Movies are often defined by one line.  Take Marlon Brando’s “I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse,” or Clark Gable’s “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” These lines give movies an identity and capture their essence. 

Some lines, however, such as “Show me the money!” (from the 1996 box-office hit Jerry McGuire), get at the essence of life, or, in this case, the NFL off-season. 

In the movie Jerry McGuire, Cuba Gooding Jr. plays Rod Tidwell, a flamboyant and “paycheck playing” wide receiver in want of a bigger contract.

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens has adopted Tidwell’s “Show me the money!” maxim, holding out and refusing to play until his contract is renegotiated.

Football is the only sport where I can come close to sympathizing with any athlete who refuses to play his or her sport because of contract reasons.  Unlike the NBA and MLB, the NFL does not guarantee its contracts under the current collective bargaining agreement.  NFL holdout supporters believe that if a team can deem a player unworthy of his salary, why shouldn’t a player be able to deem himself worth more than his pay and refuse to play until he is compensated accordingly?

Here’s the problem with this philosophy.  First and foremost, the players that are holding out are millionaires trying to make more millions.  Owens, a 10-year veteran who signed a seven-year, $49 million contract with the Eagles a year ago, is arguably the best wideout in the game.  He joined a team that had fallen one game shy of the Super Bowl for three consecutive years, and led them to the final game in his first year with Philadelphia.  After bonuses and other incentives, Owens made more than $9.1 million last season, second only to Marvin Harrison, who made $10.5 million. 

Call me crazy, but I have a feeling that Terrell Owens is doing all right for himself.  In fact, I would be willing to say he lives quite comfortably.  Regardless of whether or not his contract is renegotiated and he receives more money upfront, I can’t imagine his lifestyle would change that much either way.

Secondly, Terrell Owens signed his contract.  He knew what his annual salary would be, he knew what bonuses he could receive and he knew the incentives that could be provided.  And he signed.  What happened in the past year to make Terrell Owens go from loving his contract to hating it? Quite simply, a greedy player got even greedier. 

Allow me to put this greed in perspective.  If I worked 40 hours each week at my current job, it would take me 473.9 years to earn what Terrell Owens made last season.  I don’t know what it is, but I simply cannot bring myself to feel sorry for the guy.  And if I ever refused to work and demanded a raise, I would get fired.  But I suppose that since athletes are living a fantasy life, the rules of reality do not apply to them. 

Thirdly, I’m not sure if Owens is aware, but if he is so unhappy with this job, he can quit the sport whenever he wants.  No one is holding a gun to his head, forcing him to play football.  I wonder what Owens would think of his current contract if he had to work a regular nine to five job like everyone else. 

T.O. is also destroying what were strong relationships with quarterback Donovan McNabb and head coach Andy Reid.  Owens’ antics have caused McNabb to refer to him as “some receiver,” refusing to call him by his actual name.  Anyone who thinks that chemistry between a quarterback and a receiver is not important doesn’t know anything about football.

Reid met with Owens last Wednesday to see where the Pro-Bowl receiver stood, and he reports that he heard what he wanted to hear.  You know what I want to hear? I want to hear Owens publicly apologize to his coach, his team, the league and the fans for his childish behavior. 

To be fair, the comparisons between Tidwell and T.O. really don’t go that far.  Tidwell—who is dissatisfied with his playing-for-peanuts salary—doesn’t hold out, has a Pro-Bowl-caliber season and gets the contract he wanted. 

A big part of Tidwell’s turnaround can be attributed to advice he was given by his agent, Jerry McGuire: “When you get on the field, it’s all about what you didn’t get, who’s to blame, who under-threw the pass, who’s got the contracts you don’t, who’s not giving you your love.  That is not what inspires people.  Shut up! Play the game! Play it from the heart! And I will show you the [money]! That’s the truth—can you handle it?”

        Tidwell could. As for T.O., well, the jury is still out on that one.