Lewis versus Owens
Terrell Owens and Ray Lewis now can take shots at each other on the field instead of in the papers.
The two friends-turned-adversaries face each other for the first time since their mini-feud began when Owens and the Philadelphia Eagles host the Baltimore Ravens tonight.
Owens, the Pro Bowl wide receiver, and Lewis, the All-Pro linebacker, have had some testy exchanges since Owens spurned the Ravens, forcing a trade to the Eagles after the San Francisco 49ers dealt him to Baltimore.
Lewis warned Owens not to go across the middle. Owens responded by saying Lewis isn’t the hardest hitter he has faced.
“I’m sure everybody knows that we’ve had a little war of words, but these are issues that you pray about,” Owens said. “I have no grudges against Ray and I’m not sure how he feels about me. But as far as I’m concerned, he’s my friend.”
Lewis lobbied hard to get Owens to join the Ravens in the off-season. After a paperwork error prevented Owens from becoming a free agent, Lewis got his wish when Baltimore acquired the outspoken receiver from the 49ers.
But Owens protested the trade, refused to show up for a physical and insisted he wanted to play in Philadelphia. The union then filed a grievance on Owens’ behalf to make him a free agent.
The three teams agreed to a trade before an arbitrator could rule on the case.
The rivalry spices up a preseason game in which the starters aren’t expected to play much. Ravens coach Brian Billick said his first-team players will get about 25 snaps. Eagles coach Andy Reid plans to give his first unit a full half.
It’s possible that Lewis will have to wait until the teams meet in the regular season on Oct. 31 to get a real shot at Owens.
Gannon takes QB battle to heart
He said he’s not worried about Kerry Collins – the Oakland Raiders’ new flavor-of-the-month – taking the job he has held since 1999.
Then why did redemption-craving Rich Gannon – league Most Valuable Player in 2002, lost to season-ending shoulder surgery in 2003, on some endangered species lists in 2004 – spend a chunk of his Wednesday afternoon in a hotel parking lot of delivering a personal, Raiders quarterback stump speech, complete with hand motioning, eye raising and voice whispering?
“People have no idea what I bring to this table and what I’ve done for this organization,” a forthcoming Gannon said with a far-from-blunted edge to his voice.
“I’ve gone to four straight Pro Bowls, been league MVP … and now all of sudden people are like, ‘Look at this guy. He can’t do anything.’ It’s a joke. An absolute joke.”
Gannon is waging his own – albeit mostly private – campaign to mute the underlying murmur behind this training camp: That his 38-year-old, surgically repaired throwing shoulder will yield to Collins’ 31-year-old cannon — perhaps as soon as the exhibition games end Sept. 2 and the real ones begin Sept. 12 in Pittsburgh.
His campaign has vanity. Gannon reported to camp at 203 pounds, his lightest weight since 1987, his rookie season with Minnesota. Gone are the salt-and-pepper colored edges to his now jet-black hair.
His campaign even has an economic angle. Collins is making a base salary of $660,000 and has a signing bonus that counts for another $1.2 million against this year’s salary cap. Gannon is due a base pay of $7 million, with another $1.9 million in bonus money.
Collins confirmed that for 2005, the Raiders guaranteed $3.5 million of a $4.7 million base. Gannon’s salary cap number exceeds $10 million next season.
His new coach, Norv Turner, has said that Gannon is the starter since the day in May that the Raiders signed Collins to a three-year, $12 million contract.
Delhomme, Panthers top Manning, Giants
Although the spotlight was on Eli Manning, Jake Delhomme shone the brightest.
Manning had a decent debut as a starter, but Delhomme overshadowed the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft by throwing for a touchdown and running for another in the Carolina Panthers’ 27-20 preseason victory over the New York Giants.
Around the league
Pittsburgh Steelers right guard Kendall Simmons will miss the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. … Indianapolis Colts rookie safety Bob Sanders missed his 26th practice. … A test on Jacksonville Jaguars rookie linebacker Jorge Cordova‘s knee showed damage to the anterior cruciate ligament, and the third-round draft choice will be out for the season. … San Diego Chargers’ backup quarterback Doug Flutie participated in his first full practice since having arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Aug. 5.