What a week for people in power. Three different instances showing how people have gone on power trips and basically shown their ass and shown how big of an ass they are. Let's get started.
Let's start on the high school level and work our way up. My first story comes from Illinois, where a team was given a technical foul at the start of the state 3A semi-final game for a uniform violation. North Lawndale College Prep received a technical because stripes on the sides of its uniform violated a National Federation of State High School Associations rule. Something they had not been penalized for all year long, at least until the start of the semi-final game. A game in which they lost by one point.
The rule states that the torso of the jersey must be a solid color and that side stripes must center vertically below the armpit and be no more than four inches wide. North Lawndale's uniform featured black stripes that curled around the armpits into the torso.This has to be the dumbest rule I have ever come across.
A team of young men, who had worked hard all year long and never been penalized before gets one game away from the state championship and then they get penalized? What the hell is up with this? Should the team, in the economy we are facing today, spent school fund to purchase new uniforms for the last two games of the season? That makes since seeing how schools across the country are shutting down extra-curricular programs left and right, letting teachers go and over-crowding the classrooms and not to mention schools are closing down all together.
Again, let me emphasize, the school HAD NEVER BEEN PENALIZED BEFORE THIS GAME!
In the end, they lost the game and played for third place and were penalized again for the uniform violation but went on to win that game with ease. This is absolutely ridiculous to punish these kids for something they had no control over and something that the state had not bothered to penalize them for before. This is just another sign of people in power taking it too far and penalizing someone who did nothing wrong. It was stated that the uniform violation made it hard to identify the team from the other team. How is this if the other team didn't have the same violation? If they had both had the violation then I could see it being hard to identify them apart. Then again, when one team is in a white uniform and the other is in a dark color, how is it so damn hard to tell them apart? Not to mention the names on the front of the jerseys as well.
Make all the excuses you want, but the bottom line is the Illinois UIL and the officials were wrong in their decision to penalize this team and costing them a state championship, or at least a chance at playing for one.
Let's move to the college ranks now, where a licensing agent for the University of Missouri has contacted the Harrisburg School District, in South Dakota, saying the school's tiger logo is "confusingly similar" to the Missouri tiger.
Here we go with more stupidity from people in power as the high school is now having to phase out the logo from all their school programs and properties.Last time I checked, the University of Missouri did not own the rights to the proud beast we know as the tiger. Hell, now we are at the point in our society where people are getting pissed because someone else's logo looks like theirs?
This is stupid and again, will cost school districts a boat load of cash as I am sure this will not be the first school forced to change their logo because someone else feels their individuality has been infringed on because someone else's uniform logo or mascot looks like theirs. DAMN PEOPLE GET A LIFE!
It was bad enough that people raised hell over the Indian mascot of several professional and college teams stating that it was not fair to those of Native Indian decent. Now we have people upset over an animal mascot picture base?
What next?
Are we going to have problems because people have the same last name as another player on their jersey? Perhaps people will be upset because the school colors are too "confusingly similar."
In the state of South Dakota, their are 11 high school teams with the tiger as a mascot and countless others across the United States. If this is allowed to happen, you can bet that mascots will seriously have to be looked at as being done away with since there are simply not enough animals or "things" in the world to account for every high school, college, semi-pro and pro sports team to have their own mascot.
I don't know about you, but I am not looking forward to an NCAA March Madness game between the Paperweights of Davidson University and the Hand Drills of BYU just because someone got their panties in a wad because they had to share their mascot name with another school.
This brings us up to the big one that everyone has been talking about, the Dallas Police Officer that pulled over Houston Texans player Ryan Moats and cost him the chance to see his mother-in-law before she passed away due to breast cancer.
Officer Robert Powell pulled Moats over just outside the hospital for stopping at a red light and then driving through it to get to the hospital. Powell also drew his gun during the March 18 incident involving Moats.
"I can screw you over," he said at one point in the videotaped incident.
When another officer came with word that Moats' mother-in-law was indeed dying, Powell's response was: "All right. I'm almost done."
Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle apologized to the family and announced that Powell would be on paid leave pending an internal investigation."When we at the command staff reviewed the tape, we were embarrassed, disappointed," Kunkle said. "It's hard to find the right word and still be professional in my role as the police chief. But the behavior was not appropriate."
Powell, 25, a three-year member of the force, stopped Moats' SUV outside Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano after Moats rolled through a red light.
Police officials said Powell told his commanders he believed he was doing his job, and that he drew his gun but did not point it. Kunkle said Powell was not necessarily acting improperly when he pulled his weapon out, but that once he realized what was happening should have put the gun back, apologized and offered to help the family in any way."His behavior, in my opinion, did not exhibit the common sense, the discretion, the compassion that we expect our officers to exhibit," Kunkle said.
Moats' wife, who was in the car along with other relatives, said Powell pointed his weapon at her."He was pointing a gun at me as soon as I got out of the car," Tamishia Moats told The Dallas Morning News.
