Cowboys | Team wants to see more of Owens at offseason program

[D'BOYZ]

Originally Posted by Wanga Skins

While I agree Owens will show up in great shape it seems to me whenever you join a new team you should try to build some chemistry as quickly as possible. Also in regards to VOLUNTARY workouts go i believe Marcus Washington said it best last year:
Despite the voluntary nature of these workouts, numerous players said they consider it part of their job responsibilities to be here. As Pro Bowl linebacker Marcus Washington put it: "It's pretty voluntary, like if your wife or girlfriend tells you . . . [not to] get her nothing for her birthday, and then if you don't come home with a present, you know you're in trouble. It's kind of like that." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...-2005Apr7.html

I agree with you man and it makes a better team to work together but some player feel that this offseason programs don't attack what they're trying to gain i nthe offseason and all this markee players go and try to attack and play with other markee players or with their personal trainers in the offseason to get better. Like E. James, Taylor, Portis, Shockley and other did last year and we call all agree they upgraded last season.

It has work for Owen's in the past (in the physical point of view) and he only has to get 40hrs of this voluntary works wich his doing and he only gets in Parcell's dog house is if you don't do the 40 and come 2 camp in bad shape wich we all know Owen's never does.

[That Guy]

Originally Posted by D'BOYZ

I agree with you man and it makes a better team to work together but some player feel that this offseason programs don't attack what they're trying to gain i nthe offseason and all this markee players go and try to attack and play with other markee players or with their personal trainers in the offseason to get better. Like E. James, Taylor, Portis, Shockley and other did last year and we call all agree they upgraded last season.

It has work for Owen's in the past (in the physical point of view) and he only has to get 40hrs of this voluntary works wich his doing and he only gets in Parcell's dog house is if you don't do the 40 and come 2 camp in bad shape wich we all know Owen's never does.

portis was here all last year and this year as well. taylor skipped last year (he wasn't working out at the U either), but he's here this year.

[Monkeydad]

Originally Posted by sandtrapjack

Nothing that anyone is concerned about. Owens' mouth has forever tatoo'd a target on is head with the media, if a writer wants his article read, all he has to do is write about T.O..

But that not withstanding, there are more than a few players that do not participate in the Cowboys off-season program and prefer to conduct their own off-season training regimine. Drew Bledsoe is also one of those who does not participate in the off-season program. It is only when a player is obviuosly out of shape that Parcells gets "irked" about it. Point-in-fact was Larry Allen. He had a terrible time keeping in shape in the off-season and he and Parcells were always at odds about Allens commitment to the off-season program.

Much like Sean Taylor last season, was partcipating in his own off-season program in Miami when he had that unfortunate incident involving his ATV's. As argument can be made that if he was at the Redskins facility participating in the off-season program, he would not be in the mess he is in now.

Jeremy Shockey is another guy that goes to Miami for the off-season and does not participate in the Giants off-season program.

These off-season programs are VOLUNTARY, and participation is not required. And you do not see sports writers writing about Taylor last season when he went to Miami for the off-season, or Shockey when he goes to Miami or Bledsoe because he does not participate in the Cowboys structured off-season regime.

Soley because Owens tatto'd that target on his head is the reason you read articles like this. That and it is an article that will be read by a lot of people.

And it would be hard to argue that Owens is not in shape or does not take care of himself.

Guess what, they're not REALLY voluntary. You're naive if you believe so. Every player is EXPECTED to be there.

I can't wait to see this jerk do a dance on the Philly midfield Eagle. He'll be lucky to make it out of that stadium with his limbs intact.

[sandtrapjack]

Section 1.Voluntary Workouts: No player shall be required to attend or participate in any off‑season workout program or classroom instruction of a Club other than as provided in Article XXXVI (Minicamps). Any other Club off‑season workout programs and classroom instruction sessions shall be voluntary and take place in the manner and time period set forth in this Article.

That is a direct quote from Article XXXV, Section 1 of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement regarding off-season workouts. They are voluntary, and even though players are "expected" to attend, as you say, the players cannot be held accountable for not attending.

Now I am not saying that it is "OK" to not participate, I think that the players should do just that. But many of your top-tier players in the league conduct thier own off-season program because they have hired a personal trainer that in many cases is better than the teams weight training staff and costs considerably more then the team wants to pay for one weight coach on the teams training staff.

Just because they are not participating this early does not mean they are sitting on the couch with a bag of chips playing MADDEN all day waiting for minicamps to start.

[TheMalcolmConnection]

Actually we did see sports writers writing about Taylor, but that's neither here nor there and I do expect TO to come in great shape to camp.

[NAVYSKINSFAN]

Owens will come ready to play. He hasent shown us anything YET...... I am waiting for something to happen but until something does the media will contunue to pounce on every little thing just like this.

[TheMalcolmConnection]

Actually Portis was at Skins camp the WHOLE time for 100% of voluntary workouts. He was not in Miami with the rest of them.

