If we live in a world where pettiness is truly an art form, Terrell Owens might be Picasso.
In a much-anticipated interview with Bleacher Report’s Master Tesfatsion, Owens addressed the shade directed at him from former Eagles teammate and quarterback Donovan McNabb.
In what was mostly a cordial interview, the highlight of the ten-minute video will be Owens flexing the fact that he has a gold jacket as a Pro Football Hall of Famer, and telling McNabb that he couldn’t beat out Rex Grossman for a starting QB spot.
“I’m in the Hall of Fame for what I’ve done and what I’ve accomplished,” said Owens. “I appreciate the opportunity to have played with him but at the end of the day … check my stats before I got there and check my stats when I left.”
“He’s supposed to be the great quarterback or one of the top quarterbacks in the league in his mind. You can’t go to Washington and not beat out Rex Grossman.”
In January, McNabb told Bleacher Report that the Owens’ drama in Philadelphia was a “major distraction” for the team trying to get back to the Super Bowl and said that Owens’ actions were like watching an episode of “Days Of Our Lives.”
Obviously, Owens took exception to the words of his former quarterback and retorted that McNabb was out drinking before their Super Bowl game against the Patriots, which Owens implies may have contributed to him throwing up in the huddle.
McNabb denies that vomitous accusation.
The Hall of Fame receiver also highlighted what he thought to be hypocrisies in McNabb’s statements and actions. Owens said that McNabb made comments suggesting that those Eagles teams didn’t need Owens to be successful, but Owens said McNabb still blamed their struggles on him.
He also illustrated that he wasn’t fond of McNabb vouching for Eagles running back Brian Westbrook to get a new contract, yet didn’t vouch for Owens to get a new deal with Philly.
When Owens was asked if McNabb should be a Hall of Famer. His response was pretty typical.
“I could care less,” said Owens.
It’s been close to 15 years since these two players were teammates and the war of words hasn’t ceased. Maybe this Owens interview will be the final word in a beef that both men have wasted far too much time on. (Maybe not.)
“I tried to be cordial with the situation, I thought we had squashed it,” said Owens. “At the end of the day he don’t make me, man.”