Sport-Blog.com

In Boston, the goof ball actions of Manny Ramirez have resulted in a new sports expression, that's just Manny being Manny. In San Francisco and Philadelphia, the ego-related actions of Terrell Owens had earned him a similar title, that's just T.O. being T.O.

But in recent weeks the impetuous wide receiver's hair-brained antics have taken the T.O. being T.O. expression to lows seldom seen before in professional football. And with those lows increasing and weighing heavily on the team, the Philadelphia Eagles essentially parted ways with the wide receiver today, stating that at the end of his four game suspension, the team would deactivate Owens for the rest of the season.

Owens was suspended on Saturday after deriding the Eagles franchise, saying the organization showed "a lack of class" for not publicly recognizing his 100th career touchdown catch. While expressing his thoughts regarding the Eagles failure to recognize his individual accomplishment, Owens also stated that the Eagles would be better off with Green Bay's Brett Favre at quarterback instead of Donovan McNabb. That criticism of teammate McNabb had been ongoing since last year's Super Bowl loss to the Patriots.

However, Owens comments were not the only item of issue last week. The outspoken wide-receiver also was involved in a physical altercation the same day with former Eagles defensive end and current team "ambassador," Hugh Douglas.

Owens' relationship with the Eagles had taken a negative turn when he demanded a new contract just one season into his seven-year, $49 million deal, an agreement that was signed when Owens came to Philadelphia in March 2004. The four-game suspension will cost Owens nearly $800,000 this year while the Eagles deactivating him for the final five games will cost the team $1 million in salary for a player that will not see any action for the team. Because the receiver is due a $5 million roster bonus in March 2006, the Eagles seem certain to either trade or release him at the end of the season.

Owens had also clashed with management last summer. After a heated argument with head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Brad Childress, Owens was banished from training camp for a week. The deteriorating relationship with quarterback Donovan McNabb began when McNabb and other players said the Eagles could still reach the Super Bowl after Owens was injured prior to the NFL playoffs. The Eagles in fact did just that, reaching the championship game without Owens in the line up.

Directly after Philadelphia lost to the Patriots, Owens began sniping back at McNabb, insinuating that the quarterback was tired in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl loss. Owens continued his verbal criticisms of McNabb throughout training camp and into the 2005 regular season.

Then everything came to a head last week when Owens ripped the club and McNabb once again, followed by the physical altercation in the Eagle's locker room. And T.O. being T.O. took on new meaning for even the staunchest of Philadelphia football fans.

The issue had to serve as a major distraction prior to the team's 17-10 loss to the Redskins, a loss that dropped the Eagles to 4-4 at the season's half-way point.