Terrell Owens suspended from the Eagles indefinitely

[TB4000]

Report: Eagles WR Owens suspended indefinitely
November 5, 2005

PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) - It appears the Philadelphia Eagles have had enough of Terrell Owens.

ESPN is reporting on Saturday that Owens has been suspended indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the team.

The Eagles have not yet confirmed the suspension.

Perhaps the NFL's best wide receiver, Owens has been a major headache off the field for the Eagles. On Thursday, he created some more angst with another verbal jab at his quarterback Donovan McNabb and criticisms of the organization.

In an interview with ESPN.com contributor Graham Bensinger, Owens agreed with ESPN analyst Michael Irvin's assessment that the Eagles (4-3) would be undefeated if Brett Favre was their quarterback.

"That's a good assessment," Owens said when asked by Bensinger if he agreed with Irvin's opinion. "I would agree with that, just with what (Favre) brings to the table."

In the interview, Owens also ripped the organization for not acknowledging his 100th career touchdown pass in the Eagles' home win over San Diego on October 23.

"They claim to be first class and the best organization. It's an embarrassment," Owens said in the ESPN.com interview. "It just shows a lack of class they have."

Owens apologized for those remarks on Friday, reading a brief statement at a news conference.

"I had an opportunity to talk with the organization this (Friday) morning and I've been told that the team does not recognize individual achievements," Owens said. "It was brought to my attention that I offended the organization and my teammates. Therefore, I'd like to apologize for any derogatory comments toward them."

Owens did not answer questions from the media after reading the statement.

Eagles coach Andy Reid answered questions briefly before Owens made his statement.

"I take care of these things in house," Reid said. "You know that's the way we do things here. I will address it with the player."

When asked if Owens could be suspended for his comments, Reid said "We'll see how things play out."

McNabb did not address the media, but he could not be pleased with the latest verbal attack from Owens.

In an interview last April, Owens said he "wasn't the guy who got tired in the Super Bowl," a reference to several media reports that claimed McNabb was either ill or tired late in the fourth quarter of the Eagles' Super Bowl loss to the New England Patriots last February.

McNabb denied those reports, but several offensive linemen said that McNabb appeared ill and that since-released receiver Freddie Mitchell was forced to call a play in the huddle. Reid also denied that McNabb was ill.

Then after being banished from training camp for a week by Reid for conduct detrimental to the team, Owens called McNabb a "hypocrite."

McNabb said then he could still play with Owens, but was "hurt" by Owens' "hypocrite" remark.

McNabb and veteran safety Brian Dawkins maintained then that Owens' presence and his contract situation would be neither divisive or a distraction for the defending NFC champions.

But this may have been the last straw for the Eagles (4-3), who play Washington (4-3) in a pivotal NFC East game on Sunday night. The Eagles trail the New York Giants (5-2) and the Dallas Cowboys (5-3) in the division.

Owens remains disgruntled over the seven-year contract worth nearly $49 million he signed last year after being acquired from San Francisco. He has a 2005 base salary of $3.25 million, which ranks outside the top 10 among wideouts.

Owens hired agent Drew Rosenhaus in the offseason, a move designed at trying to renegotiate his contract. The Eagles remained steadfast that they would not rework Owens' deal.

Last season, Owens had 77 catches for 1,200 yards and a franchise-record 14 receiving touchdowns before injuring his ankle against Dallas.

After missing the final two regular-season games and the first two games of the playoffs, he made a heroic return and had nine catches for 122 yards in a 24-21 loss to New England in Super Bowl XXXIX.

Updated on Saturday, Nov 5, 2005 1:01 pm EST

[pablohoney]

I don't know what's more ridiculous, Michael Irvin saying they'd be undefeated with Brett Favre or Owens agreeing with him. I hope T.O. ends up going somewhere like Cleveland, where he can play for a loser and gripe all he wants because nobody will care.

