Terrell Owens Hearing

Former/Current Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens reports to his arbitration hearing this morning to discuss his future this season. Owens and the player’s union are arguing that he should be release outright and become a free agent. Apparently his 4 game suspension seemed a bit steep to Owens and Co. This all boils down to money. Owens is worried that every game he misses is money not in his pocket. The Eagles want some of his signing bonus back for violating a clause in his contract. Who will win? We should know soon.

Is Owens really that bad of a guy? He speaks the truth and runs his mouth. The truth is hardly ever popular, but it is always better than lying. If McNabb were in an interview and someone asked if the Eagles would be a better team with Jerry Rice in his prime, do you think McNabb would say no? Put yourself in T.O.’s shoes. He may be a jackass in the locker room, but when it’s game time he is a prized steed. The question always asked is, does talent always win over character? In most cases it does. But is T.O. really a bad team mate?

I’m sure the quarterbacks have a love/hate relationship. He turns their 10 yard throw into a 60 yard touchdown. He makes quarterbacks look good. But is this talent enough to cause management to look away when he is being a jackass? In the Eagles case, no it wasn’t. Is T.O. really a bad teammate? Would you rather have a murderer on your team or someone who runs their mouth? Leonard Little has 2 DUIs under his belt and manslaughter. No exactly a model teammate if you ask me. But where was the uproar from St. Louis management? Ray Lewis killed someone too (he wasn’t convicted, but neither was O.J.) and now he is a superstar in this league. Since when did murder become tolerable and being a loudmouth intolerable?

The list can go on and on about drug users and players with domestic violence charges on their record, but the question still remains … is T.O. really a cancer? Is he that bad of a teammate? I hope the arbitrators side with T.O. just because he is a great entertainer and that’s what the NFL is. He didn’t kill anyone. He isn’t coked up. Let the Eagles cut him, and let T.O. get on with his life.