Tag Archives: Terrell Owens
Running low: Do these NFL receivers have enough in the tank?
At one time Hines Ward, Terrell Owens and Randy Moss were the best at their position. Now these NFL wide receivers have been shunned or are reportedly tapped out. The problem is, they think that they still have something left to contribute to a NFL team. What do you think?
1) Randy Moss 6-4, 210 lbs age 35: In his day was one of the most dynamic wide receivers of his time posting 14,858 receiving yards and 153 touchdowns. He was remembered most for his career with the Minnesota Vikings. He most recently had a breakout season with the New England Patriots 1,493 yards and 23 touchdowns. After that he slowly fizzled out finally playing his last season with the Tennessee Titans. Randy Moss reportedly said that he has a lot left in the tank and would be willing to play for a playoff team. Does he have enough to contribute?
2) Hines Ward 6-0, 205 lbs age 35: he is one of the most complete wide receivers to ever play the game. Hines didn’t have the down field speed, but made his way by blocking and running effective routes. 12,083 yards and 85 touchdowns are definitely hall of fame numbers. Hines has only played for the Pittsburgh Steelers since 1998, but is now faced with the possibility of being cut because of the emergence of Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown. Ward wants to continue to play for the Steelers, but does he have anything left in the tank? Does he have enough left to contribute?
3) Terrell Owens 6-3, 224 lbs age 38: Owens has overshadowed his hall of fame career 15,934 yards and 153 touchdowns with his loud talking, show boating, need for spotlight and attention. He has taken his circus from San Francisco to Philadelphia, Dallas, Buffalo and Cincinnati. He has padded his image using Twitter and from the T.O. Show, but has struggled to land on a NFL team. He has reportedly fought back from a serious knee injury but is that the reason a team will not take a chance on him? Or is it that an excuse to cover up the fact that no team wants the drama he brings? He claims he can still play. Does he have enough to contribute?
There’s not much debate that all of these players will enjoy their place in the Hall of Fame one day. But can they still contribute to a team now? What do you think?
Follow Lamont Broadus on twitter @TheSportologist
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T.O. to Join Wranglers of the IFL?
Just how far has Terrell Owens fallen from the NFL ranks? According to Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News, Owens could soon be signing with the Allen Wranglers of the IFL.
The team also has declared its desire to sign Owens on the Wranglers’ official website. “The compensation package, which is within the rules of the Indoor Football League, would be $250,000 up to $500,000,” the website states.
According to PFT, Owens reportedly needs money, and there’s apparently no one else offering him that kind of money to do anything else right now.
“It doesn’t make a ton of financial sense, but it would make it the No. 1 fan experience in Collin County,” Frankel said. “The awareness of the team would skyrocket and I would imagine we’d sell out every game.”
Terrell Owens held a public work out for the first time since undergoing ACL surgery a few months ago. Owens, a six-time pro bowl selection and dominant wide receiver of his era is still a free agent and fighting back from an injury. No NFL team is willing to take a chance on the future Hall of Fame receiver.
Owens signed with the Buffalo Bills in 2009 season because Buffalo wanted and needed someone of his status. Very similar to what the Wranglers are trying to accomplish. Owens felt wanted and at that time Buffalo may have been one of the only ones to “want” him but it worked perfectly for both teams and the fans.
Owens had a career low in numbers as he had just 55 receptions for 829 yards and five touchdowns. While his numbers suffered in Buffalo, a huge factor in that was the play or non play of the quarterback and shuffling of Edwards, Fitzpatrick, and Brohm.
There is no doubting that T.O. has lost a step and is not the same player he was five years ago, but he is the oldest player to have a TD reception of 98+ yards.
Through 15 seasons he has 153 total touchdowns, 15,934 receiving yards and 1,078 receptions are you telling me a team can’t use this?
