By Associated Press
Sat Nov 12, 11:03 PM
PHILADELPHIA - The Rev. Jesse Jackson called the Philadelphia Eagles' punishment of Terrell Owens ``much too severe.''
Jackson said in a statement released Friday that Owens could have been more professional when he publicly complained about his contract, his team and the Eagles' organization.
But Jackson said Owens' suspension without pay for four games and deactivation for the rest of the season is ``much too severe for the charge'' and hurts the athlete's NFL career at its height.
The civil rights activist said the level of punishment could have been warranted if Owens had been caught shaving points, selling drugs, carrying a gun or fighting fans without sufficient restraint.
``This does not warrant a one-year ban from the game,'' Jackson said, adding that the Eagles should release Owens to the open market or free agency if they no longer want to associate with him.
Ralph Nader, a consumer activist and former presidential candidate, has already called for the suspension to be rescinded.
Owens was suspended last week after he said in an interview that the Eagles showed ``a lack of class'' for not publicly recognizing his 100th career touchdown catch, and that the team would be better off with Green Bay's Brett Favre as quarterback. He has since apologized.
Has Jesse Jackson ever met someone he didnâ??t feel had been victimized in some way? He seems to have built a career on pushing a double standard. Some people have to own up to their personal responsibilities (usually those in power), while some are victims and therefore have no responsibility what so ever (usually those not in power).
To suggest that someone in the later category could have any responsibility for his current situation is blasphemy. Simply amazing.
I never thought I would hear myself say this because I have a lot of respect for Jacksonâ??s fight against racism, but I think he needs to shut up and just go away.
Does Jackson support the American Caucasian College Fund?
Does he support the White ENtertainment Network?
Does he support the Ms. White America Pagent?
Jackson is a bigot. He is the very thing that ML King campaigned against in the early 60's. He has lost his focus and now acts out of selfish ambition instead of a desire to help people.
I think Jackson absolutely correct. Ricky Williams was suspended for 4 games for failing numerous drug tests. What's worse, violating the substance abuse policy or commenting about the teams failing to recognize a career milestone and noting that Brett Favre is a great quarterback?
I'm in no way a big Owens fan, but I think the Eagles have done wrong by him. If they don't want Owens, they should release him. There are plenty of other teams that would love to have Owens. The Eagles are being petty and spiteful.
I think the Eagles are doing it right. Showing the remaining players the team comes first not some individual clown show. If they had just released him it would be a message to players all over the league if they don't like their deals act like a baby get cut and move on. Keyshawn is working out for Dallas although thats more of a respect thing between him and Parcells.
T.O. will latch on somewhere maybe this year or next for sure. I think he cost himself a lot of money though. It will be lots of 1-2 years deals. No one will want a cry baby long term. Course then again NFL contracts are not guranteed so who knows??
As for Jessie its just another stage for him to jump on and shout out his agenda.
49ers. He wanted to leave, the team wanted him to go. Believe me, living in the bay area, I've seen Owens' bad attitude. But he is easily one of the best recievers in football. Because of this, there will always be a team that will sign him. And when he wears out his welcome there, another team that will sign him.
Owens is being punished at a level greater than the punishment for more egregious offenses. I think thats wrong. I wouldn't have a problem if the Eagles did what the Bucs did with Keyshawn, deactivating him for the rest of the season. But they're suspending him without pay for half that time, too.
They own his contract and can sit on it if they want to just like he owns his big mouth and could use it to disrupt their team if he wanted too....
There was never anything fair about it from either side and no law says it has to be. It's just life, and Owens just learned a valuable lesson. Instead of being able to pick up his bad attitude and move on to another team without suffering the consequences of his actions he now knows there are other people in the world besides himself. With any luck he'll assimilate next time, if there is any justice no one will sign him and he can go into radio instead of team sports where a big mouth and overbearing ego is considered an asset....