Powell ordered Tamishia Moats, 27, to get back in the SUV, but after pausing for a few seconds, she and another woman rushed into the hospital. She was by the side of her mother, 45-year-old Jonetta Collinsworth, when she died a short time later from breast cancer.
"Get in there," said Powell, yelling at Tamishia Moats as she exited the vehicle. "Let me see your hands!"
"Excuse me, my mom is dying," Tamishia Moats said. "Do you understand?"
Ryan Moats explained that he waited until there was no traffic before proceeding through the red light. When Powell asked for proof of insurance, Moats grew more agitated and told the officer to go find it.
"My mother-in-law is dying! Right now! You're wasting my time!" Moats yelled. "I don't understand why you can't understand that."
As they argued, the officer got irritated.
"Shut your mouth," the officer said. "You can either settle down and cooperate or I can just take you to jail for running a red light."
By the time the 26-year-old NFL player received a ticket and a lecture from Powell, about 13 minutes had passed. When he and Collinsworth's father entered the hospital, they learned Collinsworth was dead.
Kunkle said the video showed that Moats and his wife "exercised extraordinary patience, restraint in dealing with the behavior of our officer."
"At no time did Mr. Moats identify himself as an NFL football player or expect any kind of special consideration," Kunkle said. "He handled himself very, very well.
What bugs the hell out of me about this is now we have Maritza Thomas, the former wife of NFL Linebacker Zach Thomas coming out and stating that she had problems with Officer Powell as well. Back in July of 2008, Thomas was jailed for three hours after Powell pulled her over for an illegal U-turn. Thomas, who is Latina, is now playing the race card after the Moats incident.
Hmm, if you had a problem with Powell and questioned his ethics as an officer, then why not say something after the incident happened? Why wait almost a year later and now jump on the media band wagon that has been caused by the Moats incident? Here we have Thomas getting her name out to the world while the Ryan Moats and his family are trying to put this behind them.
I commend Moats for not once playing the NFL card when Powell pulled him over. He never gave the, "Don't you know who I am" speech and he kept his cool throughout the entire ordeal. I give him even more credit at the fact that he has kept his thoughts and feelings to himself and has not once been a voice in the outcry against Powell. Moats showed character in this ordeal and proved that he is one of the good guys in a sports world that seems littered with wanna-be thugs and criminals.
You also have to give credit to the police officers that turned Powell in for the incident. It is not an easy thing to do, turning in one of your own, when you wear the uniform. It can make things difficult for you and brand you for life. However these officers stepped up and did the right thing and should be praised.
Officer Powell should lose his job and the Dallas Police Department should be ashamed of putting Powell on a paid suspension. Let's do the math, no work plus getting paid equals a vacation if you ask me. How does this teach not only Powell, but the youth of our communities, the error of his mistakes and that doing wrong is not good. Powell is getting paid to sit at home in hopes of things blowing over. We set a bad example for the children that see this story unfold if Powell does not lose his job and never work as a police officer again.
These three incidents are a prime example of how absolute power can corrupt absolutely. What needs to happen is people need to step back from their position of power from time to time and look at what would be better for not only the situation at hand, but for all those involved and people in general instead of going stark raving mad with power and screwing over a few innocent people that had no need to go through the situations they did and suffer anything from the loss of a game, to the loss of a mascot to the loss of a family member.
http://http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=77Q49VztpLI
http://http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzjg2EhNLY0
Monday, March 30, 2009
Saturday, March 7, 2009
WBC: World Baseball Conspiracy
So I sat down today to watch some of the WBC and see if I could get myself interested in it. After watching the Canada vs USA game, the only thing I found myself interested in was everything but the game on the television.
First off, I do not need every radio talk show host and tv anchor telling him how gripping and exciting it is, just weeks after not even knowing the damn thing was starting. How gripping and exciting can it be when your own show and its staff didn't even know it was about to start two weeks ago? Up until now, the only news I had been getting on the WBC was A-Rod joining the Dominican Team, players opting not to play in the WBC and then A-Rod not playing for the Dominican Team. I am tired of hearing and talking about A-Rod, but he found another way to dominate the news.
Then there are the seedings, which in my opinion, are bias towards the USA. We have Pool A which features Japan, South Korea, China and Chinese Taipei. Pool B consisting of South Africa, Mexico, Australia and Cuba. Pool C has USA, Canada, Italy and Venezuela. Finally, Pool D, Dominican Republic, Panama, Netherlands and Puerto Rico. How did they decide to seed these teams?
I can understand Pool A since they are all far East Teams. Pool D, with the exception of the Netherlands makes since. However Pool C, the USA's pool seems to be a wash with the exception of Venezuela. Pool B. is all over the globe so how did this work out? Why not seed them according to geographical location?
