T.O.'s Tears

The strain of the playoffs obviously took a toll on Dallas Cowboy Terrell Owens.

Meeting the press after the team's loss to the New York Giants, T.O. turned into a blubbering mess.

IRVING, Tex. -- The softer side of Terrell Owens surfaced Sunday. After the Cowboys’ season ended in another playoff loss, after his quarterback turned in another playoff disappointment, Owens became downright sentimental.

He wore pitch-black aviator shades to his postgame news conference. And he needed them to shield his eyes, which dripped tears when the subject turned to Tony Romo.

“It’s not about Tony,” he said, his voice even, flat. “You guys can point the finger at him. You can talk about the vacation. ...”

His voice trailed off, then cracked and wobbled. But Owens continued on. He fought to contain his sobs, blurting out sentences between them.

“If you do that, that’s really unfair,” Owens said. “Really unfair. That’s my teammate. That’s my quarterback. We lost as a team. We lost as a team, man.”

Wow! That was quite... unexpected.

I suppose he figured that this was his party and he'll cry if he wants to.

...Romo used his playoff bye week to vacation in Mexico with his pop star girlfriend, Jessica Simpson.

During the week, the Cowboys insisted the controversy Romo created in Cabo San Lucas was overblown. After the game, Romo said better there than Las Vegas.

“I don’t live with regrets,” Romo said. “I’m content in my own skin. If I try to be a good person, and I’m strong enough in my faith, if I’m strong enough in what I’m trying to do, then I feel like I’m doing it the right way.”

It's good Romo has no regrets and he's content in his own skin.

There are probably a lot of Dallas fans not feeling quite so content about the results of the game.

Romo may find consolation in the thought that Jessica Simpson will be there to comfort him. If she rejects Romo, T.O. has his back.

...This was not the Terrell Owens of years past, the flamboyant and talkative wide receiver with the tendency to engage in clashes with his quarterbacks. He bickered regularly in Philadelphia with Donovan McNabb. And he insulted quarterback Jeff Garcia, then with the 49ers.

On Sunday, Owens changed the whole routine. He went from a quarterback critic to a quarterback defender. His sadness appeared genuine. Asked if that was because this was the best relationship he had had with a quarterback, Owens said none of his relationships with quarterbacks went sour. (McNabb and Garcia might disagree.)

“I always had a good relationship with my quarterbacks,” Owens said. “I know the type of person I am on the inside. You guys judge me on the outside.”

Though Owens claims he's always been a softy on the inside, it appears that during the bye Owens had a personality transplant.

I believe that Owens was genuinely upset about the loss and being denied a shot at a trip to the Super Bowl.

However, I don't buy that he was moved to tears because he couldn't bear the thought of the press ripping on Romo.

I think Owens was feeling sorry for himself.

Even spoiled, bratty children occasionally break down.

I'm not worried about Owens. He'll have plenty of time to regain his composure. The party's over for the Cowboys.