Eagles Owner Lurie Sheds No Tears Over Owens’ Departure

By Mark Hoerrner

Terrell Owens got his wish—he’ll be starting for the Dallas Cowboys franchise this season. But owner Jeffrey Lurie says he got his wish, too, and that was having Owens off the team. He said he would not make that mistake again.

"I would not do it again," Lurie said Wednesday in his annual state-of-the-team address. "You look back on it—one year great, the second year a disaster. Nobody should be able to be as disruptive and really cut the energy of the team down. I think we all learned from that."

The Owens odyssey is a strange one. During his first year with the team, Owens helped fly the Eagles into the Superbowl for the first time in 25 years. Then, Owens and quarterback Donovan McNabb began a season-long spat that destroyed team morale.

"When we’re in the draft room, or approaching free agency or picking players or trading players, character is probably No. 1 … if you don’t get past the character test, the teamwork test, you’re not going to be on the Philadelphia Eagles," said Lurie, who cited the last two Super Bowl winners, the Patriots and Steelers, as examples.

The New England Patriots beat the Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX were a lesser team at the time. The rolls were full of injuries and the Eagles had a fresher team. It should have been a no-brainer.

"On paper you wouldn’t say they’d win Super Bowls like they did," Lurie said. "It’s different from any other sport. If you don’t have the chemistry, the talent and the help, with high-character people, you’re not going to survive those downturns in the middle of the season."

But Lurie said the experience hasn’t soured him on the process.

"I’ll always be a risk taker," Lurie said. "You’ve got to take risks if you can identify the character, the talent and the potential. I can see making mistakes again, sure. If you want to be aggressive, you’re going to make mistakes. You don’t want to be a risk-averse franchise – that’s not how you win big. … You take your shots. You just try to be smart, rational and hope you have a good batting average."

Lurie’s not young, however, and is looking for a Superbowl win. His buyout of the Eagles was the largest price paid for a professional team in history. He was asked about what kind of legacy he would like to leave.

"It’s not just the end. It’s the process," Lurie said. "It’s not just that you hit your 85th year. It’s, ‘Was the life fulfilling and enjoyable?’ I’d have to say we regret the decision we made there, but it was done with great intentions."