Pool A
Japan
China
Chinese Taipei
South Korea
Pool B
Dominican Republic
Cuba
Puerto Rico
Pool C
Canada
USA
Mexico
Panama
Pool D
Australia
Italy
Netherlands
Venezuela
Okay, Pool D is still a bit odd, but for the rest of them, they stay as close to "together" as can possibly be. Then again, does it really matter because no one is really showing that they care about the WBC here in the States. It is all about pride for all other countries, but in the USA, it is a time-filler until March Madness. Don't believe me, then check out the ratings last year.
Last year, almost half the televisions in Japan turned in for their games while the Dominican Republic reported that 90% of their viewers turned in for their games. Here in the USA, we barely broke a 2.5 rating. That is two and a half house for every 100 viewers turned in for the games and they were played here! Way to go Bud Selig.
Speaking of Bud Selig, he would like everyone to believe that the last one was a huge success and this one is going to be even bigger. Does this mean that if a batter now gets two hits out of 100 bats he will be successful and three hits will make him great? Selig is trying desperately to get the excitement up about the WBC here in the States, but it isn't working because people simply do not care. We like to think baseball is our game, but the rest of the world has passed us up, much like they did in basketball for several years. Wait until other countries start getting better at football (not soccer) and see what the USA does. Then It will be a full scale panic attack.
Watch some of the games in places like the Dominican Republic or Japan and see how the fans are on the edge of their seats for each and every pitch. Now watch a MLB game when the season starts and see how the fans are more concerned with who's at the game or the outfit they wear to the game than the game itself. As Americans we have gotten lazy and big-headed and then can't stand it when the rest of the world puts us in our place. Especially when it comes to a game we invented.
Yes, the WBC means a lot to every country in it with the exception of the USA. The only thing it does for the USA is allow professional teams to scout players in other countries they might not get a chance to see. So in other words, this is nothing more than the NFL Combine for baseball. I guess for the seventh inning stretch we can have the other players run the bases for times, catch deep fly-balls and throw to home plate to test arm strength and then let them hit for power.
What makes the WBC a bigger joke is the fact that some of these teams playing have players playing for "their country" and they were not even born in that country. Some have never even been to that country. Mark Mulder of the St. Louis Cardinals was going to play for The Netherlands and he was born in Illinois. Don't even get me started on the fact that most of the players for the Netherlands have never even been there. they are from either Curacao or Aruba. yes, these two islands are considered part of the Netherlands, but funny how they can represent themselves in the Olympics.
Chris Cooper is playing for Italy? When did the name Cooper become Italian? Bud Selig and MLB gave permission to players to play for other teams if they could track down their family tree and show that someone in their family once lived in a certain country they want to play for. So that means that if PLAYER A's father's, cousin's, nephew's, third aunt removed lived in Johannesburg, South Africa, they could play for that team? Ridiculous! Don't even get me started on the South African team seeing how most of their names are as common as yours and mine.
I have nothing against the WBC, but I feel it needs to be like the Olympics use to be, for amateur athletes. It gives them a chance to shine on a major stage and gives them a chance to show the world what they can do and represent their country. When the USA got their feelings hurt because they got beat in the Olympics at basketball, things turned ugly and other sports followed suit. We like to think that we are the best at everything and there is nothing wrong with that. However, there is nothing wrong with falling short if you give your best effort. All countries should follow suit and if you play in ANY, I repeat ANY, professional team in the world, you should not be allowed to participate in the WBC, the World Cup, the Olympics or anything of that nature.
I watched the American team and quite frankly, they got lucky. I heard about how they had heart this year and looked to avenge their losses from the previous WBC, but I saw nothing out of them. In short, they bored me. What's even worse is when the games come to the United States (funny, how the championship is here again) the fans will be filled with more supporters of other teams than the home team. Oh yeah, home teams. How is it the US Team played in Canada and was listed as the home team instead of Canada? one last chance to get it right and by the end of the game, they almost needed it.
First off, I do not need every radio talk show host and tv anchor telling him how gripping and exciting it is, just weeks after not even knowing the damn thing was starting. How gripping and exciting can it be when your own show and its staff didn't even know it was about to start two weeks ago? Up until now, the only news I had been getting on the WBC was A-Rod joining the Dominican Team, players opting not to play in the WBC and then A-Rod not playing for the Dominican Team. I am tired of hearing and talking about A-Rod, but he found another way to dominate the news.
Then there are the seedings, which in my opinion, are bias towards the USA. We have Pool A which features Japan, South Korea, China and Chinese Taipei. Pool B consisting of South Africa, Mexico, Australia and Cuba. Pool C has USA, Canada, Italy and Venezuela. Finally, Pool D, Dominican Republic, Panama, Netherlands and Puerto Rico. How did they decide to seed these teams?
I can understand Pool A since they are all far East Teams. Pool D, with the exception of the Netherlands makes since. However Pool C, the USA's pool seems to be a wash with the exception of Venezuela. Pool B. is all over the globe so how did this work out? Why not seed them according to geographical location?
