Lack of Understanding / Haters

[Lexwhat]

Look, I've read a whole lot about TO. Now, before I say anything, I will say that I am very disappointed with his behavior and probally wouldn't want to have him on my team. But why are you giving him so much heat? For what?? Just because he's a jerk and not a team player ON ANOTHER TEAM??!

First of all, the one thing Drew Rosenhous said that was true was that the media has to magnify everything that TO does. TO this, TO that. It's absolutely true that Rosenhous claimed that NFL players who are murderers, drug dealers, and those in the substance abuse program do NOT get as much heat as TO does. I personally can't believe people here have so much hatred towards TO.

A player who cheats (substance abuse) or commits a terrible crime (murder) gets away and a lot of you people barely say anything about that player. There's lots of people here, I bet, who wouldnt mind having Ray Lewis or Jamal Lewis on our team (if we had those needs). If you have any objectivity at all, you would realize that you are giving double standards and hatin on TO more than he deserves. Yes TO is a bad team player and is a crybaby. But if an outsider listened to all your criticism, he would probally think that TO poisoned his QB and sent his RB to the hospital over a bar fight.

I dont feel like mentioning names, but a lot of posters here make me sick. The media is always focusing on TO, and in turn, you put your focus and criticism on him too more than anyone.

I think TO's problem is that, in order to be successful, he needs to have a specific type of player on his team to keep him in line. A type of QB like Peyton Manning or Mike Vick would keep TO in line. Obviously it's not McNabb's fault that TO is acting like this, but for the type of player TO is, there needs to be a prior understanding. If TO played with a Michael Irvin, this type of situation would also never have happened.

I can bet that TO could go to Atlanta and succeed over there. Mike Vick is almost like the center of the NFL. Vick would make sure this type of situation wouldnt start either (http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5071150)

Basically, stop hatin on TO. He's just a bad team player with an attitude. Nothing worse. Unless he plays on the Bills, you have no reason to knock his hustle. If you are gonna say that TO is what's wrong with the NFL, you are sorely mistaken. For example, Randy McMichael is whats wrong with the NFL. Get a damn life and get over TO.

[OpIv37]

yeah well he is under a media microscope but he still did all the things he's accused of doing, and he created the media attention with his actions. You can't pull a marker out of your sock to sign a ball ON THE FIELD then ***** when you get media attention. He asked for it.

And as far as the Ray Lewis/Jamal Lewis types- they may have personal problems, but they come to work and do their job without creating problems for their team. It's up to the individual if they want to make a distinction between Ray Lewis the person and Ray Lewis the football player. For TO, there is no distinction- he brings whatever personal issues he has into the locker room and it has a severe negative impact on the team.

[Lexwhat]

yeah well he is under a media microscope but he still did all the things he's accused of doing, and he created the media attention with his actions. You can't pull a marker out of your sock to sign a ball ON THE FIELD then ***** when you get media attention. He asked for it.

And as far as the Ray Lewis/Jamal Lewis types- they may have personal problems, but they come to work and do their job without creating problems for their team. It's up to the individual if they want to make a distinction between Ray Lewis the person and Ray Lewis the football player. For TO, there is no distinction- he brings whatever personal issues he has into the locker room and it has a severe negative impact on the team.

Wasn't that Joe Horn who pulled the marker out? Either way, I know what you mean about the media attention. You are right about that.

I guess what I should've meant to say was that they are treating TO like he's committed crimes against humanity that are worthy of jail.

I can also see what u mean about him bringing in issues that has a negative impact on the team. But I am going to disagree that it has a severe negative impact. These are professional football players. These are men. Since when did they become so sensitive? I mean let's be real. Can anyone HONESTLY say that this is the first time there's been a locker room fight in the NFL?????? I highly doubt it. But when TO was involved with it, it becomes such a big deal.

