Baltimore doctor says NO GO T.O.:nono5:
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Terrell Owens' cheerleading days might not be over.
Owens' doctor said he will not give the All-Pro receiver clearance to play in the Super Bowl. However, Owens could ignore those instructions and be in uniform for the Philadelphia Eagles against the New England Patriots on Feb. 6. One day after telling reporters he would return for the NFL title game, Owens got discouraging news from Dr. Mark Myerson on Tuesday night during his weekly checkup in Baltimore...
Myerson said in a statement that he's pleased with Owens' recuperation, but maintains the surgery requires a recovery period of eight to 10 weeks. Myerson also said that any attempt to accelerate the rehabilitation process poses the same risk for injury.
Owens has insisted he'll be on the field playing instead of leading cheers on the sidelines in Jacksonville, Fla. The Eagles' doctors and training staff should have the final say on Owens' status.
``Spiritually I've been healed and I believe that I'll be out there on that field Sunday, regardless of what anybody says,'' Owens said while sitting courtside at a 76ers game against Miami on Monday night.
Owens was expected to test his injured ankle on the field this week and could try running as early as Wednesday.
Myerson inserted two screws in Owens' right ankle and a plate on the outside of the ankle three days after he was injured against Dallas on Dec. 19. By not clearing Owens to play, Myerson should be absolved of any blame if Owens goes against his wishes and then re-injures the ankle.
Owens was told after surgery that he had only an outside chance of returning for the Super Bowl, which was 6 1/2 weeks away at the time. But he rehabbed vigorously, hoping to help Philadelphia win its first NFL championship since 1960.
``You can't deny the man the ball,'' Owens said.
Quarterback Donovan McNabb and other Eagles have said they don't need Owens to beat the defending champion Patriots, who are 7-point favorites.
``We can win it without T.O. But, if he is there, we can win it with him and we are definitely going to try to win it without him,'' McNabb said one day after leading the Eagles to a 27-10 victory over Atlanta in the NFC championship game.
``I think he will be back,'' he said. ``But, if he can't be back, we have to continue this ship home.''
The Eagles are 2-0 without Owens in games that matter. They lost the last two regular-season games in which most starters hardly played and others were rested.
While the offense hasn't been dominant, the Eagles have scored 27 points in each of the playoff games. Though none of the players will admit it, it's possible Owens' return could be more of a distraction than a benefit, especially if he's not able to play at 100 percent.
``I am getting tired of that question,'' wideout Greg Lewis said when asked if the Eagles proved they can win without Owens. ``We won last week, we won the previous week, it doesn't matter. T.O. is part of the team, but he's not here right now. We're trying to go on and not proving to anyone we can win without T.O. We're trying to win the Super Bowl.''
Owens was on the sideline against the Falcons, but served only as head cheerleader. He jumped up and down, flapped his arms, waved a towel and encouraged the crowd to make more noise, then joined teammates on the podium while they accepted the championship trophy.
Outleaping defenders and escaping tackles wouldn't be as easy. In his first season with the Eagles after eight years in San Francisco, Owens led Philadelphia with 77 catches for 1,200 yards and 14 TDs.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Terrell Owens' cheerleading days might not be over.
Owens' doctor said he will not give the All-Pro receiver clearance to play in the Super Bowl. However, Owens could ignore those instructions and be in uniform for the Philadelphia Eagles against the New England Patriots on Feb. 6. One day after telling reporters he would return for the NFL title game, Owens got discouraging news from Dr. Mark Myerson on Tuesday night during his weekly checkup in Baltimore...
Myerson said in a statement that he's pleased with Owens' recuperation, but maintains the surgery requires a recovery period of eight to 10 weeks. Myerson also said that any attempt to accelerate the rehabilitation process poses the same risk for injury.
Owens has insisted he'll be on the field playing instead of leading cheers on the sidelines in Jacksonville, Fla. The Eagles' doctors and training staff should have the final say on Owens' status.
``Spiritually I've been healed and I believe that I'll be out there on that field Sunday, regardless of what anybody says,'' Owens said while sitting courtside at a 76ers game against Miami on Monday night.
Owens was expected to test his injured ankle on the field this week and could try running as early as Wednesday.
Myerson inserted two screws in Owens' right ankle and a plate on the outside of the ankle three days after he was injured against Dallas on Dec. 19. By not clearing Owens to play, Myerson should be absolved of any blame if Owens goes against his wishes and then re-injures the ankle.
Owens was told after surgery that he had only an outside chance of returning for the Super Bowl, which was 6 1/2 weeks away at the time. But he rehabbed vigorously, hoping to help Philadelphia win its first NFL championship since 1960.
``You can't deny the man the ball,'' Owens said.
Quarterback Donovan McNabb and other Eagles have said they don't need Owens to beat the defending champion Patriots, who are 7-point favorites.
``We can win it without T.O. But, if he is there, we can win it with him and we are definitely going to try to win it without him,'' McNabb said one day after leading the Eagles to a 27-10 victory over Atlanta in the NFC championship game.
``I think he will be back,'' he said. ``But, if he can't be back, we have to continue this ship home.''
The Eagles are 2-0 without Owens in games that matter. They lost the last two regular-season games in which most starters hardly played and others were rested.
While the offense hasn't been dominant, the Eagles have scored 27 points in each of the playoff games. Though none of the players will admit it, it's possible Owens' return could be more of a distraction than a benefit, especially if he's not able to play at 100 percent.
``I am getting tired of that question,'' wideout Greg Lewis said when asked if the Eagles proved they can win without Owens. ``We won last week, we won the previous week, it doesn't matter. T.O. is part of the team, but he's not here right now. We're trying to go on and not proving to anyone we can win without T.O. We're trying to win the Super Bowl.''
Owens was on the sideline against the Falcons, but served only as head cheerleader. He jumped up and down, flapped his arms, waved a towel and encouraged the crowd to make more noise, then joined teammates on the podium while they accepted the championship trophy.
Outleaping defenders and escaping tackles wouldn't be as easy. In his first season with the Eagles after eight years in San Francisco, Owens led Philadelphia with 77 catches for 1,200 yards and 14 TDs.
