After hearing the players speak on T.O's behalf its obvious

[playmakers]

Why he was cut. He wasnt cut because he was a bad teammate nor was he cut because of his production, he was cut because no matter how good Owens could behave he would still be ripped by the media. He cant win.

Hypotheically, Owens could catch 15 tds next year if he were still a Dallas Cowboy. Espn, then, would play it off as if he doesnt give up some of his touchdowns that Dallas will go nowhere in the playoiffs. From this, they would go to Roy Williams and get on his case that Owens has 15 tds but he has 4. Jason Witten and Crayton would be hammered with the same kind of questions and the most important aspect of them all is this; all of that stuff I just mentioned would be thrown in Tony Romo's head and it will just eat away at him like it did this year. He would come into some games forcing the ball to whoevers in the headlines that week. In this case Owens has done nothing but play to his ability but the media is out to get him.

Personally, I would love to have Owens back on this team but his past still haunts him. The media has turned into TMZ. For example, when he yelled at Gurode in the Arizona game I felt it was warrented. The media said he was just being TeeO. Another example was when Pacman got suspended. Some media and I even beileve some play by play guys said that he was our best corner before he was suspended but when he came back in the Pitt game all of a sudden his play was a bust. Do I hear bandwagon jumpers in the media. In Owens first year he wasnt even giving a fair shake by the media as it was assumed that Bill Parcells and he would not get along. Like it or not they co-existed and whether he was on this team or not Parcells would still of left after 06. I think personally Bill ok the signing because it was his last chance at a Superbowl. I know the pills thing didnt help but that had nothing to do with Bill Parcells not getting along with him because I think he did and he even said that on NFL countdown. Media, media, media...........

I hope you see the point Im making. Owens was released because its percieved by the media every time he catches 2 balls for 19 yards they hammered the story down everyones thraot. The media got so bad it got to the face of the franchise, Romo, and when that happens you have to get rid of those variables. The only time when Owens complianed was when the offense was sputtering and he stepped up and said put that problem on my back. Everytime he gets the ball the teams does good. He had a point there. If this was Sam Hurd saying this he would be looked upon as a leader trying to step up for the team. Owens, it was looked upon as him whining again.

In closing, Owens is gone because of the media. To the people who wanted him back you can blame them. I know he did stuff in Sf and Philly to garner his release or trade but in Dallas I really think it wasnt him this time. I havent heard one teammate say anything but good things and its just sorry in todays game the media can actually gang up on somebody so bad that a team has to release him. opinions

 

[djtavo]

You got a good point...
For example i got sick of listening to Key Shawn saying T.O was a hall of famer and that he was a good receiver...
They are all washing their hands now.

 

[TNCowboy]

Ridiculous. TO asks for all the negative media he receives.

It's a rarity that a player - other than TO himself - will publicly criticize another player. I doubt you'll hear of any player, other than one anonymous like Florio is reporting now, who will criticize TO.

 

[ZeroClub]

We haven't heard from all of the players on their feelings about Owens getting cut. Just because the half a dozen or so guys who have given interviews haven't spoken ill of him, doesn't mean there aren't others who are very pleased to see him gone.

... it is a good sign that the players know better than to call a press conference to yell "good riddance," even if that is precisely how they feel.

 

[Dave_in-NC]

Ridiculous. TO asks for all the negative media he receives.

It's a rarity that a player - other than TO himself - will publicly criticize another player. I doubt you'll hear of any player, other than one anonymous like Florio is reporting now, who will criticize TO.

 

[TLCC]

The coaches, players and management that wanted TO out are not going to kick a man when he's down and are likely going to be tight lipped right now

That being said, I had a feeling that players would come out in favor of TO. I think with TO being released validates what a lot of people had assumed. That TO was a leader in the locker room. Which is not necessarily a good thing. Even though he was a leader in the locker room he cared about himself first then the team. Even if TO didn't make plays he finds a way to make sure that someone else is to blame. In the Commanders game TO was put in a position several times and didn't make a play. But it wasn't his fault. How many times when a Cowboys player made a mistake that they didn't take accountability? That is the kind of leadership TO has brought to this team.

This needed to stop and cutting TO was a huge step in making sure that there was accountability and a step to change the culture in the locker room. Now I know that coaching is a huge problem with accountability as well, and this move will do nothing unless the coaches hold the players more accountable. I'm not going to get into that cause that's a different issue. But I did not see Dallas winning any championships with TO wearing the Star on this helmet.

I don't know what my expectations are this year, they have the talent to win, but could see them having a "down" year in the same way that the Eagles had a down year the year after TO left. Either way for the long term I think this move was needed sooner rather than later. Despite what players in the locker room are saying.

 

[Sgt. Fury]

Right, Deion held T.O. at gun point and made him blast his own coaches and team.

