All long-time Bill Parcells observers know he handles his business unlike most other NFL coaches. All attempt to motivate but few are button-pushers in the class of Parcells.
And so, it was interesting and not at all curious when Parcells started referring to Terrell Owens not as “Terrell” and certainly not as “T.O.” but as “the player” or “the receiver” or even simply as “he.” It is no secret that Owens signing with the Cowboys was a production directed by owner Jerry Jones and not an acquisition Parcells wanted or welcomed. By not even uttering his name, Parcells seemed to be distancing himself from Owens and subtly alerting the world that any problems Owens brought shouldn’t be left on his doorstep.
“No, that’s not true,” Parcells said this week. “I have mentioned his name several times. But I don’t know how that other stuff started. I say that about every player. I wasn’t even cognizant of the fact that I was doing that. So I certainly wasn’t doing it intentionally.” Sure he wasn’t, because the sainted Parcells would never do or say something that has an ulterior motive.
Whatever Parcells chooses to call Owens, one distinction that cannot be ignored is that he’s a member of the Cowboys and his presence will either enhance or compromise what could be Parcells’ last roundup as he searches for a return to Super Bowl glory.
“It has been interesting from time to time, but things are starting to smooth out a little bit,” Parcells said of coaching Owens. “I think there has been a lot more made of it by people outside of down here than really – there are a couple of cable networks and they just made that the whole show for a month.
It really hasn’t been that difficult.” It likely hasn’t been that enjoyable, either. Owens signed as a free agent after nearly single-handedly wrecking the tight-knit chemistry built by the Eagles, openly feuding with quarterback Donovan McNabb. Owens as a Cowboy immediately tweaked his hamstring and sat out much of training camp as observers took bets on when he would first turn on his new quarterback, Drew Bledsoe, for daring to miss him running free downfield.
In his second game in a Dallas uniform, Owens ranted and raved on the sideline, then broke a bone in his right hand. He overdosed on pain-killers in what law enforcement officials first labeled a suicide attempt, perhaps the most bizarre chapter in the Terrell Owens file. During a press conference immediately after the incident, Parcells looked as if he wanted to be anywhere in the universe other than sitting and talking about “the receiver.” Also on the rap sheet is Owens lambasting his receivers coach, Todd Haley, basically dismissing him as an authority figure and shouting him down at the Cowboys team complex.
Parcells called that “really a very erroneous report,” but his explanation didn’t sound very convincing.
“If you want to start chronicling the shouting matches that I had with players over the years, we could fill up a lot of newspaper print,” Parcells said.
Last week, Owens caught three touchdown passes – two from Bledsoe, one from backup Tony Romo – in a victory over the Texans, but on the field he hasn’t made a huge impact. Owens’ 22 receptions for 277 yards ranks behind Terry Glenn (25-337), but he remains a threat based on his extreme physical gifts.
“There have been some games where he was a major factor, I think,” Parcells said.
“Like the other day he made several plays. But we still have a lot to learn about some of the things he can do and how best to use him. We are trying to spend a lot of time figuring that out.” There’s been plenty of time and effort through the years seeking to figure Owens out. Many have tried, few have succeeded. Now it’s Parcells’ turn. Good luck.
They know him well
Terrell Owens faces the Giants tomorrow night for the first time as a Cowboy; Here’s a look at how he’s fared in his career against Big Blue:
TEAM DATE REC. YDS LG TD
49ers Nov. 30, 1998 5 140 79t 1
49ers Sept. 5, 2002 4 41 33 0
49ers *-Jan. 5, 2003 9 177 76 2
Eagles Sept. 12, 2004 8 68 20t 3
Eagles Nov. 28, 2004 4 61 24 0
*-playoff game
(Owens was inactive for both Eagles-Giants games in 2005).