Pool A
Japan
China
Chinese Taipei
South Korea
Pool B
Dominican Republic
Cuba
Puerto Rico
Pool C
Canada
USA
Mexico
Panama
Pool D
Australia
Italy
Netherlands
Venezuela
Okay, Pool D is still a bit odd, but for the rest of them, they stay as close to "together" as can possibly be. Then again, does it really matter because no one is really showing that they care about the WBC here in the States. It is all about pride for all other countries, but in the USA, it is a time-filler until March Madness. Don't believe me, then check out the ratings last year.
Last year, almost half the televisions in Japan turned in for their games while the Dominican Republic reported that 90% of their viewers turned in for their games. Here in the USA, we barely broke a 2.5 rating. That is two and a half house for every 100 viewers turned in for the games and they were played here! Way to go Bud Selig.
Speaking of Bud Selig, he would like everyone to believe that the last one was a huge success and this one is going to be even bigger. Does this mean that if a batter now gets two hits out of 100 bats he will be successful and three hits will make him great? Selig is trying desperately to get the excitement up about the WBC here in the States, but it isn't working because people simply do not care. We like to think baseball is our game, but the rest of the world has passed us up, much like they did in basketball for several years. Wait until other countries start getting better at football (not soccer) and see what the USA does. Then It will be a full scale panic attack.
Watch some of the games in places like the Dominican Republic or Japan and see how the fans are on the edge of their seats for each and every pitch. Now watch a MLB game when the season starts and see how the fans are more concerned with who's at the game or the outfit they wear to the game than the game itself. As Americans we have gotten lazy and big-headed and then can't stand it when the rest of the world puts us in our place. Especially when it comes to a game we invented.
Yes, the WBC means a lot to every country in it with the exception of the USA. The only thing it does for the USA is allow professional teams to scout players in other countries they might not get a chance to see. So in other words, this is nothing more than the NFL Combine for baseball. I guess for the seventh inning stretch we can have the other players run the bases for times, catch deep fly-balls and throw to home plate to test arm strength and then let them hit for power.
What makes the WBC a bigger joke is the fact that some of these teams playing have players playing for "their country" and they were not even born in that country. Some have never even been to that country. Mark Mulder of the St. Louis Cardinals was going to play for The Netherlands and he was born in Illinois. Don't even get me started on the fact that most of the players for the Netherlands have never even been there. they are from either Curacao or Aruba. yes, these two islands are considered part of the Netherlands, but funny how they can represent themselves in the Olympics.
Chris Cooper is playing for Italy? When did the name Cooper become Italian? Bud Selig and MLB gave permission to players to play for other teams if they could track down their family tree and show that someone in their family once lived in a certain country they want to play for. So that means that if PLAYER A's father's, cousin's, nephew's, third aunt removed lived in Johannesburg, South Africa, they could play for that team? Ridiculous! Don't even get me started on the South African team seeing how most of their names are as common as yours and mine.
I have nothing against the WBC, but I feel it needs to be like the Olympics use to be, for amateur athletes. It gives them a chance to shine on a major stage and gives them a chance to show the world what they can do and represent their country. When the USA got their feelings hurt because they got beat in the Olympics at basketball, things turned ugly and other sports followed suit. We like to think that we are the best at everything and there is nothing wrong with that. However, there is nothing wrong with falling short if you give your best effort. All countries should follow suit and if you play in ANY, I repeat ANY, professional team in the world, you should not be allowed to participate in the WBC, the World Cup, the Olympics or anything of that nature.
I watched the American team and quite frankly, they got lucky. I heard about how they had heart this year and looked to avenge their losses from the previous WBC, but I saw nothing out of them. In short, they bored me. What's even worse is when the games come to the United States (funny, how the championship is here again) the fans will be filled with more supporters of other teams than the home team. Oh yeah, home teams. How is it the US Team played in Canada and was listed as the home team instead of Canada? one last chance to get it right and by the end of the game, they almost needed it.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Terrell Owens: Public Perception VS Private Reality
So the big news came down tonight and even in his downfall, Terrell Owens can still steal the lime light from others. Don't believe me, ask Manny Rameriez who finally signed a contract with the Los Angels Dodgers and was bumped to the back-burner by the release of Terrell Owens from the Cowboys. Like I said, even in his disgrace, T.O. finds a way to be the talk of the town.
Sadly, the T.O. we have all come to know from his end zone celebrations to his off color remarks to the media is not the real Terrell Owens. I have had the opportunity to meet him while covering the Cowboys for a sports newspaper in Dallas I use to write for and I can honestly say that when the cameras and media are not around, T.O. is one of the kindest and respectful people you could ever have the pleasure of meeting. However, he will never be seen that way, because he has blown it in the court of Public Opinion with his antics and SNL-like attitude on the field.
the T.O. I got the chance to meet was one that always said, "please" and "thank you" and never had a mean word to say to anyone. He always smiled and spoke to anyone that was around him. after spending just 10 minutes with him, you felt you had known his for years. he treats people with respect and like a life-long friend. this is the T.O. that should have be revealed to the media and the world instead of the brash arrogant T.O. we have all come to know over the years.
