(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

MYTH: Terrell Owens is declining in skill as he ages, and he absolutely destroys locker-room chemistry.

FACTS:  First of all, there is no way you can say Owens is on the decline.  Since the start of the 2000 season, Owens has only failed once to catch for 1,000 yards, and that was in the 2005 season where he only played seven games. 

In that season, despite the off-field drama with Donovan McNabb, Owens caught 47 passes for 763 yards and six touchdowns.  That averages out to between six and seven receptions a game, 109 yards, and just under one touchdown per game.  Projecting those averages onto a full 16-game regular season would give you 107 receptions, 1744 yards, and 14 touchdowns.

Owens’ play has been phenomenal this decade, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down.  He has been one of the most dominant receivers on the field and to suggest he is on the decline is just wishful thinking by those who are annoyed by his antics.

There sure are plenty of antics to be annoyed by.  Thankfully, they have gotten fewer and farther between as the years progress, but there is a clear history of behavior issues with Owens.

I’m not talking about his touchdown celebrations—professional football is a form of entertainment, and nobody understands that better than Owens.  Whether he’s pulling a Sharpie out of his sock, borrowing a cheerleader’s pom-poms, or just doing a crazy dance, it’s fun to watch T.O. score.

It’s when his team isn’t scoring that there is a problem.  It started in San Francisco.  When the 49ers weren’t doing very well, Owens loudly demanded the ball more often and publicly blasted his quarterback in an interview with Playboy. 

He met Donovan McNabb at a Pro Bowl, the two enjoyed playing together, and McNabb asked the Eagles to deal for Owens.  The 49ers used this opportunity to get rid of their headache, and shipped Owens to Philadelphia for a fifth-round pick and defensive end Brandon Whiting.

This change of scenery worked for the Eagles and T.O. the first year, and Owens was an immediate contributor: He had 77 receptions for 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns.  Then, despite an injured ankle, Owens played through pain in the Super Bowl for nine catches and 122 yards.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, Owens decided he wanted to renegotiate his contract that offseason and hired agent Drew Rosenhaus.  The situation got ugly, with both Owens and Donovan McNabb criticizing each other in the media and making themselves look foolish.  After seven games, the Eagles suspended Owens and then deactivated him.  That offseason, he was released and signed by the Cowboys.

After a finger injury in the beginning of his first season with Dallas, Owens overdosed on Hydrocodone in what was labeled as a suicide attempt.  The police report stated that Owens answered “yes” when asked if he intended to harm himself.

In Michael Strahan’s book Inside the Helmet, Strahan says he doesn’t believe T.O. tried to commit suicide.  He says that athletes are told what to take by their trainers, and don’t even question it or know what they are putting into their bodies; so he wouldn’t be surprised if a trainer or doctor made a mistake and Owens accidentally overdosed.

Was Owens really trying to commit suicide, or were his statements that he wanted to hurt himself just the ramblings of a man in a drug-induced stupor?  T.O. is probably the only person to know that for sure. 

Though T.O. had a statistically good season, the Cowboys lost by one point in the Wild Card round against the Seahawks.  The next year, the Cowboys had a phenomenal season, finishing 13-3 before losing to the Giants in the divisional round.  Up until this point, Hydrocodone controversy aside, everything seemed great.

Along comes the 2008 preseason.  Owens claimed during this point that the Cowboys lost in the playoffs because they didn’t throw to him enough.  During the regular season, everything started off pretty calmly: After an early-season win over the Green Bay Packers

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