Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Eagles Need to Accept Reality
As the drama continues in the Terrell Owens saga, everyone has pretty much sided with the Eagles, some going as far as saying that it's imperative for all of sports that the Eagles stand strong and some even suggesting that T.O. shouldn't be allowed to play in the NFL anymore. Sure, that may be a nice stance in theory, but in reality, they are all wrong. Philly needs to give Owens a new deal.
For a minute, forget about everything Owens has said over the past few weeks. Looking solely at the situation, it's hard to dispute his point. If players can be cut if they get hurt or if they have a bad season, why can't players get a new deal if they have a good season? The deals don't do a great deal to protect the players, and before you say, "They are just playing a game, Mark, they should be happy to get $30k," remember that just because it's a game doesn't mean the owners should make out like bandits.
Most of the deals in the NFL are back-loaded and most of it usually isn't guaranteed. I have to side with the players on this one. And as far as holdouts go, the guy I feel the worst for is Hines Ward, that guy makes about the same money as Justin McCareins and is five times the receiver McCareins could dream to be. Some players just deserve what's due to them, and Hines Ward deserves a new deal, even more so than T.O.
Now, looking at everything that has happened in the past few weeks, T.O. couldn't be in a better position to get a new deal. With Todd Pinkston hurt and T.O.-lite Freddie Mitchell gone, Philly has no one who can actually catch a ball. Terrell Owens has played the Eagles perfectly and every move they have made has gone from bad to worse. It has now gotten to the point that Philly needs T.O. much more than T.O. needs Philly.
How do the Eagles play it? Well, they want to make a statement. They want to get the point across that no man is bigger than the team and no employee can treat his bosses like garbage, mouth off, badmouth his co-workers, and get away with it. The Eagles want to let it be known to the football world that the "me-first" attitude has no place in their camp. It's noble really, a great message to send to kids around the country. But let's face it, it's stupid.
Amazingly, the Eagles took a bad situation and made it worse by sending Owens a letter about his actions, a probable precursor to a suspension. What's the point of punishing him and then keeping him off the field? It's great to take a stand on an issue and make a statement, but what's the one thing more important than towing the company line? Winning — and that's something the Eagles will not do if they suspend Owens.
Didn't we go through something like this with Miami? Everyone said that you just couldn't quit on a teammate and come back. I thought that once you turn your back on your team, that you would be loathed and despised by everyone. The Dolphins took a bold stance with their cold remarks, but what happened? They sucked without Ricky, so when he wanted to come back, he was welcomed with open arms and players decided to be "professional" about it, because they knew the needed Ricky.
What is Philly trying to do here? If they don't want to cave and give him a new deal, then ship him away. Get something in return, which is better than sacrificing your season. If I'm T.O., I think I'm doing sit-ups in my driveway, too. First, the comedy level is off the charts, as it's become a media hotbed to watch him workout in his driveway. Second, he is in the position of power, there just isn't much incentive for Owens to cave.
Columnists and fans can continue to vilify T.O., but eventually they have to deal with reality — Philly can't win with Owens on the sidelines. The Eagles should have given him his deal a long time ago, before he had to start acting like a child to get it. Now, the Eagles are going to look ridiculous if they cave, but, if they want to win, it's something they better get ready for.
The Sports Gospel According to Mark is sponsored by BetOnSports.com. BetOnSports.com gives you the greatest sports action to bet on. Wager on football, cricket, boxing, Rugby, horse racing, and more. Mark Chalifoux is also a weekly columnist for SportsFan Magazine. His columns appear every Tuesday on Sports Central. You can e-mail Mark at [email protected].