Another Loser Comment
 

Owens told the Miami Herald, "At the end of the day, I don't have to worry about what people think of me, whether they hate me or not. People hated on Jesus. They threw stones at him and tried to kill him, so how can I complain or worry about what people think?"

Never one to shy away from controversy, Owens continued, "How can you justify hating me after I worked so hard rehabilitating from a broken leg to get back to the Super Bowl to help our team try to win? Really, you've got to look at who the villain really is in this thing."

Owens seeming to compare himself to Jesus is just the latest in a long line of quotes to get the receiver into hot water.

In April, Owens said, "(I) wasn't the guy who got tired in the Super Bowl," in an obvious reference to quarterback Donovan McNabb, whose late-game management in Super Bowl XXXIX drew criticism.

In an interview with Playboy magazine, Owens took a shot at former teammate Jeff Garcia, saying, "Like my boy tells me: If it looks like a rat and smells like a rat, by golly, it is a rat," when asked if he thought that the quarterback was gay.

Later, Owens furiously backed off his "smell like a rat" comment by saying, "I didn't say that he was gay. The conversation and the interview were loose. To my knowledge, I'm not sure if Jeff is gay or not. I've seen him out — he had a girlfriend when we were in San Fran. There's been a recent report that he has a girlfriend now. That was the extent of it. Everybody's going to make a big deal out of it. It wasn't like I came out and said 'Jeff was gay.' People asked me similar questions about Steve Young. Everybody is going to have their rumors."

Owens is Exhibit A in Rosenhaus' contention that players often perform beyond the means of their current salary. While teams can void contracts on a whim, players aren't allowed to re-adjust earnings based on performance.

"What we're saying," Rosenhaus said, "is that same logic that allows a team to cut a player or reduce his salary should apply the other way in this type of situation."

Owens isn't the only player threatening to hold out until his respective team gives into his and Rosenhaus' demands. Packers receiver Javon Walker and defensive tackle Grady Jackson, Panthers linebacker Dan Morgan and Colts running back Edgerrin James are other notable players represented by Rosenhaus who are not satisfied with their current contracts.

The Eagles and Packers have stated that they will not give into the demands of Rosenhaus and the players, and Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie has the support of Falcons owner Arthur Blank.

"I think it's a mistake if Philadelphia gives in," Blank said in an interview with Sporting News Radio. "I don't know T.O. I know the folks at Philadelphia well. I know Jeff Lurie. I know (Eagles president) Joe Banner."

"In my judgment, if (Owens) had played at that level for two or three years and quietly had gone into management and said, 'Listen, guys, this isn't right. I'm playing at an extraordinary high level. Instead of being the No. 1, No. 2 paid receiver in the league, I'm No. 15 or 18 or 20. Is there something we can do about this?' I don't know what they would have done, but certainly their response may have been different."

Rosenhaus, on the HBO show Real Sports, said that Walker will not report to Packers training camp when veterans are scheduled to report on July 27.

"The news on Javon Walker is that we are, right now, we have already decided he is not going to go to training camp," Rosenhaus said on Real Sports. "We've made the decision that we're not going to report to training camp. And I can't say when we will report, or if, or when, but he will not be at camp."

Walker, who has two years remaining on the five-year deal he signed as a rookie in 2001, is scheduled to make a base salary of $515,000 this season. Last year, the Packers receiver made the Pro Bowl and led the team with 89 receptions for 1,328 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Owens suffered a leg fracture and severe ankle sprain in a Week 15 game against the Cowboys, missed the final two regular season games and two playoff games before returning in time for the Super Bowl. Owens performing heroically in Super Bowl XXXIX, catching nine passes for 122 yards in a 24-21 loss to the Patriots.

Owens is set to receive $12.4 million over the first two years of a seven-year, $49 million deal that Owens signed before last season while working with agent David Joseph. Rosenhaus contends that contract ranks behind the deals of at least nine other NFL receivers.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/3775220

Whatever gets attention, I guess.

RE: Another Loser Comment
 

Jeff Garcia was and still is dating Carmella Decesare (a Playboy Playmate - on fire hot). Pretty much make Owens look like a retard when he made that comment.

