Will Hall come calling or take a pass on T.O.?
A liberal dose
November 15, 2007
IRVING -- After a tumultuous and controversial first season in Dallas, Terrell Owens declared he didn't want to be called T.O. anymore.
He wanted to be known simply as Terrell.
Of course, sometimes a nickname becomes so prominent, so notorious, so fitting, that there is nothing you can do to stem the tide.
So, T.O. is still T.O.
And with Owens playing as well as he's ever played and admittedly happy as he's ever been playing football, it might be time to start thinking about another name:
Hall of Famer.
With 50 catches for 855 yards and eight touchdowns this season, Owens has helped the Cowboys to an 8-1 record and put himself back on path to all-time greatness.
His 122 receiving touchdowns are fourth all-time in NFL history. He is tied for 10th in receptions with 851 and 12th in yards with 12,570.
And Owens' numbers are still rising.
'Certainly, I think so,' said Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said when asked if Owens is having a Hall of Fame career. 'He has done it continuously and he has done it for a long time.'
For the record, Owens wants no part of the Hall of Fame talk. He said he still has a lot of football left to play and the time to talk about that is when a player is out of football or at the end of his career. Players and coaches aren't eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame until five years after their retirement.
But Owens recognizes the conundrum voters will face when his name surfaces for Hall of Fame consideration.
Despite his talents and on-field production, Owens is just as notorious for allegedly being a locker room cancer. San Francisco let him go in free agency because of feuds with quarterback Jeff Garcia and coach Steve Mariucci.
Although he was part of Philadelphia's run to the Super Bowl in 2005, he was jettisoned less than a year later because of feuds with quarterback Donovan McNabb and coach Andy Reid.
All of that was before a 2006 season in Dallas, during which he accidentally overdosed, missed team meetings and feuded with coach Bill Parcells and receivers coach Todd Haley.
'Quite sure I know when I am done playing this game. I can already see it,' Owens said. 'When I am brought up as a Hall of Fame inductee, they are going to bring up all the issues that happened over the course of my career, but that is not what it's based off of. Hall of Fame should be based off what I do on the field.'
A sample polling of Hall of Fame selectors reveal some are still undecided when it comes to Owens.
Among the concerns for some voters is the notion Owens is a product of the passing age and there will be several receivers who will warrant Hall consideration.
While Owens' statistics are already better than almost every receiver in the Hall of Fame, it must be noted three of the all-time receiving leaders -- Jerry Rice, Cris Carter and Tim Brown -- will soon be on the ballot. Carter is eligible this year.
Owens' contemporaries, such as Randy Moss, Torry Holt and Marvin Harrison, should come up for consideration around the same time as T.O.
While the Hall of Fame committee is not supposed to look at off-the-field behavior, it might be the only way they have to differentiate greatness and all-time greatness.
'My thought is that he definitely has Hall of Fame talent and likely will get my vote for the Hall,' Sports Illustrated's Jim Trotter said. 'But I have to be honest and say that I'm uncomfortable with the way he divided his two previous teams with his actions. I believe his behavior could keep him from being a first-ballot guy, even though his talent is deserving of that status.'
While he might not agree, Owens understands as much, which is why his successful 2007 season is becoming an important part of the process.
Owens is not only contributing on the field, but he also has been a good teammate.
'That is me maturing and me growing up,' Owens said.
When playoff time approaches, Phillips is considering having Owens talk to the team about what it takes to get the Super Bowl.
If the Cowboys get there, it might silence the questions about Owens and the Hall of Fame.
NFL'S ALL-TIME RECEPTIONS LEADERS
Player Years Rec. Yards Avg. TDs 1. Jerry Rice 21 1,549 22,895 14.8 197 2. Cris Carter 16 1,101 13,899 12.6 130 3. Tim Brown 17 1,094 14,934 13.7 100 4. *Marvin Harrison 12 1,042 13,944 13.4 123 5. Andre Reed 16 951 13,198 13.9 87 6. Art Monk 16 940 12,721 13.5 68 7. *Isaac Bruce 14 914 13,763 15.1 81 8. *Keenan McCardell 16 869 11,219 12.9 63 9. Jimmy Smith 13 862 12,287 14.3 67 10. Irving Fryar 17 851 12,785 15.0 84 10. *Terrell Owens 12 851 12,570 14.8 122
* active player
WHAT THE VOTERS SAY
Is Terrell Owens a future Hall of Famer? Here's what some Hall of Fame voters are saying about Terrell Owens:
Charean Williams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: He certainly has Hall of Fame numbers, and his Super Bowl performance three years ago was his signature game. The only thing he needs is to show he can be a team player on a championship team, and he has a chance to do that this year.
John McClain, Houston Chronicle: There's going to be a lot of stiff competition from a lot of deserving candidates, so the jury is still out.
Jarrett Bell, USA Today: In Owens' case, the career
touchdowns are the numbers that support his case. Now, what's the intangible? That whole T.O. persona. The
bylaws state that we are to consider players based on what happens between the lines. But that can be interpreted in different ways.
Howard Balzer, The Sports Xchange: Should he finish his career with a flourish and avoid the issues that have been there, that should solidify his Hall of Fame standing in the eyes of any voter.
Dan Pompei, Chicago Tribune: Some voters may hold his antics against him, but you can't argue the fact that he has been one of the most dominating receivers of this era.
Vinny DiTrani, The Bergen (N.J.) Record: I think he has a legitimate shot. The one problem, however, is there are a lot of receivers coming up who have put up big numbers, more so than in the past.