Instead, we know the T.O. that calls out his quarterback after a Super Bowl loss and says he quit on his team (Donovan McNabb). the same T.O. that after leaving San Francisco made the suggestion that his former quarterback, Jeff Garcia, was gay. And yes, the same T.O. that cried to the media that Tony Romo and Jason Witten were having secret meetings in their hotel room to draw up plays to exclude T.O. and cut down on his catches. The best of it all was the T.O. who has his agent call a press conference outside T.O.'s house and while the agent speaks to the media, T.O. does sit-ups in the background.
There is also the funny and some-what entertaining T.O. with all of his touchdown celebrations. Here is a brief listing of some of the more famous/infamous celebrations and the teams he was with when he unveiled them to the world.
Celebrations for San Francisco
While playing the Atlanta Falcons on January 9, 1999, Owens caught a long touchdown pass and proceeded to mimic the "dirty bird", the Falcons’ signature touchdown dance. However, Owens performed a slashing of the throat gesture at the end of the dance, which quickly silenced the crowd.
On September 24, 2000 in Dallas, Terrell Owens showed off his excitement after his two touchdown catches by running from the end zone to midfield and celebrating on the Dallas Cowboys' famous star logo. The second time Owens made a trip to the star, then Cowboys safety George Teague hit him during the celebration. Teague would be ejected for his actions, while Owens was suspended for a week by his head coach and was fined $24,000 which was equal to a week's pay. The celebration and subsequent hit were named one of the ten most memorable moments in the history of Texas Stadium by ESPN in 2008.
During a Monday Night Football game against the Seattle Seahawks on October 14, 2002, Owens pulled a Sharpie marker out of his sock to sign the football he caught to score a touchdown, and then gave the ball to his financial adviser, who was in the stands. He was fined for this stunt.
On December 15, 2002, in a home game against the Green Bay Packers, Owens scored a touchdown and ran to a row of cheerleaders beyond the end zone. He reached out and asked to borrow two pompoms from a 49ers cheerleader, which he then playfully shook, doing his own brief spontaneous routine before dropping them to the ground.
On November 17, 2003, the 49ers hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers in a Monday night game, and Owens wore a wristband with the words "The Answer" emblazoned on it. Just over eight minutes into the game, he caught a 61-yard touchdown pass from Tim Rattay (who was starting at quarterback because Jeff Garcia was injured), and excitedly pointed to the wristband after reaching the end zone to draw attention to it. After the game (won by San Francisco 30-14), Owens was asked by a sideline reporter the significance of the slogan on the wristband, and he replied: "Because I am The Answer." "The Answer" is the widely known nickname of NBA star guard Allen Iverson.
Celebrations for Philadelphia
The "Bird Dance", "The Bird" or "Wing Flap" became T.O.'s trademark dance with the Eagles. During the 2004 season, the Birdheadz (The Original 'Ol Head, Whey Cooler and DJ Holland) a local Philadelphia group came up with a song named "Flying with the Birdz, Do the Bird". The Birdheadz first came up with it during the Eagles 2003 playoff run. T.O. did the "Bird Dance" frequently during the 2004 season after a big play or TD. After the Super Bowl in '04, New England players did a version of the "Bird Dance" with their celebrations.
He imitated and mocked the trademark pre-game ritual dance of Baltimore Ravens Ray Lewis after scoring a touchdown while playing against the Ravens in the 2004 season.
After catching a touchdown from Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb during a game in Cleveland, Owens ran through the end zone and tore down a hand-made sign which read, "T.O. has B.O.".
After scoring his 100th career touchdown in Philadelphia, he pulled a towel from his waist, folded it over his arm, and then placed the football in the palm of his hand, holding it over his shoulder and pretending to serve it up to the opposing team like a waiter would present a meal.
After scoring a touchdown against the Chicago Bears in 2004, Owens celebrated by doing six sit-ups in the end zone, one for each touchdown he had scored at that point in the 2004 season.
Celebrations for Dallas
After catching a touchdown against the Washington Redskins on November 5, 2006, Owens pretended to take a nap, using the football as a pillow. The Cowboys were penalized 15 yards for "excessive celebration". Days before the game, Owens was reported to have a habit of falling asleep during team meetings.
On the Thanksgiving Day game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 23, 2006, Owens, after catching a pass for a touchdown, dropped the ball in an over sized Salvation Army Red Kettle, donating the ball to the Salvation Army. (Since 1997, the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game halftime show has traditionally started the Salvation Army's Red Kettle Christmas Campaign.) About the touchdown celebration, Owens was quoted as saying, "That was my donation. I hope it's worth as much as the fine."
