San Fran needs wins, not whiners

It's a good thing that I don't own or manage a major sports franchise. I don't care how outstanding 49ers wide receiver Terrell Owens can be, on my team he'd be sitting out this week after pulling yet another sideline temper tantrum in Sunday's blowout loss in Minnesota.
Yes, Owens is one of the top three wide receivers in the NFL. But the insubordination he continually shows to his coaches and teammates is inexcusable. It's embarrassing to a franchise considered by many to be one of the NFL's classiest.
Warned
Niners coach Dennis Erickson says Owens has been warned his outbursts will no longer be tolerated. It probably won't take long to find out if that's true.
Last week on the day after the Niners lost at home to the Cleveland Browns, several players tried to downplay Owens' postgame outburst against the offensive line and offensive coordinator Gregg Knapp.
They weren't defending their spoiled brat teammate so much as trying to chill the negative vibrations flowing throughout the Santa Clara, Calif., training facility after their arrogant superstar proclaimed he's being shortchanged.
Today, that chill has turned to frostbite.
Sunday, Owens followed up his rant against Knapp by declaring that the Niners have "no heart" and suggesting that aching All-Pro quarterback Jeff Garcia should be benched.
Owens' 49ers tenure most likely will expire at the end of this season. His agent, David Joseph, tried to negotiate an extension before training camp but GM Terry Donahue said no thanks.
If the Niners intend to keep Owens, it makes sense to treat him with kid gloves. But if they know now they have no intention of retaining his services, why let him rule the roost?
Better yet, why not dangle him as trade bait to one of the 4-0 teams who might cough up a couple of high draft picks.
At 1-3, the Niners needs wins, not whiners if they intend to defend their NFC West title.
Around the league
UA 1-3 start doesn't mean a team can't make the NFL playoffs. Last year, three of the AFC's six playoff teams (the Steelers, Jets and Titans) overcame 1-3 starts to win divisions. In fact, the Jets and Titans were 1-4 before coming on strong.
So the Cleveland Browns (1-3) have not yet reached do-or-die status. Or have they? A loss Sunday at Pittsburgh would give the Browns a 0-3 record in the AFC North. Should Cleveland tie the Steelers or Ravens, division record is the first tiebreaker.
Butch Davis is 0-7 against the Steelers since taking charge of the Browns. He needs to snap that streak soon.
USpeaking of 4-0 teams, WKBN Channel 27 has dropped the Dolphins/Giants telecast Sunday in favor of the unbeaten showdown between the Broncos and Chiefs.
Sister station WYFX Channel 17/62 will show Steve Mariucci's Detroit Lions taking on the Niners at 3Com Park, Mooch's home stadium for six seasons.
Mariucci says his return is part "reunion weekend. We have [Seattle coach] Mike Holmgren going back to Green Bay, [Indianapolis coach] Tony Dungy going back to Tampa Bay, [Cardinals running back] Emmitt Smith playing the Cowboys.
"When you think about it this is the sign of the times," Mariucci told the Detroit media on Monday. "We, as coaches and players, to stay with one team for 15 years and retire is a dinosaur. That's not going to happen very often.
"People are going to be changing teams for whatever reasons and so on every team you have coaches that have been elsewhere and players who have been elsewhere and these sorts of reunion games are going to occur constantly. This just happens to be all in one weekend."
UFifty-two weeks ago, I went an amazing 0-for-4 in predicting baseball's division series winners. So there's no way I'm going to repeat that mistake by sharing that the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants will still be playing baseball next week.
XTom Williams is a sportswriter with The Vindicator. Write him at williams@vindy.com.