Terrell Owens: Real Cowboy or Not?

[big dog cowboy]

In todays era of free agency in the NFL, yes TO is a Cowboy.

 

[jobberone]

Emmitt and Tony both had well publicized spats with management about their contracts and/or playing time. Emmitt called the franchise and moreso his teammates "trash" after he left.

They both hurt the franchise in a more direct fashion than any idiotic showboating incident. Are they lesser "Cowboys" because of that?

I don't quite understand why fans want to put players on a pedestal. Their value to me begins and ends with their contribution on the football field. Sad, brutal and impersonal I know, but that's just how I am. I gave up the emotional attachments long ago simply because the game has changed.



Jackie Smith? He's the numbskull responsible for perhaps one of the biggest gaffes in team history. He was only a Cowboy for a season and overall, we were worse as a franchise because of him. He can rot for all I care.

TO has been orders of magnitude more of a distraction than Tony was and in every way but one more than Emmitt.

Emmitt costs us games. But it was not acrimonious. Still if we didn't win the SB in spite of that I'd still be pissed. But Jerry was as much the problem there as Emmitt was. Depends on what side of the fence you're on. Still Emmitt is and will always be a Cowboy. It was just that....a family spat.

TO has cost us nothing. It's either been annoying or amusing to you. Maybe both.

If TO hadn't done what he did I'd have no beef with him. I'll never forget what he did. Period. I certainly don't put people on pedestals.

I don't care how long they play for us or others. No matter what TO did he could never be in the ROH for me. I'll bet many others wouldn't have him in there. Esp the ones who beat up on him everyday. For me it's just that one thing. But it was enough.

Smith felt worse than anyone about that drop. We still could have won although I admit it hurt. Dropping a ball is certainly not criteria for me to hold a grudge.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

I think he's a tremendous WR. But he'll never be a true Cowboy to me. He stood on the star. I'll root for him but I won't ever forget that. He's a rent-a-star.

I hear ya... but I think he could "change" all of that with some success here in Dallas and "embracing" things (ie. star, franchise, etc)

I think he was a little jealous/envious of US when he stood on the star....

I say after his 3 year deal is done... give him another 3 year deal and he will be talking about the Cowboys as the team that he always felt he should be on(he has already said as much).... a couple of titles and we are all set.

 

[DallasEast]

Emmitt and Tony both had well publicized spats with management about their contracts and/or playing time. Emmitt called the franchise and moreso his teammates "trash" after he left.

They both hurt the franchise in a more direct fashion than any idiotic showboating incident. Are they lesser "Cowboys" because of that?

I don't quite understand why fans want to put players on a pedestal. Their value to me begins and ends with their contribution on the football field. Sad, brutal and impersonal I know, but that's just how I am. I gave up the emotional attachments long ago simply because the game has changed.

"It felt like being a diamond among trash". - Emmitt Smith

Smith was wrong for saying that. He should not have said it, but he did. Still, what was the reason why he made such a statement?

Anger is the answer. Parcells did not speak with him as he wished. Jones made the decision to place his franchise's future before that of his future hall of famer; and that move made him even angrier.

He spat out some harsh words during a SI interview and those words will follow him for the rest of his life, but his accomplishments during his 13-year career as a Cowboy will also go hand-in-hand with those words. Still, the later shall forever outshine his angry comments and that's a fact.

Let's look at Owens for a moment...

A very gifted athlete who remains a premier wide receiver.

He played a game in Texas Stadium, knowing fully how deep the rivalry ran between the home team and his.

He scored a touchdown--a testimony to his great talent.

He took the ball and ran...

To the center of the field...

To the amazement of thousands of rival fans in their seats...

And posed like a blooming idiot on the very symbol of the franchise itself.

To my knowledge, such an act had never been performed in any pro sports stadium previously. If I'm not mistaken, it has never been duplicated by players, both professional and amateur, since.