COWBOYS VS. REDSKINS, 3:15 P.M. SUNDAY, KDFW/CH. 4
November 15, 2007
IRVING -- After a tumultuous and controversial first season in Dallas, Terrell Owens declared he didn't want to be called T.O. anymore.
He wanted to be known simply as Terrell.
Of course, sometimes a nickname becomes so prominent, so notorious, so fitting, that there is nothing you can do to stem the tide.
So, T.O. is still T.O.
And with Owens playing as well as he's ever played and admittedly happy as he's ever been playing football, it might be time to start thinking about another name:
Hall of Famer.
With 50 catches for 855 yards and eight touchdowns this season, Owens has helped the Cowboys to an 8-1 record and put himself back on path to all-time greatness.
His 122 receiving touchdowns are fourth all-time in NFL history. He is tied for 10th in receptions with 851 and 12th in yards with 12,570.
And Owens' numbers are still rising.
'Certainly, I think so,' said Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said when asked if Owens is having a Hall of Fame career. 'He has done it continuously and he has done it for a long time.'
For the record, Owens wants no part of the Hall of Fame talk. He said he still has a lot of football left to play and the time to talk about that is when a player is out of football or at the end of his career. Players and coaches aren't eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame until five years after their retirement.
But Owens recognizes the conundrum voters will face when his name surfaces for Hall of Fame consideration.
Despite his talents and on-field production, Owens is just as notorious for allegedly being a locker room cancer. San Francisco let him go in free agency because of feuds with quarterback Jeff Garcia and coach Steve Mariucci.
Although he was part of Philadelphia's run to the Super Bowl in 2005, he was jettisoned less than a year later because of feuds with quarterback Donovan McNabb and coach Andy Reid.
All of that was before a 2006 season in Dallas, during which he accidentally overdosed, missed team meetings and feuded with coach Bill Parcells and receivers coach Todd Haley.
'Quite sure I know when I am done playing this game. I can already see it,' Owens said. 'When I am brought up as a Hall of Fame inductee, they are going to bring up all the issues that happened over the course of my career, but that is not what it's based off of. Hall of Fame should be based off what I do on the field.'
A sample polling of Hall of Fame selectors reveal some are still undecided when it comes to Owens.
Among the concerns for some voters is the notion Owens is a product of the passing age and there will be several receivers who will warrant Hall consideration.
While Owens' statistics are already better than almost every receiver in the Hall of Fame, it must be noted three of the all-time receiving leaders -- Jerry Rice, Cris Carter and Tim Brown -- will soon be on the ballot. Carter is eligible this year.
Owens' contemporaries, such as Randy Moss, Torry Holt and Marvin Harrison, should come up for consideration around the same time as T.O.
While the Hall of Fame committee is not supposed to look at off-the-field behavior, it might be the only way they have to differentiate greatness and all-time greatness.
'My thought is that he definitely has Hall of Fame talent and likely will get my vote for the Hall,' Sports Illustrated's Jim Trotter said. 'But I have to be honest and say that I'm uncomfortable with the way he divided his two previous teams with his actions. I believe his behavior could keep him from being a first-ballot guy, even though his talent is deserving of that status.'
While he might not agree, Owens understands as much, which is why his successful 2007 season is becoming an important part of the process.
Owens is not only contributing on the field, but he also has been a good teammate.
'That is me maturing and me growing up,' Owens said.
When playoff time approaches, Phillips is considering having Owens talk to the team about what it takes to get the Super Bowl.
If the Cowboys get there, it might silence the questions about Owens and the Hall of Fame.
NFL'S ALL-TIME RECEPTIONS LEADERS
Player Years Rec. Yards Avg. TDs 1. Jerry Rice 21 1,549 22,895 14.8 197 2. Cris Carter 16 1,101 13,899 12.6 130 3. Tim Brown 17 1,094 14,934 13.7 100 4. *Marvin Harrison 12 1,042 13,944 13.4 123 5. Andre Reed 16 951 13,198 13.9 87 6. Art Monk 16 940 12,721 13.5 68 7. *Isaac Bruce 14 914 13,763 15.1 81 8. *Keenan McCardell 16 869 11,219 12.9 63 9. Jimmy Smith 13 862 12,287 14.3 67 10. Irving Fryar 17 851 12,785 15.0 84 10. *Terrell Owens 12 851 12,570 14.8 122
* active player
WHAT THE VOTERS SAY
Is Terrell Owens a future Hall of Famer? Here's what some Hall of Fame voters are saying about Terrell Owens:
Charean Williams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: He certainly has Hall of Fame numbers, and his Super Bowl performance three years ago was his signature game. The only thing he needs is to show he can be a team player on a championship team, and he has a chance to do that this year.
John McClain, Houston Chronicle: There's going to be a lot of stiff competition from a lot of deserving candidates, so the jury is still out.
Jarrett Bell, USA Today: In Owens' case, the career
touchdowns are the numbers that support his case. Now, what's the intangible? That whole T.O. persona. The
bylaws state that we are to consider players based on what happens between the lines. But that can be interpreted in different ways.
Howard Balzer, The Sports Xchange: Should he finish his career with a flourish and avoid the issues that have been there, that should solidify his Hall of Fame standing in the eyes of any voter.
Dan Pompei, Chicago Tribune: Some voters may hold his antics against him, but you can't argue the fact that he has been one of the most dominating receivers of this era.
Vinny DiTrani, The Bergen (N.J.) Record: I think he has a legitimate shot. The one problem, however, is there are a lot of receivers coming up who have put up big numbers, more so than in the past.
COWBOYS VS. REDSKINS, 3:15 P.M. SUNDAY, KDFW/CH. 4
posted by The Gryphon at 7:41 AM
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