The TO effect

One of the primary rejoineders of anti-Eagle fans regarding the bright prospects for the upcoming season come down to the negative effect Terrell Owens could have on the team. The main points seem to be that he will be a problem/distraction in the locker room and, more specifically, he will get in the face of team leader Donovan McNabb. Let's debunk these two "criticisms" and offer a counter-theory.

First, the locker room/sideline scenario. This line of thinking goes that Owens' me-first attitude will quickly be at odds with Andy Reid's team approach. Now, as my brother has pointed out - TO doesn't get in trouble for having handguns, speeding, or altercations at nightclubs. By all indications, he is an upstanding citizen off the field. On the field, however, his antics have drawn attention and contempt. My most vivid memories of TO are three-fold: 1) spiking the ball on the Dallas star, 2) Signing a ball with a sharpie after a TD and 3) hyping up his teammates during their amazing come from behind playoff win vs. the Giants in 2002.

Ok, as an Eagle fan how can you hold the Dallas spiking incident against him? I hope he has the opportunity to do it 8 times this year. Sure, it was unsportsmanlike and he probably shouldn't have done it twice, the second time precipitating the brawl at midfield, but in the scheme of things this appears to be a molehill made into a mountain.

Second, I still don't know how to feel about the sharpie. It was flamboyant, showy, but it didn't hurt anyone and he really didn't show any opponents up, certainly not compared to some of the celebrations that are performed today. Now i'm not sure about playing with a permanent marker in your sock, but hey, that's his call. (As an aside, the sight of TO grabbing the pom poms and joining the cheerleader line after scoring was HYSTERICAL.)

Third, does anyone remember how out of that game the Niners were? They were down by 3 touchdowns. Owens was still competing, still trying to fire up his team. That competitive, never say die spirit is exactly what I want on my team. Indeed, you could make the case that TO's sideline "problems" - really rants- stem from wanting to win and to succeed too much. You think Todd Pinkston's got that kind of fire? Hell, he can't even get off the line of scrimmage after being chucked by a 5'9" d-back. As Brian Dawkins said, I want a guy with TO's intensity and craving to make a play on my side when the big games are on the line.

Now for the McNabb issue. Again anti-Eagle fans take a perverse glee in suggesting that the TO honeymoon will end after McNabb, as per usual, doinks his second pass to TO in the ground. McNabb has gotten this rep for not being the most accurate passer. And while it is true that he usually begins games either under or overthrowing his recievers, I believe it is because he is too hopped up. When he gets in the flow of the game, his accuracy improves.

But here's another perspective, and one that should strike fear in the rest of the NFC. What if the presence of Owens pushes McNabb's game to an even higher level? Undoubtedly, Owens is the best receiver the Eagles have had in McNabb's time, and closest to his equal in terms of talent. What if McNabb accepts the challenge of stepping up his game so that can continue to assert that he is still the best player on the offense in particular and the team overall? At the very least, McNabb's confidence should be higher than its ever been. And when McNabb plays with confidence, look out.