PO'd About T.O.

DallasCowboys.com

"A lot of football success is in the mind. You must believe you are the best and then make sure that you are." Bill Shankly

What is it with Philadelphia sports fans? They didn't appreciate a good thing when they had it. Now they're in a lather because the object of their scorn--Terrell Owens--is thumbing his nose right back at them.

I say, You Go, T.O.! No matter how lame your PR plays, you were hired to play football for the Phila Eagles and that's what you did -- better than virtually anybody else on the team.

C'mon, somebody, anybody, get in my face and tell me who lost heart and guts and that Super Bowl ... and who brought us thisclose to winning it, when by all medical and human standards he shouldn't even have been able to play.

To those who bitch and moan about T.O.'s lack of "team spirit" or "sportsmanship" I say, Grow Up! These aren't school children who need guidance and life lessons. They're professional athletes, big tough bruisers paid huge amounts of dough to knock down other big tough bruisers for our entertainment.

Would we like them to be role models for our kids? Of course. But let's face it, that ship sailed long ago on a sea of steroids, criminal charges, sex, drugs, rock 'n roll ... and slick negotiations for millions of dollars.

Top professional athletes aren't Rhodes scholars or diplomats -- nor should we expect them to be. They're ordinary guys with extraordinary talent who work hard and play hard and give their fans hundreds of pounds of flesh in every game.

That's exactly what Terrell Owens did for Philly. He has a big mouth, but a far bigger talent. And what would you rather see in the news after a game? Pundits dissing T.O. for "attitude" -- or recaps of another and another and another Eagles win?

The Eagles crashed and burned without T.O. the second half of last season and don't anybody dare be naive enough to think it happened because of him. I'm more disgusted with Andy Reid and the rest of the Eagles suits for letting hubris get in the way of business. And it turns out in the end that the NFL Players Association sides with me.

Those in charge of the Eagles franchise need to get a grip and remember the fans -- not just for our moral support, but for the amount of money we shell out to support our team.

Eagles fans have gotten too comfortable ragging on the Cowboys. I have a feeling we'll be in for a rude awakending when Dallas, with T.O.'s help, starts ragging back on us bigtime.

As far as I'm concerned, T.O. is having the last laugh on his own web site. Funny or not, it's incredibly savvy marketing. Take a look at TerrellOwens.com and hear him say,

"It's been 3 long months. I've matured. I'm always hungry, I want to get better and better. That's what I take pride in doing. I play to win a game. I'm different. I'm a play maker. I'm a game changer. And when I score a touchdown I want to bring 'em to their feet..."

That kind of attitude isn't a bad thing to pass on to our kids -- not to mention to the Philadelphia Eagles.