- [Will] Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens were dominant.
They both torched opponents, both went to six Pro Bowls,
and both of them were incapable of sharing the spotlight.
(dramatic neo-classical music)
By 2004, Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens
were two of the most talked about players in the league.
Most of this was for their play on the field.
Since being drafted in 1996,
Owens had been one of the league's best receivers,
but was more often known for his off-field comments,
toeing the line with celebrations,
and thinking fairly highly of himself.
- A number of my friends would tell me
if they had my body, they'd probably walk around naked.
(laughing) 24-7.
- [Will] As for McNabb,
after being showered in a legendary
amount of booes when drafted 2nd overall by Philadelphia.
- Donovan McNabb, quarterback, Syracuse University.
(audience booing loudly)
- [Will] He nearly won league MVP
in just his sophomore year despite leading
the Eagles to three straight NFC championship games,
doing so with arguably the worst
pair of starting wide receivers,
McNabb couldn't avoid criticism either.
- I don't think he's been that good.
I think the media has been very desirous
that a black quarterback do well.
- To them, it didn't matter
what the human garbage said.
The duo was drawn to each other.
They became friends over multiple Pro Bowls,
and as Owens neared the chance for a fresh start,
McNabb lobbied for Philadelphia to bring him in.
Owens wanted to be there as well,
so after a missed deadline, momentarily becoming a Raven,
and a grievance filed to the NFL, Owens became an Eagle.
Philadelphia locked him in for seven years
with a contract worth up to $49 million dollars.
And despite breaking one of Andy Reid's rules
on the first day of practice,
it looked to be a happy marriage.
But like any good marriage, there was a little beef.
But that just keeps things spicy.
The first road bump came in week 9 against the Steelers.
During a 27 to 3 loss, the Eagles' first of the season,
cameras caught Owens on the sideline
talking at McNabb, who didn't seem to listen.
After the game, McNabb let everyone know
Owens was just trying to keep him calm
and positive, which Andy Reid backed up.
But the media didn't wanna buy it.
Owens took steps to make it clear to everyone
just how happy he was with McNabb.
As for Donovan,
he'd make his feelings clear in their next game.
Following Philadelphia's second offensive play,
Owens got open downfield, didn't get the ball,
and wanted to let McNabb hear about it.
- So I go back to the huddle and I say, "Dude, I was open."
You know what his response to me?
- [Shannon] I know what his response was.
But go ahead, tell Skip.
- Shut the F up.
- [Will] After the drive,
Owens was seen on the sideline venting to anyone
who would listen, other than his quarterback.
- [Game Commentator] Over on the sideline,
he went to Andy Reid, he went to Marty Mornhinweg.
He went to anyone that would listen.
- McNabb didn't deny the incident in the huddle.
But said that's what happens in the heat of a game.
While they won easily that week
and the two games after that,
Owens was given plenty of time to think about
what happened in the huddle thanks to
a broken fibula he suffered against the Cowboys.
McNabb came out and said the Eagles would be fine,
reminding folks that they had made the three
previous NFC championship games without Owens on the roster.
Reid echoed those sentiments,
and even Owens chimed in to say they would be alright.
The Eagles made their fourth straight NFC championship game,
finally won it and advanced to the Super Bowl.
Despite fracturing his ankle less than 50 days earlier,
T.O. was not going to miss this game.
While slightly hobbled,
he brought in nine catches for 122 yards
during a 24 to 21 defeat,
where McNabb threw three touchdowns,
three picks, and one puke.
After the game, Owens came out and blasted the media,
saying he was considered "selfish" for rushing back,
but someone like Brett Favre
would have been hailed as a warrior.
Brett Favre.
Remember that name.
A couple months later, Owens switched agents,
bringing in Drew Rosenhaus to help renegotiate
his seven-year contract from just one year ago.
While the contract was worth $49 million, it was a mess.
Heavy on incentives that guaranteed T.O. next to nothing.
In an interview with ESPN at the time,
he defended why he deserved the chance to renegotiate,
reminding fans that he wasn't
the one got who tired during the Super Bowl,
a clear jab at Donovan McNabb.
McNabb responded by asking Owens
to keep Donovan's name out of his mouth.
And then the duo didn't speak
for the rest of the off-season.
Each player said that if the other guy had something to say,
he knew how to get in touch.
And as a result, neither made the first move.