If people are going to claim that TO is a "headache" and all his teammates have to put up with questions from the media about him, you need to stop believing the hype. First of all, these star players live celebrity lives and are constantly being noticed in public. Many do commercials or endorsements. They all get asked for autographs or get stopped by people tryin to give them advice. JP is a perfect example. How many times do you he's gone around Buffalo and not been stopped by someone telling him something. You think that reporters asking questions about a teammate is going to be that big of a hassel?? Get real. I would laugh if players were that sensitive. The ONLY time it would have a severe negative impact was if it occured DURING the game. Everyone knows that TO gives it 100% when he plays. I can name some Eagles players, and many across the NFL, that dont do that. If you ask me, that has a severe negative impact on the team too...They Lose.

This is the NFL. Players are not that sensitive. any why doesn't anyone mention that it was Hugh Douglas that started that fight? By ALL reports, it was Douglas that went up to TO and started bickering about TO faking his ankle injury.

Again, I'm not tryin to defend TO blindly, I'm just saying if you want to give criticism, then you better be objective. Otherwise, you are being showing bias.

[LtBillsFan66]

TO's a douche bag.

[OpIv37]

Wasn't that Joe Horn who pulled the marker out? Either way, I know what you mean about the media attention. You are right about that.


TO did the marker stunt when he was still in SF. Joe Horn followed a week or two later with the cell phone stunt the phone was hidden in the pads at the bottom of the goalpost, and after he scored he pulled it out and made a call (or at least pretended to).

[Novacane]

I'll keep knocking TO all I want. He's a team cancer. If it "makes you sick" you'll just have to deal with it

[chernobylwraiths]

I would like to know who are the current NFL players who are murderers. I didn't know that there were any of them playing.

[EDS]

I think TO's problem is that, in order to be successful, he needs to have a specific type of player on his team to keep him in line. A type of QB like Peyton Manning or Mike Vick would keep TO in line. Obviously it's not McNabb's fault that TO is acting like this, but for the type of player TO is, there needs to be a prior understanding. If TO played with a Michael Irvin, this type of situation would also never have happened.

I can bet that TO could go to Atlanta and succeed over there. Mike Vick is almost like the center of the NFL. Vick would make sure this type of situation wouldnt start either (http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5071150)

Guaranteed that TO would go postal on the Falcons because Vick can't get him the ball - not accurate enough. Also guaranteed that Michael Irvin and TO could not co-exist in peace on the same team.

The media does absolutely follow TO to closely. That said, he is a winey ass little ***** and I would not want him as a teammate. If you have ever played a team sport then you know that a player who places himself above the team has to go - the team will do better in the long run without him, no matter how talented, because that player causes too many distractions.

But, I also would not want to Ray Lewis' of the world on my team either. Give me high character guys like Brett Farve, TKO, Payton Manning, Tiki Barber, Donovan McNabb and Troy Vincent anyday.

[dplus47]

i think it's all overblown because now there is 24 hour news coverage of something that just doesn't provide 24 hours' worth of material. wide receivers have always been a little brash and a little crazy. TO may be crazier than most. criticize him all you want, but 1. he's not on your team. and 2. he is NOT going to ruin the league. he may not fit the current agenda of the league, but he's not going to take it down. the NFL has gone really corporate because of the money involved. they're trying to remove whatever character the players bring to the game. SI's dr. Z wrote a piece on locker room fights, linked to here: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/dr_z/11/09/fights/index.html

i'm not glorifying what dr. Z portrays, but at the same time, the NFL lacks the character it had even twenty years ago. i think we as a society have actually become a LOT more uptight than we ever have been. i don't know the explanation, except for the mad dash for money.

[Lexwhat]

I would like to know who are the current NFL players who are murderers. I didn't know that there were any of them playing.

What I meant was that TO doesn't fall into the category of murderers, rapists, drug abusers, drug dealers, wife beaters, etc...But he is viewed around the league with more criticism than players in those categories.

But since you want to know, I'll tell you at least 1 current NFL player.

