AP News, December 18th, 2006
Terrell Owens has 35,000 reasons to never spit at an opponent again.
T.O. was fined $35,000 by the NFL on Monday for spitting in the face of Atlanta cornerback D'Angelo Hall during Saturday night's Cowboys-Falcons game.
Although it's more than twice as much as the last fine for spitting, the flamboyant receiver avoided a suspension.
That doesn't mean he is out of Bill Parcells' doghouse.
The Dallas coach said Monday "we don't condone that kind of activity," adding that the team may also punish Owens.
"If we did, I wouldn't make anybody aware of it," Parcells said, thus indicating that won't be a suspension either.
Owens wasn't ejected because officials didn't see it.
Did T.O. even know he did it?
At first, he said he did, telling the NFL Network after the game: "I got frustrated and I apologize for that. It was a situation where he kept bugging me and getting in my face."
But on Monday, he insisted it was an accident.
"When it happened, we were jawing in each other's face, so it wasn't anything intentional," Owens said. "I didn't intentionally spit in his face. He's trying to make it seem like more than what it was by saying I hauled off and spit in his face. I feel like if I spit in his face ... somebody would've seen it."
This isn't the first "accident" surrounding Owens this season.
Among the many incidents in his event-filled season, was an accidental overdose that landed him in a hospital emergency room. His publicist denied a police report calling it a possible suicide attempt, saying he had $25 million reasons to live.
During a playoff game last season, Washington's Sean Taylor was kicked out of a game for spitting at Tampa Bay's Michael Pittman. Taylor was later fined $17,000.
Denver linebacker Bill Romanowski was fined $7,500 for spitting in the face of 49ers receiver J.J. Stokes in 1997.
Owens is making $10 million this season as part of a three-year, $25 million contract signed in March.
Not having Owens would've hurt the Cowboys (9-5) more, too, as he's their leading receiver and they are fighting for playoff positioning.
They've already clinched a playoff spot, but can win the NFC East with a victory Monday against Philadelphia _ Owens' former team.
