snipped from phila newspaper web site. just a bad day for the birds. TO and mcnabb will get over this.
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......"The Fox cameras found Owens and Donovan McNabb on the sideline in the second quarter, Owens' perpetual-motion machine of a mouth going full blast while McNabb kept turning his back to him.
It looked like every rue-the-day warning about the Eagles' off-season pursuit of Owens was coming true. You could almost hear Jeff Garcia chuckling.
Before the episode, the Eagles had a first down on the Pittsburgh 19-yard line. Down by 21-0, this was their chance to get back in the game. The Steelers blitzed on first down, Owens ran a fine slant route, and McNabb threw the ball behind him. After a 1-yard run, McNabb threw Owens a pass that set the receiver up for a brutal hit by Troy Polamalu.
So what happened? Was it a typical Owens meltdown?
"I didn't pick up his paper yesterday before we left," McNabb said, referring to an ongoing joke about how he and Owens do things for each other. "He was letting me know."
McNabb went on to say that Owens was the voice of reason this time.
"It may have looked bad," McNabb said. "But when you get in a battle like that, you get frustrated. You want things to happen. He tried to calm me down. He was trying to be positive about everything."
Coach Andy Reid offered a similar explanation, although he allowed that he didn't see the exchange. Owens naturally confirmed McNabb's story, leaving two possibilities.
They're telling the truth, or it's a cover-up.
Here's one item that suggests they're telling the truth. In discussing the Eagles' offensive woes, McNabb said that receivers want to catch the ball, running backs want to run it and quarterbacks "want to have time to throw it."
It was a small thing, but significant. McNabb was sacked four times. The Steelers' blitz disrupted everything the Eagles tried to do. If McNabb went to the sideline and vented his frustration about the poor pass protection, it makes sense that Owens would step in and give his QB a pep talk.
After the Eagles' next possession, Owens walked up to assistant head coach Marty Mornhinweg on the sideline. Given Owens' rep, it was worth watching very closely. Whatever Owens said, he said with a smile. Mornhinweg smiled back and that was that.
So: Truth or cover-up? The real answer is that it doesn't matter. If Owens was upset, then fine. Everyone on the Eagles sideline should have been upset by that miserable performance. If McNabb was annoyed by Owens during the game, he was able to put it away, assume responsibility for the situation and make a joke about it.
It's pretty simple. If Owens bothers you, ignore him. Close your eyes and ears. See? It's all over. The outrage over his Ray Lewis dance was absurd. Remember, it was only possible because Lewis does an over-the-top, look-at-me dance in the first place..."
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......"The Fox cameras found Owens and Donovan McNabb on the sideline in the second quarter, Owens' perpetual-motion machine of a mouth going full blast while McNabb kept turning his back to him.
It looked like every rue-the-day warning about the Eagles' off-season pursuit of Owens was coming true. You could almost hear Jeff Garcia chuckling.
Before the episode, the Eagles had a first down on the Pittsburgh 19-yard line. Down by 21-0, this was their chance to get back in the game. The Steelers blitzed on first down, Owens ran a fine slant route, and McNabb threw the ball behind him. After a 1-yard run, McNabb threw Owens a pass that set the receiver up for a brutal hit by Troy Polamalu.
So what happened? Was it a typical Owens meltdown?
"I didn't pick up his paper yesterday before we left," McNabb said, referring to an ongoing joke about how he and Owens do things for each other. "He was letting me know."
McNabb went on to say that Owens was the voice of reason this time.
"It may have looked bad," McNabb said. "But when you get in a battle like that, you get frustrated. You want things to happen. He tried to calm me down. He was trying to be positive about everything."
Coach Andy Reid offered a similar explanation, although he allowed that he didn't see the exchange. Owens naturally confirmed McNabb's story, leaving two possibilities.
They're telling the truth, or it's a cover-up.
Here's one item that suggests they're telling the truth. In discussing the Eagles' offensive woes, McNabb said that receivers want to catch the ball, running backs want to run it and quarterbacks "want to have time to throw it."
It was a small thing, but significant. McNabb was sacked four times. The Steelers' blitz disrupted everything the Eagles tried to do. If McNabb went to the sideline and vented his frustration about the poor pass protection, it makes sense that Owens would step in and give his QB a pep talk.
After the Eagles' next possession, Owens walked up to assistant head coach Marty Mornhinweg on the sideline. Given Owens' rep, it was worth watching very closely. Whatever Owens said, he said with a smile. Mornhinweg smiled back and that was that.
So: Truth or cover-up? The real answer is that it doesn't matter. If Owens was upset, then fine. Everyone on the Eagles sideline should have been upset by that miserable performance. If McNabb was annoyed by Owens during the game, he was able to put it away, assume responsibility for the situation and make a joke about it.
It's pretty simple. If Owens bothers you, ignore him. Close your eyes and ears. See? It's all over. The outrage over his Ray Lewis dance was absurd. Remember, it was only possible because Lewis does an over-the-top, look-at-me dance in the first place..."