 

[Big Dakota]

Pig-Pen, meet soap.

 

[big dog cowboy]

In closing, Owens is gone because of the media.

Of course he is.

 

[jimmy40]

Why he was cut. He wasnt cut because he was a bad teammate nor was he cut because of his production, he was cut because no matter how good Owens could behave he would still be ripped by the media. He cant win.

Hypotheically, Owens could catch 15 tds next year if he were still a Dallas Cowboy. Espn, then, would play it off as if he doesnt give up some of his touchdowns that Dallas will go nowhere in the playoiffs. From this, they would go to Roy Williams and get on his case that Owens has 15 tds but he has 4. Jason Witten and Crayton would be hammered with the same kind of questions and the most important aspect of them all is this; all of that stuff I just mentioned would be thrown in Tony Romo's head and it will just eat away at him like it did this year. He would come into some games forcing the ball to whoevers in the headlines that week. In this case Owens has done nothing but play to his ability but the media is out to get him.

Personally, I would love to have Owens back on this team but his past still haunts him. The media has turned into TMZ. For example, when he yelled at Gurode in the Arizona game I felt it was warrented. The media said he was just being TeeO. Another example was when Pacman got suspended. Some media and I even beileve some play by play guys said that he was our best corner before he was suspended but when he came back in the Pitt game all of a sudden his play was a bust. Do I hear bandwagon jumpers in the media. In Owens first year he wasnt even giving a fair shake by the media as it was assumed that Bill Parcells and he would not get along. Like it or not they co-existed and whether he was on this team or not Parcells would still of left after 06. I think personally Bill ok the signing because it was his last chance at a Superbowl. I know the pills thing didnt help but that had nothing to do with Bill Parcells not getting along with him because I think he did and he even said that on NFL countdown. Media, media, media...........

I hope you see the point Im making. Owens was released because its percieved by the media every time he catches 2 balls for 19 yards they hammered the story down everyones thraot. The media got so bad it got to the face of the franchise, Romo, and when that happens you have to get rid of those variables. The only time when Owens complianed was when the offense was sputtering and he stepped up and said put that problem on my back. Everytime he gets the ball the teams does good. He had a point there. If this was Sam Hurd saying this he would be looked upon as a leader trying to step up for the team. Owens, it was looked upon as him whining again.

In closing, Owens is gone because of the media. To the people who wanted him back you can blame them. I know he did stuff in Sf and Philly to garner his release or trade but in Dallas I really think it wasnt him this time. I havent heard one teammate say anything but good things and its just sorry in todays game the media can actually gang up on somebody so bad that a team has to release him. opinions

Since there's only 3 Cowboys' fans (I'm one) that watch ESPN this can't possibly be true.

 

[punchnjudy]

You're only going to hear from the players who liked TO. The guys who are happy he's gone aren't going to say so and get into a war or words with TO through the media. That would be a stupid thing for them to do now that TO is gone anyway.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Say what you want but half of you don't know jack about playing football, T.O. wasn't the problem in Dallas. Romo didn't command the huddle enough so T.O. had to do it himself.

 

[jimmiejones22]

Why didn't the media blow everything Marvin Harrison said and did out of proportion? Owens brought it all on himself by seeking out the mics and cameras throughout his career no matter how good of a guy he was in Dallas. It snowballed out of control and was sucking the life out of the team no matter whose fault it was. Now it's over, time to play football.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

Most of the players commenting on T.O. are coming from the defense. Where are the offensive players? I want to hear from Romo, Witten, Barber, Williams. It's not surprising that most of the defensive players didn't have any problems with him. They weren't on the field with him. T.O. wouldn't have been cut if their wasn't a division in that locker room. It's common sense.

 

[Next_years_Champs]

TO is gone because he did exactly the same thing here that he did in SF and Philly, He divided the locker room. Jerry Jones decided that was no longer going to be acceptable and let every player on the team know it by cutting TO.

TO brought it all on himself no one forces TO to do anything! End of story.

 

[Wrangler87]

Isn't it about time we put the TO thing to rest now.

 

[BrassCowboy]

We haven't heard from all of the players on their feelings about Owens getting cut. Just because the half a dozen or so guys who have given interviews haven't spoken ill of him, doesn't mean there aren't others who are very pleased to see him gone.

... it is a good sign that the players know better than to call a press conference to yell "good riddance," even if that is precisely how they feel.

Very well said, I mean how messed up things would be if all the players who wanted him gone came out in a press conference ands said so.

Besides, now that he is gone, it is only good press to come out and praise the guy for what he has done.

it is good PR

or PC...

 

[Hostile]

There's a saying in football locker rooms that other guys in here who played have probably heard. Never walk on a man's grave. You want to get disrespected in a big time hurry, celebrate another player's misfortune. Guys just will not do it. Did you ever even hear Hugh Douglas after TO got cut from the Eagles? They supposedly had a fist fight. Yet silence from Douglas.

