The Daily Procrastinator

A couple days ago, the Cowboys cut wide receiver Terrell Owens from their roster. So far, no other NFL team has offered him a job. I couldn’t be more thrilled. In fact, I’m grinning from ear to ear. This is glorious. It’s like watching while Paris Hilton falls down the stairs or Ashley Simpson flees the stage after her lip-sync routine crashes and burns. Witnessing such things, one is compelled by custom to feel bad, but it’s hard to do so when you know that the victims of such pratfalls deserve every moment.

Terrell Owens: talented wide receiver and complete ass-hat. Three different uniforms? That's no coincidence.

Terrell Owens (or T.O., as he’s known) is one of those guys who believes his individual glory is more important than the success of his team. He fights with his coaches and quarterbacks, sulks like a child on the sidelines when he doesn’t feel he’s getting the ball often enough, and makes negative comments to the press about his team. Every team he’s ever played for has experienced some sort of middle-school drama because he behaves like a petulant pre-teen. Owens is a gifted wide receiver, but his on-field contributions to his teams have never outweighed the problems he causes on the sidelines, in the locker room, and in the public eye.

In discussing this joyful turn of events with a friend of mine, he summed up the situation perfectly: “Hall of Fame players don’t get traded, and they sure as hell don’t get cut.” I concur. Owens’ legacy in the NFL will not be recorded in the Hall of Fame as a tremendously talented wide-out. Instead, it will be recorded in the memories of unimpressed fans who grew tired of watching a grown man pout.

According to profootballtalk.com, the following teams have “already said they’re not interested” in signing the newly unemployed Owens:

• The Dallas Cowboys (Duh.)
• The New York Giants
• The Washington Redskins
• The Baltimore Ravens
• The San Francisco 49ers
• The Minnesota Vikings
• The Atlanta Falcons
• The Cleveland Browns
• The San Diego Chargers
• The Philadelphia Eagles
• The New York Jets
• The Tennessee Titans
• The St. Louis Rams
• The New Orleans Saints
• The Houston Texans
• The Jacksonville Jaguars
• The Miami Dolphins are expected to join the list soon.

News flash, Mr. Owens–You’re not bigger than professional football. You’re not bigger than your team. You’re a little fish in a big, big pond, and right now, the guy who mops the locker room is more gainfully employed than you are. Nice work.

EDIT: In the few hours since I wrote this post, the Dolphins have indeed joined the list. Likewise, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders have publicly declared that they don’t want Terrell Owens. When the Raiders don’t want you, you know you’ve hit rock bottom.

SECOND EDIT: Owens signed with the Buffalo Bills today. While my brief revel in his unemployment is over, the fact that he’s now playing for a decidedly second-tier team still makes me smile. I will take wagers on the start date of the drama in Buffalo. Meanwhile, I’d like to be a fly on the wall when T.O. hangs out with Marshawn Lynch.

Is Kurt Warner a Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterback? That is the question all of the sports radio hosts in the Dallas area have been asking all week. My initial answer was “yes”, but after doing some research, I’m not so sure. Let’s look at the stats:

• 28,591 career passing yards
• 182 touchdowns
• Career completion percentage of 65.4
• Career QB rating of 93.8
• Victory in Super Bowl XXXIV
• Super Bowl MVP 2000
• Starting QB Super Bowl XXXVI
• NFL MVP 1999 and 2001
• Pro Bowls 1999, 2000, 2001, 2009
• First Team All-Pro 1999, 2001

One might argue that his stats aren’t as strong as some recently inducted HoF Quarterbacks.

“He hasn’t won as many Super Bowls as Troy Aikman!”

Nope. But he’s already won more Super Bowls than Dan Marino, Warren Moon and Jim Kelly combined, and his Passer Rating is also significantly better than all 3 of these quarterbacks.

“He doesn’t have as many passing yards as any of the HoF quarterbacks you just listed!”

Right again. But think about it for a minute. Warren Moon spent 10 years in the Run and Shoot totaling 33,685 yards. Let’s do a little math and compare that to Kurt Warner’s years in “The Greatest Show on Turf”. If you throw out Warner’s rookie season where he only played in 1 game, you have 5 seasons and 14,408 yards (don’t forget that Warner broke a finger on his throwing hand in 2002 and was only able to play in 7 games which led to a shaky start in 2003 when he played in only 2 games and was replaced by a promising young Quarterback named Marc Bulger. He only played a total of 9 games in those two seasons.).

I know, ♪Excuses. Excuses. You hear them every day♪. But that total is better than Aikman’s first 5 seasons as a starter (13,627), and is right in line with Kelly’s (15,730) and Moon’s (14,669).

His stats were meager to average from 2002 through 2006, where he dealt with injuries, mediocre talent in other offensive skill positions, and 2 first round rookie quarterbacks (Eli Manning – NY Giants and Matt Leinert – AZ Cardinals).

In 2007 Warner was able to play in 14 games and showed the ability that helped him lead the Rams to a Super Bowl and become a League MVP. Obviously his 2008 season is what has started this conversation. This season he threw for 4,583 yards 30 touchdowns and only 14 interceptions with a passer rating of 96.9. He led his team to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history, earned a trip to the Pro Bowl, and I believe should have been the League MVP (but NFL darling Peyton Manning edged him out).

Now, back to the question: Is Kurt Warner worthy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame? At this moment, probably not. One thing that would end this conversation would be a Cardinals victory in Super Bowl XLIII. A second Super Bowl MVP makes it a no-brainer. But if the Cardinals lose, what happens? I believe 2-3 more years of strong stats and a playoff appearance or two would make his case. That would give him more good seasons than the string of bad ones he had in the middle of his career and probably allow HoF voters to take into account the adversity he experienced in those years.