As hard as it is to stomach Terrell Owens and his big mouth, he actually might be helping the Iowa football program.
Because the more he whines about making only $7 million a year to play receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, the more Kirk Ferentz likes where he is today.
Ferentz was asked Monday if the Owens saga made him appreciate being a college head coach even more.
He laughed, then said:
"What do you think?"
I think Iowa fans are smiling and breathing a sigh of relief based on that answer in the form of a question.
Ferentz might live in a black and gold fish bowl, and he might be living in a different house if the Prairie Du Chien road extension goes through, but he doesn't have to deal with prima donnas like Owens.
He doesn't have to deal with being ridiculed by his star receiver on national television.
And he doesn't have to deal with million-dollar contracts, except for when it is time for him to renegotiate his own.
If there is a downside to Ferentz being the Iowa football coach, it is the lingering fear that he ultimately will leave for the NFL.
Some Hawkeye fans get mad if you even broach the subject, the thinking being that if you don't talk about it, it won't happen.
That makes about as much sense as the stuff that comes out of Owens' mouth.
Iowa fans should hope that Owens never becomes unselfish or develops laryngitis.
They should hope that he keeps telling his head coach to shut up and that he keeps taking shots at Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb.
And they should hope that he and his overbearing agent keep holding impromptu press conferences to voice their displeasure.
The Owens mess is what's bad about the NFL, and other professional sports, for that matter. How many more times do we have to hear a multimillionaire athlete complain about not having enough money to feed his family?
Ferentz has coached in the NFL, but he never has been the head guy. There is a huge difference, just as there is in college.
But with exception to a few sleazy college programs, the NFL players are much closer to running the asylum.
NFL head coaches come and go, almost like bruises on a player's body.
It still comes down to showing respect, and with some professional athletes, it's hard to respect a coach who makes less money than you.
I can't even imagine an Iowa football player telling Ferentz or one of his assistants to shut up.
Owens said he told coach Andy Reid to shut up because Reid had disrespected him by telling him to shut up. Since when can't a coach tell a player to shut up?
"I love the disrespectful stuff," Ferentz said after being told what happened.
Hopefully, Iowa fans will understand and not blow a gasket when I say that in many ways Ferentz is an NFL guy. He coached in the league for six years and made a lot of friends and contacts while doing so.
Ferentz also still follows the NFL, as evidenced by the fact that he compared Owens' situation to that of Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro receiver Hines Ward, who ended his two-week holdout Monday.
Owens wants a new contract despite having signed a seven-year deal worth $49 million barely more than a year ago, whereas Ward -- who will make $1.66 million this season -- wants a new contract after signing his more than four years ago.
"It's totally different to me than Hines Ward," Ferentz said. "To me, they'll get that one done, and they should.
"(Owens) wants it both ways, but it doesn't work that way. If you want a shorter contract, you take a smaller bonus. First-graders know that."
You can be an NFL guy but still be disgusted by some of the stuff that goes on. Ferentz clearly is disgusted by the Owens situation.
Ferentz sympathized with the Eagles organization and with Reid, whom he barely knows.
They first met at a wrestling match in Jefferson City, Mo., in the late 1980s when Ferentz was an assistant coach at Iowa. They also spoke briefly before the 2005 NFL draft in which the Eagles selected former Iowa defensive back Sean Considine.
"It's clearly a circus," Ferentz said. "I really feel badly for the Eagles organization. I'm not taking sides and I'm not real in tune to what's going on.
"But I know this: Terrell Owens and his agent are both getting a lot of air time, which they both seem to enjoy. That's the kind of stuff that's got to be distracting to the football team. I know they're taking the company line, but it's got to be (distracting). All the good things they've done as a team and to end up at this point."
Ferentz acknowledged the obvious fact that Owens is a great football player. If that weren't the case, the Eagles would have sent his motor mouth packing a long time ago.
But the NFL is all about making money. And money is one of the few things that speaks louder than Owens.
"The bottom line is he ain't going to win," Ferentz said. "They've got all the cards, and he knew that a year ago when he signed the contract. That's just how it works. So he is not going to win that battle. I'll make that prediction.
"Unfortunately, though, the Eagles might not, either. It's a lose-lose situation."
That is, unless you're an Iowa football fan.
