Pretty low-key article, doesn't really offer an opinion.
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Take a T.O.
Book 'explains' what went wrong with Eagles
By MAC ENGEL
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Terrell Owens doesn't offer an apology or a defense, but in his words, his new book is "an explanation."
The Cowboys receiver's 242-page book T.O. was released Thursday, five days ahead of schedule.
The $21 book mostly covers Owens' version of his two tumultuous seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. He writes that he felt victimized by the media and "penalized more harshly than any player in the history of the NFL."
The book was written with Jason Rosenhaus, the brother of Owens' agent, Drew. It offers brief histories of Owens' youth, his time with the San Francisco 49ers, his zeal to become an unrestricted free agent, and his recovery from a severe leg injury to play in Super Bowl XXXIX.
Owens mentions the Cowboys briefly in the final pages, and says that he hopes to reward coach Bill Parcells and owner/general manager Jerry Jones with a Super Bowl trophy. He also trumpeted the fact that he received a three-year, $25 million contract from the team in March.
Owens delivers his side on his fractured relationship with Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb. "He is one of the most likable guys I know and can really have a fun personality," he writes.
A call to McNabb's agent seeking comment was not returned.
Owens writes that his relationship with McNabb soured during a game against the New York Giants in Week 12 of the 2004 season. He said he was open on the play designed and called by Eagles coach Andy Reid but that McNabb did not throw him the ball.
Owens said he returned to the huddle and said, "I was open....Dude, you missed me."
"I never thought in a million years [McNabb] would say, 'Shut the [bleep] up!'"
As Owens saw it: "The problem was that I was becoming the new favorite son of Philadelphia. The Eagles were no longer the Donovan McNabb show -- he had a co-host. I was happy to share it with him."
Owens writes that he tried to talk to McNabb after the game but the quarterback appeared confrontational.
"This was crazy! Here I was standing toe to toe with a guy I considered my friend."
He said the behavior was similar to that of a school-age bully he remembered during his days growing up in rural Alabama.
"When I think back on it now, though, I did know that person," Owens writes. "He was the same bully that spat in my mouth."
"I want to make one thing clear: I was not angry because Donovan threw the ball to someone else and cost me a shot at glory. I am not a selfish player....I was angry because I went to talk to my quarterback as my team leader and my friend and he completely shut me off, shut me down. He insulted me in front of my teammates in the huddle."
Owens said he tried to reach out to McNabb on the field early in the '05 season, but he "never did anything to try to reconcile things off the field. To be fair, neither did I....It was a battle of wills when it should have been water under the bridge."
In an interview with ESPN last season, Owens was critical of the Eagles and said they would be undefeated if Brett Favre was their quarterback.
"I'm a grown man and I'm responsible for what I say," he writes. "This was completely my fault....I shouldn't have said that about the Eagles or even answered the question on [Michael] Irvin's comments about Donovan."
"I had no idea that what I said would be newsworthy or problematic. I was shocked and I didn't understand why my comments caused such drama."
Reid, whom Owens admires, asked him to apologize to McNabb. Owens said he didn't because "I didn't think I owed him an apology for what I said."
Owens said he was suspended for the remaining nine games of the 2005 season because of his interview with ESPN, his failure to apologize in a satisfactory manner for Reid, being late to a mandatory offensive team meeting, failure to comply with team rules regarding travel attire, parking in a reserved handicap parking spot and fighting with a team employee [former linebacker Hugh Douglas].
On his fight with Douglas: "Hugh wanted to fight because of rumors going around in the media that I was faking [an injury]....In slow motion we looked into each other's eyes and knew it was going down....I stood in front of the whole team and furiously challenged anyone else who wanted a piece of me."
Owens said that he called Reid to apologize. In that discussion Reid told him "to learn to focus on the positives of people, instead of the negatives. He was right. I never let go of Donovan's negatives."
An overall view of his time with the Eagles last season: "I accept that I played a role in tearing apart the Eagles' season, but the blame was not all mine." And he adds, "When I have to play against the Eagles this season, it will be with a heavy heart."
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"I was trying to pump up my team -- we were 0-3 and facing the Cowboys on the road."
On his celebration on the blue star
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I have to admit I felt a little betrayal by the way the team left me hanging out to dry ....To be perfectly honest, I can't help suspect that many of those calls were from racists who were angry to see a pretty blond woman throw herself at a black jock."
On the "Monday Night Football" sketch with "Desperate Housewives" star Nicollette Sheridan
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"He is one of the most likable guys I know and can really have a fun personality."
On Donovan McNabb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"If you'll forgive my saying so, the effort I gave to rehabilitate my leg during that six-and-a-half week period was nothing short of heroic."
