Stargazing
By GENE CHAMBERLAIN
THE COURIER NEWS
LAKE FOREST -- The last time the Bears defense saw the Terrell Owens variety show, it was playing in Soldier Field's south end zone.
They anticipate the colorful Dallas Cowboys wide receiver should have less to celebrate Sunday night than when he played for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2004 and did sit-ups for a post-touchdown celebration during an eight-catch, 110-yard performance in a 19-9 Bears loss.
"If you make a play, I guess you've earned the right to do your dance or do your little whatever you do after you make a play," Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher said. "If we don't want him to do it, we should stop him.
"That's the easy solution to it right there."
The Bears do not begrudge Owens his post-touchdown antics, though. In fact, they have to admit they're fans of his creativity - as long as it doesn't get out of hand.
"I mean, if I get a pick, I might get up and dance, too," Bears cornerback Charles Tillman said. "That's just how it is. You can't take that personal. That's just him having fun."
Added defensive end Alex Brown: "As long as you don't call out anybody or talk down to somebody, another player, or make fun of them because you just beat them. You don't have to do that, but everything else - the fans love it - so just do it. I don't see a problem with it."
Owens got fined $7,500 for his latest post-touchdown stunt last week in the Cowboys' 37-20 win at Miami. He hid behind a goal post and used the football like an old crank-handle camera, pointing it at Miami's sidelines to mimic New England coach Bill Belichick videotaping someone.
"It's like you can't do nothing anymore," Owens complained this week in Dallas after the fine. "It wasn't even the fact that I used the goal post as a prop. They said I used the ball.
"Man, next thing we're going to be playing rugby. Can't even use the football for nothing anymore. It's like they're trying to find any way to take fun out of the game. I'm kind of limited right now in what I can do. It's kind of hard, really to understand the rules."
Reporters told him to do the celebration on the sidelines.
"Next you can't go to the sideline anymore," Owens said. "I'm like Belichick. I misinterpreted the rules."
Owens still owns the NFL record for catches in a game with 20 against the Bears in 2000 at San Francisco. He has eight catches for 184 yards and already has three scores.
Owens has been keeping a lower profile under new coach Wade Phillips than when he starred in a virtual soap opera under former coach Bill Parcells. He and Dallas quarterback Tony Romo get along far better than Owens did with Eagles signal caller Donovan McNabb.
"I don't think he's changed," Romo said. "Honestly I just think last year there was so much publicity about him coming in, how he was going to disrupt everything that people were just really looking for anything to nitpick.
"I mean, if you really look hard enough at any guy, you're going to find little things. It's just when T.O. is an hour late in the morning on a random Wednesday in the 13th week of the season, it's a big deal - but if the backup tackle overslept in an hour no one knows about it. It's just kind of how it goes with him."
Of course, in Philadelphia there are different opinions. Owens split the Eagles locker room with his antics.
Bears nose tackle Darwin Walker played on the Eagles team that went to the Super Bowl in 2005 and the team that beat the Bears in 2004. He resisted initial attempts to get his insight about Owens. However, Walker finally relented and spoke volumes about his feelings without walking all over Owens.
"One of the things I love about here is we have good chemistry in our locker room, our guys are close, we play hard together, we play together, and that's crucial at this level," Walker said when asked about Owens. "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."
THE COURIER NEWS
LAKE FOREST -- The last time the Bears defense saw the Terrell Owens variety show, it was playing in Soldier Field's south end zone.
They anticipate the colorful Dallas Cowboys wide receiver should have less to celebrate Sunday night than when he played for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2004 and did sit-ups for a post-touchdown celebration during an eight-catch, 110-yard performance in a 19-9 Bears loss.
"If you make a play, I guess you've earned the right to do your dance or do your little whatever you do after you make a play," Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher said. "If we don't want him to do it, we should stop him.
"That's the easy solution to it right there."
The Bears do not begrudge Owens his post-touchdown antics, though. In fact, they have to admit they're fans of his creativity - as long as it doesn't get out of hand.
"I mean, if I get a pick, I might get up and dance, too," Bears cornerback Charles Tillman said. "That's just how it is. You can't take that personal. That's just him having fun."
Added defensive end Alex Brown: "As long as you don't call out anybody or talk down to somebody, another player, or make fun of them because you just beat them. You don't have to do that, but everything else - the fans love it - so just do it. I don't see a problem with it."
Owens got fined $7,500 for his latest post-touchdown stunt last week in the Cowboys' 37-20 win at Miami. He hid behind a goal post and used the football like an old crank-handle camera, pointing it at Miami's sidelines to mimic New England coach Bill Belichick videotaping someone.
"It's like you can't do nothing anymore," Owens complained this week in Dallas after the fine. "It wasn't even the fact that I used the goal post as a prop. They said I used the ball.
"Man, next thing we're going to be playing rugby. Can't even use the football for nothing anymore. It's like they're trying to find any way to take fun out of the game. I'm kind of limited right now in what I can do. It's kind of hard, really to understand the rules."
Reporters told him to do the celebration on the sidelines.
"Next you can't go to the sideline anymore," Owens said. "I'm like Belichick. I misinterpreted the rules."
Owens still owns the NFL record for catches in a game with 20 against the Bears in 2000 at San Francisco. He has eight catches for 184 yards and already has three scores.
Owens has been keeping a lower profile under new coach Wade Phillips than when he starred in a virtual soap opera under former coach Bill Parcells. He and Dallas quarterback Tony Romo get along far better than Owens did with Eagles signal caller Donovan McNabb.
"I don't think he's changed," Romo said. "Honestly I just think last year there was so much publicity about him coming in, how he was going to disrupt everything that people were just really looking for anything to nitpick.
"I mean, if you really look hard enough at any guy, you're going to find little things. It's just when T.O. is an hour late in the morning on a random Wednesday in the 13th week of the season, it's a big deal - but if the backup tackle overslept in an hour no one knows about it. It's just kind of how it goes with him."
Of course, in Philadelphia there are different opinions. Owens split the Eagles locker room with his antics.
Bears nose tackle Darwin Walker played on the Eagles team that went to the Super Bowl in 2005 and the team that beat the Bears in 2004. He resisted initial attempts to get his insight about Owens. However, Walker finally relented and spoke volumes about his feelings without walking all over Owens.
"One of the things I love about here is we have good chemistry in our locker room, our guys are close, we play hard together, we play together, and that's crucial at this level," Walker said when asked about Owens. "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."
posted by The Gryphon at 8:04 AM
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