BUT Since I know people are gonna argue about this, let me just define Murder before I say anything:
1. The unlawful killing of one human by another, especially with premeditated malice

2. To kill brutally or inhumanly.



Your answer is...
Leonard Little, St. Louis Rams

"Little received 60 days and 1000 hours of community service. Six years later, after the involuntary manslaughter conviction was wiped from his record, Little was again arrested for drunk driving"

Leonard Little, IMO, is 10 times worse than TO.

[Lexwhat]

If someone is going to say that Leonard Little's example isn't murder, I ask you how can you possibly say that what he did wasnt "The unlawful killing of one human by another?"

I'm not tryin to get technical, but the fact is that Little killed that woman and got 60 days in jail!! AND after another drunk driving charge, he's still playing.

[Lexwhat]

I'll keep knocking TO all I want. He's a team cancer. If it "makes you sick" you'll just have to deal with it


hahaha, who says I cant deal with it? I simply said it makes me sick that people make excuses for so many other players but when TO does something, he's "whats wrong with the NFL." People have said that TO is what is wrong with the NFL.

By the way, I never once said that I like what TO is doing or that I think he handled things correctly. Matter of fact, I said that I probally wouldnt wanna have him on my team and that he went about this all wrong.

I'm JUST pointing out a double standard. Go ahead, knock him all you want, but if you wanna hold players accountable for their actions...well let's just say that there's a lot more in the NFL worse than him.

[chernobylwraiths]

If someone is going to say that Leonard Little's example isn't murder, I ask you how can you possibly say that what he did wasnt "The unlawful killing of one human by another?"

I'm not tryin to get technical, but the fact is that Little killed that woman and got 60 days in jail!! AND after another drunk driving charge, he's still playing.

No it is not murder, it doesn't even come close to the two conditions that you gave. Not that it wasn't an incredibly stupid move and didn't deserve a whole lot more punishment.

As I heard on the radio the other day, TO is all that is wrong with sports and I don't like him.

[Drive 4 Five]

Hell I'd take a murderer on my football team over a whiney, greedy, despicable little ***** like Terrel Owens ANY DAY.
As for all the hate that Owens gets, well you reap what you f**king sow, don't you. I wouldn't have it any other way.

[Lexwhat]

No it is not murder, it doesn't even come close to the two conditions that you gave. Not that it wasn't an incredibly stupid move and didn't deserve a whole lot more punishment.

As I heard on the radio the other day, TO is all that is wrong with sports and I don't like him.

Sorry playa, but you're wrong. It certainly does come to the conditions I gave. And not only that, it has been PROVEN in courts that killing someone while driving drunk can be constituted as 2nd degree murder. People have been convicted of this crime.



"They came up with "conscious indifference": A drunk driver can be charged with murder if his state of mind was, "I know my conduct is dangerous to others, but I don’t care if someone is hurt or killed."

So where does that leave us? Any DUI defendant who knows drunk driving is dangerous can be charged with murder? Apparently so. In People v. Murray, 275 Cal.Rptr. 498 (1990), the appellate court upheld a DUI murder conviction where the prosecution proved he had attended a DUI education class and told someone he had learned a lot from it. This was enough to show that he was aware that drunk driving was dangerous and so he acted with "malice". And, thus, murder."



Another Example from http://www.madd.org/news/0,1056,4278,00.html:
"After less than two days of deliberation,the jury returned with a verdict that found John E. Newman guilty of all eight counts with which he had been charged, including two counts of second-degree murder."




Still wanna argue about it?

[Bill Brasky]

Look, I've read a whole lot about TO. Now, before I say anything, I will say that I am very disappointed with his behavior and probally wouldn't want to have him on my team. But why are you giving him so much heat? For what?? Just because he's a jerk and not a team player ON ANOTHER TEAM??!

