DMN Blog: Tough to compare T.O. to Tank Johnson and Pacman Jones

[WoodysGirl]

Tough to compare T.O. to Tank Johnson and Pacman Jones
1:45 PM Thu, Jan 08, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon E-mail News tips

ESPN's Ed Werder pointed out on SportsCenter today that the Cowboys had three players -- Tank Johnson, Pacman Jones and T.O. -- who were suspended by the league or their previous teams before arriving at Valley Ranch.

"Terrell Owens is the only one of those players still in the Cowboy locker room," Werder said.

T.O. has also been the only one of those three worth the trouble.


You can count the number of significant plays self-appointed team spokesman/defender of the star Tank made as a Cowboy on one hand. He's excited to be a free agent, but that might change when he realizes that teams won't offer a big signing bonus to a controversial loudmouth backup.

Pacman played pretty well at cornerback when he wasn't suspended or injured this season. But he definitely didn't make enough of an impact to justify the distractions he caused.

At least T.O., who fractures locker rooms but doesn't break laws, has given Jerry Jones reason to feel like he got a good return after taking a risk on him. He has 3,587 receiving yards and 38 TDs in the last three seasons. T.O.'s 1,355-yard, 15-TD 2007 season is on the short list of the best campaigns by a Cowboys receiver.

T.O.'s production dropped off significantly this season (1,052 yards, 10 TDs) for reasons that have been (and will be) rehashed over and over again. Maybe the Cowboys would be better off without him, although that's debatable.

There is no question that's the case with Tank and Pacman.

 

[The Panch]

I despise Owens with my might, but It's bothered me how the Werd Nerd with the porn stache compared Owens to Tank and Pacman when the two major differences are, he hasnt broken any laws and he can still produce.

 

[HanD]

i disagree...i can't even (and yes this is biased) count one significant play (although he did have a sack this year)

 

[Hostile]

Tim McMahon just took Ed Werder to school.

 

[CoCo]

Yup, decent take by McMahon.

TO and the other two are totally different situations.

Production wise, those are impressive 3 year numbers by TO despite the fact that he and others are probably satisfied only with year 2.

And its true that TO is certainly a law-abiding citizen.

What I don't like, and believing the best, is how TO's best intentions to try to maximize team success do have the potential to divide a locker room. Often times its not what you do but how you do it that determines whether it was a productive move or destructive move.

Do I think ESPN and other media is unfair in how they report some things. Absolutely. But do I think TO's next question routine and calling him a liar publicly was ultimately good for our team? No, I don't. I'd like for TO to be a bit more savvy than that. So you can say Werder deserved it, and good for TO for holding him accountable, but the reality is that I think that response by TO cost the team.

Certainly TO does get misperceived at times but he has himself to blame for that more than anyone IMO. Just stay away from those controversial topics in public. Thats what most players do.

Bottom-line is that its a lot of work to have TO in your locker room. It just is. You can line up oodles of teammates & ex-teammates who love him to death and it doesn't change the reality that he is a lightening rod and its not all everyone else's fault.

Do I think it make him a bad guy? No. But Dallas needs to consider whether he is more answer or problem in Dallas because he is some of both.

And in the end it is others (owner, coaches, players) who have to make an accomodation at times to keep things healthy. We need to decide if we have enough of the pieces in place to be able to do that and if that is how we want to spend our energy.

I actually have little concern about eroding skills for 2009. He's still got enough to be VERY productive in the right setup. He is still top shelf RAC IMO.

Jerry, IMO, is trying to decide if he has enough faith in this current group to hold it together well enough to compete for a SB or if now is the time to risk taking a step back (be it breaking up coaching continuity or releasing TO) in order to stabilize things for future continuity. It truly is a tough decision but I think we have enough other weapons if we strengthen our O-line to offset the loss of TO if we want to bite the bullet now.

And I think there will be more grace for Jerry if cuts TO loose too early, than if he cuts him loose too late.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Ed Werder is a complete idiot, I'm glad Cowboy Chris laid into him...:laugh2: T.O.'s time might be up but he was not in the same category.

 

[Stash]

Tim McMahon just took Ed Werder to school.

Yeah, Timmy's on a roll today. Good for him!

This reeks of an agenda by Werder and his ESPN overlords against Owens.

Not that it surprises me.

At all.

 

[Clove]

The problem I have with all the TO bashing is that TO was as quiet as a rat for as long as he could before finally acting out. They were not getting the ball to him early on in the season and TO said nothing.

Finally when we started to lose, and they still weren't trying to get him involved the right way, he finally started to talk.

