By By Ed Morrone
I know, I know-you told me so. In fact, everybody did.
When the Philadelphia Eagles acquired wide receiver Terrell Owens in March 2004, every story covering the event seemed to come with a warning. Owens is one of the most talented players at his position, but his selfishness and oversized ego are powerful enough to bring any franchise down.
His antics with the San Francisco 49ers led to his departure from the team, and he ultimately landed in Philly, expected to be the final piece in the Eagles’ Super Bowl puzzle. All Eagles fans knew of Owens’ past volatile behavior, but they were so desperate for a title they were willing to turn the other cheek. It almost worked.
Owens arrived at training camp last season after signing a 7-year, $49 million contract as the perfect teammate. He roomed with franchise QB Donovan McNabb and spoke of how close the two were, signed autographs for fans and praised head coach Andy Reid. This good fortune spilled into the regular season as the Eagles won their first seven games, with Owens catching nine touchdowns in the process.
Fast forward to Week 15.
The 12-1 Eagles were down, 7-6, to Dallas when McNabb hit Owens with a 20-yard strike across the middle of the field. Cowboys safety Roy Williams caught up with Owens and brought him down by the shoulders, causing T.O. to land awkwardly on his leg. It was later discovered that he had torn ligaments in his ankle and suffered a broken leg and would possibly miss the playoffs. This set off the first of a domino-style of events that led to Owens’ dismissal from the Eagles after a season and a half.
Owens miraculously rehabbed his leg in time to return to the Eagles’ loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX. Because he came back in such dramatic fashion, he felt he deserved more money than the $49 million he signed on for.
Sorry T.O., it doesn’t work that way.
Nevertheless, he griped throughout the off-season, calling McNabb a “hypocrite” and attacked the Eagles’ front office for not paying him what he’s worth. He reported to training camp on time, but made it perfectly clear he wasn’t happy and wouldn’t be happy until the Eagles re-structured his contract, something the front office refused to do and rightfully so.
Unlike last season, the Eagles suffered through an inconsistent start. Owens caught 47 passes for 763 yards and six touchdowns in the first seven games, but the Eagles stumbled to a mediocre 4-3 record and were no longer atop the NFC East-a division they were so used to controlling.
Last week, Owens gave a televised interview in which he further criticized McNabb, saying the Eagles would be better off with Brett Favre as their QB. He also chastised the Eagles organization for failing to publicly acknowledge his 100th career touchdown reception.
He issued a blatant forced apology, which clearly wasn’t working for the Eagles. Something had to be done. Reid suspended Owens for last Sunday’s 17-10 loss to Washington and one day later announced the wideout would be suspended for three more games before being de-activated for the rest of the season. Finally, the Eagles had enough. Owens’ troubled tenure in Philadelphia was over.
Owens delivered a more sincere apology during a Tuesday press conference, but this was too little too late. The Eagles gave him enough opportunities to clean up his act. They gave him more chances than he should’ve been allowed. Over the past week he alienated any fans he had left in Philly. The honeymoon was finally over.
As one of Owens’ biggest supporters over his short-lived time with the Eagles, even I was at a breaking point. I could no longer put up with his antics and neither could the Eagles and the rest of the city.
His talent is unquestionable, but Owens’ over-inflated ego is his own worst enemy. His absence will leave a gaping hole in the wide receiving corps, but the Eagles and their fans can care less at this point. It’s safe to say the fans would rather sacrifice the playoffs this season before ever letting Owens play another down for the Eagles.
It’s also ironic that his dismissal from the Eagles was over money, considering his next team will never give him the kind of money he was demanding after his miraculous Super Bowl return. He wanted eight or nine million a year, and I’d be surprised if he gets more than $3 million a year wherever he lands next.
The bottom line is Owens brought this upon himself. He signed the contract under his own volition and therefore has no grounds for complaint. The fact that the Eagles put up with his antics for this long is amazing. His fate is nobody’s fault but his own.
So what happens next? McNabb and the Eagles will play on and will try to sneak back into the playoff hunt while Owens sits at home wondering where it all went wrong. The Eagles will eventually rebound by next year, and Owens will land on his feet somewhere, though I issue a firm warning to whatever team has the gall to pick him up.
Owens was brought to Philadelphia to win a Super Bowl, and it almost happened. It was fun while it lasted. Now it’s time for both sides to move on.