T.O. = Time Out

NFL football is finally back. Well, preseason is here at least. Yesterday Philadephia Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens (T.O.) and his head coach Andy Reid had a heated exchange of words that resulted in T.O. being sent away from training camp for a week.

Tonight during the Chargers - Packers preseason game ESPN aired a statement by Andy Reid and an interview with T.O. about the incedent. Andy Reid simply said that it was an Eagles' internal matter and would be dealt with internally. He said that it was a matter between himself and T.O. and would be handled accordingly.

Then we got to hear T.O.'s side of the story. That is when we learned that T.O. stands for Time Out. Which is what Andy Reid gave him. A one week time out. Today's kinder gentler society that we live in frowns on corporal punishment of misbehaving children. Instead we are told that we should put unruly children into a time out.

Terrell Owens interview showed him to be a spoiled, unruly child who is in bad need of a spanking. But instead Andy Reid gave him a time out.

I listened to TO's ranting about being a man, demanding respect and letting us know how valuable and hardworking a player he is, what a team player he is and how much he puts out for the team. Then he admits that the verbal altercation with Andy Reid were the first words he has exchanged with Reid since camp started.

Well I have news for Mr. Owens real men don't have to tell people that they are a man. People will know it by how you behave. You can't demand respect, you have to earn respect. You are only valuable to the team when you are with the team. Apparently you aren't all that valuable this week. A team player doesn't spend 10 days in camp without speaking to the coach.

Andy Reid proved himself to be the bigger man tonight. Now he has to do what is best for the team he is coaching. Get whatever you can in trade for Terrell Owens. He may be a talented wide receiver, but no amount of talent is worth the emotional effort of dealing with a spoiled child when you need a man to play wide receiver.