I don't know about you, but if I'm a great player or whatever it is that I do for a profession, and they aren't using me correctly, I may have more than a few things to say. The guy gets bashed for speaking up, I guess we've reverted back to the 1800s.

 

[casmith07]

The only play that I remember Tank Johnson making was the destruction of the Panthers backup QB last year that wasn't even helmet-to-helmet, stopping the Panthers on 3rd and goal and forcing I believe a field goal.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

shows you how great Owens is when 10TDs and 1052 yards are considered a down year.

 

[SultanOfSix]

At least T.O., who fractures locker rooms but doesn't break laws,

I still see that the media keeps reinforcing this myth. TO is vocal, and says some stupid things sometimes and should be more wary of keeping his mouth shut, but no single player is capable of fracturing a locker room, at least one that isn't already having problems maintaining order.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

shows you how great Owens is when 10TDs and 1052 yards are considered a down year.

Yes indeed, what a talent. I don't care for is mouth but I'm for keeping him in Dallas.

 

[5Countem5]

I still see that the media keeps reinforcing this myth. TO is vocal, and says some stupid things sometimes and should be more wary of keeping his mouth shut, but no single player is capable of fracturing a locker room, at least one that isn't already having problems maintaining order.

Oh no Sultan!!!

You must realize by now that TO sways perfectly decent players to his side and makes them lash out at their team mates. His hypnotic spell over these players, makes them turn on their team and they have no free will of their own once he enters their life. They will turn on other players and even their families once they are under his spell. They have no choice, they are his puppets.

And when he speaks...Oh Lordy when he speaks, the fundamentals of blocking and tackling that these players have been taught all their lives will be forgotten. They will not be able to focus, their skills will erode as their only thoughts will be on what TO said that day.

Hopefully they all can be identified when TO dresses them in their new "iMaMindlessZombie" t-shirts...

 

[Bleu Star]

Funny how this thread only had 12 responses before me but the anti-TO crap keeps the mods on their toes all day long... sad really...

 

[Rack]

Tim McMahon just took Ed Werder to school.

That doesn't bode well for Werder.


That's like Rocky Dennis beating you in a beauty contest.

 

[big dog cowboy]

You can count the number of significant plays self-appointed team spokesman/defender of the star Tank made as a Cowboy on one hand.

Pacman played pretty well at cornerback when he wasn't suspended or injured this season. But he definitely didn't make enough of an impact to justify the distractions he caused.

Both players were huge disappointments this year. I'm not sure if either would have ever been impact players next year (and beyond) like we all wanted them to be.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Tim McMahon just took Ed Werder to school.

Like that was difficult to do.

What *exactly* did Terrell Owens do this year?

It was *reported* by Mr. Blue Suit that Owens had problems with Witten and Romo according to an anonymous source "who regularly speaks with Owens' teammates."

I've gone through the holes in Mr. Blue Suit's hack journalism and it's even more obvious to me that Mr. Blue Suit has a vendetta against Owens by basically doing his best to try and get Owens cut.

Perhaps if more media members would dare and look at the facts they would see the BS behind Mr. Blue Suit's article on Owens and how blatant of a vendetta he has against Owens. Instead, they're too much in fear of going against one of their own.



YAKUZA

 

[bysbox1]

Like that was difficult to do.

What *exactly* did Terrell Owens do this year?

It was *reported* by Mr. Blue Suit that Owens had problems with Witten and Romo according to an anonymous source "who regularly speaks with Owens' teammates."

I've gone through the holes in Mr. Blue Suit's hack journalism and it's even more obvious to me that Mr. Blue Suit has a vendetta against Owens by basically doing his best to try and get Owens cut.

Perhaps if more media members would dare and look at the facts they would see the BS behind Mr. Blue Suit's article on Owens and how blatant of a vendetta he has against Owens. Instead, they're too much in fear of going against one of their own.



YAKUZA

It's sad that the certain media members are so agenda driven.

I can handle the media's personal opinions, but just give me the facts beyond that.

It's amazing how many forum members here actually want to believe in Ed Werder's anonymous source of a source from a friend who knows someone of a source garbage. No wonder TO "next questions" him in news conferences.

 

[Cochese]

It's sad that the certain media members are so agenda driven.

I can handle the media's personal opinions, but just give me the facts beyond that.

It's amazing how many forum members here actually want to believe in Ed Werder's anonymous source of a source from a friend who knows someone of a source garbage. No wonder TO "next questions" him in news conferences.

And its even more hilarious when the TO defenders come here and act like his act hasnt torn teams apart before.

 

[JordanTaber]

And its even more hilarious when the TO defenders come here and act like his act hasnt torn teams apart before.

I'd like an explanation on how something he did "tore a team apart."