It stayed like that until September,
when Owens used Michael Irvin
as a mediator to make his feelings public.
He was disappointed but still loved his quarterback.
He also encouraged people to tune in to
the game to catch the public apology.
You know, like how normal people make amends.
Once week one actually rolled around,
the beef appeared to be squashed when the large-scale,
on-field apology took place in front of all the cameras
and they high-fived,
then trotted into the locker room together.
Whatever. It worked.
McNabb targeted Owens 18 times during the game.
That became a theme of the season.
During the first seven games,
McNabb threw 92 passes in T.O.'s direction.
On pace for a record-breaking
210 targets over a full season.
To celebrate his potential accomplishment,
Owens gave an interview to Graham Bensinger,
which covered many topics including his disappointment
with the Eagles organization not celebrating
his 100th career touchdown catch.
- They claim to be first class and the best organization.
I just felt like it was an embarrassment.
- [Will] He agreed with Bensinger that
the Eagles could be better about how
they handle contract negotiations with veterans.
And last, but most notably, came this exchange.
- [Graham] Your friend, Michael Irvin, recently said that if
Brett Favre was the starting quarterback
for the Philadelphia Eagles, they'd be undefeated right now.
What do you think of that comment?
- I mean, that's a good assessment.
I would agree with that.
- [Will] This interview came out the same week
that Owens got into a fistfight with former teammate
Hugh Douglas in the Philly locker room,
in which T.O. also reportedly challenged McNabb to go at it.
But Donovan declined.
The Eagles suspended Owens indefinitely
and demanded he issue an apology.
He released a statement written by his agent
that didn't even acknowledge McNabb.
- It has been brought to my attention that
I have offended the organization and my teammates.
- [Will] So the Eagles upped the suspension
to the maximum four games.
- Terrell Owens has been suspended for four games
for conduct detrimental to the team.
- [Will] That led to Owens and Rosenhaus giving
a televised press conference from T.O.'s front yard,
this time apologizing to everyone in full.
- I would like to reiterate my respect for Donovan McNabb
as a quarterback and as a teammate.
- It wouldn't do the trick,
as the suspension stuck and the Eagles announced
they'd deactivate him for the remaining games after that.
McNabb considered the apology a comedy routine,
and called Owens' comments a slap in the face.
To McNabb, whose season had ended later that month
from surgery to repair a sports hernia,
there were many other quarterbacks
that could have been brought up.
But Favre was the name chosen.
This was tough for the guy who had been encouraged
to switch positions when colleges recruited him.
He had to listen to members of the media say
he was only considered good because the rest of the media
wanted a black quarterback to succeed.
Most recently, he had an NAACP chapter president
write a column in the Philadelphia Sun entitled,
"Donovan McNabb: Mediocre at Best."
Favre wasn't just a name.
To McNabb, it was an attack.
One that he didn't plan on letting slide,
and definitely wouldn't forget.
McNabb stressed that this all began thanks to two things.
Money and power.
He believed Owens felt the need to outdo him.
The restructuring of a seven-year contract
after one year being the biggest sign of this.
As for Owens, he never pretended to not care about the money
but to him it was simply what he deserved
and was separate from McNabb.
Either way, the partnership was broken,
and the Eagles terminated T.O.'s contract in March.
From there, nothing was held back.
In April, McNabb alluded to Owens
being a locker room cancer.
Two months later, Owens released his autobiography
revealing that McNabb's comments
after his injury fueled the fire.
McNabb called it a children's book,
and mocked T.O. over the claim of being misquoted
in his own autobiography, which, yeah, that's fair.
In September, when Owens was hospitalized
after an accidental overdose ahead of
their first matchup as NFC East rivals,
McNabb said he texted Owens wishing him well,
but Owens claimed to have never received the message.
At an October press conference,
McNabb asked for no questions about T.O.,
then made sure every answer stressed team or family,
adding that one guy doesn't make a team.
Break a team, maybe.
They embraced after a game at the end of the 2007 season,
but it would take much more to truly bury the hatchet.
Owens still can't turn down any chance to talk about McNabb.
- [TMZ Sports Journalist] Carson Wentz or McNabb?
- [Terrell] I'd probably go with Carson Wentz.
- [Will] And while McNabb seems
to dodge mentioning Owens,
that is viewed to be just as purposeful.
The duo that combined for 20 touchdowns in 22 games
guaranteed that they will always be linked,
even if we forget everything they did on the field together.