First of all, the one thing Drew Rosenhous said that was true was that the media has to magnify everything that TO does. TO this, TO that. It's absolutely true that Rosenhous claimed that NFL players who are murderers, drug dealers, and those in the substance abuse program do NOT get as much heat as TO does. I personally can't believe people here have so much hatred towards TO.

A player who cheats (substance abuse) or commits a terrible crime (murder) gets away and a lot of you people barely say anything about that player. There's lots of people here, I bet, who wouldnt mind having Ray Lewis or Jamal Lewis on our team (if we had those needs). If you have any objectivity at all, you would realize that you are giving double standards and hatin on TO more than he deserves. Yes TO is a bad team player and is a crybaby. But if an outsider listened to all your criticism, he would probally think that TO poisoned his QB and sent his RB to the hospital over a bar fight.

I dont feel like mentioning names, but a lot of posters here make me sick. The media is always focusing on TO, and in turn, you put your focus and criticism on him too more than anyone.

I think TO's problem is that, in order to be successful, he needs to have a specific type of player on his team to keep him in line. A type of QB like Peyton Manning or Mike Vick would keep TO in line. Obviously it's not McNabb's fault that TO is acting like this, but for the type of player TO is, there needs to be a prior understanding. If TO played with a Michael Irvin, this type of situation would also never have happened.

I can bet that TO could go to Atlanta and succeed over there. Mike Vick is almost like the center of the NFL. Vick would make sure this type of situation wouldnt start either (http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5071150)

Basically, stop hatin on TO. He's just a bad team player with an attitude. Nothing worse. Unless he plays on the Bills, you have no reason to knock his hustle. If you are gonna say that TO is what's wrong with the NFL, you are sorely mistaken. For example, Randy McMichael is whats wrong with the NFL. Get a damn life and get over TO.

:lmao:

[unpaid_bills]

What I meant was that TO doesn't fall into the category of murderers, rapists, drug abusers, drug dealers, wife beaters, etc...But he is viewed around the league with more criticism than players in those categories.

But since you want to know, I'll tell you at least 1 current NFL player.

BUT Since I know people are gonna argue about this, let me just define Murder before I say anything:
1. The unlawful killing of one human by another, especially with premeditated malice

2. To kill brutally or inhumanly.



Your answer is...
Leonard Little, St. Louis Rams

"Little received 60 days and 1000 hours of community service. Six years later, after the involuntary manslaughter conviction was wiped from his record, Little was again arrested for drunk driving"

Leonard Little, IMO, is 10 times worse than TO.

What TO did was not a crime, it was just stupid. Cant punish a guy for being stupid, well on second thought. What I dont understand is the guy *****ed to get our of SF and to play for a contender, he chose Philly right? He is making 5-6m year + what in the world could he complain about. My teammates dont like me, the coaches yell at me, etc. Grow up. How many of us at work have co-workers or a boss we dont like? To is gonna learn the hard way he works for these guys not the other way around. He is working himself out of millions. What an idiot, but a rich idiot.:cry:

Yeah I read the story about L Little that is unbelievable he should be locked up. The only reason he is not is cause hes a baller.

[Lexwhat]

Guaranteed that TO would go postal on the Falcons because Vick can't get him the ball - not accurate enough. Also guaranteed that Michael Irvin and TO could not co-exist in peace on the same team.

The media does absolutely follow TO to closely. That said, he is a winey ass little ***** and I would not want him as a teammate. If you have ever played a team sport then you know that a player who places himself above the team has to go - the team will do better in the long run without him, no matter how talented, because that player causes too many distractions.

But, I also would not want to Ray Lewis' of the world on my team either. Give me high character guys like Brett Farve, TKO, Payton Manning, Tiki Barber, Donovan McNabb and Troy Vincent anyday.


I do believe that if TO has certain players on the the team, he can be successful and can handle his issues in a smarter way. I just read this on the front page of this site, on what Troy Vincent said:



Asked whether he would want Owens as a teammate, Vincent paused for 7 seconds before saying: “I’d take T.O. I’d take him.”

