Over the past two decades, too many athletes at all levels have disrespected coaches, made obscene gestures, refused to go into the game when a coach or manager told them to, demanded more money even though they were under contract, talked trash about fellow teammates, danced over opponents, failed to hustle, and in general, acted more arrogantly than would be accepted in any other profession. Because of all this, I went from an avid sports fan, to someone who now picks and chooses which sporting events to follow because I just can't take it anymore.
Managers and coaches haven't been willing to stop these antics. General managers and owners haven't either. And so it continues to get worse. But finally, finally, one coach and one organization had seen enough. The Philadelphia Eagles suspended wide receiver Terrell Owens for four games this season after a long string of events, including his incessant shouting and disrespecting of Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb. Other events include: "Owens also annoyed the Eagles by violating the dress code on road trips, parking in coaches’ spots at the team’s practice facility and sleeping through one team meeting, not bringing his playbook to another and refusing to open the playbook at another meeting," according to an article running on MSNBC.com.
And to the Eagles credit, they decided to not activate Owens even after his four game suspension was served. Owens took his case to arbitration recently and lost. So, his season is over. The Eagles could certainly use his talent on the field right now. They are languishing at the bottom of the NFC East with a 5-7 record and it's evident to all that the loss of Owens has hurt the team. But he's been hurting the team since he joined it and while the rest of the Eagles stumble through a difficult season, they are better off without him. Winning is important, but not the most important element in sports.
Before winning comes a strong work ethic. And while it's true that some egotistical athletes have strong work ethics, they generally make bad teammates which often leads to low team morale. But when a strong work ethic flows out of good character, teams often gel. I'm not a huge fan of the New England Patriots—probably because my Pittsburgh Steelers can't beat them, but the way they embrace the concept of team is impressive. They have a reputation for being introduced as a team rather than individuals. A guy like Terrell Owens would never be a good fit for a team like New England because they respect the game of football too much.
I'm hoping that this situation with Owens reverberates throughout the sports world. Wouldn't it be nice to see less obscene gestures and disrespectful celebrations? Wouldn't it be nice to see players unions actually caring more about their sport than attempting to stop teams from disciplining players who obviously deserve it? And wouldn't it be nice if a father could take his son to a game and not have to wonder if he's going to have to explain crude behavior from an athlete his son admires?
