:22 PM
The 49ers still have plenty of unknowns. But at least one nagging question has been emphatically answered.
Parting with Terrell Owens 14 months ago was the absolutely right move.
The uncertainty scratched at the back of 49ers fans' minds last season as they watched their team implode and Owens propel the Philadelphia Eagles toward the Super Bowl. Why, some wondered, did the 49ers let their only superstar leave?
Owens is answering those questions in a big way this spring. He's creating nasty feelings and bad chemistry on a team that should have a legitimate chance to repeat as NFC champion. Just imagine what he'd be doing with a team trying to simply rebuild some respectability.
You may have followed Owens' latest idiocy. If not, here's a recap:
Owens fired his dear, wonderful friend David Joseph -- the agent he stood by even during the slapstick nature of last year's trade to Philadelphia by way of Baltimore -- and hired slippery contract-buster Drew Rosenhaus. Owens then started whining about a new contract, just 13 months after he signed a seven-year, $46 million deal.
When pressed about his contract stance, he took a shot at quarterback Donovan McNabb -- the heart of the Eagles -- saying, "I'm not the guy who got tired in the Super Bowl."
And then he went out and cried on television. When things aren't going his way, you can count on Owens to do two things: weep and lash out at his teammates.
Wasn't he supposed to be happy now, having been traded by the evil 49ers and rewarded with a lavish contract by a winner?
Guess not.
The contract stuff is ridiculous. Yes, he has a small window to cash in on his immense talent. But the Eagles, who on principle don't redo contracts, can't even be sure he's healthy. At 31, he is coming off a major leg injury.
Let's remember that he didn't deliver a Super Bowl to the Eagles. In fact, they did their heaviest lifting -- overcoming the NFC championship game hurdle after three consecutive losses -- when Owens was out nursing his injury.
But, even worse, he's alienating the player most responsible for getting him to Philadelphia. McNabb lobbied hard for the Eagles to acquire Owens. Now McNabb sounds like he has buyer's remorse.
"I don't play games in the media," the quarterback said at last weekend's mini-camp. "I'm a man at what I do. If there's a problem with anyone and they feel the need to lash out, they know how to get in touch with me and we can handle it like men. . . . Just keep my name out of your mouth. Don't try to throw names or guys under the bus to better yourself."
But that's what Owens does. It's what he has always done. He's a teammate killer, a coach killer (don't ever believe that he didn't do everything he could to make sure that Steve Mariucci was fired). He can't truly sacrifice for a team because it's all about him.
He has made insinuations about Jeff Garcia's sexuality in a national publication, forcing Garcia into the awkward position of having to defend himself. Owens protected himself by harping on Garcia's drunken-driving arrest. In defending himself for his silly Ray Lewis dance, Owens just happened to slip into the conversation the double-murder charge once faced by the guy who recruited him to Baltimore -- oops! And now this bouquet of thanks for McNabb, the guy he used to lovingly call "D-Mac." McNabb's strong response might guarantee that the relationship is over. Owens, upon reading McNabb's words, will sulk and hold a grudge. That's what he does. The Eagles might be better off letting him walk.
At times, Owens seemed like he was really going to rebuild his reputation and shed all the baggage he acquired here. But it took only a little over a year for things to go sour.
And the 49ers should be downright gleeful that he's not their problem anymore.
:loool: X 100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Parting with Terrell Owens 14 months ago was the absolutely right move.
The uncertainty scratched at the back of 49ers fans' minds last season as they watched their team implode and Owens propel the Philadelphia Eagles toward the Super Bowl. Why, some wondered, did the 49ers let their only superstar leave?
Owens is answering those questions in a big way this spring. He's creating nasty feelings and bad chemistry on a team that should have a legitimate chance to repeat as NFC champion. Just imagine what he'd be doing with a team trying to simply rebuild some respectability.
You may have followed Owens' latest idiocy. If not, here's a recap:
Owens fired his dear, wonderful friend David Joseph -- the agent he stood by even during the slapstick nature of last year's trade to Philadelphia by way of Baltimore -- and hired slippery contract-buster Drew Rosenhaus. Owens then started whining about a new contract, just 13 months after he signed a seven-year, $46 million deal.
When pressed about his contract stance, he took a shot at quarterback Donovan McNabb -- the heart of the Eagles -- saying, "I'm not the guy who got tired in the Super Bowl."
And then he went out and cried on television. When things aren't going his way, you can count on Owens to do two things: weep and lash out at his teammates.
Wasn't he supposed to be happy now, having been traded by the evil 49ers and rewarded with a lavish contract by a winner?
Guess not.
The contract stuff is ridiculous. Yes, he has a small window to cash in on his immense talent. But the Eagles, who on principle don't redo contracts, can't even be sure he's healthy. At 31, he is coming off a major leg injury.
Let's remember that he didn't deliver a Super Bowl to the Eagles. In fact, they did their heaviest lifting -- overcoming the NFC championship game hurdle after three consecutive losses -- when Owens was out nursing his injury.
But, even worse, he's alienating the player most responsible for getting him to Philadelphia. McNabb lobbied hard for the Eagles to acquire Owens. Now McNabb sounds like he has buyer's remorse.
"I don't play games in the media," the quarterback said at last weekend's mini-camp. "I'm a man at what I do. If there's a problem with anyone and they feel the need to lash out, they know how to get in touch with me and we can handle it like men. . . . Just keep my name out of your mouth. Don't try to throw names or guys under the bus to better yourself."
But that's what Owens does. It's what he has always done. He's a teammate killer, a coach killer (don't ever believe that he didn't do everything he could to make sure that Steve Mariucci was fired). He can't truly sacrifice for a team because it's all about him.
He has made insinuations about Jeff Garcia's sexuality in a national publication, forcing Garcia into the awkward position of having to defend himself. Owens protected himself by harping on Garcia's drunken-driving arrest. In defending himself for his silly Ray Lewis dance, Owens just happened to slip into the conversation the double-murder charge once faced by the guy who recruited him to Baltimore -- oops! And now this bouquet of thanks for McNabb, the guy he used to lovingly call "D-Mac." McNabb's strong response might guarantee that the relationship is over. Owens, upon reading McNabb's words, will sulk and hold a grudge. That's what he does. The Eagles might be better off letting him walk.
At times, Owens seemed like he was really going to rebuild his reputation and shed all the baggage he acquired here. But it took only a little over a year for things to go sour.
And the 49ers should be downright gleeful that he's not their problem anymore.
:loool: X 100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
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