The reason?

“I just feel like from a leadership standpoint, if the players are all on the same page, some of the situations that occurred this season could've been prevented."


Yes, it's unfortunate that TO needs people to keep him in line. But if players are around to do that, he can be a lot of help to that team.

With that being said, I still cant imagine TO in a Bills uniform.

[Lexwhat]

I thought people might find this story on Terrell ...about him growing up (yes its real)...It doesn't justify anything, but it probally provides some reasons as to why he acts how he acts...Try to read objectively...


Terrell was the first son to his mother, Marilyn Heard. Only 17 at the time, she was the product of a dysfunctional family herself. Most of Marilyn's childhood was spent in fear and silence. Marilyn's mother, Alice, was cruel to her children, raising them in a confined environment with little love or support. Marilyn wasn't allowed to play with other children, and had to come home directly after school. If she didn't, she would pay the price in welts and bruises.

A man named L.C. Russell lived across the street with his wife and kids. Russell was 14 years older than Marilyn, but that didn't matter to either. She craved love and human contact, and he became the father of Terrell. Despite the awkward situation, Russell stayed in the neighborhood with his family.

Marilyn tried to keep her pregnancy a secret from her mother and stepfather, but could only do so for only so long. One night Marilyn's younger sister ran away to live with an aunt. She remained at home with Terrell, who was just a baby.

After Terrell, Marilyn had a girl named Latasha. She was married to the infant's father for a brief time. Then in the early 80's came two more babies—Sharmaine and Victor—fathered by another man.

Terrell often stayed with his grandmother Alice. She was as hard on him as she was on Marilyn. Alice gave him a bike but he could only ride it in the yard. Terrell was permitted no spare time with his friends and couldn't watch TV. He was also whipped regularly. For all the abuse, however, Terrell loved Alice, viewing her as a second mother.

When Terrell was young, Alice's marriage fell apart and she began drinking heavily. The youngster often had to take care of her until she sobered up. One time Alice was so intoxicated, she put her purse in the oven and burned up all her money. Ironically, Alice seemed to lighten up as her alcohol problem worsened. She even bought Terrell a go-cart, which they would drive on the highway.

When Terrell turned 12, he befriended a girl across the street. Her father noticed and confronted him, warning Terrell that the girl was actually his half-sister. Thus the youngster learned who his father was.

To escape his tortured home life, Terrell became immersed in sports. Basketball, baseball and swimming were his favorites. He also loved football, idolizing San Francisco star Jerry Rice. He played despite stark opposition from Alice. Marilyn, by contrast, supported her son completely, knowing sports made him happy.

[X-Era]

Look, I've read a whole lot about TO. Now, before I say anything, I will say that I am very disappointed with his behavior and probally wouldn't want to have him on my team. But why are you giving him so much heat? For what?? Just because he's a jerk and not a team player ON ANOTHER TEAM??!

First of all, the one thing Drew Rosenhous said that was true was that the media has to magnify everything that TO does. TO this, TO that. It's absolutely true that Rosenhous claimed that NFL players who are murderers, drug dealers, and those in the substance abuse program do NOT get as much heat as TO does. I personally can't believe people here have so much hatred towards TO.

A player who cheats (substance abuse) or commits a terrible crime (murder) gets away and a lot of you people barely say anything about that player. There's lots of people here, I bet, who wouldnt mind having Ray Lewis or Jamal Lewis on our team (if we had those needs). If you have any objectivity at all, you would realize that you are giving double standards and hatin on TO more than he deserves. Yes TO is a bad team player and is a crybaby. But if an outsider listened to all your criticism, he would probally think that TO poisoned his QB and sent his RB to the hospital over a bar fight.

I dont feel like mentioning names, but a lot of posters here make me sick. The media is always focusing on TO, and in turn, you put your focus and criticism on him too more than anyone.