What he did was an affront to the franchise and its fans. Now, for some, it doesn't mean a flip, but it doesn't make it any less of one. He didn't intentionally offend Cowboy fans out of anger. He didn't intentionally insult the Dallas Cowboys' franchise to fan the fires which burned between our two franchises. He didn't intentionally seek to draw the ire of his own coaches. He didn't intentionally do anything...

...except stroke his own inflated, self-glorified ego.

Personally, I don't see both men's actions as being analogous, but admittedly I'm biased against the son of a *****--so if his fans (not you) think otherwise, so be it. It's not the only thing I'm guilty of.

I'm also guilty of putting players on pedestals. Do they deserve to be on them? Truthfully, no, but we all enjoy rooting for those we hope are successful. Just ask any Owens fan. The game has changed, along with some of its spirit, but not all of it. Some of it still resides in the hearts of fans who remember the game for what it once was, knowing full well the qualities which made it great has been slightly tainted by players who either cannot hold their tongue...

...or who are vain to the bone.

/rant off

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

T.O. is the best WR on the team and anyone willing to argue that I'll be glad to do so.... I love Glenn's game but he's NO T.O.

 

[ndanger]

I understand how you feel. For the same reasons I don't even feel I have anything to forgive Emmitt for. Or Dorsett. I'll just never forgive TO for grandstanding on the Star. But I respect him as a player. And if you look at my posts you'll see I don't bash him at all. I'd say I defend him.

Adderley, Jackie Smith, etc are all Cowboys to me although I think of Herb more as a Packer and Smith more as a St Louis Cardinal. But TO will never get that blessing from me.

Fair enough for me.

 

[DBoys]

T.O. is the best WR on the team and anyone willing to argue that I'll be glad to do so.... I love Glenn's game but he's NO T.O.

Exactly

 

[Alexander]

TO has been orders of magnitude more of a distraction than Tony was and in every way but one more than Emmitt.

So, how much of a distraction was he last year? Are you going to be able to tell me when you could tell this?

I am not trying to paint Owens as a Saint, by any means. And I know and appreciate what place Emmitt and Tony have in the collective consciousness.

But when you look at it and understand the parties involved and the different world that exists now, I find it hard to make a hard decision in terms of the line of demarcation.

Smith felt worse than anyone about that drop. We still could have won although I admit it hurt. Dropping a ball is certainly not criteria for me to hold a grudge.

I don't care how he felt about that drop. It is of no consequence. Any player in that circumstance would feel the same. I question how you can value Smith more than others.

Can you tell me what else Jackie Smith did for the franchise other than catch a bad Danny White lob in the Atlanta game?

Owens can put his mark on Cowboy history if things pan out.

I just wonder who would actually allow him that right if so.

 

[Hoofbite]

TO is a dousche of a person. When it comes time to look back and remember this era in history, TO will not be on top of my list of players I think about.

Ill support him as a player and wish him success while he is on the team but as far as being a fan of him, I am not. I think hes an *** and I could really care less about him.

I dunno. I guess what I think of a player has a lot more to do with their make-up then their jersey.

 

[bbgun]

Pinocchio: real boy or puppet?

 

[DallasEast]

Pinocchio: real boy or puppet?

Neither. He was a figment of Jiminy Cricket's imagination.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

A genius Wade and Jerra will make T.O. THE offensive threat with stellars Witten/Glenn/JJ.

If Wade and Jerra don't, they'd be foolish to not use one of the most explosive WRs in the league.

 

[nathanlt]

"It felt like being a diamond among trash". - Emmitt Smith

Smith was wrong for saying that. He should not have said it, but he did. Still, what was the reason why he made such a statement?

Anger is the answer. Parcells did not speak with him as he wished. Jones made the decision to place his franchise's future before that of his future hall of famer; and that move made him even angrier.

He spat out some harsh words during a SI interview and those words will follow him for the rest of his life, but his accomplishments during his 13-year career as a Cowboy will also go hand-in-hand with those words. Still, the later shall forever outshine his angry comments and that's a fact.

Let's look at Owens for a moment...

A very gifted athlete who remains a premier wide receiver.

He played a game in Texas Stadium, knowing fully how deep the rivalry ran between the home team and his.

