Reid Tosses T.O. Out of Camp

Terrell Owens is unhappy in Philadelphia. He's made sure we are all painfully aware of how "unfairly" he is being treated by Eagles' management. We've all seen the displeasure on his face as he ignores the media, except in the rare case that the media serves a purpose in his agenda.

But now the battle lines have been drawn. Owens showed up for training camp, and he brought with him an extremely large chip on his shoulder. And rumor has it his teammates are quickly growing tired of his prima donna act. Combine that with recent reports that the Eagles are wondering just how bad Owens' groin injury really is (or isn't), and the stage is set for an explosive showdown.

And that explosion apparently came Wednesday, resulting in Owens being sent packing; suspended from training camp until next Wednesday after what Washington Post sources say was a sharp exchange with head coach Andy Reid at a team meeting.

Reports indicate the argument was sparked by Owens' failure to attend autograph signings the Eagles schedule at Lehigh following their morning workouts. Others say Reid was miffed that Owens ran patterns and caught passes on a side field in an unauthorized practice, yet didn't participate in yesterday's official practice because of his groin injury.

Regardless of how it happened or whose fault it is, a line has been drawn in the sand and it will be interesting to see who blinks first. The Eagles really can't afford to not have Owens on the field, especially now that WR Todd Pinkston is on the shelf for the year. But they seem to be holding firm in their decision to not renegotiate the seven-year deal they gave Owens just one year ago... a deal, by the way, that Owens was advised by union officials to not sign, yet he ignored their warnings.

And Owens has to be careful as well. If he completely alienates the franchise and the fans, the Eagles --as tough as it would be to swallow-- might be tempted to cut ties completely. And theoretically, if they wanted to get nasty, they could cut the enigmatic superstar right before the season begins (and right before his 2005 salary becomes fully guaranteed), leaving him scrambling to find a team who has the cap space left to match the $3.25 million he's scheduled to make in base salary this year.

The posturing of the eagles throughout this saga indicates that they are in this for the long haul and are willing to make an example of Owens even if it means admitting they made a mistake in bringing San Francisco's problem child to the City of Brotherly Love. And they'll miss his production on the field. However, they would also return sanity to the NFC's most successful franchise over the last four seasons; a franchise that was successful long before Owens moved his tired act from one coast to the other.