Reach Pat Harty at 339-7368 or pharty@press-citizen.com.
Because the more he whines about making only $7 million a year to play receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, the more Kirk Ferentz likes where he is today.
Ferentz was asked Monday if the Owens saga made him appreciate being a college head coach even more.
He laughed, then said:
"What do you think?"
I think Iowa fans are smiling and breathing a sigh of relief based on that answer in the form of a question.
Ferentz might live in a black and gold fish bowl, and he might be living in a different house if the Prairie Du Chien road extension goes through, but he doesn't have to deal with prima donnas like Owens.
He doesn't have to deal with being ridiculed by his star receiver on national television.
And he doesn't have to deal with million-dollar contracts, except for when it is time for him to renegotiate his own.
If there is a downside to Ferentz being the Iowa football coach, it is the lingering fear that he ultimately will leave for the NFL.
Some Hawkeye fans get mad if you even broach the subject, the thinking being that if you don't talk about it, it won't happen.
That makes about as much sense as the stuff that comes out of Owens' mouth.
Iowa fans should hope that Owens never becomes unselfish or develops laryngitis.
They should hope that he keeps telling his head coach to shut up and that he keeps taking shots at Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb.
And they should hope that he and his overbearing agent keep holding impromptu press conferences to voice their displeasure.
The Owens mess is what's bad about the NFL, and other professional sports, for that matter. How many more times do we have to hear a multimillionaire athlete complain about not having enough money to feed his family?
Ferentz has coached in the NFL, but he never has been the head guy. There is a huge difference, just as there is in college.
But with exception to a few sleazy college programs, the NFL players are much closer to running the asylum.
NFL head coaches come and go, almost like bruises on a player's body.
It still comes down to showing respect, and with some professional athletes, it's hard to respect a coach who makes less money than you.
I can't even imagine an Iowa football player telling Ferentz or one of his assistants to shut up.
Owens said he told coach Andy Reid to shut up because Reid had disrespected him by telling him to shut up. Since when can't a coach tell a player to shut up?
"I love the disrespectful stuff," Ferentz said after being told what happened.
Hopefully, Iowa fans will understand and not blow a gasket when I say that in many ways Ferentz is an NFL guy. He coached in the league for six years and made a lot of friends and contacts while doing so.
Ferentz also still follows the NFL, as evidenced by the fact that he compared Owens' situation to that of Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro receiver Hines Ward, who ended his two-week holdout Monday.
Owens wants a new contract despite having signed a seven-year deal worth $49 million barely more than a year ago, whereas Ward -- who will make $1.66 million this season -- wants a new contract after signing his more than four years ago.
"It's totally different to me than Hines Ward," Ferentz said. "To me, they'll get that one done, and they should.
"(Owens) wants it both ways, but it doesn't work that way. If you want a shorter contract, you take a smaller bonus. First-graders know that."
You can be an NFL guy but still be disgusted by some of the stuff that goes on. Ferentz clearly is disgusted by the Owens situation.
Ferentz sympathized with the Eagles organization and with Reid, whom he barely knows.
They first met at a wrestling match in Jefferson City, Mo., in the late 1980s when Ferentz was an assistant coach at Iowa. They also spoke briefly before the 2005 NFL draft in which the Eagles selected former Iowa defensive back Sean Considine.
"It's clearly a circus," Ferentz said. "I really feel badly for the Eagles organization. I'm not taking sides and I'm not real in tune to what's going on.
"But I know this: Terrell Owens and his agent are both getting a lot of air time, which they both seem to enjoy. That's the kind of stuff that's got to be distracting to the football team. I know they're taking the company line, but it's got to be (distracting). All the good things they've done as a team and to end up at this point."
Ferentz acknowledged the obvious fact that Owens is a great football player. If that weren't the case, the Eagles would have sent his motor mouth packing a long time ago.
But the NFL is all about making money. And money is one of the few things that speaks louder than Owens.
"The bottom line is he ain't going to win," Ferentz said. "They've got all the cards, and he knew that a year ago when he signed the contract. That's just how it works. So he is not going to win that battle. I'll make that prediction.
"Unfortunately, though, the Eagles might not, either. It's a lose-lose situation."
That is, unless you're an Iowa football fan.
Reach Pat Harty at 339-7368 or pharty@press-citizen.com.
