Steve Smith vs. Terrell Owens..Two Comments…What is Your Opinions
T.O.’s comments created a media storm, while Steve Smith’s comments have been a bit under the radar, but I would like to hear your opinions:
Steve Smith who was miked during the game talking to Jake Delhomme:
Delhomme: “I apologize, bro.”
Smith: “Hey, I know you feel like crap. I mean, you’re not a very handsome guy anyway, so. But, the performer, the quarterback … I never really liked you as a quarterback. But as a person, that’s who I love. I love you as a person.”
Delhomme: “I appreciate it. [Inaudible] I just didn’t get enough on that damn ball. I knew where I was throwing it, I just threw it too high.”
T.O. on Trent Edwards:
“We missed some chances against New England. There’s always room for improvement. Trent needs to assess what he has in front of him a little better. I like how we played until those last five minutes, and Trent did a great job of managing the game, although we could take more shots down field, utilizing Lee’s and my own abilities.”
Media has blown up both, but I will tell you which one deserved some media attention:
Terrell Owens comments. It is obvious listening to Steve Smith that he is joking, so in reality it is much to do about nothing. Smith was trying to lighten the mood of his quarterback who has having a horrible day. Not the best choice of words, but it was clear what he was doing.
T.O. should know better. I think it is fair to criticize his comments if you can do it rationally. Two things immediately show up that should be address.
There was no need to mention Trent Edwards. This is a problem Owens has had his whole career. If he takes out Edwards name and uses “team” there is no issue. Even if it wasn’t his intent it comes across like he is blaming Edwards which may or may not be true, but doesn’t need to spoke about in the media.
Secondly nowhere T.O.’s statement did he mention anything “he” could approve upon. He never mentioned the drop that stopped a very important Bills drive. Not at anytime did he speak on what he can do better.
That is typical T.O. and it is something you would think after so many years he would have corrected by now. With that being said it is nothing to do an Outside The Lines on, but very fair to criticize.
T.O. is very similar to Kobe Bryant being that if you “love” him he can do no wrong and it is always someone else fault, but if you “hate” him everything that happens is his fault.
The unbiased view is T.O. needs to stop undermining his quarterback in the media (on purpose or not) and start to take more personal responsibility and no one would have anything to talk about.
This has been Owens' M.O. much of his career. If he tries to or not, he seems to rarely take personal responsibility for any shortcoming that comes to himself or his team. I remember a game when he was in San Fran. The Niners were on the road against the Bears. The Niners had the lead for a good portion of the game, but the Bears came back to win. Owens can't handle a pass thrown to him, and the ball is intercepted and taken back for a TD and the Bears win the game. Owens doesn't really talk about his part in the loss. Instead, he talks about how former coach Steve Mariucci played too conservative because the Bears head coach was Dick Jauron and they were friends. I am a Buffalo Bills fan. I don't really care too much about what Owens says this year because he's on a one year deal and I do not want him in town any longer than his one year deal. This is what you get with Owens. He does not handle disappointment well and he becomes a cancer to a team.
T.O. has made 10x more great plays then he has bad plays(the man is second to only Jerry Rice in career TD's), so I give T.O. some slack when he has a bad play. The man is a baller, he is honest and direct, and the white media cant handle an outspoken high paid Black athlete.