I think TO's problem is that, in order to be successful, he needs to have a specific type of player on his team to keep him in line. A type of QB like Peyton Manning or Mike Vick would keep TO in line. Obviously it's not McNabb's fault that TO is acting like this, but for the type of player TO is, there needs to be a prior understanding. If TO played with a Michael Irvin, this type of situation would also never have happened.

I can bet that TO could go to Atlanta and succeed over there. Mike Vick is almost like the center of the NFL. Vick would make sure this type of situation wouldnt start either (http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5071150)

Basically, stop hatin on TO. He's just a bad team player with an attitude. Nothing worse. Unless he plays on the Bills, you have no reason to knock his hustle. If you are gonna say that TO is what's wrong with the NFL, you are sorely mistaken. For example, Randy McMichael is whats wrong with the NFL. Get a damn life and get over TO.

Whoa. Dude, no disrespect to you at all. But, TO is the WORST that pro sports has to offer.

Many Bills fans root for this team because it represents the under dog, the blue collar hard workers who shut there yaps and give there best regardless of pay. Guys like Reed from Kutztown State, Hansen, Thurman. Underrated guys who get it done, play tough, and represent the heart and soul of Buffalo.

If you follow that train of thought, you can see why we would hate clowns like Jimmy Aquanet Johnson, the glitz and glamour and mouths of Dallas, and now TO.

He represents everything I hate, and he represents the worst of the NFL.

I would want my child to grow up and be like Jim Kelly, I wouldnt even let my child WATCH a jerk like TO.

In life, we often reap what we sow. This clown cant get out of his own way and he will pay the price like Me-shawn and Moss. Both lost out on a great situation because of their egos and both will head off into obscurity like TO is destined to.

Anyone who loves Hoosiers, the Bad News Bears, Jerry McGuire, etc.. hates TO.

[Pride]

:bf1:

[DaBills]

I wouldn't want him on the team because he’s too devisive. Talented, but devisive.

But the thing with your original premise that other troubled players are not looked at in the same way as TO is becomes an apples and oranges arguement. Whenever I've ever heard of murderers, abusers, addicts, etc in the NFL getting a pass, I never once heard they flipped out and f'ed their team chemistry by talking about the team QB to the press, or going against management.

In fact, doesn't what happen with most dudes who off-field problems is that they all 'just want to put this behind them and get back to concentrating on football'. Then they go out, do their job, STFU, and blend in with the team.

TO couldn't do that because his problems WERE with the team itself, NOT because of an off-field situation.

While he isn't under suspicion for murder, or tax problems or anything like that – he appears to have violated the sancity of the team/unwritten rule that you don‘t turn against your team or go against your QB, and don't talk **** in public. (And Rosenhaus the ******* in this too, certainly could've gone to Eagles management and quietly and said before camp, 'broken leg, plays for you in the SB, help him out with a new deal'. But he doesn't. Instead he *****es out lout about TO not getting his.)

Having said that, he has immense talent on the field, no doubt. Lemmee throw out this theory though and it's no excuse for his attitude, but maybe explains why TO may be frustrated in Philly: being stuck in Jets/Philly country now I get to watch a lot of eagles games, and was even at the chargers/eagles a few weeks ago (don't hate, I'm a Bills fan forever). McNabb is not throwing to this guy like he did last year, certainly not any more ;-p.

Maybe McNabb is hurt more than they're saying, but there were a lot of Flutie-type passes thrown short or at his feet, and a LOT of times where TO was wide open and McNabb locked in elsewhere.

All I would say is, you're Reid, you have a weapon like TO and you're known to throw 50+ times a game – why the hell aren't you using him? Now, you may hate the guy because he has created locker room probs, ok. But it seems like they'd rather lose to spite TO rather than 'get him the damn ball.'

[Jeff1220]

Let's use an analogy here:
Imagine a high ranking employee for Microsoft. Imagine this talented, innovative employee constantly *****ing to the media about his pay, while doing so, he trashes and discredits some of the companies best products. He says he's not coming to work until they give him a higher contract. Gates denies his efforts and says, "Come back to work or we won't pay you."