On December 16, 2006, Owens first introduced his trademark "T.O." symbol with his arms after scoring his second touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons. It has since become a frequent celebration after Owens scores.
On September 16, 2007, Owens mocked Bill Belichick after catching a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins, by hiding behind a field goal post and holding the football to his face in a video camera fashion, as if secretly spying and filming the game. The Cowboys were penalized 15 yards for "excessive celebration".
On September 19, 2007, the league fined Owens $7,500 for the celebration. According to Owens, he was only fined because he used the ball as a prop.
On November 4, 2007 against his former team, the Philadelphia Eagles, Owens flapped his wings, mimicking the dance he did while with the Eagles. This, coupled with Owens' tumultuous stay with the Eagles and his current tenure with the Cowboys (an Eagles division rival), earned the boos of the crowd. Prior to the game, Owens was quoted as saying, "There's a lot of love in those boos."
On November 29, 2007 against the Green Bay Packers Owens scores a touchdown and throws popcorn in his face.
On September 7, 2008, Owens celebrated his first touchdown of the 2008 NFL Season against the Cleveland Browns by preparing himself like an Olympic sprinter ready to explode out of the blocks. FOX Sports play by play man Joe Buck suggested the celebration may be homage to the Olympics and Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. The Cowboys were penalized 15 yards for "excessive celebration."
Through the outburst with the media and the celebrations and all the other things that we have come to see from T.O., the one thing you can not take away from him is his ability to play the game and be one of the best receivers to ever play in the N.F.L. Just look at his stats and you can see why he will no doubt be in the Hall of Fame one day, regardless of his antics.
http://www.nfl.com/players/terrellowens/careerstats?id=OWE755129
If his stats are not enough to convince you of his ability, take a look at the NFL rectors he holds and some career highlights.
Has 141 total touchdowns (139 receiving), 14,122 receiving yards, 951 receptions, and 183 rushing yards.
Averaged one touchdown per game in 2001, 2004, and 2007.
Has had nine 1,000 yard seasons, including five consecutive (2000–2004).
Holds NFL record 20 receptions in a single game against the Bears.
Reached 100 catches in only 14 games in 2002.
Led League in receiving touchdowns in 2001, 2002, and 2006.
Second all-time in receiving touchdowns behind Jerry Rice.
So what's next for T.O. and where do the Cowboys go from here? Let's start with the Cowboys first.
This had to be hard for Jerry Jones, not so much to cut him, but because by cutting him, Jerry has now admitted he was wrong and that the T.O. Project was a bust. Admitting he was wrong is not an easy thing for Jerry, but he has done it and no doubt, team Chemistry will be better. However, the team will not be. Now they must hope that the 1st and 3rd round picks and the $54 million they gave up to acquire Roy Williams will pan out. Williams must now step up and show he can be the Number One guy for the Cowboys. Williams is a down grade from T.O., even if T.O. is in the final chapters of his career. T.O. was not the main problem surrounding the Cowboys, even though must people would like you to believe that. There are serious questions surrounding the Offensive line as well as the Secondary and Special teams. T.O., unfortunately for himself, drew too much attention to himself and out shined all the other problems with this team and thus got himself cut and now looking for a job.
So where will T.O. land now that he is looking for a new home? Some people would say San Diego, a team that seems to be one game away from taking that final step and wining a championship. Imagine Phillip Rivers having Vince Jackson, Antonio Gates and Terrell Owens as his receivers and then L.T. and Darren Sproles in the backfield. That is tough to beat. However, Head Coach Norv Turner would be walked all over by T.O. because T.O. is a strong personality and Norv is a push-over.
If the Denver Broncos decide to release Brandon Marshall after his recent arrest and seeing how the new head coach and management have created a rift between themselves and quarterback Jay Cutler, signing T.O. would offer Cutler a top receiver to throw to. However, replacing the problems of Marshall with the problems of T.O. seems like a wash.
The Colts could use him as could the Ravens and the patriots, but none of them are going to put up with the antics of T.O. and have him take away from what they have been able to build the past few years. Several other teams could use him, but they are not in the position to give T.O. the one thing he so desperately wants, a Super Bowl ring.
It's my opinion that T.O. will land with the Tennessee Titans. he is from Alabama and played college ball at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. They are a smaller market, which would put him out of the main media and they can also offer him warmer weather throughout the season. The Titans don't have a real go-to receiver as well which would make T.O. the main guy for the Titans as far as receivers go. Plus, it would give him a chance to end his career close to home and maybe that is enough to mellow him out some and show the world what a true talent he is on the football field.
