dirty
EOG Master
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Gossip columnists in Philadelphia reported last month that Terrell Owens was engaged and that he and girlfriend Felisha Terrell would walk down the aisle next spring.
In his professional life, though, Owens hardly seems like the long-term-commitment type. He likes to flirt too much.
Near the end of his 49ers career, he began speaking longingly about playing with a quarterback like Donovan McNabb. That didn't exactly turn out to be a match made in heaven.
Before long, Owens cast his wandering eye toward Peyton Manning and Brett Favre.
Since Owens is apparently about to be single again - professionally speaking, that is - it's time to start thinking about his next destination.
Shortly before winding up with the Eagles, Owens said that being paired with Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick would evoke comparisons to the Chicago Bulls' NBA championship teams.
"Vick would be the Michael Jordan and I would be the Scottie Pippen," said Owens, who has a home in Atlanta, in February 2004.
Though there will be much red tape, the most likely scenario is that Owens becomes a free agent next spring when Philadelphia happily turns him loose before his $5million option bonus is due March 6.
In reviewing the possibilities for Owens' next stop - and, despite the turmoil, there will be no shortage of options - the Falcons loom as an intriguing destination.
Atlanta Coach Jim Mora got along fine with Owens during their 49ers days, and Mora is bold and confident enough to believe he can get along with anyone. Offensive coordinator Greg Knapp was once the target of an Owens sideline rant, but he promptly dismissed the heated exchange "as part of the game, a fun part of the game."
There would be hurdles. Falcons owner Arthur Blank said during a radio interview last spring that there was no way he would take on Owens. And the Atlanta front office faces a salary-cap crunch starting with the upcoming off-season.
But desperation can change things. The Falcons' young receivers have yet to emerge, and they have just two passing plays of 40 yards or more; Owens had four before getting the boot.
It could work - at least until Owens endures a scatter-armed game by Vick and starts talking about what great accuracy Carson Palmer has.
If the Falcons aren't next, who is? An NFL executive reached Tuesday insisted there would be plenty of suitors for Owens, even though the receiver has more baggage than a Samsonite factory.
The executive, who asked not to be named because NFL rules prohibit him from talking about a player under contract, noted the league's willingness to give second chances to felons and drug cheats. Owens is neither of those.
"He's just a bad teammate," the exec said.
Potential suitors fall into two camps: teams that are a piece away from a Super Bowl run (this was the Eagles' thinking once upon a time) and teams that are so desperate for a spark that they would risk getting burned.
Former 49ers coach Dennis Erickson, who grew as sick of Owens as anyone in 2003, sounded almost wistful for him by the end of his 2-14 season. Asked late in 2004 whether he preferred winning with jerks or losing without them, Erickson replied: "I have to be honest. I'll take those wins."
Still, any team where the chemistry is first-rate is likely to learn from Philadelphia's failed experiment and take a pass, which means Owens can forget about teams such as the New England Patriots, Carolina Panthers, San Diego Chargers and Indianapolis Colts.
Better bets might be the Miami Dolphins (if they took back Ricky Williams, they'll take anyone), the New Orleans Saints (desperate for a playmaker) or the Green Bay Packers (1-7).
Would a distraction like Owens be welcome in the locker room?
"If he needed a private jet to pick him up, I'd get it," Packers cornerback Al Harris told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "He's a hell of a player."
Adding Owens to any roster might sound nuts. Fan polls Tuesday were overwhelmingly against the five-time Pro Bowl selection. In an ESPN.com survey, 87 percent of respondents said they did not believe Owens' televised apology Tuesday was sincere. In an America Online poll, 41 percent ranked Owens as the hardest athlete to root for, putting him ahead of Mike Tyson (31 percent), Barry Bonds (23 percent) and Ron Artest (5 percent).
But for coaches and executives, whose livelihoods depend on victories, the gamble is tempting. Andre Rison, who wrote bad checks in four states and had felony convictions for stealing a tape recorder and failure to pay child support, found employment with seven teams.
Plus, there is always hope that a bad apple can reform: Just ask the Chicago White Sox, who found the cure for a clubhouse cancer by riding A.J. Pierzynski to the World Series.
So it's safe to say Owens will find a taker, although perhaps not at the $6million he made at his peak. Remember, though, it only takes one team to buy into the pledge he put forth Tuesday.
