John Czarnecki over at FOX Sports manages a trick that very few others in the mainstream media have been able to do, keep a level-head about Terrell Owens. I've tried to do my part by not encouraging the masses in a mass-hysteria freak-out over Owens' hammy, I'm glad to see another sane voice. Sure, there will come a day when Owens' does what he does - and I'm not talking about catching TD's - but that day is still in the future. All the teeth-gnashing and knee-jerk reactions over the fact that Owens was injured early in the preseason, and the Cowboys being overly-cautious about his return, were a manufactured attempt at a pseudo-controversy. (I think I just set a record for hyphenated words in a paragraph.)
Today, I was little curious about Parcells decision to not play Owens on Monday night, but it turns out they are just using more caution. Here's Owens on his hammy:
There is no reason to rush Owens into the preseason lineup because the Cowboys have a long season ahead and they really need him when the real games begin. He said that he and Bledsoe are getting a little more comfortable with each other, but they still aren't in total sync yet.
Update [2006-8-19 22:17:23 by Grizz]: Owens missed the afternoon practice, but it wasn't a protest over not playing Monday night. Parcells had told him he wouldn't play yesterday, and Owens practiced this morning. He missed the afternoon practice because he was a little sore, and didn't want to risk it on a two-a-day. Let the circus crank back up, someone call Randy Galloway and Little Ball of Hate.
Drew Henson's training camp isn't what he had in mind, I'm pretty sure of that. After getting shutout of the first preseason game, he is starting to get shutout of the rotation in practice. Even Jerry Jones made a comment about him starting with another franchise one day. Drew had this to say:
The same article has stuff about Ellis, Oxnard and Flozell.
Sam Hurd has been the surprise of camp, going from the bottom of the depth chart to working with the first team when TNT (that's Terrell and Terry for the new readers) were injured in practices. Turns out that while Hurd has become known as Owens' apprentice, another Cowboy receiver was his original inspiration.
"Michael Irvin made me want to be a receiver," he said.
I was hyping Hurd after the first week of camp, telling all you guys how he hasn't dropped a pass in camp. What's he do right out of the gate in Seattle? Make me look silly by dropping a pass. But Parcells is on the case.
Parcells pointed out a flaw: Hurd doesn't keep his hands together before the ball arrives. Hurd is determined to fix his problem. If he doesn't, it could cost him his job.
No worries folks, I'm confident Hurd will get this cleaned up in time to make the 53-man roster.