Owens forces Cowboys into internal struggle over WR's future in Dallas

[zeromaster]

The Cowboys are going to find themselves in an interesting position in the event they part ways with Owens. One of the most interesting will be the perception that they are out of excuses on the chemistry issue. They may not be, but much like the Dallas Stars and Sean Avery, that could well be the byline.

It took the hockey team some time to get back to what they were supposed to do. I wonder how long it will take the football team to find its sense of purpose?

Another is the idea that RW11 will now have the target on his back from a WR perspective. I also wonder if Aikman is on the mark at all with his criticisms in that direction. Unfortunately it will be many months before we know anything.

 

[TheCount]

There is no single problem. It is a litany of problems that combined create the overall issue.

What do you think the overall issue happens to be? I mean let's face it, it's not like we were a juggernaut or a league wide example of dedication to excellence and execution before T.O. got here.

 

[theogt]

"From all indications" ... "I have no doubt that" ... "I believe he could"

In other words, I have nothing factual to report, but based on the level of speculation, this is what could possibly be the case.

 

[BAT]

There is no single problem. It is a litany of problems that combined create the overall issue.

I agree. And getting rid of Owens does not solve the problem. There are a lot of guys on this team who are not passionate about winning, who lack the work ethic and discipline to contribute to a championship.


And Owens is not one of them.

 

[WV Cowboy]

In the final analisys, I view releasing Owens as a sign of weakness.

And as I've said a 1000 times before.

If this staff can not create the right environment condusive to winning football with this team including Owens, they won't do it without him.

That's the way I look at it too.

If a players quote in a newspaper affects the way these grown men play football, ... that is embarassing and pathetic.

And if Romo and/or Garrett change the way they operate in an effort to appease Owens, ... whose fault is that?

Tell Owens, "this is the way we are going to do it, and that's they way it is going to be."

Romo and/or Garrett are weak if they let Owens impact their decisions.

This team has a lot of problems to fix before they get to any problem Owens creates.

 

[jday]

The bottom line is that the T.O. experiment deep in the heart of Texas is three years old now, and it hasn't paid off with even so much as a playoff victory, let alone a Super Bowl ring. If it hasn't worked yet, what's the likelihood of reaping results from pouring a fourth year into it?

While I could probably rip this article to shreds, one particular paragraph really had me scratching my head. For the lack of a better description, this is the dumbest statement I have heard in favor of releasing T.O. that I have read or heard. I mean, honestly, I'm on the fence as far as this issue goes. I love what he can do, but I hate the drama associated with him (most of which really isn't his fault). But to say that the measure which determines his value as a player is rather or not the Cowboys as a team have won a play-off game or super bowl is straight up ********. Under that rational, we should fire every player on the roster for the exception of Brad Johnson and just start all over with Bad "I mean Brad" Johnson as our signal caller. What an idiot.

 

[Hostile]

I agree. And getting rid of Owens does not solve the problem. There are a lot of guys on this team who are not passionate about winning, who lack the work ethic and discipline to contribute to a championship.


And Owens is not one of them.

Owens performance is not why he might get released. It is the rest of the baggage he brings with his work ethic.

Overall, a good guy, but he is high maintenance and that is a huge negative that offsets his huge positive.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Outstanding article by Banks.

For all those that claim the media are nothing but rabble rousing, biased liars, here was a very fair and balanced piece on the situation.

 

[jday]

Outstanding article! Only few minor issues with it, but overall very well balanced and probably close to 100% accurate.

I'm just so tired of reading articles and posts here on this topic which offer no balance to the debate what so ever.

This part right here nearly sums up my view on the issue.

But to focus solely on T.O., the supposed locker room cancer, is to completely overlook the other issues that doomed the Cowboys' 2008 season to mediocrity. Like the legitimate questions surrounding the starting quarterback's displays of leadership, maturity and, at times, competitive fire. Like the head coach's glaring struggle to establish the right disciplinary tone with his team. Like the offensive coordinator's lack of adaptability and development in the face of challenges last season, and the defense's inability to mesh its considerable talents into anything more than just 11 individuals fighting for 11 Pro Bowl berths.

"T.O.'s getting blamed for everything that happened here this season,'' another Cowboys source said. "But he's not the problem. They want to talk about how Terrell is so disruptive in the locker room, and that's a lie. The guy didn't do anything this year to warrant the type of stuff you're hearing now. There's a faction that wants to get him out of here, and if they want to let the guy go, they should let him go.

"But if you want to be quick to run him out of here, who are you going to get in here to replace him with? Even with our No. 1 quarterback missing three games, he scored 10 touchdowns and had 1,000 yards receiving. So who's your No. 1 receiver if he's gone? You let him go, and say you're 9-7 again next year. Then who are you going to blame? Who are you going to blame then?''