The guy is getting paid a bundle of money and is one of the top paid receivers out there. I simply don't understand how much more money he wants. I've always complained about Joe Horn asking for a new contract ever year... though he was underpaid, but Owens is ridiculous. He has a fat contract and has more than enough money. Commercials, football contract, other types of endorsements... how much more can you want?

On Javon Walker... he does need to be compensated for the outstanding year he just had. But, that was his only good year. I'd give him a nice bonus and make him do it for another year before I'd sign him for mega bucks.

RE: Another Loser Comment
 

Wide receiver
Randy Moss, Minn. $8,630,327
Marvin Harrison, Ind. $8,082,880
Isaac Bruce, St. L. $7,640,709
Eric Moulds, Buf. $7,245,000
Terrell Owens, Phi. $7,243,333
Jimmy Smith, Jax $6,349,333
Derrick Mason, Tenn. $5,802,500
Muhsin Muhammad, Car. $4,508,117
Rod Smith, Den. $4,502,928
Amani Toomer, NYG $4,135,000

According to contract figures obtained by The Inquirer, the average annual value of Owens' deal over the first three seasons is just under $7 million. Only Randy Moss and Marvin Harrison received better deals during the first three seasons.

Tory Holt, two years younger than the 31-year-old Owens, signed a seven-year, $42 million deal with the Rams in 2003. That deal included a $12.5 million signing bonus and is worth an average of $5.4 million over the first three years.



There you go genius. You were saying? Oh that's right... I'm not up to date. :roll: Try again, you lose.

Re: RE: Another Loser Comment
 

Where is Horn at?? He should be in there somewhere.

RE: Re: RE: Another Loser Comment
 

Joe deserved the extension he got. Many people poo-pooed the idea saying he was too old going into last season. Proved some folks wrong I think.

Owens is 1 year removed from signing a 4 year contract! Everyone knows he is an extremely productive WR. Why did he agree to that contract only 12 months or so ago? Is he an imbecile? Was he duped? I think not.

His production this year was hyped due to the fact that he was playing on an extremely good football team with an elite QB. Something he hasn't seen since his first two years in the league.

For God's sake! That team was in the NFC championship game for the previous 3 years. Is it his presence that got them there? NO! He was hurt all through the playoffs including the NFC championship game. They won without him!

His performance speaks for itself. He is great on the field. Why more money now? They were already paying him for the player that they knew he is. What they got is what they paid for.

I hope this pushes us into something of a more structured cap. With a mandatory tiered salary system. It would eliminate many holdouts. Whether they be Rookies or players on a Rookie contract.

Be careful what you wish for playas.

I am not in love with the owners either. They do have the power though.
We fans are stuck in the middle. :(

I have to admit -- Owens playing in the superbowl really raised my opinion of him. He is still a jerk -- but that showed some heart

The article these figures were taken from was 2/20/05 which was prior to Horn's contract extension. Horn would be there right after Owens with a salary a little of 6 plus million only trailing Moss, Harrison, and Owens for it's first 3 years of their contracts. But we haven't factored in the contract extension for Hines Ward or Javon Walker yet, so we'll have to wait and see until the season starts and the new highest paid salaries for wide receivers are out.

Owens needs to shut up and play. When its time to negociate again bring up all the stats and heart he wants to then... but when you are in a contract... you are in it.

That only goes for the players and not the owners huh? I don't agree at all with what Owens is doing, he just signed a new deal he begged for last year, but in some instances I think a player has the right to hold out. Wait, let me rephrase that, a player always has the right to hold out, I feel in some instances they are justified in doing so, just like we ere justified in cutting Orlando Ruff, no? He still had years left on his contract and the team did not honor it. So you are equally upset that we cut Ruff right, since when you are in a contract, you are in it.

Is there a reason contracts in the NFL aren't guaranteed? Is it the fact that injuries are much more possible in this sport than any other? Why can't the NFL structure contracts to much shorter terms, say 2 - 3 years and make them guaranteed? That would end all of this holdout mess.

I agree. Guaranteed contracts WOULD end all these holdouts, but the owners do not want to handicap themselves with a situation like that. They want to be able to cut players with years left on their deals with minimal repercussions while simultaneously blasting players for holding out if they outperform their current deals. Tagliabue will never allow the NFL to have guaranteed contracts, nor will any of the owners. I think they would prefer a player's only leverage be a holdout, even though they publically blast it. If they start giving out guaranteed contracts, you will see salaries and bonuses decrease cause no team is gonna tie themself into anyone who plays a sport where a career ending injury is a bad tackle in practice away. And players don't want that to happen. So the current system works for both sides, although they use it to play against one another.