Sadly, the T.O. we have all come to know from his end zone celebrations to his off color remarks to the media is not the real Terrell Owens. I have had the opportunity to meet him while covering the Cowboys for a sports newspaper in Dallas I use to write for and I can honestly say that when the cameras and media are not around, T.O. is one of the kindest and respectful people you could ever have the pleasure of meeting. However, he will never be seen that way, because he has blown it in the court of Public Opinion with his antics and SNL-like attitude on the field.
the T.O. I got the chance to meet was one that always said, "please" and "thank you" and never had a mean word to say to anyone. He always smiled and spoke to anyone that was around him. after spending just 10 minutes with him, you felt you had known his for years. he treats people with respect and like a life-long friend. this is the T.O. that should have be revealed to the media and the world instead of the brash arrogant T.O. we have all come to know over the years.
Instead, we know the T.O. that calls out his quarterback after a Super Bowl loss and says he quit on his team (Donovan McNabb). the same T.O. that after leaving San Francisco made the suggestion that his former quarterback, Jeff Garcia, was gay. And yes, the same T.O. that cried to the media that Tony Romo and Jason Witten were having secret meetings in their hotel room to draw up plays to exclude T.O. and cut down on his catches. The best of it all was the T.O. who has his agent call a press conference outside T.O.'s house and while the agent speaks to the media, T.O. does sit-ups in the background.
There is also the funny and some-what entertaining T.O. with all of his touchdown celebrations. Here is a brief listing of some of the more famous/infamous celebrations and the teams he was with when he unveiled them to the world.
Celebrations for San Francisco
While playing the Atlanta Falcons on January 9, 1999, Owens caught a long touchdown pass and proceeded to mimic the "dirty bird", the Falcons’ signature touchdown dance. However, Owens performed a slashing of the throat gesture at the end of the dance, which quickly silenced the crowd.
On September 24, 2000 in Dallas, Terrell Owens showed off his excitement after his two touchdown catches by running from the end zone to midfield and celebrating on the Dallas Cowboys' famous star logo. The second time Owens made a trip to the star, then Cowboys safety George Teague hit him during the celebration. Teague would be ejected for his actions, while Owens was suspended for a week by his head coach and was fined $24,000 which was equal to a week's pay. The celebration and subsequent hit were named one of the ten most memorable moments in the history of Texas Stadium by ESPN in 2008.
During a Monday Night Football game against the Seattle Seahawks on October 14, 2002, Owens pulled a Sharpie marker out of his sock to sign the football he caught to score a touchdown, and then gave the ball to his financial adviser, who was in the stands. He was fined for this stunt.
On December 15, 2002, in a home game against the Green Bay Packers, Owens scored a touchdown and ran to a row of cheerleaders beyond the end zone. He reached out and asked to borrow two pompoms from a 49ers cheerleader, which he then playfully shook, doing his own brief spontaneous routine before dropping them to the ground.
On November 17, 2003, the 49ers hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers in a Monday night game, and Owens wore a wristband with the words "The Answer" emblazoned on it. Just over eight minutes into the game, he caught a 61-yard touchdown pass from Tim Rattay (who was starting at quarterback because Jeff Garcia was injured), and excitedly pointed to the wristband after reaching the end zone to draw attention to it. After the game (won by San Francisco 30-14), Owens was asked by a sideline reporter the significance of the slogan on the wristband, and he replied: "Because I am The Answer." "The Answer" is the widely known nickname of NBA star guard Allen Iverson.
Celebrations for Philadelphia
The "Bird Dance", "The Bird" or "Wing Flap" became T.O.'s trademark dance with the Eagles. During the 2004 season, the Birdheadz (The Original 'Ol Head, Whey Cooler and DJ Holland) a local Philadelphia group came up with a song named "Flying with the Birdz, Do the Bird". The Birdheadz first came up with it during the Eagles 2003 playoff run. T.O. did the "Bird Dance" frequently during the 2004 season after a big play or TD. After the Super Bowl in '04, New England players did a version of the "Bird Dance" with their celebrations.
He imitated and mocked the trademark pre-game ritual dance of Baltimore Ravens Ray Lewis after scoring a touchdown while playing against the Ravens in the 2004 season.
After catching a touchdown from Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb during a game in Cleveland, Owens ran through the end zone and tore down a hand-made sign which read, "T.O. has B.O.".
After scoring his 100th career touchdown in Philadelphia, he pulled a towel from his waist, folded it over his arm, and then placed the football in the palm of his hand, holding it over his shoulder and pretending to serve it up to the opposing team like a waiter would present a meal.
After scoring a touchdown against the Chicago Bears in 2004, Owens celebrated by doing six sit-ups in the end zone, one for each touchdown he had scored at that point in the 2004 season.
Celebrations for Dallas
After catching a touchdown against the Washington Redskins on November 5, 2006, Owens pretended to take a nap, using the football as a pillow. The Cowboys were penalized 15 yards for "excessive celebration". Days before the game, Owens was reported to have a habit of falling asleep during team meetings.