"I know in my heart," Owens said, "that I can help the team win the Super Bowl and not only be a dominant player, but also be a team player. I can bring that."
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In his professional life, though, Owens hardly seems like the long-term-commitment type. He likes to flirt too much.
Near the end of his 49ers career, he began speaking longingly about playing with a quarterback like Donovan McNabb. That didn't exactly turn out to be a match made in heaven.
Before long, Owens cast his wandering eye toward Peyton Manning and Brett Favre.
Since Owens is apparently about to be single again - professionally speaking, that is - it's time to start thinking about his next destination.
Shortly before winding up with the Eagles, Owens said that being paired with Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick would evoke comparisons to the Chicago Bulls' NBA championship teams.
"Vick would be the Michael Jordan and I would be the Scottie Pippen," said Owens, who has a home in Atlanta, in February 2004.
Though there will be much red tape, the most likely scenario is that Owens becomes a free agent next spring when Philadelphia happily turns him loose before his $5million option bonus is due March 6.
In reviewing the possibilities for Owens' next stop - and, despite the turmoil, there will be no shortage of options - the Falcons loom as an intriguing destination.
Atlanta Coach Jim Mora got along fine with Owens during their 49ers days, and Mora is bold and confident enough to believe he can get along with anyone. Offensive coordinator Greg Knapp was once the target of an Owens sideline rant, but he promptly dismissed the heated exchange "as part of the game, a fun part of the game."
There would be hurdles. Falcons owner Arthur Blank said during a radio interview last spring that there was no way he would take on Owens. And the Atlanta front office faces a salary-cap crunch starting with the upcoming off-season.
But desperation can change things. The Falcons' young receivers have yet to emerge, and they have just two passing plays of 40 yards or more; Owens had four before getting the boot.
It could work - at least until Owens endures a scatter-armed game by Vick and starts talking about what great accuracy Carson Palmer has.
If the Falcons aren't next, who is? An NFL executive reached Tuesday insisted there would be plenty of suitors for Owens, even though the receiver has more baggage than a Samsonite factory.
The executive, who asked not to be named because NFL rules prohibit him from talking about a player under contract, noted the league's willingness to give second chances to felons and drug cheats. Owens is neither of those.
"He's just a bad teammate," the exec said.
Potential suitors fall into two camps: teams that are a piece away from a Super Bowl run (this was the Eagles' thinking once upon a time) and teams that are so desperate for a spark that they would risk getting burned.
Former 49ers coach Dennis Erickson, who grew as sick of Owens as anyone in 2003, sounded almost wistful for him by the end of his 2-14 season. Asked late in 2004 whether he preferred winning with jerks or losing without them, Erickson replied: "I have to be honest. I'll take those wins."
Still, any team where the chemistry is first-rate is likely to learn from Philadelphia's failed experiment and take a pass, which means Owens can forget about teams such as the New England Patriots, Carolina Panthers, San Diego Chargers and Indianapolis Colts.
Better bets might be the Miami Dolphins (if they took back Ricky Williams, they'll take anyone), the New Orleans Saints (desperate for a playmaker) or the Green Bay Packers (1-7).
Would a distraction like Owens be welcome in the locker room?
"If he needed a private jet to pick him up, I'd get it," Packers cornerback Al Harris told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "He's a hell of a player."
Adding Owens to any roster might sound nuts. Fan polls Tuesday were overwhelmingly against the five-time Pro Bowl selection. In an ESPN.com survey, 87 percent of respondents said they did not believe Owens' televised apology Tuesday was sincere. In an America Online poll, 41 percent ranked Owens as the hardest athlete to root for, putting him ahead of Mike Tyson (31 percent), Barry Bonds (23 percent) and Ron Artest (5 percent).
But for coaches and executives, whose livelihoods depend on victories, the gamble is tempting. Andre Rison, who wrote bad checks in four states and had felony convictions for stealing a tape recorder and failure to pay child support, found employment with seven teams.
Plus, there is always hope that a bad apple can reform: Just ask the Chicago White Sox, who found the cure for a clubhouse cancer by riding A.J. Pierzynski to the World Series.
So it's safe to say Owens will find a taker, although perhaps not at the $6million he made at his peak. Remember, though, it only takes one team to buy into the pledge he put forth Tuesday.
"I know in my heart," Owens said, "that I can help the team win the Super Bowl and not only be a dominant player, but also be a team player. I can bring that."
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