How to Improve Your NFL Team for a Season or Two

I almost fell out of my recliner this football season when I heard an NFL commentator, likely a former player, say in effect that for Tony Romo to mature, he would be better off without Terrell Owens.

What? He finished with a respectable 69 receptions for 1,052 yards with 10 touchdowns during a 9-7 year and was quarterback Tony Romo's best weapon. But not his favorite, perhaps. No, it probably was tight end Jason Witten with 81 catches for 952 yards and 4 touchdowns.

And that's where this story begins. Romo was the latest in a string of Owens victims who were thrown forcefully or gently under the bus, when the veteran wide receiver made a comment that Witten was getting the ball more than him.

Romo was run over with one tire. Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia was run over with all four or eight tires. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was run over and backed over.

And that's where the problem begins. As great as Terrell Owens is, he is a divisive element on the team. It is not that he is a bad dude off the field. No, he is not Michael Vick or Plaxico Burris, with trouble off the field. He is too self-centered and despite three e's in his name, there is no "a", so he can't spell team.

Sure he can cry for Romo, two years in a row. He can catch touchdown passes like Brad Pitt can catch women, looking good at doing it, too. But I was thinking the other day: he has no championship rings to back up his good play.

His best year was 2002 with San Francisco when he snagged 100 catches for 1,412 yards and 16 touchdowns. His play in the 39-38 wildcard win over the New York Giants is legendary with nine catches for 177 yards and two touchdowns, including a 76-yard bomb from Garcia.

He was on pace for a similar season in 2004 with the Philadelphia Eagles when he got hurt near the end of the season and finished with 47 receptions for 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns. He hustled his recovery to come back to perform in his only Super Bowl with nine catches for 122 yards. He is not the reason the Eagles lost the Super Bowl to New England, 24-21.

In his second season in Dallas, in 2007, during a stellar 13-3 season, he caught 81 balls for 1,355 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Sure enough, in his third year with the team, he wanted a contract extension and Dallas owner Jerry Jones gave it to him.

Why is he such a good player and bad thing for each team he played for.

TEM, uh, TEEM, TEEEM.

There you go. Addition by subtraction. You want to have a good team? Hire Terrell Owens. You want to win the Super Bowl? You are better off with Witten and Roy Williams and whoever else who won't belly ache when they are not getting the ball enough.

Repeat after me: You will never win a Super Bowl with Terrell Owens on your team.

You can get there, but you can't win.

He is on the downside of his career and will not shut up and be a good soldier, like Randy Moss has been in New England. Didn't he take less money than what the Eagles offered him to stay with the Super Bowl team?

Should no team take him? No. He could help a Green Bay, Miami, or Kansas City team get further in their march to the Super Bowl. Then cut the cord.

Because the commentator is right: Tony Romo will not mature (i.e., win a playoff game or reach a championship game) until the focus is off Terrell Owens.

T.O.—Put up or shut up!