On the Thanksgiving Day game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 23, 2006, Owens, after catching a pass for a touchdown, dropped the ball in an over sized Salvation Army Red Kettle, donating the ball to the Salvation Army. (Since 1997, the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game halftime show has traditionally started the Salvation Army's Red Kettle Christmas Campaign.) About the touchdown celebration, Owens was quoted as saying, "That was my donation. I hope it's worth as much as the fine."
On December 16, 2006, Owens first introduced his trademark "T.O." symbol with his arms after scoring his second touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons. It has since become a frequent celebration after Owens scores.
On September 16, 2007, Owens mocked Bill Belichick after catching a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins, by hiding behind a field goal post and holding the football to his face in a video camera fashion, as if secretly spying and filming the game. The Cowboys were penalized 15 yards for "excessive celebration".
On September 19, 2007, the league fined Owens $7,500 for the celebration. According to Owens, he was only fined because he used the ball as a prop.
On November 4, 2007 against his former team, the Philadelphia Eagles, Owens flapped his wings, mimicking the dance he did while with the Eagles. This, coupled with Owens' tumultuous stay with the Eagles and his current tenure with the Cowboys (an Eagles division rival), earned the boos of the crowd. Prior to the game, Owens was quoted as saying, "There's a lot of love in those boos."
On November 29, 2007 against the Green Bay Packers Owens scores a touchdown and throws popcorn in his face.
On September 7, 2008, Owens celebrated his first touchdown of the 2008 NFL Season against the Cleveland Browns by preparing himself like an Olympic sprinter ready to explode out of the blocks. FOX Sports play by play man Joe Buck suggested the celebration may be homage to the Olympics and Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. The Cowboys were penalized 15 yards for "excessive celebration."
Through the outburst with the media and the celebrations and all the other things that we have come to see from T.O., the one thing you can not take away from him is his ability to play the game and be one of the best receivers to ever play in the N.F.L. Just look at his stats and you can see why he will no doubt be in the Hall of Fame one day, regardless of his antics.
http://www.nfl.com/players/terrellowens/careerstats?id=OWE755129
If his stats are not enough to convince you of his ability, take a look at the NFL rectors he holds and some career highlights.
Has 141 total touchdowns (139 receiving), 14,122 receiving yards, 951 receptions, and 183 rushing yards.
Averaged one touchdown per game in 2001, 2004, and 2007.
Has had nine 1,000 yard seasons, including five consecutive (2000–2004).
Holds NFL record 20 receptions in a single game against the Bears.
Reached 100 catches in only 14 games in 2002.
Led League in receiving touchdowns in 2001, 2002, and 2006.
Second all-time in receiving touchdowns behind Jerry Rice.
So what's next for T.O. and where do the Cowboys go from here? Let's start with the Cowboys first.
This had to be hard for Jerry Jones, not so much to cut him, but because by cutting him, Jerry has now admitted he was wrong and that the T.O. Project was a bust. Admitting he was wrong is not an easy thing for Jerry, but he has done it and no doubt, team Chemistry will be better. However, the team will not be. Now they must hope that the 1st and 3rd round picks and the $54 million they gave up to acquire Roy Williams will pan out. Williams must now step up and show he can be the Number One guy for the Cowboys. Williams is a down grade from T.O., even if T.O. is in the final chapters of his career. T.O. was not the main problem surrounding the Cowboys, even though must people would like you to believe that. There are serious questions surrounding the Offensive line as well as the Secondary and Special teams. T.O., unfortunately for himself, drew too much attention to himself and out shined all the other problems with this team and thus got himself cut and now looking for a job.
So where will T.O. land now that he is looking for a new home? Some people would say San Diego, a team that seems to be one game away from taking that final step and wining a championship. Imagine Phillip Rivers having Vince Jackson, Antonio Gates and Terrell Owens as his receivers and then L.T. and Darren Sproles in the backfield. That is tough to beat. However, Head Coach Norv Turner would be walked all over by T.O. because T.O. is a strong personality and Norv is a push-over.
If the Denver Broncos decide to release Brandon Marshall after his recent arrest and seeing how the new head coach and management have created a rift between themselves and quarterback Jay Cutler, signing T.O. would offer Cutler a top receiver to throw to. However, replacing the problems of Marshall with the problems of T.O. seems like a wash.
The Colts could use him as could the Ravens and the patriots, but none of them are going to put up with the antics of T.O. and have him take away from what they have been able to build the past few years. Several other teams could use him, but they are not in the position to give T.O. the one thing he so desperately wants, a Super Bowl ring.
It's my opinion that T.O. will land with the Tennessee Titans. he is from Alabama and played college ball at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. They are a smaller market, which would put him out of the main media and they can also offer him warmer weather throughout the season. The Titans don't have a real go-to receiver as well which would make T.O. the main guy for the Titans as far as receivers go. Plus, it would give him a chance to end his career close to home and maybe that is enough to mellow him out some and show the world what a true talent he is on the football field.
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