The employee reluctantly and begrudgingly returns to work. Imagine him returning and doing the same sorts of *****ing to the media about the products the company puts out, and saying he is better than the other employees and might be better off working for another tech company. At this time, he goes as far as to call out one of the top VP's of the company and condescend his authority and expertise by telling him not to speak unless spoken to. He gets sent home by the company for a week to recalculate his thoughts and work things out...probably with some help from the Employee Assistance Program.
He returns to work and behaves, relatively speaking. Things begin to seem like they are getting a little better with him, but now the company is doing okay but struggles to reach the profits of years past. The employee is suddenly calling in sick, even though people have seen him well and were unaware that he had gotten ill. A consultant visits him and quetions him about it, and they proceed to get into a fist fight. The employee begins to speak out again. He tells the media that MS would be more profitable if they had created and sold iPods (competitor's highest-profile product of the season) instead of Xbox 360s (MS's highest-profile product of the season). He continues to throw the company and it's employees under the bus. Bill Gates and the other board of directors agree that he needs to be suspended and eventually let go because he is creating a divided, distracted workplace, and the company will be more efficient, as a whole, with out his talented services.
All MS and Apple jokes aside, would it have taken this long to get this end in a real business situation? Would any boss be questioned in making this move? This is the T.O. story in an abstract sort of way. He's not accused of being a murderer...he's accused of being a talented but poorly disciplined, cancerous employee, who knows nothing about manners or teamwork. And he should be fired!

[X-Era]

Let's use an analogy here:
Imagine a high ranking employee for Microsoft. Imagine this talented, innovative employee constantly *****ing to the media about his pay, while doing so, he trashes and discredits some of the companies best products. He says he's not coming to work until they give him a higher contract. Gates denies his efforts and says, "Come back to work or we won't pay you."

The employee reluctantly and begrudgingly returns to work. Imagine him returning and doing the same sorts of *****ing to the media about the products the company puts out, and saying he is better than the other employees and might be better off working for another tech company. At this time, he goes as far as to call out one of the top VP's of the company and condescend his authority and expertise by telling him not to speak unless spoken to. He gets sent home by the company for a week to recalculate his thoughts and work things out...probably with some help from the Employee Assistance Program.
He returns to work and behaves, relatively speaking. Things begin to seem like they are getting a little better with him, but now the company is doing okay but struggles to reach the profits of years past. The employee is suddenly calling in sick, even though people have seen him well and were unaware that he had gotten ill. A consultant visits him and quetions him about it, and they proceed to get into a fist fight. The employee begins to speak out again. He tells the media that MS would be more profitable if they had created and sold iPods (competitor's highest-profile product of the season) instead of Xbox 360s (MS's highest-profile product of the season). He continues to throw the company and it's employees under the bus. Bill Gates and the other board of directors agree that he needs to be suspended and eventually let go because he is creating a divided, distracted workplace, and the company will be more efficient, as a whole, with out his talented services.
All MS and Apple jokes aside, would it have taken this long to get this end in a real business situation? Would any boss be questioned in making this move? This is the T.O. story in an abstract sort of way. He's not accused of being a murderer...he's accused of being a talented but poorly disciplined, cancerous employee, who knows nothing about manners or teamwork. And he should be fired!

Your on the money. I work with a guy who has all the talent in the world but just cant keep his stupid mouth shut. He shoots himself inthe foot with his own mouth. Nast attitude, scheming, manipulating. He is his own problem. Everyone knows it. His potential is ultimately limited because of his own mouth. He will go nowhere and neither will TO.

My best plan for dealing with it is to put as much distance between him and me. To me any team that truly wants to win as a TEAM will do the same with TO.

[DaBills]

Let's use an analogy here:
And he should be fired!

Would he still be entitled to health insurance for 18 months after?


;-p