kepdawg
12-20-2007, 12:58 PM
Dallas Cowboys' Owens sorry for Jessica Simpson comments
T.O. talks of Romo being distracted, then says, 'I was joking'
10:40 AM CST on Thursday, December 20, 2007
By CALVIN WATKINS / The Dallas Morning News
cwatkins@dallasnews.com
It was all a joke.
After a media firestorm was created with his comments about Tony Romo's girlfriend, Jessica Simpson, being a distraction, Terrell Owens said he was joking and that he's sorry.
Owens, speaking before the Mavericks-Suns game at the American Airlines Center on Wednesday night, said he apologized to Romo for all the confusion and added that he wants to speak to Simpson as well.
"I tried to get [Romo] to call her so I can explain to her that she doesn't really know me and that I can be funny," Owens said. "And that everything I say, the media will take it and run with it. It's not a big deal. I will try to rectify the situation between her and I."
Before Cowboys practice on Wednesday afternoon, Owens said Simpson was a problem for Romo.
"Right now, Jessica Simpson is not a fan favorite in this locker room or in Texas Stadium," Owens said. "I think with everything that has happened, and obviously the way Tony played and the comparison between her and Carrie Underwood, I think a lot of people feel like she's kind of taken his focus away."
Romo, who normally speaks to the media on Wednesdays, was unavailable for comment because he was receiving treatment on his bruised right thumb.
Owens was asked about Simpson being a distraction because she was sitting in the front row of a suite at Texas Stadium during the Cowboys' loss to Philadelphia on Sunday.
Romo had one of the worst games of his career against the Eagles, throwing three interceptions, with no touchdowns and a 22.2 quarterback rating.
Simpson, however, attended games in recent weeks against Green Bay and the New York Jets, both Cowboys victories and games where Romo played well. He threw for 195 yards, two touchdowns and an interception against the Jets, and 309 yards, four touchdowns and an interception against the Packers.
Owens said he wasn't trying to cause any problems on a team that is fighting for home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
"No, I'm not trying to be a distraction," he said. "I understand how everybody is looking at Jessica Simpson as a distraction and that's definitely not how I saw it. That's how the media saw it. If anybody wants to look at it as a negative, they can do that. But for me, she was there to support Tony.
"He had a bad game. I don't think she had anything to do with it. We lost as a team."
There are other issues as Dallas enters the late stages of the regular season.
Owens is frustrated with a lack of production the last two games in which he's had five catches for 58 yards and no touchdowns.
"I have to be patient and I have to make myself realize Tony has played only a year and a half of football," Owens said Monday. "So, he really hasn't seen a lot of football. He's learning on the fly, and we've had success."
Then there's Romo, who is battling through a bruised right thumb. He did practice Wednesday, and coach Wade Phillips said he expects Romo to start Saturday at Carolina.
Home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs also remains up for grabs. The Cowboys and Green Bay are both 12-2, but Dallas owns the tiebreaker advantage because of its win over the Packers.
Phillips doesn't believe his team or quarterback is distracted for Saturday's game, despite everything that's swirling around them.
"All this about something out there that might be this or that, I'm getting away from that," he said. I'm going right back to the basics. We've got to play as well as we can – that will help us win this game."
LINK (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/122007dnspocowlede.22665df.html)
T.O. talks of Romo being distracted, then says, 'I was joking'
10:40 AM CST on Thursday, December 20, 2007
By CALVIN WATKINS / The Dallas Morning News
cwatkins@dallasnews.com
It was all a joke.
After a media firestorm was created with his comments about Tony Romo's girlfriend, Jessica Simpson, being a distraction, Terrell Owens said he was joking and that he's sorry.
Owens, speaking before the Mavericks-Suns game at the American Airlines Center on Wednesday night, said he apologized to Romo for all the confusion and added that he wants to speak to Simpson as well.
"I tried to get [Romo] to call her so I can explain to her that she doesn't really know me and that I can be funny," Owens said. "And that everything I say, the media will take it and run with it. It's not a big deal. I will try to rectify the situation between her and I."
Before Cowboys practice on Wednesday afternoon, Owens said Simpson was a problem for Romo.
"Right now, Jessica Simpson is not a fan favorite in this locker room or in Texas Stadium," Owens said. "I think with everything that has happened, and obviously the way Tony played and the comparison between her and Carrie Underwood, I think a lot of people feel like she's kind of taken his focus away."
Romo, who normally speaks to the media on Wednesdays, was unavailable for comment because he was receiving treatment on his bruised right thumb.
Owens was asked about Simpson being a distraction because she was sitting in the front row of a suite at Texas Stadium during the Cowboys' loss to Philadelphia on Sunday.
Romo had one of the worst games of his career against the Eagles, throwing three interceptions, with no touchdowns and a 22.2 quarterback rating.
Simpson, however, attended games in recent weeks against Green Bay and the New York Jets, both Cowboys victories and games where Romo played well. He threw for 195 yards, two touchdowns and an interception against the Jets, and 309 yards, four touchdowns and an interception against the Packers.
Owens said he wasn't trying to cause any problems on a team that is fighting for home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
"No, I'm not trying to be a distraction," he said. "I understand how everybody is looking at Jessica Simpson as a distraction and that's definitely not how I saw it. That's how the media saw it. If anybody wants to look at it as a negative, they can do that. But for me, she was there to support Tony.
"He had a bad game. I don't think she had anything to do with it. We lost as a team."
There are other issues as Dallas enters the late stages of the regular season.
Owens is frustrated with a lack of production the last two games in which he's had five catches for 58 yards and no touchdowns.
"I have to be patient and I have to make myself realize Tony has played only a year and a half of football," Owens said Monday. "So, he really hasn't seen a lot of football. He's learning on the fly, and we've had success."
Then there's Romo, who is battling through a bruised right thumb. He did practice Wednesday, and coach Wade Phillips said he expects Romo to start Saturday at Carolina.
Home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs also remains up for grabs. The Cowboys and Green Bay are both 12-2, but Dallas owns the tiebreaker advantage because of its win over the Packers.
Phillips doesn't believe his team or quarterback is distracted for Saturday's game, despite everything that's swirling around them.
"All this about something out there that might be this or that, I'm getting away from that," he said. I'm going right back to the basics. We've got to play as well as we can – that will help us win this game."
LINK (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/122007dnspocowlede.22665df.html)