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Ickey Shuffle to Lambeau Leap: NFL Celebrations Graded
In this day in age of the National Football League, it seems the player celebrations that take place after big plays are more important than the impact of the plays themselves… to the player that makes the play, that is. In 1965 the New York Giants’ Homer Jones celebrated a touchdown with what is known now as a “spike”. Forty-five years later celebrations have morphed into choreographed dances, signature moves, and persona-specific displays. Now, I will go through the different types of celebrations, and rate them on a scale from A-F, regarding sportsmanship, humor, choreography, and overall effectiveness.
First let me clarify what I mean by each category. Sportsmanship is in reference to how much or how little it embarrasses someone, including the celebrating player(s), detracts from the game, or lowers the overall respect for the moment. Humor is graded by how much effort went into making the audience laugh. Choreography is graded on the amount of practice time applied to the celebration, instead of the act of being able to replicate the feat being celebrated. Finally, the overall effectiveness grade is based on the combination of the above factors, and the likelihood the celebration should be generally accepted as reasonable, professional, memorable, and entertaining.
Ickey Shuffle
Brought to the world in 1988, Cincinnati running back “Ickey” Woods’ rookie season. Following a touchdown, Woods would hold the ball in his right hand, hop three times, then switch to his left, and repeat. Then he would spike the ball and aim his pointer finger in the air, rotating it in a circle and shaking his hips. Many teammates would join in the dance until the NFL banned dances in the end zone. Woods moved the celebration to the team bench, and continued the tradition until a career ending injury in 1990.
Sportsmanship: C-
Humor: B+
Choreography: A
Overall Effectiveness: B+
Leaping High-Five
Wide outs Art monk, Gary Clark, and Ricky Sanders made up the “Fun Bunch” of the 1984 Washington Redskins. Upon scoring touchdowns, these receivers, plus any additional players in the vicinity, would simultaneously leap into the air and connect hands in a “high-five”. Although paling in comparison to today’s standards, the leaping high five was recognized league-wide as one of the best celebrations.
Sportsmanship: B
Humor: D
Choreography: B+
Overall Effectiveness: B
Sharpie Sock
Wide receiver Terrell Owens could be on this list numerous times, and in fact appears more than once. In 2002 Owens scored a touchdown on Monday Night Football, and promptly pulled a Sharpie pen out of his sock and signed the football. After signing the ball, he gave it to the agent for cornerback Shawn Springs, who was attempting to cover him on the play.
Sportsmanship: D-
Humor: A
Choreography: B-
Overall Effectiveness: C+
Plax Tribute
Two weeks ago, Buffalo Bills’ wide receiver Stevie Johnson scored a touchdown against the New York Jets, and took that opportunity to mock fellow wide out Plaxico Burress with a tribute to his recovery from his 2008 accidental leg-shooting incident. Johnson danced, pretended to shoot himself in the leg, limped for a moment, and then replicated the Jets’ airplane arms celebration.
Sportsmanship: D
Humor: B
Choreography: B
Overall Effectiveness: C-
Fake Moon
2005 Minnesota Vikings versus the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Vikings’ wide receiver Randy Moss scores a long touchdown and works his way to the goal post where he bends forward and pretends to show his rear end to the fans in the closest seating section. Commentator Joe Buck would follow the celebration with a much criticized, “That was a disgusting display by Randy Moss”.
Sportsmanship: F
Humor: A
Choreography: C+
Overall Effectiveness: B
The Anti-Celebration
The Detroit Lions’ running back Barry Sanders made popular the celebration that wasn’t. Nearly every time Sanders would cross the goal line, he would seek out the nearest official and flip or hand the ball to him gently. Thereafter, he would find his way modestly to the sideline receiving congratulatory slaps and head butts along the way.
Sportsmanship: A+
Humor: F
Choreography: F
Overall Effectiveness: A+
Exit Stage Right
This past Sunday San Francisco 49ers rookie linebacker Aldon Smith made a fourth-down stop that forced the St. Louis Rams to punt. Smith, after picking himself off the turf, ran Forrest Gump style to the sideline, bypassing all teammates, took his helmet off and sat on the bench as if he’s been there all game.
