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Posted on Tue, Nov. 15, 2005
Cowboy who KO'd T.O. strikes again
By DANA PENNETT O'NEIL
oneild@phillynews.com
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/sports/13169958.htm
If Terrell Owens appreciates irony - and all indications from a player who will make $3.25 million this year, but still lamented his need to feed his family, he does - somewhere, he had a good chuckle last night.
A year ago, Dallas safety Roy Williams dragged Owens down with a horse-collar tackle, severely injuring Owens' ankle and putting a premature kibosh on the wide receiver's regular season.
At the time, Williams, Owens and even megalomaniac megadealer Drew Rosenhaus couldn't have imagined that the tackle would be the first tick in a bomb that ultimately put Owens in his easy chair while his teammates played "Monday Night Football."
So imagine Owens' reaction as he watched that very same Roy Williams pick off a Donovan McNabb pass late in the fourth quarter and make the quick, 46-yard dash to the end zone for a stunning 21-20 Dallas victory.
If fans who had left the Linc for a premature celebration were stunned, Owens had to be flabbergasted at the twist of fate.
"I was just reading Donovan's eyes," said Williams, equally surprised at his gift. "I didn't think he was going to throw, it and he threw it right to me."
As emotional as the loss was for the Eagles - shocked fans stood still after Williams' touchdown - the victory was equally emotional for the Cowboys.
Hours before kickoff, coach Bill Parcells was in a Short Hills, N.J., cemetery saying goodbye to his younger brother. Don Parcells, 62, died of brain cancer last week. After the funeral for his brother, only 20 months his junior, Parcells made the 90-minute drive to Philadelphia.
"There was a lot of emotion for me today," Parcells said. "I don't mean to dwell on any of that, but I'll tell you what I told the players. I got a message there today that said, 'Don't have a troubled heart.' And I don't. I've got those guys in there."
The Eagles, on the other hand, have a full-blown disaster on their hands. They are 4-5 overall, 0-3 in the NFC East.
They have gone from the most dominant team in their division to cellar dwellers with more questions than answers. Many will include the initials T and O, and much of the adoration tossed at McNabb following his authoritative touchdown spike in the second quarter will be replaced with ire, as fans think that the quarterback who just threw the pick also ran the receiver out of town.
How they got from the top of the heap to the bottom is debatable, but it's not out of the question to go back Dec. 19, when Williams brought down Owens.
The injury, from a since-outlawed tackle, shelved Owens all the way through the NFC Championship Game. The better part of Super Bowl week was dominated by one question - Will Owens play? - as his ankle garnered more attention than most of the other guys in uniform.
Along the way, McNabb was asked about playing without Owens and, apparently uninterested in throwing up the white flag heading into his franchise's biggest game, the quarterback said he thought the team could do just that.
Owens wasn't real happy about that, and weeks after the Super Bowl, he implied that the Eagles lost because McNabb got tired.
And then it got ugly. Owens talked more, hired Rosenhaus, demanded more money, got tossed from training camp, did a few situps in his driveway, talked more, returned to the team, talked more and eventually wore out his welcome permanently. A week ago, coach Andy Reid suspended Owens for four games, and the Eagles plan to deactivate him for the rest of the season.
And, really, it all started with Williams.
None of that is Williams' concern. He spent the pregame week dodging the Owens controversy, saying during a news conference: "I really don't have a reaction. That's their problem."
Indeed it is.
It all is.
Cowboy who KO'd T.O. strikes again
By DANA PENNETT O'NEIL
oneild@phillynews.com
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/sports/13169958.htm
If Terrell Owens appreciates irony - and all indications from a player who will make $3.25 million this year, but still lamented his need to feed his family, he does - somewhere, he had a good chuckle last night.
A year ago, Dallas safety Roy Williams dragged Owens down with a horse-collar tackle, severely injuring Owens' ankle and putting a premature kibosh on the wide receiver's regular season.
At the time, Williams, Owens and even megalomaniac megadealer Drew Rosenhaus couldn't have imagined that the tackle would be the first tick in a bomb that ultimately put Owens in his easy chair while his teammates played "Monday Night Football."
So imagine Owens' reaction as he watched that very same Roy Williams pick off a Donovan McNabb pass late in the fourth quarter and make the quick, 46-yard dash to the end zone for a stunning 21-20 Dallas victory.
If fans who had left the Linc for a premature celebration were stunned, Owens had to be flabbergasted at the twist of fate.
"I was just reading Donovan's eyes," said Williams, equally surprised at his gift. "I didn't think he was going to throw, it and he threw it right to me."
As emotional as the loss was for the Eagles - shocked fans stood still after Williams' touchdown - the victory was equally emotional for the Cowboys.
Hours before kickoff, coach Bill Parcells was in a Short Hills, N.J., cemetery saying goodbye to his younger brother. Don Parcells, 62, died of brain cancer last week. After the funeral for his brother, only 20 months his junior, Parcells made the 90-minute drive to Philadelphia.
"There was a lot of emotion for me today," Parcells said. "I don't mean to dwell on any of that, but I'll tell you what I told the players. I got a message there today that said, 'Don't have a troubled heart.' And I don't. I've got those guys in there."
The Eagles, on the other hand, have a full-blown disaster on their hands. They are 4-5 overall, 0-3 in the NFC East.
They have gone from the most dominant team in their division to cellar dwellers with more questions than answers. Many will include the initials T and O, and much of the adoration tossed at McNabb following his authoritative touchdown spike in the second quarter will be replaced with ire, as fans think that the quarterback who just threw the pick also ran the receiver out of town.
How they got from the top of the heap to the bottom is debatable, but it's not out of the question to go back Dec. 19, when Williams brought down Owens.
The injury, from a since-outlawed tackle, shelved Owens all the way through the NFC Championship Game. The better part of Super Bowl week was dominated by one question - Will Owens play? - as his ankle garnered more attention than most of the other guys in uniform.
Along the way, McNabb was asked about playing without Owens and, apparently uninterested in throwing up the white flag heading into his franchise's biggest game, the quarterback said he thought the team could do just that.
Owens wasn't real happy about that, and weeks after the Super Bowl, he implied that the Eagles lost because McNabb got tired.
And then it got ugly. Owens talked more, hired Rosenhaus, demanded more money, got tossed from training camp, did a few situps in his driveway, talked more, returned to the team, talked more and eventually wore out his welcome permanently. A week ago, coach Andy Reid suspended Owens for four games, and the Eagles plan to deactivate him for the rest of the season.
And, really, it all started with Williams.
None of that is Williams' concern. He spent the pregame week dodging the Owens controversy, saying during a news conference: "I really don't have a reaction. That's their problem."
Indeed it is.
It all is.
