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10. Terrell Owens didn't create the division in the Philadelphia Eagles' locker room. Donovan McNabb's contract did.
Listen, there are a million reasons this column is considered must-read material by NFL executives, players, media, wives, groupies, cheerleaders and fans. What I'm about to share with you is reason number 1,000,001.
Like the rest of America, you were probably shocked to see Philly linebacker Jeremiah Trotter on ESPN2 stumping for T.O.'s return last week. And you've probably wondered why the Philly players haven't been united in their disdain of all things T.O. The guy has been a major distraction and a major pain in the you-know-what since August. To an outsider, it would appear that T.O. has single-handedly ruined team chemistry.
But the Philly players have been mysteriously quiet when it comes to criticizing T.O. Only team "ambassador" Hugh Douglas has had the courage to stand up to him. (And, by the way, according to several sources, Owens body-slammed Douglas and nearly opened a can of whoop-ass on the former defensive end.) All the other Eagles shy away from commenting on T.O.'s antics, or offer themselves up as mediators between T.O. and Philly management or T.O. and McNabb.
To this date, I haven't heard or seen one Eagle step in front of a camera and say, "Ah, hell, naw T.O. I ain't gonna let you talk 'bout my quarterback like that. Donovan is our leader. When you attack Donovan, you're attacking this team."
Nope. All you hear from the Eagles is some Jimmy Carter-type garbage.
Why?
Because Philly management has played hardball at the negotiating table with all of the veteran talent except for its $115-million quarterback, Donovan McNabb, who received a record contract extension in 2003 despite having four years left on his original deal.
Andy Reid and Jeff Lurie have no problem kicking a money-hungry vet to the curb. Just ask Bobby Taylor, Troy Vincent, Corey Simon, Hugh Douglas and Jeremiah Trotter.
Despite plenty of cap room, the Eagles don't mind squeezing their pennies. No one should be surprised that Trotter has elected himself T.O.'s unofficial spokesman. Reid and Lurie humbled Trotter in a very public way. They let the run-stuffing linebacker run off to the Ben Franklin-filled arms of Daniel Snyder in 2002, and then welcomed Trotter back as a veteran's-minimum special-teamer in 2004.
Afraid to leave defensive coordinator Jim Johnson's protective cocoon after flopping in Washington, Trotter, a Pro Bowler again, signed a below-market contract with the Eagles last offseason. Trotter is now living vicariously through T.O. So are several other Eagles -- many of whom are in-the-closet McNabb haters.
Think about it. Terrell Owens basically validated Rush Limbaugh's "overrated" charge against McNabb and no Philly player has come to Donovan's defense. If T.O. had gone on TV and said, "We'd have a better record if Brian Urlacher was our middle linebacker," I guarantee you Trotter would be offended.
The Philly players feel that McNabb is overpaid. That's not unusual. Most NFL players justifiably believe that the starting quarterback is overpaid. Emmitt Smith was always the most valuable player on the Cowboys, but Emmitt never got his money as easily as Troy Aikman.
The difference between Philly and Dallas -- besides the Cowboys' championships -- is that Jerry Jones eventually paid his veteran contributors. Lurie and Reid replace their vets with younger, cheaper players year after year. It's good business. But it's not good for team chemistry. And it certainly puts McNabb in a difficult spot.