Sportsmanship: A-
Humor: A+
Choreography: D-
Overall Effectiveness: A+
High Step
Cornerback Deion Sanders publicized this move during kickoff, punt, and interception returns for touchdowns during his 15-year career. This celebration involved, once clear of all potential tacklers, putting one hand behind his helmet and bounding with high kicks while in full running stride (a la the Rockettes).
Sportsmanship: D+
Humor: C
Choreography: C
Overall Effectiveness: A
Dallas Star Taunt
Again we find Terrell Owens on the list. In the 2000 season, Owens scored two touchdowns against the powerful Dallas Cowboys. After each score he ran to the middle of the field, where the star logo was painted, and raised his arms towards the sky. On the second attempt, Dallas safety George Teague attempted to push him off of the logo, resulting in an ejection for the Cowboy.
Sportsmanship: F
Humor: B
Choreography: C
Overall Effectiveness: C+
Lambeau Leap
Invented by Green Bay Packers’ safety Leroy Butler in 1993, this celebration involves the scoring player, solely of the home team, leaping into the front row of the crowd closest to the end zone. This has caught on in stadiums nationwide and continues nearly 20 years later.
Sportsmanship: B
Humor: C
Choreography: C
Overall Effectiveness: A
Haven Barnes is an NFL writer for The Penalty Flag. He can be contacted havenbarnes@gmail.com.
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Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco to Have Neighboring Lockers Again?
Drew Rosenhaus is no stranger to drumming up interest for his marquee client, Terrell Owens. At a recent tryout, an injured Owens showcased his skills for a total of zero teams. Rumors at the time were swirling that Canadian Football League teams were interested but no one from the NFL was willing to give him a shot.
Fast forward to Thanksgiving weekend and now Drew Rosenhaus is saying, to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, one team is very interested in #81. Then Rosenhaus is seen on the sidelines of the New England Patriots before their game with the Philadelphia Eagles. The wide receiver position isn’t such a pressing need for the Patriots that signing a 37-year-old (will be 38 in a week,) who is coming off knee surgery no less, that this should even be considered news. Wes Welker and the tight end tandem of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez has proved to be potent enough and the supporting cast of Deion Branch, Julian Edelman, and Chad Ochocinco has filled admirably when Tom Brady calls their number.
Whenever Terrell Owens sneezes, the news vans with giant satellite dishes resting on top from Bristol, Connecticut will come rolling in. The same network that is single handily responsible for at least one of Bret Favre’s comebacks is also trying to get the league to bring back someone who has spent the last two seasons in NFL obscurity, otherwise known as Buffalo and Cincinnati.
Could T.O. help the Patriots? Sure. Would it be worth the more-than-league-minimum it would take to acquire him plus the added media coverage each at every practice and press conference? No. T.O. isn’t a bad guy. He doesn’t get arrested for DUI’s or for murdering humans or for murdering dogs. He’s just really into himself. And I, for one, don’t really see how that plays into the hands of a team that started the craze of being introduced as a team. Plus, he cannot play corner. Which is what the team shouldbe pining to improve.
Andrew E. Irons is an NFL team writer for The Penalty Flag and can be contacted at AIrons@ThePenaltyFlagBlog.com
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Donovan McNabb to the Minnesota Vikings delayed by Brett Favre
NFL.com has reported that the Minnesota Vikings have traded with the Washington Redskins for QB Donovan McNabb.
What a difference a year makes for the now “journey man” Donovan McNabb, whose trip to Minnesota was put on hold due to an aging Brett Favre wanting to give it one more try.
Terrell Owens critical of Donovan McNabb’s contract extension
Terrell Owens was watching his old quarterback, Donovan McNabb, get destroyed by Michael Vick and his former team the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football.
No team has ever scored as many points (59) as the Eagles did against Donovan McNabb and the Washington Redskins.
Owens tweeted during the game “How do u justify a 78 million dollar contract w/this type of performance?”
McNabb finished the night 17 of 31, for 295 yards, and two touchdowns. It was the first four and out’s that set the tone for the Eagles accomplishments.