He scored a touchdown--a testimony to his great talent.

He took the ball and ran...

To the center of the field...

To the amazement of thousands of rival fans in their seats...

And posed like a blooming idiot on the very symbol of the franchise itself.

To my knowledge, such an act had never been performed in any pro sports stadium previously. If I'm not mistaken, it has never been duplicated by players, both professional and amateur, since.

What he did was an affront to the franchise and its fans. Now, for some, it doesn't mean a flip, but it doesn't make it any less of one. He didn't intentionally offend Cowboy fans out of anger. He didn't intentionally insult the Dallas Cowboys' franchise to fan the fires which burned between our two franchises. He didn't intentionally seek to draw the ire of his own coaches. He didn't intentionally do anything...

...except stroke his own inflated, self-glorified ego.

Personally, I don't see both men's actions as being analogous, but admittedly I'm biased against the son of a *****--so if his fans (not you) think otherwise, so be it. It's not the only thing I'm guilty of.

I'm also guilty of putting players on pedestals. Do they deserve to be on them? Truthfully, no, but we all enjoy rooting for those we hope are successful. Just ask any Owens fan. The game has changed, along with some of its spirit, but not all of it. Some of it still resides in the hearts of fans who remember the game for what it once was, knowing full well the qualities which made it great has been slightly tainted by players who either cannot hold their tongue...

...or who are vain to the bone.

/rant off

HOLY COW!!!



I had put Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett, and Tom Landry on a pedestal as well. That's why T.O.'s desecration hurt me so much and I took it personally. Once again....

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

TO is a Cowboy.

Real or Not? I guess that is up to the users view about what they consider a real cowboy or not. Some don't like players that are hired guns for a couple of seasons some do.

I wish he was not a Cowboy but that is just my opinion. I can not rag on him fore just being here a few seasons as I loved Glover, Haley and others that were not original cowboys but helped our team.

I just don't care for TO. I did not like him before he came here and I doubt if I will ever like him. Difference IMO is that unlike others that ripped him to shreds before he was a cowboy, esp when he was an Eagle, are now some of the same ones that are all ga ga over him now. Sorry the guy is a jerk so from that perspective I don't like him.

He makes plays I will be happy about him as a member of the team.

So real or not...the answer IMO is yes even if I don't like him.

 

[Phoenix-Talon]

Even though he stood on the Cowboy's Star in the middle of the field with open arms as a 49er, and again in the endzone in Philadelphia, I must applaud those who have the forgiving attitude to still call TO a true Cowboy.

While that must have been a difficult decision for some of you, ...I'm just glad he isn't an Eagle.

 

[JonJon]

Terrell Owens: Real Cowboy or Not?

Well, I went to NFL.com and checked the rosters for each team. I clicked on the Dallas Cowboys roster, scrolled down the list, and that's when I saw it. Terrell Owens, WR. I scrolled back up to make sure my eyes were not fooling me, but in fact, I was looking at the Dallas Cowboys roster. Still baffled, I continued my search for Terrell Owens on other team rosters. In my investigation, I discovered Montell Owens, a RB for the Vikings. Could they be one in the same? The last three letters of his first name are similar to those of Terrell Owens, but closer inspection revealed that he was not Terrell Owens, but someone completely different. My search continued but with little success. At the end of the day, one thing was clear to me: Terrell Owens is definitely a Dallas Cowboy.

 

[Rackat]

Is TO a Cowboy in the same vein as Bill Bates, Randy White, Harvey Martin, Drew Pearson, Roger Staubach, or Danny White? Not even a flippin chance.

Is he a Cowboy in the same vein as Charles Haley, Deion Sanders, Ken Norton, and others that came through and played for a few seasons and helped the team? Somewhat.

TO is in a classification all his own. I wouldn’t put him with the true Cowboys, but I wouldn’t saddle some of the greats that spent time here with putting them in the same category. He is, as has been pointed out, a hired gun. Maybe if he stays with the team after this season I may change my mind.