This situation is like Latrell Sprewell's who got paid more than 15 million last year and complained that wasn't enough to feed his family. Owen was using the same excuse yesterday on ESPN.

Sprewell to me was worse cause his 15 mil was guaranteed. But both are complete idiots for even saying anything like that. And Sprewell rejected a guaranteed 10 mil a year when he made that comment.

NFL contracts aren't guaranteed for the same reason a player's performance isn't guaranteed.

He's going to regret it because he won't get anywhere near the 10 mil they were offering him on the free agent market.

No way no how. Especially with that attitude too. And he is like 34 or something. How do you turn down 10 mil a year at 30 something years old playing professional sports? Your window isn't that long.

I used to immediately come down on players when they held out until I got a better feel for the climate of the nfl. The guaranteed contract thing would make it different in my eyes.
From the player's standpoint, they have a small window to make their money. (I'm not saying that I agree with it or sympathize with people complaining about not being big enough millionaires.....but, it's reality.) So, if you come in as an unknown 4th stringer signed to a small deal and step up to become a force in the league, you're going to try to step up to that next tier. They want their market value....and they are competitive, so they want to be able to stack up to the other guys around them.
I know that none of us can fathom 1 million dollars, so squabbling over 6 million is amazing to us. Athletes live ina different world. It takes them making statements about feeding their kids for us to realize how removed from reality they are. They are most often better watched than listened to. I mean, pay me 3 million and then me whine about getting booed? I'll take 1 million and you can throw stuff at me.

The TO thing to me is a bit different than most of these cases (even the Javon Walker thing). TO signed a deal a year ago as an elite reciever after refusing to play for a team. He was desperate for a deal and the eagles grabbed him. He has proven time and time again that he is a self absorbed a$$. He called out Jeff Garcia for all the TDs he missed because of him and called the dude gay. Yes, I know, he talks like a nancy boy, but why air it in the news? He then calls out one of the best QBs in the league for choking in the superbowl. Whether it's not getting along with Mariucci, calling out Greg Knapp on the sidelines, doing a dance on the Star......TO has no class whatsoever. He's an amazing talent and you can't deny his toughness to show up in the superbowl. That was impressive. But how rootable is this guy?

I said it the other day...Jake is rootable, Deuce is rootable, Walter Payton, Hebert, Mills, Beerman, McNabb....all guys with either an interesting story, top notch class, or both.
TO has the talent, the will to win, the body....everything you want in a pro athlete on the field. But ultimately he's the guy who is mad because some other dude caught the game winning touchdown. He's completely self absorbed and any sense of team he has only goes as far as his own personal whims and achievements. He's a ***** and he can go pound sand as far as I'm concerned.

He'll come crawling back because he has to give back like 80% of his signing bonus if he skips camp. Also, you think that prima donna is going to miss a chance to play on Monday night in the Georgia dome for the opener? (He lives in Atl.) No way. He may come back saying he wants to help the team, but he won't be able to resist the pub. The sad part is, he'll probably score 2 TDs that night. The only solace for me will be that it's against my most hated team in the league.

my money is on 3 td's that night.

I just hope the eagles beat em by about 20 so that the Atl. bandwagon jumpers can be seen on National TV running for the hills at the end of the 3rd. That's what they do here....

I just hope their history of never getting back to back winning seasons holds true. Maybe Vick will get smeared and ABC will wish they hadn't signed em up for 3 games this year.

Hey, we have some national TV games too and we didn't exactly do anything to deserve it. Atlanta WAS in the NFC champ game. If we are gonna hate tehm, let's hate them for proper reason, although I am not above irrational ones as well. lol

He just announced on espn.com that he will report to camp but "won't be happy." LOL Who gives a crap if he's happy?! Catch the damn football and shut up... I'm ashamed to have him be one of my favorite WR's. If he didn't want to play all out, he value will only decrease. If he sits out, he won't get paid.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2114034

"We make a lot of money, but we spend a lot of money"