On his efforts to rehab from serious leg injuries to return to play in the Super Bowl
-----------------------------------------------------------
Take a T.O.
Book 'explains' what went wrong with Eagles
By MAC ENGEL
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Terrell Owens doesn't offer an apology or a defense, but in his words, his new book is "an explanation."
The Cowboys receiver's 242-page book T.O. was released Thursday, five days ahead of schedule.
The $21 book mostly covers Owens' version of his two tumultuous seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. He writes that he felt victimized by the media and "penalized more harshly than any player in the history of the NFL."
The book was written with Jason Rosenhaus, the brother of Owens' agent, Drew. It offers brief histories of Owens' youth, his time with the San Francisco 49ers, his zeal to become an unrestricted free agent, and his recovery from a severe leg injury to play in Super Bowl XXXIX.
Owens mentions the Cowboys briefly in the final pages, and says that he hopes to reward coach Bill Parcells and owner/general manager Jerry Jones with a Super Bowl trophy. He also trumpeted the fact that he received a three-year, $25 million contract from the team in March.
Owens delivers his side on his fractured relationship with Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb. "He is one of the most likable guys I know and can really have a fun personality," he writes.
A call to McNabb's agent seeking comment was not returned.
Owens writes that his relationship with McNabb soured during a game against the New York Giants in Week 12 of the 2004 season. He said he was open on the play designed and called by Eagles coach Andy Reid but that McNabb did not throw him the ball.
Owens said he returned to the huddle and said, "I was open....Dude, you missed me."
"I never thought in a million years [McNabb] would say, 'Shut the [bleep] up!'"
As Owens saw it: "The problem was that I was becoming the new favorite son of Philadelphia. The Eagles were no longer the Donovan McNabb show -- he had a co-host. I was happy to share it with him."
Owens writes that he tried to talk to McNabb after the game but the quarterback appeared confrontational.
"This was crazy! Here I was standing toe to toe with a guy I considered my friend."
He said the behavior was similar to that of a school-age bully he remembered during his days growing up in rural Alabama.
"When I think back on it now, though, I did know that person," Owens writes. "He was the same bully that spat in my mouth."
"I want to make one thing clear: I was not angry because Donovan threw the ball to someone else and cost me a shot at glory. I am not a selfish player....I was angry because I went to talk to my quarterback as my team leader and my friend and he completely shut me off, shut me down. He insulted me in front of my teammates in the huddle."
Owens said he tried to reach out to McNabb on the field early in the '05 season, but he "never did anything to try to reconcile things off the field. To be fair, neither did I....It was a battle of wills when it should have been water under the bridge."
In an interview with ESPN last season, Owens was critical of the Eagles and said they would be undefeated if Brett Favre was their quarterback.
"I'm a grown man and I'm responsible for what I say," he writes. "This was completely my fault....I shouldn't have said that about the Eagles or even answered the question on [Michael] Irvin's comments about Donovan."
"I had no idea that what I said would be newsworthy or problematic. I was shocked and I didn't understand why my comments caused such drama."
Reid, whom Owens admires, asked him to apologize to McNabb. Owens said he didn't because "I didn't think I owed him an apology for what I said."
Owens said he was suspended for the remaining nine games of the 2005 season because of his interview with ESPN, his failure to apologize in a satisfactory manner for Reid, being late to a mandatory offensive team meeting, failure to comply with team rules regarding travel attire, parking in a reserved handicap parking spot and fighting with a team employee [former linebacker Hugh Douglas].
On his fight with Douglas: "Hugh wanted to fight because of rumors going around in the media that I was faking [an injury]....In slow motion we looked into each other's eyes and knew it was going down....I stood in front of the whole team and furiously challenged anyone else who wanted a piece of me."
Owens said that he called Reid to apologize. In that discussion Reid told him "to learn to focus on the positives of people, instead of the negatives. He was right. I never let go of Donovan's negatives."
An overall view of his time with the Eagles last season: "I accept that I played a role in tearing apart the Eagles' season, but the blame was not all mine." And he adds, "When I have to play against the Eagles this season, it will be with a heavy heart."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I was trying to pump up my team -- we were 0-3 and facing the Cowboys on the road."
On his celebration on the blue star
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I have to admit I felt a little betrayal by the way the team left me hanging out to dry ....To be perfectly honest, I can't help suspect that many of those calls were from racists who were angry to see a pretty blond woman throw herself at a black jock."
On the "Monday Night Football" sketch with "Desperate Housewives" star Nicollette Sheridan
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"He is one of the most likable guys I know and can really have a fun personality."
On Donovan McNabb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"If you'll forgive my saying so, the effort I gave to rehabilitate my leg during that six-and-a-half week period was nothing short of heroic."
On his efforts to rehab from serious leg injuries to return to play in the Super Bowl
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