T.O. Apologizes

 "It has been brought to my attention that I have offended the organization and my teammates. Therefore, I would like to apologize for any derogatory comments toward them." -Terrell Owens

Concerning my previous post, I think the Eagles and I are on the same wavelength. It's obvious T.O. was invited into the Godfather's office and presented options. I hope Andy Reid had cottonballs in his cheeks

. ....Or Not

 I guess you actually have to mean apologies these days (damn you Andy Reid).  Terrell Owens suspended indefinitely?  Why the ambiguity?  In terms of signing T.O., how many times a day do you think Andy Reid says to himself, "what the hell were we thinking?" Also which team is going to step up and take their dose of T.O. up the wazoo next? You know there is another coach out there with an ego big enough to think he can control him.

An experience my secretary had recently reminds me of the Owens situation. She really wanted to avoid getting the flu this year and the Human Resources office was offering free flu shots for employees. She knew that flu shots do some really good things for people. She also knew that these shots had given her problems in the past. She desperately wanted to stay healthy this year. So she took the risk and went and got the flu shot. Well, the result was inevitable. The next day she had a high fever, was running for the john every couple of minutes and basically had the worst case of the flu that she had ever had. She blamed the flu shot but she also blamed herself because she knew that for her, the risk was high. My point is obvious. The Eagles knew what they were getting. Any team in the future that is stupid enough to try this little game of T.O. roulette deserves what they get.

In the least surprising sports news item of the NFL season, Terrell Owens has again blasted the Eagles and Donovan McNabb. In an ESPN interview he agreed with some comments made by Michael Irvin that the Eagle's would be better off with Brett Favre at quarterback and probably undefeated. Then he went on to rip the Eagles for not having the class to celebrate his 100th TD with the pomp and fanfare he deserves.

First , I can't put into words how much I hate this guy. I root for bad things to happen to Owens every week. I don't care what it is. Dropped balls and bone-crushing hits that leave his mouth paralyzed forever are a couple that come to mind. For him to repeatedly trash his quarterback and one of the genuinely good guys in the league is not only wrong but downright stupid. I mean this is the guy that will decide if he wants to throw you the ball. And to accuse his own organization of lacking something (class) of which he doesn't have a shred of, is just ridiculous. I'm so tired of athletes trying to make themselves into the victim. I watched Karl Malone do this over and over in Utah. It's boring, childish, and definitely gives us a clue about the insecurities some of these guys have. Andy Reid and the Eagles ought to go all "Godfather" on his ass and leave a horse's head in his bed tonight. Actually, animal rights activists might hunt me down for that statement so maybe other messages could be sent to Terrell in the spirit of the Godfather. A couple of ideas:

1. Make him an offer he can't refuse. Donovan and all his offensive lineman show up at T.O's house to present him with some options. Either he shuts up and plays hard or......ah hell......screw the options, just rip his tongue out and render him speechless for the rest of his life. And yes, I know I'm demented.

2. Tell him he's going to sleep with the fishes. Maybe a threat of a trade to play under Gus Frerotte with the Dolphins would help him shut up. Since the Dolphins are actually a pretty decent team and someday might have a decent QB, this might be too much of a reward for him.

3. Even better, threaten to trade him to the Texans. Actually, don't threaten, just do this. He deserves this. The Texans don't, but I'm all about making T.O. hurt here.

4. Give him the Kiss of Death. Remember in the Godfather II that look Fredo got on his face after Michael kissed him and said, "I know it was you Fredo". Classic "holy crap, I'm screwed" look. This is the look we want for T.O. ---I've figured out how to achieve this. Lure Owens into a secure area of the Eagle's facilities. Lock him, Keyshawn Johnson, and former Eagle receiver Freddie Mitchell (the guy who thanked his hands for being so great....and then was cut) in a room together for at least a month. To recoup some cash, the Eagles could sell footage of this for a reality show.

Did I mention I hate this guy?

Being a Utah guy I have to say something about the upcoming Jazz basketball season. The last couple of years have been a strange experience as a Jazz fan. When the Stockton and Malone era ended many experts picked the Jazz to finish as the worst team in the NBA for the 2003-04 season. They defied expectations (42-40 record) and just missed the playoffs that year with the help of a rising star named Andrei Kirilenko. The Jazz had plenty of money to throw around last year and they shot their wad on Carlos Boozer (ok so he stabbed the Cavs in the back but it seemed like a good deal for Utah) and Mehmet Okur (a promising scoring center on the bench in Detroit), and gave a nice contract to point guard Carlos Arroyo, who had just trashed the U.S. squad in the Olympics for Puerto Rico and seemed ready for a breakout year. The Jazz were promoting their slogan for the year "I can't wait" and it seemed to represent what many Utah fans were feeling. There was a palpable excitement about the promise and hope of this team. Jazz fans had been hearing for years before Stockton and Malone left that their era was ending. By the time it did, many were feeling some feelings of relief. We would miss the dynamic duo and things were going to be rough in the future until new stars emerged, but at least we could start that process (be careful what you wish for).

