I haven't said much about the Eagles/Terrell Owens controversy, mainly because I had said enough here and nothing's really changed since then (other than the fact that Hugh Douglas got his ass whupped, and probably deserved it for sticking his nose into another man's business, especially when he isn't even on the roster now).

Now, T.O.'s days with the Eagles are pretty much over, as it seems Reid and Laurie have had enough of his antics and have decided to put him on the shelf.  They used a new character suspension rule that lasts up to four games, then they will deactivate him for the rest of the season.

There's one problem with that tho:  they can't do that.  Or at the very least, they shouldn't be allowed to.

I agree with Gene Upshaw and the NFL Players' Union, at least to an extent.  You can't impose a suspension just so you can go without paying him.  If you don't want him on your team anymore, cut him and let him go to a team that wants him.  If you're not going to do that, then you need to finish paying him for the rest of the season.  It's as simple as that.  There's a contract, and you need to pay him in accordance to that contract.

No matter how people feel about Owen's conduct, the Eagles have no right from preventing him from making money, or continuing to conduct business.  Football is his business.  By keeping Owens from playing, Rosenhaus (Owen's agent) can't start negotiating to play for other teams.  The union is calling for the Eagles to cut Owens immediately; but I say they could change him to deactivation status and pay him his full salary for the rest of the year, just like the Tampa Bay Bucs did to Keyshawn Johnson.  But they can't suspend him, and THEN deactivate him, because Owens is entitled to get paid according to his contract.  And that's reasonable considering these minor offenses.

After all, Owens wasn't accused of murder.  He didn't rape some white chick.  He didn't beat his wife.  He didn't get convicted of selling drugs.  All he did was do what he always has done, and that's be a pain in the ass.  That's what Owens did before he went to the Eagles, and it didn't take Nostradamus to prophetize that he was going to eventually do it with the Eagles.  That doesn't mean the Eagles have a legitimate reason to not pay the man.  They got themselves into this situation as much as Owens did.  Call the season a loss, pay him, and be done with it.