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When Pro Football Hall of Fame voters meet the day before the Super Bowl to choose the Class of 2018 Youth Josh Rosen Jersey , the decision to select Terrell Owens should take less time than it does to microwave a bag of popcorn.
T.O. belongs in Canton. It’s a no-brainer.
Owens is second to Jerry Rice in all-time receiving yards and third in touchdown catches behind Rice and Randy Moss, a finalist in his first year of eligibility.
No. 81 was a five-time All-Pro, a six-time Pro Bowl pick and one of the most entertaining players of his generation.
Owens deserved first-ballot induction. Case closed. Yet, he’s been snubbed twice because voters are punishing him for his off-field and locker room ”antics” during a sensational 15-year career.
But there is no ”character clause” for the Pro Football Hall of Fame – and that’s not saying Owens should fail it.
Owens was never arrested nor suspended by the NFL. He didn’t have legal issues or drug problems.
Still, he’s been kept out because of questionable behavior and the perception he was a malcontent.
Sure, Owens often spoke his mind and sometimes got under the skin of teammates and coaches. He threw some of his quarterbacks – Jeff Garcia, Donovan McNabb and Tony Romo – under a rapidly moving bus. He also defended Romo from criticism and famously cried once while doing it.
Owens should be judged for his value on the field. He made every one of the five teams he played for better. He wasn’t the perfect teammate and he was disruptive at times, but when he stepped on the field Youth Christian Kirk Jersey , he was exceptional and durable.
Owens only missed 12 games in his long career, plus the nine he didn’t play in 2005 after Andy Reid kicked him off the Philadelphia Eagles following a nasty feud with McNabb and a dispute with management over a new contract.
That came only several months after Owens helped McNabb have his best season, and then heroically returned from ankle surgery – against doctor’s orders – to play in the Super Bowl. Owens would’ve been MVP of that game against the New England Patriots if McNabb didn’t throw three interceptions in the 24-21 loss.
Anyone who covered the T.O. circus in Philadelphia and the aftermath knows Owens wasn’t solely to blame for the way things went down. McNabb was overly sensitive and didn’t like all the attention Owens received. McNabb was booed by Eagles fans at the 1999 draft and he never forgot it. The same fans embraced Owens from the second he arrived in Philadelphia after eight seasons in San Francisco. More than 20,000 people went to see his first practice of 2004 training camp at Lehigh University. That led to jealousy issues with McNabb that finally escalated a year later.
After things got ugly in Philly, the locker room was divided between McNabb supporters and Owens supporters. If the mess was entirely Owens’ fault, some of the well-respected veterans who sided with him wouldn’t have done so.
But it was easier for Reid to dismiss a 32-year-old receiver who wanted more money than a 28-year-old franchise quarterback who never ruffled any feathers.
Owens ended up in Dallas and had three excellent seasons with the Cowboys before he wore out his welcome. He played one year in Buffalo and one more in Cincinnati.
Those who argue that Owens bounced around the league because teams couldn’t wait to get rid of him should consider that Rice played for three clubs, and Hall of Fame receiver James Lofton also played for five. Lofton is on the 48-member selection committee and voted for Owens last year.
This really shouldn’t be a difficult decision. It certainly doesn’t compare to the steroid dilemma Major League Baseball Hall of Fame voters face each year.
Terrell Owens is one of the greatest players in the history of the sport and earned the right to receive a gold jacket.
When he finally puts one on, getcha popcorn ready because it’ll be the most must-see induction speech ever.
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NEW YORK — An emotional Tuesday may have brought the end to an era for the New York Mets. But the Mets know there’s no better way to pay tribute to Sandy Alderson than by proving Wednesday night that Tuesday night’s win was no fluke.
The Mets will look to earn a series victory Wednesday night Youth Mason Cole Jersey , when they host the Pittsburgh Pirates in the rubber match of a three-game set at Citi Field.
Zack Wheeler (2-6, 4.85 ERA) is scheduled to take the mound for New York against Pittsburgh’s Ivan Nova (4-5, 3.98 ERA) in a battle of right-handers.
The Mets concluded a whirlwind day by edging the Pirates 4-3 in 10 innings. Wilmer Flores, who had a two-run single in the first inning, delivered his third walk-off hit of the season and the ninth walk-off hit of his career when his single down the third-base line scored Michael Conforto from first base with one out.
The Mets (32-45) snapped a seven-game losing streak hours after learning Alderson, who has been the team’s general manager since October 2010, would be taking an indefinite leave of absence to battle a recurrence of cancer. He was originally diagnosed in 2015 and underwent treatment following that season.
Three of Alderson’s assistants — John Ricco, J.P. Ricciardi and Omar Minaya — will share the general manager’s role while Alderson is out.
Alderson said during a pregame press conference that the cancer returned in April. He informed players of his diagnosis during a pregame meeting that left many players in tears but also may have crystallized their focus.
“We have a job to do and lately we haven’t been doing it up to our potential James Bradberry Jersey ,” Conforto said. “So we really wanted to focus in and just make sure that we bounce back today, of all days, and play a little bit better. I think we showed a little fight there. We battled back and scratched together enough runs to win a ballgame tonight. So hopefully that gets us on the right path.”
The Pirates (37-42) were hoping a wire-to-wire 6-4 victory in Monday’s opener would get them back on the right track, but Tuesday’s loss was the sixth in the last seven games.
On Wednesday, the Pirates will be seeking only their second series win in their last 13 series dating back to May 17, a span in which they are 12-25.
“I think I shared with our club — I don’t believe I’ve ever been through a rough patch of 34 games since I’ve been in the major leagues as a player, coach or manager,” said Pirates manager Clint Hurdle Jake Muzzin Jersey , who reached the bigs as a player in 1977. “And I’ve had enough. There’s a point in time you stop talking about being a good team, now you go play like a good team. Because your record’s telling you you’re not a good team.”
Wheeler will be looking to earn his first win in almost two months. He took the loss Friday after allowing four runs over seven innings as the Mets fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-2. Wheeler is 0-5 with a 5.13 ERA in 10 starts since his most recent victory April 29.
Nova didn’t factor into the decision Friday, when he allowed three hits over eight scoreless innings in the Pirates’ 2-1, 13-inning loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. It was the second time this season Nova has tossed eight scoreless innings. He also didn’t earn a decision in Pittsburgh’s 1-0 win over the Detroit Tigers on April 26.
Wheeler didn’t factor into the decision in his lone previous start against the Pirates on May 27, 2017, when he gave up three runs over six innings as the Mets fell 5-4 in 10 innings.
Nova is 1-0 with a 2.82 ERA in four career appearances (three starts) against the Mets.
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