[achtungbaby]

I don't know what's more ridiculous, Michael Irvin saying they'd be undefeated with Brett Favre or Owens agreeing with him. I hope T.O. ends up going somewhere like Cleveland, where he can play for a loser and gripe all he wants because nobody will care.
Anybody not on the Eagles' squad I think is allowed a little more leeway in their prognostications. But for a team member -- let alone the QB's number one receiver -- to come out and concur...that's gotta be the final straw. I'm not an Eagles fan by any stretch but I do have a lotta respect for McNabb and I think he's had to endure way too much bullshit from T.O.

Trade him to the Boyz:) Receivers like T.O. will only shape up if they think their coach can kick their ass.

[yoMAMA]

what caused TO to be so unhappy this season?

the contract dispute?

[Faithless]

Is Terrell Owens really that bad that he deserves that sort of punishment?

And can his team really afford to sit him out in a pivotal game?
.
what caused TO to be so unhappy this season?

the contract dispute?
The article hints at a number of possibilities.

Money. McNabb. Lack of recognition for individual achievements.

[grimfan]

T.O.'s comments are absolutely stupid because the Eagles would be 1-6 had it not been for McNabb playing courageously through his athletic hernia. Owens whines about not getting enough respect when he played through an ankle injury in the Superbowl, but he doesn't show any for his own captain who is doing the same thing?

[lethal]

Owens will never suit up for the Eagles again. Here's a report on what happened to spur the suspension.

Nov 6 Mark Eckel, of the Trenton Times, reports Philadelphia Eagles WR Terrell Owens had a fistfight with former defensive end and current team ambassador Hugh Douglas. The fight occurred in front of several of his teammates. According to one of the sources the Owens-Douglas fight "was like WWE Smackdown." Another source said both men threw at least two punches during the altercation and when it was over Owens challenged QB Donovan McNabb first and then everyone else in the room saying, "You want some. Anyone else want some." The Eagles refused to comment about the situation, other than the statement that revealed Owens' suspension. Owens and Douglas have been at odds since training camp and almost got into an altercation in an elevator at Lehigh University.

[deez nuts]

t.o. really has a hard on for his quarterbacks.

first insinuating that jeff garcia is gay when he was with the 49'ers and now this whole fiasco with mcnabb.



Trade him to the Boyz:) Receivers like T.O. will only shape up if they think their coach can kick their ass.

lol keyshawn and t.o. on the same team.

[deez nuts]

t.o. is not suspended for today's game against the redskins. he's inactive. lol.

[achtungbaby]

Owens will never suit up for the Eagles again. Here's a report on what happened to spur the suspension.

Nov 6 Mark Eckel, of the Trenton Times, reports Philadelphia Eagles WR Terrell Owens had a fistfight with former defensive end and current team ambassador Hugh Douglas. The fight occurred in front of several of his teammates. According to one of the sources the Owens-Douglas fight "was like WWE Smackdown." Another source said both men threw at least two punches during the altercation and when it was over Owens challenged QB Donovan McNabb first and then everyone else in the room saying, "You want some. Anyone else want some." The Eagles refused to comment about the situation, other than the statement that revealed Owens' suspension. Owens and Douglas have been at odds since training camp and almost got into an altercation in an elevator at Lehigh University.
So...what's your take on all this? I dunno if there are any other Philly (Eagles) fans in here...

It sounds as if T.O. put a beat down on Hugh Douglas...or am I reading the story wrong. I figure if TO's taunting everyone in the room afterwards like that, then somehow a WR slapped about a DE who probably outweighs him by, oh, 60 or 70 pounds.

This is from ESPN:

Owens-Douglas fistfight contributed to suspension

PHILADELPHIA --Terrell Owens was involved in a locker-room fight with former teammate Hugh Douglas a few days before the All-Pro wideout was suspended indefinitely without pay by the Philadelphia Eagles.

On his radio show Sunday night, Douglas said no punches were landed. He didn't discuss further details.

"It's not something you're proud of, so why should I glorify it?" Douglas said on WIP-AM.