In the final analisys, I view releasing Owens as a sign of weakness.

I'd compare it to punting from the 35 yardline on 4th and 1! Go for the 1st down for *******sake, at the very least take the 52 yard FG attempt.

If were aren't a legit SB team in 2009, we still so dam close. I'd just hate to remove a cog as critical as Owens and potentially F the whole thing up.

And as I've said a 1000 times before. \

If this staff can not create the right environment condusive to winning football with this team including Owens, they won't do it without him.

Well said. T.O. did not dare open his mouth with Parcell's running the show. Now, don't get me wrong, I would rather J.G. be calling the play's on offense and defense than Parcell's. But Parcell's did demand respect and accountability.

 

[sonnyboy]

That's the way I look at it too.

If a players quote in a newspaper affects the way these grown men play football, ... that is embarassing and pathetic.

And if Romo and/or Garrett change the way they operate in an effort to appease Owens, ... whose fault is that?

Tell Owens, "this is the way we are going to do it, and that's they way it is going to be."

Romo and/or Garrett are weak if they let Owens impact their decisions.

This team has a lot of problems to fix before they get to any problem Owens creates.

AMEN BROTHER!

Reading some of the posts here, I get the feeling there are some infuenced on this topic by the wrong people and for the wrong reasons.

"Oh I can't stand the drama, I wish it would end"

It's as if they concern themselves more with PR than winning. They'd rather our team was filled with likeable losers.

Winning would be nice, but losing would be sooo much easier if our team flew under the radar.
It's as if they'd prefer we were more liked by the national media and opposing fans so if/when we did lose they wouldn't take such joy in it and hit it so hard.

I want people hating us. I want them to take joy in our failure, just like I want them nashing thier teeth when we succeed.

That's what being a Cowboy fan is all about. Dumping Owens want change it. Our wounds will still have salt rubbed in them by the haters. Owens' release will not offer any comfort/reprieve.

If you can't take the heat......well you know the rest.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Wow... I've asked this 100 times, but if you blame "weak coaching" for TO, then you must be saying that Andy Reid is a weak coach and the Eagles organization just isn't run very well.

This is the third NFL team where TO has made a nuisance of himself... But I guess that's sheer coincidence.

 

[jterrell]

Ya know I liked this report.

It is fair and the suggested split is backed up with actual strong quotes from both sides of the aisle.


I am still 55-45 to keep Owens and may be moving to 60-40 after reading this.

I tend to agree with the thought that his "distracting ways" are overplayed here and used as a sleight of hand to mask other issues. I can tell you Jimmy Johnson would not have cut T.O. He might have cut every friend T.O. had on the team until Terrell did what he wanted but he wouldn't have cut Terrell.

I believe it is about 70-30 Owens stays right now. I just don't see Jerry as the kind of guy to give up that rare elite type talent. Jerry has been trying to get a WR like Mike in since Mike was injured and T.O. is as close as we have gotten. RW's meek play last season doesn't help the t.o. must go cause much. Neither does RW's chirping. How does Garrett's argument to Jerry go?

RedJesus: I want Terrell gone because he complains too much and makes the focus on him and off the team.
Jerry: Who is gonna be our lead WR?
RedJesus: Roy Williams.
Jerry: You mean the safety? The WR hates your guts man. He told the whole world you were why he couldn't catch a cold last year.
RedJesus: I really mean Jason Witten.
Jerry: He said he didn't like your offense either.
RedJesus: Well Romo can keep Witten in line.
Jerry: Romo hates your offense too plus you are getting him hit so much he can't play golf in the off-season the way he likes.
RedJesus: Screw all these guys thats why I keep interviewing elsewhere!
Jerry: But you are harder to get rid of then Terrell, 6 interviews and you don't take a single job.

 

[Hostile]

What do you think the overall issue happens to be? I mean let's face it, it's not like we were a juggernaut or a league wide example of dedication to excellence and execution before T.O. got here.

It is impossible to narrow it to one thing and one thing only, which is why I laugh at the Jerry must go faction. Every team has problems. The more you lose the more those get amplified. If you have serious talent and lose it becomes a real issue.

TO is part of the problem. But no one is THE single problem and everything else is firing on all cylinders.

There needs to be wholesale changes and discipline needs to be number 1 on the hit parade IMO. They've started that and if TO is ultimately waived I believe it will be because they did not feel he would go along with any discipline and therefore disrupt the team even more. His mouth is his only real issue, but it's a big one.

 

[ScipioCowboy]

Whoever said that was either an idiot or uninformed.