That's why the 2003-04 season was so cruel. We had no reason to expect anything that year and then somehow Kirilenko and the Jazz overachieve and are fighting for a playoff spot until the last day of the season.

Then came the 04-05 season. The Jazz win their first 6 games, Kirilenko is scoring and seemingly blocking every shot put up by the opposition. Their was excitement in the air. This team's down time was going to be non-existent!......Um...Earth to Jazz fans....come in Jazz fans..... Yeah. Kirilenko ends up getting hurt and spending half the season in street clothes. Arroyo never plays up to expectations, ends up in Sloan's doghouse and is traded to the Pistons. Boozer also spends significant time hurt and although his stats aren't bad, Jazz fans are more than a little disappointed in his season. Final record 26-56. Ouch. Back to reality.

The end of the season brought the Jazz the highest draft pick (traded up to get the # 3 slot) they had seen in a long while. They needed a point guard and they had Chris Paul and Deron Williams as the two highest rated guys to pick from. As everyone knows they went with Williams. This was no surprise to anyone familiar with Jerry Sloan. Williams seemed like the tougher guy, with a willingness to get others involved in a game. Sloan has always valued that over flashiness and scoring, which is what I'm sure he and the Jazz brass saw in Chris Paul. I have to admit I wanted them to draft Paul. The Jazz need a go-to guy and even though Boozer and Kirileko can score in double digits, I think they need someone else who will take the big shot when it's needed. Chris Paul seems like that type. Maybe I'm wrong and Deron Williams will end up being the better point guard in the long run and Paul will end up much like Stephon Marbury (talented, a scorer, but not a great player), but I have my doubts.

The Jazz have some questions that need to be answered in mind for this year:

1. Can Kirilenko stay healthy and regain his 03-04 all-star form?

2. Can Boozer stay healthy and play like the guy the Jazz thought they shelled out all the cash for?

3. Can Deron Williams develop into a solid point guard this year and show all-star potential for the years to come?

4. Can Jerry Sloan relate to his players and actually adapt his style to fit the personnel he has?....Wait I know the answer to this already. As Napoleon Dynamite would say, "Idiot!"

5. Can Okur and Kirilenko avoid hair styles this year that leave grown men crying and mothers shielding their babies eyes?

I think the Jazz will be lucky if they come anywhere close to replicating their 03-04 season. I have hope for them but I'm also realistic that they may be a couple of years and a couple of players away from contending for a playoff spot. At any rate I'm still a fan and will stick with them no matter how painful it is. You can still get Tylenol over the counter right?

The Steelers dodged a purple and black bullet last night. This was an ugly game (not surprising considering the teams involved) full of good defense and some pretty awful passes by both Quarterbacks. Say what you want about the Ravens offense but their defense always plays hard. And speaking of playing hard, how tough is Hines Ward? He plays like a man possessed.
Roethlisberger looked slow (ok, slower than normal) and his passes for the most part had little zip on them. Maybe those knees are going to be a problem. I hate it when coaches get too conservative at the end of the game but I really didn't have too much of a problem with Cowher giving the ball to Bettis on 3rd and 3 down in Raven territory (a field goal only leaves you 1 point ahead)and still over a minute and a half to go. With Big Ben struggling a bit and knowing they were facing one of the worst offenses in the league, it's not the risk you think it would be to rely on your defense to hold them. However, if it was Indy or especially New England on the other sideline then that would be absolutely the wrong call. You need that first down and you know the defense will be stacking the box. In the playoffs if you leave the Colts or Patriots with a minute and a half to get a field goal at the end.....well, lets just say the fat lady not only will have sung for the Steelers but she will be talking to the "Bus" about ways they can shed a few pounds in the off-season together

Rams/Jaguars

Now that Mike Martz is all but gone for good do you think he roots for the Rams to win or just totally fall flat so he can claim they missed his guidance? If they suddenly go on a run without him it really gives anti-Martz guys like myself ammunition. I'm guessing if he decides to phone in his resignation that's one call the front office guys will let through. At any rate the Rams will never be an easy victory for teams when they are on their own turf as the Jaguars found out Sunday. Steven Jackson was huge and Kevin Curtis's 83 yard TD showed why he needs the ball thrown his way more often. If their defense and special teams don't give games away this could be a team that could make some noise in the second half of the season.

