I think that Owens has his flaws, and if he isn't on a team with strong leadership, those flaws are likely to come out eventually because there isn't anyone there to set boundaries. Jeff Garcia's father was saying this very thing in the paper the other day. As Brian Billick said, whatever Owens did wasn't off the field, just on it.
I think that the 49ers would have done well to say, ok, Terrell, we are going to take the high road - your agent missed the deadline by mistake, but we are going to give you your release anyway. We aren't going to exploit this opportunity to deprive you of a $10 million dollar bonus and the freedom to choose where you want to go.
And once they did decide to get something out of Owens' misfortune, and told him to negotiate with another team, and after he did that with the Eagles, the 49ers trade him anyway to a team he didn't want to play for - without ever coming back to the Eagles to give them a chance to counteroffer.
The NFL had asked the 49ers to handle matters so that everyone was in agreement about where Owens was to go, but the 49ers wanted to do what they did.
Now the 49ers management is sullied in many players eyes as well. Everyone is miserable.
Owens is not a bad person but he is extreme in his desire to succeed. He means well but it is true that he has been destructive in his actions. But the 49ers have had no one that felt like they had the authority to stand up to Owens. On a different team, the sweet fellow who was very shy who came to 49ers training camp in 1996 might not have had his flaws become so noticeable.
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Originally Posted by skinsfanthru&thru
how can you say he doesn't deserve this? he made his bed and now he has to sleep in it. he's spent the last two years trashing his teammates, coaches, and franchise. It's not the 49ers fault that he and his agent dropped the ball on voiding the rest of his contract and make him a free agent so he could get his money. The eagles could have gotten him if they really wanted him but they wouldn't offer anything more than thrash and a 5th round pick for one of the top 5 WRs in the league. Baltimore offered the better deal of a 2nd round pick and the trade was made legally. on the local sports show called Sportsnite, it was reported that after the trade the Ravens were going to try and give Owens an extention but I don't know if I'd do that after all TO has said about not wanting to play for Baltimore and that he wanted the money from the Eagles. I think its about time one of these pre-madonas got what was coming to them for all of the trouble they've created needlessly.
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