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Hut: Bears could use a T.O
By NICK HUT - nhut@nwnewsgroup.com
LAKE FOREST - Imagine the Bears' front office waking up today and deciding to trade a draft pick to Dallas for Terrell Owens.
Fan reaction probably would be split down the middle. Some would love the thought of having one of the league's most explosive receivers in the home team's uniform.
Others would bemoan the prospect of bringing in a player who can be nothing but trouble in the locker room.
Fellow players are a lot less judgmental.
Perhaps they merely fear providing any bulletin-board material, but most would be happy to have Owens.
The guy is a premier playmaker and - unlike Randy Moss - rarely if ever dogs it or takes off plays.
When he and the Cowboys visit the Bears on Sunday in primetime, Owens will be a threat to break open the game at any time.
That is enough to make a number of players overlook - at least on a hypothetical level - the ego, the antics and the frequent distractions that are a part of life with T.O.
"Great player, I think that's all that really matters," Bears cornerback Nathan Vasher said. "He would make us better. He'd make any team that he's on better. ... He's one of the hardest workers I've ever seen."
The Bears' locker room has been cohesive enough to weather potentially divisive controversies, such as the fight a couple of years ago between offensive linemen Olin Kreutz and Fred Miller.
Perhaps incorporating a corrosive force such as T.O. into that environment would be easier for the Bears than for teams without strong leadership.
"It just depends on what locker room he's in," Vasher said. "Our locker room is pretty tight and I don't think anything can really come between us."
That confidence would be put to the test if Owens ever joined the Bears. The 11th-year pro has had problems with each of his three NFL teams, and shows few signs of mellowing.
In San Francisco, Owens clashed with quarterback Jeff Garcia during a subpar 2003 season and later insinuated Garcia was gay.
In Philadelphia, after a strong 2004 season and a standout performance during the Super Bowl, Owens hired Drew Rosenhaus as his agent and demanded a new contract. This happened only a year after he agreed to a contract.
Around the same time, Owens implicitly ripped quarterback Donovan McNabb, saying: "I wasn't the guy who got tired in the Super Bowl." The situation remained tense the entire season and included a minor fight between Owens and veteran defensive end Hugh Douglas.
The Eagles eventually suspended Owens for four games without pay and then deactivated him for the rest of the season. Bears defensive tackle Darwin Walker was in Philly at the time.
"One of the things I love about [the Bears] is we have good chemistry in our locker room," Walker said. "Our guys are close. We play hard together and that's crucial at this level.
"One of the things that I don't believe in is calling teammates out in the media, anywhere, because we play together and help one another. That's what I love about our locker room."
Owens' experience in Dallas, which signed him in early '06 after the Eagles agreed to void his contract, has been more sanguine. He overdosed on pain medication last September, leading to a brief hospital stay and reports of a possible suicide attempt. Owens denied he tried to kill himself.
Owens also admitted to spitting in the face of Atlanta Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall in a game late last season. But he gets along well with Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and, by most accounts, has been a good teammate.
That has not changed his legacy in the minds of many. Those who are in a position to speak more freely than current players make their feelings clear.
Former NBA superstar Charles Barkley, as an example, made an appearance in the "Monday Night Football" broadcast booth last season and discussed Owens.
"I don't think it would have worked with me because I would have hit him in the head a long time ago," Barkley said. "He's a great player, obviously. I like T.O. But if I was a teammate, I would have hit him in the head with something."
Then again, Barkley said, "If you win, you get away with a lot more stuff."
http://www.nwherald.com/bears/story.php?storyid=142
By NICK HUT - nhut@nwnewsgroup.com
LAKE FOREST - Imagine the Bears' front office waking up today and deciding to trade a draft pick to Dallas for Terrell Owens.
Fan reaction probably would be split down the middle. Some would love the thought of having one of the league's most explosive receivers in the home team's uniform.
Others would bemoan the prospect of bringing in a player who can be nothing but trouble in the locker room.
Fellow players are a lot less judgmental.
Perhaps they merely fear providing any bulletin-board material, but most would be happy to have Owens.
The guy is a premier playmaker and - unlike Randy Moss - rarely if ever dogs it or takes off plays.
When he and the Cowboys visit the Bears on Sunday in primetime, Owens will be a threat to break open the game at any time.
That is enough to make a number of players overlook - at least on a hypothetical level - the ego, the antics and the frequent distractions that are a part of life with T.O.
"Great player, I think that's all that really matters," Bears cornerback Nathan Vasher said. "He would make us better. He'd make any team that he's on better. ... He's one of the hardest workers I've ever seen."
The Bears' locker room has been cohesive enough to weather potentially divisive controversies, such as the fight a couple of years ago between offensive linemen Olin Kreutz and Fred Miller.
Perhaps incorporating a corrosive force such as T.O. into that environment would be easier for the Bears than for teams without strong leadership.
"It just depends on what locker room he's in," Vasher said. "Our locker room is pretty tight and I don't think anything can really come between us."
That confidence would be put to the test if Owens ever joined the Bears. The 11th-year pro has had problems with each of his three NFL teams, and shows few signs of mellowing.
In San Francisco, Owens clashed with quarterback Jeff Garcia during a subpar 2003 season and later insinuated Garcia was gay.
In Philadelphia, after a strong 2004 season and a standout performance during the Super Bowl, Owens hired Drew Rosenhaus as his agent and demanded a new contract. This happened only a year after he agreed to a contract.
Around the same time, Owens implicitly ripped quarterback Donovan McNabb, saying: "I wasn't the guy who got tired in the Super Bowl." The situation remained tense the entire season and included a minor fight between Owens and veteran defensive end Hugh Douglas.
The Eagles eventually suspended Owens for four games without pay and then deactivated him for the rest of the season. Bears defensive tackle Darwin Walker was in Philly at the time.
"One of the things I love about [the Bears] is we have good chemistry in our locker room," Walker said. "Our guys are close. We play hard together and that's crucial at this level.
"One of the things that I don't believe in is calling teammates out in the media, anywhere, because we play together and help one another. That's what I love about our locker room."
Owens' experience in Dallas, which signed him in early '06 after the Eagles agreed to void his contract, has been more sanguine. He overdosed on pain medication last September, leading to a brief hospital stay and reports of a possible suicide attempt. Owens denied he tried to kill himself.
Owens also admitted to spitting in the face of Atlanta Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall in a game late last season. But he gets along well with Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and, by most accounts, has been a good teammate.
That has not changed his legacy in the minds of many. Those who are in a position to speak more freely than current players make their feelings clear.
Former NBA superstar Charles Barkley, as an example, made an appearance in the "Monday Night Football" broadcast booth last season and discussed Owens.
"I don't think it would have worked with me because I would have hit him in the head a long time ago," Barkley said. "He's a great player, obviously. I like T.O. But if I was a teammate, I would have hit him in the head with something."
Then again, Barkley said, "If you win, you get away with a lot more stuff."
http://www.nwherald.com/bears/story.php?storyid=142