[TheMalcolmConnection]

If anything TO NOT being there might not cause a distraction, but I bet ALL the Skins being there will give them an edge over the competition.

[MTK]

This is much to do about nothing.

TO will be there when he's required to, and he'll be in top shape as he always is.

I haven't heard Parcells say anything about this, if he's not complaining it's not a problem.

It's a given that TO will become some sort of a problem and/or distraction at some point in Dallas, but right now he's not.

[RiggoRules]

TO is not being a good team player. This is as shocking as the revelation of gambling at Rick's (Casablanca reference).

The funny part of this thread is reading Sandtrap trying to justify TO's selfish coach/qb/team killing approach to life. It's the same kind of delusional BS that was coming out philly fans a year ago.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

[sandtrapjack]

Originally Posted by RiggoRules

TO is not being a good team player. This is as shocking as the revelation of gambling at Rick's (Casablanca reference).

The funny part of this thread is reading Sandtrap trying to justify TO's selfish coach/qb/team killing approach to life. It's the same kind of delusional BS that was coming out philly fans a year ago.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

Not trying to justify it, if you read my post you will see that as a fan I would prefer that he does attend. The point I was trying to make is that since it is Terrell Owens, his every move leading up to the season is going to be scrutinized heavily by the media. The media has lead people to believe that since Owens is not participating in the off-season conditioning, that he is "going against the grain", when in all actuality it is a very common practice for players to work-out on their own prior to the required mini-camps.

Here is another example:

Redskins | Archuleta working on his own
Wed, 19 Apr 2006 05:48:17 -0700
David Elfin, of the Washington Times, reports Washington Redskins S Adam Archuleta is working out on his own in Arizona and not attending the team's offseason conditioning program.

My point is that as far as Archuletta, this is news in the D.C. area and Redskins Nation, but you will not here a story about it on SPORTSCENTER, or Jim Rome or Dan Patrick won't be talking about Arch on thier nationally broadcasted radio shows. That is the difference. Owens is doing the same thing that Arch is doing but you will not see a spot about Archuletta on SPORTCENTER, or on a ticker at the bottom of your TV screen.

I am just saying that there really is no story here, it is getting blown out of proportion is all. Owens is doing nothing that is not already a COMMON PRACTICE throughout the NFL.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by sandtrapjack

Not trying to justify it, if you read my post you will see that as a fan I would prefer that he does attend. The point I was trying to make is that since it is Terrell Owens, his every move leading up to the season is going to be scrutinized heavily by the media. The media has lead people to believe that since Owens is not participating in the off-season conditioning, that he is "going against the grain", when in all actuality it is a very common practice for players to work-out on their own prior to the required mini-camps.

Here is another example:



My point is that as far as Archuletta, this is news in the D.C. area and Redskins Nation, but you will not here a story about it on SPORTSCENTER, or Jim Rome or Dan Patrick won't be talking about Arch on thier nationally broadcasted radio shows. That is the difference. Owens is doing the same thing that Arch is doing but you will not see a spot about Archuletta on SPORTCENTER, or on a ticker at the bottom of your TV screen.

I am just saying that there really is no story here, it is getting blown out of proportion is all. Owens is doing nothing that is not already a COMMON PRACTICE throughout the NFL.

I agree but anything involving TO is going to be news, wrong or right. And he only has himself to blame. He likes the white-hot spotlight.

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by sandtrapjack

Not trying to justify it, if you read my post you will see that as a fan I would prefer that he does attend. The point I was trying to make is that since it is Terrell Owens, his every move leading up to the season is going to be scrutinized heavily by the media. The media has lead people to believe that since Owens is not participating in the off-season conditioning, that he is "going against the grain", when in all actuality it is a very common practice for players to work-out on their own prior to the required mini-camps.

Here is another example:



My point is that as far as Archuletta, this is news in the D.C. area and Redskins Nation, but you will not here a story about it on SPORTSCENTER, or Jim Rome or Dan Patrick won't be talking about Arch on thier nationally broadcasted radio shows. That is the difference. Owens is doing the same thing that Arch is doing but you will not see a spot about Archuletta on SPORTCENTER, or on a ticker at the bottom of your TV screen.

I am just saying that there really is no story here, it is getting blown out of proportion is all. Owens is doing nothing that is not already a COMMON PRACTICE throughout the NFL.

I said in the begining that this is no big deal but to compare the treatment Archulett receives compare to TO is not a good comparison. TO has had trouble with two teams and was kicked off a team that had gone to the SB the year before. Anything that TO does that could even be perceived as not comforming will be brought up in the media.

[PSUSkinsFan21]

If you are TO, and you have the history that you have, you need to be doing whatever you can to stay away from controversey if you really want to fool people into thinking you're a changed man. AA doesn't have the same reputation, so of course he's not under the same microscope. Coming off of last year, however, I think this is just one small way of showing that TO is still TO and he plays by his own set of rules.

[D'BOYZ]

great post sandtrapjack