Are there Cowboys players who are glad he is gone? Of course they are. No one is so great that everyone loves him. Some are quietly elated he is gone.

The idea that this is a media creation waiver is ludicrous. This is TO created. Once again he is gone because he cannot put the team above himself. Let's discuss some facts shall we?

Last guy to take the field for practice, every time. The reason, he wants to make his grand entrance. It's as if he is saying, "we can get down to business because I'm here now." All it says to me is he isn't the right kind of leader. Michael Irvin was a prima donna WR too. Michael Irvin worked hard in practices too. Michael called out guys too. Did Michael ever throw teammates and coaches under the bus? Did he ever act jealous that Emmitt was the focal point of the Offense? Did he make it a habit to be the last guy to show up for practice?

Leadership is not personality. TO is a great guy. I mean that in every way. He has a good heart and he is very personable and guys genuinely like him. The problem is he demands that you like him. He demands that the Offense focus on him. He demands time and attention. He beats his own chest to tell you how good he is instead of letting others be his publicity.

How do you think it feels to teammates who get some game focus in a loss who have to hear that the reason the team lost is that instead of focusing on getting the ball to TO, the team trid to get you the ball? Do you think teammates stand there and appreciate that they just got blamed for the loss?

Screw the team trying to take advantage of mismatches that Jason Witten creats with LBs who have to cover him and can't? That's the message that is good for the team?

"They unleashed me." I wish he had never said that. I really do. The interpretation of that was, "we won because I got the ball." Forget the blocking that the OL did to protect the QB. Forget the fact that the QB has to throw the ball for him to even do anything with it. Forge the fact the Defense still has to stop the other team too. He patted himself on the back and it didn't push the team forward. Guess what? It never does.

Owens was cut for one reason, and one reason only. The Dallas Cowboys want to avoid a repeat of 2008, the year of Owens. They looked at the Offensive roster in place without him and said, "we are going to give these young kids an opportunity that they would not have if Owens was still here."

It's really just that simple. Owens is gone so that Garrett and the rest of the Offensive staff can come up with ways to take advantage of the skills of guys like Williams, Austin, Felix, Bennett, and Choice. Owens is gone so that Tony Romo has to develop chemistry with Bennett, Williams, Austin, and maybe even Stanback. Owens is gone so that the team can focus on what they need to do as a team rather than what they need to do to placate Owens.

Media driven waiver? Oh hell no. Owens actions basically begged for this to happen. He put himself above the team. He put himself above the coaching staff. He blamed others for his failures. He has no one to blame but his own flapping gums.

The remaining Cowboys are not going to walk on his grave. But if you for one minute think that some of them did not privately let out a sigh of relief or do a fist pump, well, then you need a wake up call from the real world. No one has ever been as good as TO's opinion of himself. That's a shame really. Had he simply let the praise coem from other sources the man would receive the accolades he actually does deserve.

Take a lesson from the whale TO. The only time he gets harpooned is when he comes up to spout.

 

[dbair1967]

Owens was cut for one reason, and one reason only. The Dallas Cowboys want to avoid a repeat of 2008, the year of Owens. They looked at the Offensive roster in place without him and said, "we are going to give these young kids an opportunity that they would not have if Owens was still here."

Yep...on the nose 99%. The other 1% is the fact that he clearly is DECLINING.

Owens is gone so that the team can focus on what they need to do as a team rather than what they need to do to placate Owens.

Absolutely 110% true here.

 

[Mash]

Its a bit of both.....IMHO the media did have a agenda to see Dallas with Owens fail.

Owens past and some of his outburst sure did fuel it.....but we also witnessed fabricated stories like ESPN reporting that Owens did try to kill himself and then they blew up the hammy incident in training camp when there were WR's just as talented and important to their teams suffering from the same injury and nothing was overblown about that.

The bottom line is this team failed to win....failed to overcome the media distractions and to some failed to live up to their supposed talent level.

Owens was the scapegoat.......Wade will probally be next....and if this disappointment continues......Romo will get his share of the blame.

I dont know....we have heard....people say that if we are going to be 9-7 its better not having TO....but with that same logic...we can go down the pecking order and start that every year with our supposed overpaid superstars.

If we fail again.....does this make Romo more accountable? Bubble Boy needs to be a leader now.....have we seen anything from him to think he will? We traded for a Roy midseason and it didnt take him to long to complain....will he be our next whipping boy?

Probally not....only because Wade will probally be fired next year...and it will give players we expect to be leaders another excuse.......JMHO.

I guess releasing TO needed to be done....and IMHO it will expose the real problems Dallas has.....because we all know ....there are bigger issues on why this team has failed to win anything then just the distraction of having TO.