The Not-So-Silent Treatment

Obviously Terrell Owens didn't take his buddy Stephen A. Smith's advice he delivered in a column yesterday in the Philadelphia Inquirer (here) that T.O. should now stay silent about his contract situation--as well as try to keep his agent Drew Rosenhaus quiet. Les Bowen writes in the Philadelphia Daily News today (here) that the receiver had a few things to say at an appearance at a Rosemont College-based football camp yesterday. None of it was particularly incendiary, though he did say about attending training camp that "If we can be grownups about it and get everything resolved, then that's what I'll do." Of course, it's debatable as to who is not being the grownup in this situation.

Showing up and getting some nice media coverage being surrounded by a bunch of adoring kids couldn't hurt T.O., since he's lost a lot of fan support taking a risk to go public with his contract dispute. I'm still convinced the best way to resolve the situation is to guarantee more of the 2006 roster bonus that was no doubt implemented to allow the team to cut itself loose from Owens if he became exactly the sort of problem he's become. Had Owens and Rosenhaus worked in silence to begin with, the team may have been slightly more amenable to his concerns--especially if he puts up another monster season. Call me a pessimist, but I'd be surprised if either can hold his tongue for long as training camp approaches.