Owens was not with Philadelphia on Sunday night for its game at the Washington Redskins in Landover, Md. Eagles president Joe Banner said coach Andy Reid would meet with the player in the coming week.

"Andy will basically figure out where we go from here," Banner said during an impromptu news conference on the Eagles' sideline before kickoff. "He indicated to T.O. that he'd talk to him later this week and give him a more definitive status report."

Banner wouldn't answer questions about how long the suspension would last, whether he expected Owens to play for Philadelphia again or what the specific reason was for the punishment. But Banner did say the suspension is without pay. Owens is scheduled to make $3.5 million in base salary this season, so the suspension would cost him more than $200,000 per game.

"There's an accumulation of events culminating with a series of things last week, including the very public interview that he did," Banner said. "I think there's a long list of things, some of which you know about and some of which aren't public."

Owens was suspended on Saturday, two days after he criticized the organization for not publicly recognizing his 100th career touchdown catch. In the same interview with ESPN.com on Thursday, Owens took another shot at quarterback Donovan McNabb, saying the Eagles would be better off with Green Bay's Brett Favre.

Owens apologized Friday in a statement and later on his weekly radio show, but the damage already was done.

A team source told ESPN's Chris Mortensen that Douglas, whose post with the Eagles he re-titled "bad-ass-ador," entered the team's training room Wednesday and announced "I know there are people in here faking injuries." The comment apparently led to the scrum between Owens and Douglas.

One source told the Trenton Times the fight "was like WWE Smackdown." Another source told the paper both Douglas and Owens threw at least two punches before Owens challenged McNabb and then everyone else in the room, saying "You want some? Anyone else want some?"

McNabb told ESPN's Suzy Kolber he called a team meeting Friday, which Owens attended, to discuss the team's unrest and pronounced to all, looking at T.O. directly, "You're either with me or against me."

Owens' apologies in private to the club and in public on Friday apparently did not meet Reid's standards and T.O. was suspended on Saturday.

According to the Trenton newspaper, Owens and Douglas have been at odds since training camp where they almost got into an altercation in an elevator at Lehigh University. Douglas was among the few players to publicly say Owens should honor his current contract when T.O. demanded a new one this past offseason.


Rookie Reggie Brown replaced Owens in the starting lineup Sunday night against Washington.

[Faithless]

And they lost 10-17 to the Redskins.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/boxscores/2005/11/06/1762_boxscore.html

Suspension for fighting is probably one thing that should not be condoned, but anything else at the expense putting-out their best players, is another.

[achtungbaby]

Somewhere I wonder if Michael Irvin is laughing his ass off. I'm sure Irvin still remembers the fans at the Vet who cheered at his career ending injury:)

[haplesshobo]

If this was all about fighting in the locker room, then why didn't Hugh Douglas get in trobule as well where even if you didn't inactivate him, you still punish him by suspending him or fining him.

[lethal]

Irvin was one of TOs biggest fans. Irvin was one of the few guys TO gave 1 on 1 interviews to.

The Eagles got what they could out of TO, one great year. They were playing with fire when they signed him. Everyone knew it was a risk with his personality. So the price they paid was a bad year this year. I'd trade that SB appearance last year for 1 bad year.

I'm glad I took Marvin Harrison ahead of TO in my fantasy drafts though.

[achtungbaby]

I'd trade that SB appearance last year for 1 bad year.
But what if the Eagles don't return to the big dance in the near future?

Would you be willing to stick it out with TO for another year if it meant an actual SB win?

I would have liked to have seen TO play with Reggie White.

An update from ESPN:

Reid: T.O. will not play for Eagles this season

PHILADELPHIA -- Terrell Owens can take his touchdowns and dance somewhere else.

The tempestuous star receiver won't return to the Philadelphia Eagles this season -- or probably ever -- "a result of a large number of situations that accumulated over a long period of time," coach Andy Reid said Monday.