EDITED to add: Jackson is a pimp and a tool and any cause he's involved with benefits most when he leaves it.
Does Jackson support the American Caucasian College Fund?
Does he support the White ENtertainment Network?
Does he support the Ms. White America Pagent?
Jackson is a bigot. He is the very thing that ML King campaigned against in the early 60's. He has lost his focus and now acts out of selfish ambition instead of a desire to help people.
^x2
you can add Al Sharpton, and Kwese Imfume (sp) to your list. they both have thier own agenda that will keep them in power and in wealth, they use thier own peoples racial hate and fear of whites to line thier pockets. a good example is Alan Iverson calling the NBA's dress code racist. WTF??? so now as an owener of a company I dont have the right to require you to meet a certain company standard?. it seems to me that the ONLY sensible black leader out there lately has been Bill Cosby, and what do the rest of the Black leaders do? they blast him calling him an Uncle Tom the black community needs to dump these socalled leaders of thiers and realise that we are all one people.
as for Owens suspension. I say its about time that Pro sports started doing this, for too many years they have been treated like spoiled little children, just because they can jump higher or run faster than other people they think they are special, hell I just grounded my 14-15 year old sons off the play station for a month because they were fighting over who was better. maybe I should call all of thier friend over here so my sons can file a grievence with them, and thier friend can tell me I overreacted and need to lower thier punishment to 2 weeks
Dedman wrote:If I was the owner I would just release him with no further comment. That is the only fault I see in what the Eagles have done. They should just let him go to test the free agent waters.
And let him possibly go to a competitor?
IMO, the Eagles are playing it exactly right. TO obviously doesn't belong on the team, so kick him off... but don't allow any other team to benefit by picking him up, unless they're willing to give you something back. Keep his contract and keep him off the field. If he's not going to behave himself for the team he freely agreed to a contract with, don't let him play for anybody.
Seriously... if I pay somebody big bucks to come work for me and give them a long-term contract and then they start making problems and ask to be cut so they can go work for my biggest rivals, I'm going to laugh at them. If I'm feeling particularly generous, I *might* give them the option of leaving if they sign a contract saying they won't work for my rivals for at least a year.
On that note... I have a feeling the Eagles will cut him the day after the deadline for setting playoff rosters. They're not going to hang on to him for the duration of his contract, but they're not going to let him hop on to some other team and help them to a Superbowl either.
Ok I have now read some news articles on Owens and all I can say of him is "What a maroon!". This guy is an insecure egotistical idiot. I think the Eagles are doing exactly what they need to do to handle this situation.
Zuruck wrote:I was speaking more to iceman and woodchip there lothar.
So Iceman and woodchip are racist for pointing out that Jesse Jackson likely wouldn't have been involved if TO was white? They're racist for pointing out that Jesse Jackson is one of the biggest reasons nobody takes "the race card" seriously any more?
Zuruck wrote:you guys are the biggest bunch of racists i've read in awhile...
Zuruck wrote:I was speaking more to iceman and woodchip there lothar. who made you a mod anyways?
Zuruck I was holding signs in street marches in the 60's in support of equal rights before your mamma and daddy even thought about having you. I grew up in a family highly active in the equal rights movement and in fact my father was the Democratic Party Precint Chairman for Tarrant County Texas (Arlington/Fort Worth). He not only attended the demonstrations, he organized them. Guess what? He brought me along and had me hold signs too. He brought me up to believe in these ideals and I have stuck to them for the entirety of my life.
Before you start calling the race card get a clue WTF you are talking about. Maybe read thr friggin thread before you jump and make a fool of yourself (again) ...
Zuruck, for awhile I thought you were starting to debate topics in a mature way. Lately, I don't know what happened to cause you to go back to the old seagull type of posting.
the black community needs to dump these socalled leaders of thiers and realise that we are all one people.
ska-rewww him, friggin' jerk. He's lucky the team did'nt give his punk-@ss a blanket party 