Jason Witten was our receptions leader in both 2007 and 2008.

Owens was our yardage leader in both 2007 and 2008.

Agreed.

"The source" also contended that TO did not complain about the offense late in the year.

 

[BAT]

Owens performance is not why he might get released. It is the rest of the baggage he brings with his work ethic.

Overall, a good guy, but he is high maintenance and that is a huge negative that offsets his huge positive.

Every player has positves and negatives. But not every player puts up HOF numbers. That cannot be denied. I don't believe his positives offsets his negatives, that is a media created myth and gross mismangement.


The bottom line in any company is how much revenue/success does he bring. It is up to management to focus his strengths and mitigate his weaknesses, for the good of the company.


Get rid of the incompatible bottom feeders (who bring less baggage but are much more unproductive).

 

[Big D]

There is no single problem. It is a litany of problems that combined create the overall issue.

Yes!

What do you think the overall issue happens to be? I mean let's face it, it's not like we were a juggernaut or a league wide example of dedication to excellence and execution before T.O. got here.

To me, it all started when kosier went down and Proctor came in. It led to poor protection for Romo which led to his injury and then other injuries at other positions compounded the problem.

I agree. And getting rid of Owens does not solve the problem. There are a lot of guys on this team who are not passionate about winning, who lack the work ethic and discipline to contribute to a championship.


And Owens is not one of them.

I think they're all passionate , you couldn't reach this level if you were not. I just think it's a game of attrition and we got hit with injuries in spots we couldn't afford to which affected the teams execution.

If we replace Proctor , B Johnson, McBriar with more capable reserves we will be just fine going into next season.

 

[xWraithx]

Been saying 60/40 he's gone. It depends on a lot of factors. He has very strong no votes and that is key. Jerry will have a tough decision to make. No doubt about it. I'd welcome him back if he will shut up. If it's the same crap as last year I want him gone. I don't dislike the guy, but the distractions to the team are just too much.

my thoughts exactly.

 

[jterrell]

Wow... I've asked this 100 times, but if you blame "weak coaching" for TO, then you must be saying that Andy Reid is a weak coach and the Eagles organization just isn't run very well.

This is the third NFL team where TO has made a nuisance of himself... But I guess that's sheer coincidence.

That's a fair point CL but we also saw Reid handle this season differently than he did with T.O. suggesting he has learned some things. Part of why the Eags lost games mid-season was a benching of Donovan AND a benching of Desean Jackson. See Reid actually benched BOTH guys because they couldn't get along. McNabb reportedly refused to throw to Jackson at times last year when half the Eags Wr corps was out hurt.

The 49ers won a whole heck of a lot of games with Terrell Owens... they haven't won squat in years since he left. IT looked very much like the organization just disintegrated when ownership and management changed hands away from the mobbed up guys who were winning Super Bowls.

Obviously T.O. played very large roles in his drama at both spots but it doesn't mean he was the only one at fault.

And it certainly doesn't appear either team jettisoning him meant Super Bowl success now does it?

 

[adbutcher]

Ya know I liked this report.

It is fair and the suggested split is backed up with actual strong quotes from both sides of the aisle.


I am still 55-45 to keep Owens and may be moving to 60-40 after reading this.

I tend to agree with the thought that his "distracting ways" are overplayed here and used as a sleight of hand to mask other issues. I can tell you Jimmy Johnson would not have cut T.O. He might have cut every friend T.O. had on the team until Terrell did what he wanted but he wouldn't have cut Terrell.

I believe it is about 70-30 Owens stays right now. I just don't see Jerry as the kind of guy to give up that rare elite type talent. Jerry has been trying to get a WR like Mike in since Mike was injured and T.O. is as close as we have gotten. RW's meek play last season doesn't help the t.o. must go cause much. Neither does RW's chirping. How does Garrett's argument to Jerry go?

RedJesus: I want Terrell gone because he complains too much and makes the focus on him and off the team.
Jerry: Who is gonna be our lead WR?
RedJesus: Roy Williams.
Jerry: You mean the safety? The WR hates your guts man. He told the whole world you were why he couldn't catch a cold last year.
RedJesus: I really mean Jason Witten.
Jerry: He said he didn't like your offense either.
RedJesus: Well Romo can keep Witten in line.
Jerry: Romo hates your offense too plus you are getting him hit so much he can't play golf in the off-season the way he likes.
RedJesus: Screw all these guys thats why I keep interviewing elsewhere!
Jerry: But you are harder to get rid of then Terrell, 6 interviews and you don't take a single job.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

The longer and longer this goes on and the more and more passionate people seem to be getting about it the more and more I want to see Owens stay on this team.