Owens was suspended for Sunday night's 17-10 loss at Washington, and will remain suspended for three more games without pay. After that, the Eagles plan to deactivate him for the rest of the season.

Reid said the outspoken player "had been warned repeatedly about the consequences of his actions."

"We gave Terrell every opportunity to avoid this outcome," he said.

Owens was suspended Saturday, two days after he said the Eagles showed "a lack of class" for not publicly recognizing his 100th career touchdown catch in a game on Oct. 23. In the same interview with ESPN.com on Thursday, Owens said the Eagles would be better off with Green Bay's Brett Favre at quarterback instead of Donovan McNabb.

Owens also was involved in a fight last week with former Eagles defensive end Hugh Douglas, who remains with the team as its "ambassador." Owens apologized for his comments about the organization in a brief statement on Friday, but he didn't apologize to McNabb or the team.

"The league has been notified by the players' union that they will be grieving our right to take that action," Reid said, "therefore there is nothing more that I can say at this point."

Owens' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, refused to comment. Owens' relationship with the Eagles took a drastic turn after he fired longtime agent David Joseph, hired Rosenhaus and demanded a new contract just one season into the seven-year, $48.97 million deal he signed when he came to Philadelphia in March 2004.

Owens is scheduled to earn $3.25 million this season, meaning the four-game suspension would cost him almost $800,000.

The Eagles will have to pay Owens nearly $1 million to stay home the final five games.

Owens will either be traded or released after the season. He is due to receive a $5 million roster bonus in March 2006, so the Eagles will decide his fate before then.

Owens made more than $9 million last season, when he helped lead Philadelphia to the Super Bowl.

Two years ago, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers decided they'd had enough of Keyshawn Johnson and did something similar.

After Johnson criticized coach Jon Gruden, the Super Bowl champion Bucs deactivated the star receiver and sent him home for the final six games with pay.

The Eagles are 4-4 this season. And McNabb, who feuded with Owens throughout the summer and has been a constant target of his criticism, finally took a stand in the matter, saying the team might be "better off" without Owens.

"Obviously it is tough losing a guy of his caliber, his ability, but I think we might be better off," McNabb said after throwing an interception that sealed the loss to Washington.

"I think what we did tonight, we showed that we played well together. I think we also showed that when given the opportunity, guys can make plays for us. We're 4-4. We're not 1-7. I think that's the way to look at it. For the guys in the locker room, we win together and we lose together," he said.

Asked to elaborate on how the team could be better off without its top receiver, McNabb emphasized the remaining players are united with the same goal of winning.

"Nothing against him and his attitude. It's just that when you get out there on the field, it's about playing together," McNabb said. "I think we all played with a lot of attitude and a lot of adrenaline. Guys played well together. It was unfortunate that we didn't win this game, but I think it may be a steppingstone for us to move forward."

Rookie Reggie Brown filled in for Owens against Washington and caught five passes for 94 yards, including a 56-yard TD reception. But the Eagles' offense continued to struggle and couldn't score the tying touchdown with three shots from the Redskins 7 in the final minutes.

The Eagles are 17-5 with Owens, including a 24-21 loss to New England in the Super Bowl. In that game, Owens had nine catches for 122 yards after defying his doctor's advice and playing 6½ weeks after ankle surgery.

They're 2-1 without him in games that matter, winning twice in the NFC playoffs.

Owens was set to earn base salaries of $770,000 in 2006, $5.5 million in 2007, $6.5 million in 2008, $7.5 million in 2009, and $8.5 million in 2010.

This was the second time Owens has been suspended during his controversial 10-year career. In 2000, he was suspended one game by San Francisco coach Steve Mariucci following his infamous touchdown celebrations on the Dallas Cowboys' famed star logo at the center of Texas Stadium.

Owens clashed with management this summer and earned a one-week exile from training camp after a heated dispute with Reid that followed a shouting match with offensive coordinator Brad Childress.

