SI Wrong About Owens, Loafers, etc, etc

A few years ago I cancelled my subscription to Sports Illustrated. Mostly because the writers seemed a bit uninformed and seemed to be a little more political than "objective" sports writers should be. Today I was reminded of those reasons again.

I saw the headline for this article, and decided to give it a read. So many things are wrong with it that I just had to say something.

Michael Silver uses the first 2 paragraphs listing just a few of the reasons that Terrell Owens shouldn't get a new contract, then demands that Philly pay Owens whatever he wants.

He writes: "That said, let's get real. The man is good. He is, despite what many in the Eagles organization would have you believe, the biggest reason the team finally shed its big-game choker label and reached a Super Bowl. And, most of all, when the franchise faced its biggest moment in nearly a quarter-decade, T.O. shook off a severe ankle injury and took one for the team -- OUT OF THE GOODNESS OF HIS HEART."

Mr. Silver wasn't paying attention to the Eagles last season, or he would know how flawed that statement is. The Eagles defense rose up at the end of last season to become dominant. It was their defense that got them over the hump and into the Super Bowl. And T.O. never does anything out of the goodness of his heart! He is all about T.O., and he doesn't give a damn about even his own teammates.

And he's not done: "To review: Owens broke his right leg and suffered severe ligament damage to his ankle in the team's third-to-last regular season game and, after undergoing surgery, was told by doctors he'd need at least two months to heal. The Eagles won a pair of playoff games without him to reach the Super Bowl, at which point T.O. pronounced himself fit to return more than a week-and-a-half ahead of schedule.

Sure, the Eagles said. Go ahead. As long as you sign this injury waiver indemnifying us in case you reinjure the ankle.

Say WHAT?"

Yes, Mr. Silver, the Eagles wanted to protect themselves. If they hadn't signed the waiver and Owens had done more severe and possibly permanent damage to his ankle, you would have been one of the first to say how foolish the Eagles were to allow Owens to play without protecting themselves! The Eagles organization didn't have much choice.

Then this: "And please, Philly fans, spare me the rants about how the Eagles won two playoff games with T.O. on the sideline. For one thing, the NFC sucks, so don't read too much into those triumphs over the Vikings and Falcons, each of whom was flummoxed by the Philly D. Need I remind you that with T.O. out, Donovan McNabb's targets were Todd Pinkston and Freddie Mitchell. Next argument?"

Mr Silver contradicts himself badly here. First he said Owens was the reason the Eagles made it to the Super Bowl, but in this paragraph he argues the opposite, admitting that the defense was the reason the Eagles moved on and that the competition was not very good. Next argument? How could I possibly argue? You openly ignore facts, then admit to my theory being correct, then challenge me to argue?!? But I guess I'm ranting.

Terrell Owens has become a poison to the Philadelphia Eagles. To pay him more money would be the single stupidest thing any franchise ever did. Especially after everything the organization did to get Owens out of Pittsburgh, and into Philly in the first place. The Eagles should trade him away as quickly as they possibly can.

Want to know how loved Owens is around the league? He mentioned Atlanta as a place he would be willing to grace with his presence. Do you see the folks in Atlanta rioting to get him?

I mentioned in the opening here that the politics of the SI writers was also a reason not to read them. And Mr. Silver doesn't disappoint, using the Northwestern lacrosse team's completely immature, tacky, and disrespectful wearing of thongs to the White House as an opportunity to do his liberal bandwagon jumping act, and pile on to Karl Rove. As if Mr. Silver had clue one what is going on in the Grand Jury room! Way to insult over half of your target audience, Mr. Silver!

I won't be renewing that SI subscription any time soon, if this is what passes for reasoned opinion!