Not Worth The Hassle

According to various sources, Terrell Owens might be on his way out of Big D.

After a season in which Owens stirred up trouble (surprised, right?) with his quarterback and, of all people, his tight end, there is some thought that T.O. might be on the outs. Though the likelihood of such an occurrence appears to be slim because Jerry Jones isn't in total agreement with the above school of thought, the fact that we're even talking about it means that his welcome has been worn.

In what seems to be yet another chapter in the "Is He Really Worth It?" book being rewritten on an almost twice daily basis, Terrell Owens has basically forced another team to think about getting rid of him. Which on its face in an ideal world would appear to be insane.

A guy that is one of the best receivers in the league year in and year out, a guy that is coming off his third straight season of at least 1000 yds and 10 TDs. Not bad. Again, ideally, not bad.

Yet, when you consider all of the heartache that comes with Owens, the answer is simple: get rid of him.

Like our friend Manny Ramirez, T.O., despite his great on-field abilities isn't worth the hassle, nor should be rewarded for his antics. If there was some sort of thing as karma, guys like Owens and Ramirez wouldn't be able to get new contracts in new places with new teammates. They'd be actually punished for carrying on and complaining and jaking and jiving and showboating and lolligagging and anything else that fits under "these are the type of athletes/humans" most everyone can't stand.

To bring it back to football, my feeling is that no wide out is really worth the trouble. As great as T.O. was in Philly's run to the Super Bowl a few years back, truth is, most wide receivers simply aren't worth the effort.

League's leading wide receiver, Andre Johnson, hasn't played in the playoffs in his career. In previous years, the Patriots, Ravens, Bucs, and Steelers have won Super Bowls without the help of a top-notch WR.

Of the top 14 guys leading the league in yardage from that spot, only one is still playing-Larry Fitzgerald. Of those 14, only seven made the playoffs.

This isn't to say wide receivers serve no purpose. Come on, I've watched an NFL football game before. I know they have purpose, that they can change the course of a game. But, the honest truth that people need to come around to realizing is that while it might be fun to have the big name wide receiver, it may not be wholly worth it.

Especially when that guy is Terrell Owens.

The Monday Morning Longsnapper

• If there was ever more proof needed that Bill Belichick is, in fact, a truly dislikable human, it was when, with his Patriots up by 29 with under three minutes left, he challenged a 4th down conversion for the Raiders.  JaMarcus Russell threw a short pass to Chaz Schilens, one that, if it was a close game, probably wasn't enough to warrant the yardage for the first down.  Either way, the officials gave the Raiders a favorable spot, and Billy Boy wasn't going to let that go without a fight.  Thankfully, the play was upheld.
• It's official:  running back is the most easily replaceable position in the NFL.  LaDainian Tomlinson's backup leaves a career as as second stringer behind to head to Atlanta, and now Michael Turner has over 1,400 rushing yards this year.  Marion Barber goes down with an injury, his unknown backup, Tashard Choice has averaged nearly 90 yards per in his last two games filling in.  In Denver, Ryan Torain, before going down with an ACL-tear, rushed at 5.7 clip in the first half of his first start.  Peyton Hillis, before he went down for the season, was averaging over 5 a pop in his last four games, with 5 TDs.In Pittsburgh, when Mewelde Moore's gotten the chance to start, he's averaged 90 yards a game. Word to the wise if you're an RB:  don't get hurt, ever.
• Houston with an obvious upset, right?  Not as much as you'd think.  Last year, Houston lost to Tennessee twice, but held their own each time.  Not to mention, Houston's got the best WR in the league in Andre Johnson (just ask Nick Harper, he's got AJ's cleat marks up and down his chest).  And, the Texans came in winners of three in a row.  Also, I know I'm not the only one that doesn't think Jeff Fisher's gang is that good anyway.
• Speaking of not that good, is LaDainian Tomlinson the next Shaun Alexander (maybe he should have taken more time protecting his career?)?  That's probably a bit extreme, but, don't be surprised if you've seen the very best of the former Horned Frog.  His toe injury that's limited him all season hasn't gone away, and, sadly, it appears his electric cutback abilities may have Bison Dele'd.