George Teague will ALWAYS be a Cowboy for the simple fact that he knocked the obnoxious p***k off the Star the second time he had the audacity to showboat on our symbol. Roy Williams turned and walked away when he stood on the Star of the helmet in the endzone after he scored.

So, yea, for me he is a Cowboy. I don’t like him on a personal level, but if he wears the Star and helps us over the top, I can live with it.

 

[JonJon]

I just don't care for TO. I did not like him before he came here and I doubt if I will ever like him. Difference IMO is that unlike others that ripped him to shreds before he was a cowboy, esp when he was an Eagle, are now some of the same ones that are all ga ga over him now. Sorry the guy is a jerk so from that perspective I don't like him.

He makes plays I will be happy about him as a member of the team.

So real or not...the answer IMO is yes even if I don't like him.

Well I definitely fit into that category. I hate any player that isn’t a member of the Cowboys, especially if I consider that player to be a threat to our success. Deion Sanders. Didn’t like him as a Falcon, hated him as a 49er, fell in love with him as a Dallas Cowboy. Went back to hating Sanders when he became a Commander (lol!). Ken Norton, Jr. Loved him as a Cowboy. I thought he was the centerpiece of our LB core during our super bowl runs. Despised Norton when he became a 49er.Emmitt Smith. For years, he was my favorite player. I had EVERYTHING with his name on it. When he became a Cardinal, I rooted for him to fail. I didn’t hate him though, because neither he nor the Cards were a threat at that point. The same goes for Owens. When he was with the 49ers, I didn’t like him. I hated him as an Eagle because he burnt us on so many occasions. As a Cowboy, he is one of my best friends, a member of the family. If he leaves, to heck with him. But as long as he is on the squad, he will be loved. Same for Julius Jones. He is one of my favorites here and I hope he proves himself as our franchise RB. But if he leaves next season, I hope he really was a one-year wonder. Newman is my favorite current Cowboy, but if for some reason he leaves, then I hope he really was over-hyped as a Cowboy homer. That’s just the way it goes for me. I am more attached to the team than I am an individual player.

I hate Payton Manning, Tom Brady, Shaun Alexander, Champ Bailey, Ladanian Tomlinson, and Reggie Bush. But if any one of those players became Cowboys, they would be instant favorites of mine.

 

[Concord]

I Love Owens being on the Cowboys.

I could care less about Standing on the Star. Don't let him score and he's not standing on the Star.

I don't care if he's a jerk or nuts or whatever. I only care about him helping the Cowboys win.

That is the only thing that I care about when it comes to players...can they help the Cowboys win.

If they can I want them...if they can't then I don't want them.

Owens could be a Gay Serial Killer and it wouldn't matter to me...again as long as he can help the Cowboys win.

 

[GlitzCowboy]

I've always felt the Dallas Cowboys and TO were a perfect match. Ever since he was starting to make waves in this league as a 49er. Wanted him wearing a star like you wouldn't believe when he went to the Eagles, and before that when he was with the '9ers I couldn't believe their dang luck, I always saw him as the clearcut #88 Version 2.0. Then when he became a Cowboy I just couldn't believe it actually happen- that such a Christmas gift was given to us! I seriously get why Irvin quickly became so fascinated with this player. He should've been drafted as a Cowboy. He should've played his entire career as a Cowboy. Bets are that if he had, half the crap you hear about pertaining to him would have quickly been nothing more than what it was with Irvin- even less because you can subtract any illegal activity. Like last year. Sure their were apparent problems, but like with Irvin, the Star absorbed most of it and left us with a highly productive player.

Though the question; TO, Real Cowboy or Not?
Of course things like this take time. He must display his loyalty. He must put up numbers to rival our greats of the past. He must not disrespect us in any form or manor, not the team nor the fans. He can not be belittling to others or this country, ala his teammate, Terry Glenn. We are America's Team and we represent this country more than anyone would ever like to admit to our faces. There is a public image to conserve, but as long as he does that and continues to put up the numbers he put up last year, I will be happy to see himself admit into the HOF fame as a Dallas Cowboy. AND for all time, consider him a true Dallas Cowboy nomatter what!