Timeout for T.O.

Every time Terrell Owens opens his mouth, I cringe. I don't care if he's talking about his charity (does he have one? Hopefully he does), you just never know what he might say. Scratch that. You know what he's going to say, you just don't know who he's going to offend.

This time the target was Donovan McNabb - again - in anticipation of the Dallas Cowboys Monday meeting against the Philadelphia Eagles (Can't wait for that one!) Choice excerpts:

"I will say that Donovan made me a better receiver in Philadelphia, but I think Donovan would have a hard time admitting I made him a better quarterback," he said.

Owens also suggested their problems were the result of McNabb being insecure about Owens' popularity surpassing that of the quarterback, saying, "I remember being in that stadium and hearing them chanting my name, and that couldn't bode well for Donovan."

Owens said he has a unique relationship with the Cowboys' Tony Romo because the quarterback "gets me" in a way none of the others ever did.

Owens also said he honestly does not believe what happened in Philly was his fault.

Owens says in many ways he still feels like a kid from a small town in Alabama with something to prove.

When asked about how it seemed Philly dominated the NFC East when he was an Eagle, much as the Cowboys are doing now, Owens suggested it was largely because he had changed teams. "The common denominator was me being in both places, but I will let you make that assessment," he said.

Part of me says this is just showmanship, talking trash to get more hype for the game. But the tone of his words are just . . . ugly. There's a way to hype up the game without taking multiple shots directly at McNabb. Just once, I wish he would take the high road. What happened to that note he left on his locker that time? Bring that back.

Let me be clear. I like T.O. I just recalled that I won autographed pictures of him and McNabb at an auction once. He is clearly talented, one of the best receivers, and is always entertaining, but he has to be hurting himself in the endorsement area (and likely elsewhere) because his personality is just not that likable. People say "he may be an a****** but at least he keeps it real." Maybe it's good that he feels he can be himself, but when "yourself"is mean-spirited and holds a grudge for years on end, perhaps you ought to think about being someone else for a change.