 

Giants/Redskins What a huge dump the Redskins took against the Giants. I think this game gave us some indication of who is the real beast in the East. If the Giants continue to play like this, they will wrap up the division by Thanksgiving. Tikki Barber continues to make big plays and Michael Strahan still has a gap in his teeth. Scary bunch.

 

Bengals/Packers

Brett Favre threw 5 interceptions and the Packers still had a shot at tying this this game up in the final minute. What does that say about the Bengals? Those folks on the Cincinnati Bandwagon might want to think about jumping off before they get hurt. I think this team is on the right track but they aren't ready for the big time yet. I heard Chad Johnson wanted to get a jersey signed by Brett Favre after this game. I wonder if the drunk guy who ran onto the field will ask Brett to sign his mug shot when he gets out of jail? I can see the autograph now, "Dear idiot, if you come within 50 feet of me again, I'll sick Bubba Franks on your ass. Best wishes. B.Favre"

 

Broncos/Eagles

 If Jake Plummer keeps playing this well he's going to screw up all my theories about him. He has shed the "So what if it's triple coverage" snakeskin and is (gulp) playing smart, efficient and validating Shanahan's trust in his ability. -----Donovan McNabb is not feeling well and this team is just not the same without him healthy. They face the Skins, Cowboys, and Giants in the next three weeks and if they don't get it together they could be out of the playoff hunt before December.

 

Chargers/Chiefs

Both of these teams needed to prove they could beat playoff caliber opponents. San Diego got the "W" in what is shaping up to be a chase for a Wild Card spot. Tony Gonzalez has to be ticked that Antonio Gates is being called the best Tight End in football now. Sorry Tony, Your still a Pro-Bowler but Gates is clearly the alpha male of the position right now. What were the Chargers thinking when they were dickering over his contract in the pre-season. Their basic holdup was that they didn't think he deserved Gonzalez-like money yet. This game pretty much settles that debate doesn't it? The Charger brass screwed themselves out of his services in the first game of the season and it cost them that game (remember that last minute red zone failure?). Hopefully they won't have another mental breakdown in the offseason and choose Rivers over Brees.

 

Patriots/Bills

 A late game collapse and a 4th quarter comeback. If you didn't see the game and I gave you that sentence as a clue to the victor, you could guess the answer in less than 2 seconds right? Bruschi's return is going to help the Patriots in the coming months (dammit) and this team is going to cruise to a division title.

 

 Panthers/Vikings

Fantasy owners who passed on Steve Smith have to be kicking themselves in the groin about now. This guy is on fire. When I saw him play at Utah I thought he was fast and had decent hands but I never guessed he would break out like this. The bonus part for Panther fans is that his name rolls off the tongue a little easier than Mushin Muhammad's does. Speaking of names, Mike Tice said this of Culpepper's possible season ending injury: "The quarterback doesn't appear to be in good shape" ----It's never a good sign when the coach addresses you by your position. It's too bad for Culpepper and the Vikings. They need a reset button on this season. On the plus side for Dante, he's got time for some recreational activities now....maybe a cruise?

 

Dolphins/Saints

Aaron Brooks has now officially replaced Jake Plummer (see Broncos post above) on my list of quarterbacks who I would never pick to win a big game if my life depended on their success. The Dolphins look like they have a running game and a good defense but still need a QB. So what's new?

Raiders/Titans

 I wonder if Norm Chow wishes he was still at USC?

 

49ers/Bucs

I was thinking this would be a nice game for Chris Simms to get his feet wet and really prep for some meaningful games coming up. Umm....not so much. Hey it's only one game though. He played all right last year until he got hurt so maybe he just needs a little time and fatherly advice. Does Dad Phil call up and give him the "what the hell were you thinking, you played like $#@" peptalk or does he give him a hug and a playful noogie? These are things I need to know.

 

Cowboys/Cardinals

 Barber looks good at RB for Dallas. Bledsoe managed to not lose the game which Parcells had to feel good about. I like the Cardinals receivers but not much else about their team. Only saw a few highlights of this game but any time Keyshawn Johnson is not on the sidelines screaming it's a good thing.

 

Texans/Browns

Capture the magic

 

Lions/Bears

Jeff Garcia played very Joey like today.  The Bears defense might score more this year than their offense.  These are not good things.