The Terrell Owens-Judy Miller Connection

By: Joe Strupp Now that Judith Miller is leaving The New York Times, maybe she can join that other soon-to-be-unemployed star of another top-rated team, Terrell Owens.

The two may not have much in common at first glance. Owens is a black male football player educated in Tennessee who is known for sprinting fast, leaping high and grabbing difficult catches, most famously in this year's Super Bowl. Miller, a bit older, with a Princeton degree, is a white woman, who made her name in a different game: the Washington, D.C. Power Bowl, where hardhitting reporters have lately seen a record number of penalty flags.

Still, if you look at the similarities between the two, their paths to unemployment are not that different. Both were part of championship-caliber teams and made all-star teams. Both are known for their highly creative pass routes. Both had their martyr moments. Miller spent 85 days in jail in defense of her protection of a source, while Owens was nearly canonized for rehabilitating an injured leg during last season's playoffs, then playing one of his best games ever in the championship on what was clearly a sore extremity.

Then each allowed their long-running reputations for, shall we say, questionable behavior, arise again. Owens, known self-promoter who ran amok during previous years, took on a new role as team troublemaker in training camp, when he refused to report unless he got a new contract, a bluff that eventually failed. Then he was sniped at by teammates. Then Owens attacked team leader Donovan McNabb. More sniping followed.

Miller's story took a similar twist shortly after that, when, after she reversed course and left jail, she failed to cooperate fully with Times editors and reporters seeking to tell her story to readers. A back-and-forth of memos and critical comments among Miller, quarterback Bill Keller, left tackle Mo Dowd and flanker Barney Calame created an internal sniping match that even team owner A.O. "The Boss" Sulzberger, Jr. had trouble quelling. Instead of The New York Times it was more like the New York Yankees of the Billy Martin-Reggie Jackson era.

Neither Owens, nor Miller, backed down much. Both Miller and Owens were quick to praise their own work and put colleagues aside, according to teammates. Finally, both Miller and Owens are left jobless, but will be well paid without having to do any further work for their employers.

Now, if the Eagles still need an Owens' replacement at wide receiver, why not Miller? She has shown she can catch and run with nearly anything thrown at her, at least from Iraqi WMD sources. She's a pretty good blocker, too, if you count deflecting criticism. And Miller has got to have some upper body strength from carrying all that baggage around.

The Times, of course, is still reeling from the controversy over that other starting player who had to be cut from the team just two and half years ago for numerous penalties and failing to show up for some games. Fans have long memories.

Either way, it is clear that losing Miller and Owens has left their former championship teams damaged. The Eagles are unlikely to reach the Super Bowl again this season, while the Times, which can still move the ball downfield and score, has a whole new crop of angry spectators in the stands, a few less cheerleaders, and a head coach and owner with bruised feelings.

So is anyone still ready for some football?