Owens forced a trade to the Eagles last year after eight seasons with the 49ers and invigorated the offense with his superior skills. He had 77 catches for 1,200 yards and 14 TDs in 14 games, helping the Eagles to a 13-1 start and nine victories by double-digit margins.

The bad blood between Owens and McNabb began after Owens went down with a severely sprained ankle and broken leg in Week 15 against Dallas. Owens was upset that McNabb and other players said the Eagles could reach the Super Bowl without him, which they did.

Soon after Philadelphia lost to the Patriots, Owens took his first shot at McNabb, suggesting the five-time Pro Bowl quarterback was tired in the fourth quarter of the loss.

McNabb responded harshly and the two didn't speak for a prolonged period in training camp. They eventually reconciled their relationship and performed well together on the field -- Owens has 47 catches for 763 yards and six TDs this season.

However, Owens continued to throw verbal jabs at McNabb during his weekly radio show or whenever he granted interviews.

[deez nuts]

I'm glad I took Marvin Harrison ahead of TO in my fantasy drafts though.


i lucked out with holt.

lol. your brother has owens in our league. doh.

once owens is deactivated, does that mean any team can sign him?

[lethal]

I think the Eagles are gonna Keyshawn TO and keep him on the roster all year and just not activate him. There's no way they're going to let him go to another team for free in season. I think his contract is guaranteed for this season once he made the opening day roster.

Also, there's no reason to think the Eagles will not be good in future years. McNabb is not going anywhere and the defense is mostly still in their prime. McNabb led teams to the playoffs and NFC championship teams with such stellar WRs like Torrance Small, Charles Johnson, Na Brown, James Thrash, Todd Pinkston, and Freddie Mitchell. I'm sure he can do it with Greg Lewis, Reggie Brown, and Billy McMullen next year if need be.

I've given up on this year with McNabb hurt though.

[deez nuts]

yeh. i mean if you think about it: t.o. only improved the eagles by what one game last season? he helped them get over that nfc championship hump. prior to owens, the eagles went to the nfc championship and fell short. i mean it was a huge hump t.o. helped the eagles get over. but, in the grand scheme of things it was one game.

but, i still think mcnabb should've gotten surgery for his hernia especially more so now with t.o. deactivated.

[lethal]

TO didn't even play in the playoffs until the SB, so the Eagles got over that NFC Championship game hump without him anyway.

[deez nuts]

TO didn't even play in the playoffs until the SB, so the Eagles got over that NFC Championship game hump without him anyway.

lol. that's right. i forgot. and mcnabb was playing hurt too.

[Faithless]

Last check, Terrell was suspended for the season. Well, if the coach can afford to do that, more power to him.

I guess somebody had to put him in his place.

[haplesshobo]

Donovan McNabbhas been lauded for his leadership skills, and I could see him going on the speaking tour about leadership to business groups after he retires. But, this whole thing with TO seems rather strange when after all the shit TO has said about McNabb and all he's done, some of his teamates have still come out and supported TO.

If TO wins arbitration, I could see some team taking a chance on TO this year, especially if they feel he could be the difference maker in winning a championship. It would be worth it in that you figure that you'd only have to deal with the drama of TO for only the rest of this season, and TO would be on his best behavior cause he would have something to prove.

[haplesshobo]

TO just lost arbitration, and its binding so he has no chance of overturning it and so won't be able to play this season.

The Player's Association is so upset by this ruling that they essentially 'fired' the arbritrator, and will never allow him to decide another case where they're involved.

Jason Whitlock answered the point I brought up earlier about why the Eagle players weren't supporting Donovan, as it seemed that a lot of them were still supporting TO despite all that he did this season. It turns out that a lot of the players were already against McNabb, and jealous of his contract. Even though Eagles have space under the cap, they cut veterans rather than pay them more. Only Donovan McNabb is the exception to that, and was rewarded with a generous contract, the biggest signing bonus at that time, I believe. So, when TO was making all those comments about McNabb, he was saying what a lot of the other players were thinking.