American Football: Owens, Garcia still at it

Mention Jeff Garcia's name most days to Terrell Owens and it's bound to elicit a negative response. Not Wednesday. With a game between Owens' Eagles and Garcia's Cleveland Browns three days away, the wide receiver threatened to end a news conference if reporters didn't change the subject.

Told that his former quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers couldn't understand the criticism and negativity that Owens has directed at Garcia, the receiver pointed a finger at the media that had congregated inside the NovaCare Complex auditorium.

"I haven't criticized him as of late," Owens said. "I think everybody keeps getting reports from the book. You're the ones who won't let it go. I've let it go since training camp."

A reporter immediately followed up by pointing out that Owens ripped Garcia as recently as last week during an interview with HBO's "Inside the NFL.

"You all were asking me a question," Owens said. "What do you want me to do, stare at the camera?"

For the record, the question that drew a negative response about Garcia was this: "Why did you predict your current success with the Eagles?"

His answer: "Just me having a lot of faith in myself, my ability. Knowing what I could've accomplished had I had a guy like Donovan (McNabb) for four or five years, if I'd had a strong-armed quarterback.

"(Garcia) threw the ball behind me, out of bounds. I left a lot of touchdowns on the field throughout the last two or three years. So when everybody makes that comparison about (Randy) Moss and I ... I know had I had a strong-armed quarterback, a guy who can get the ball down the field, there wouldn't be any kind of comparison."

Owens also takes an unprovoked shot at Garcia in the Oct. 25 edition of ESPN the Magazine. The magazine did a dual interview with McNabb and Owens. The two offered streams of consciousness, and at one point, Owens started talking about his favorite subject.

"In San Francisco, I practiced hard, but I can only be as good as my quarterback," he said. "The guy wasn't meeting me halfway."

In five seasons together, Garcia and Owens teamed for 50 touchdowns, but their relationship ended in a bitter divorce.

Rest of Article