Two brash talents were suspended this week (Howard Stern & Terrell Owens')

[Stone Cold is Bout It, Bout It]

T.O. and Stern: Outspoken, suspended and ...

Two of a kind? Sort of.

After opening his mouth one too many times, he was suspended earlier this week. Openly insulting his employers to the general public, the organization that signs his checks were forced to finally pull the plug. You either love him or you hate him. There's really no in between. He'll be with a different squad next year, but no one knows truly what to expect.
Pretty accurate description of that former/current/I'm not sure what he is Philadelphia Eagles receiver, no? Only, I'm not describing the artist formerly known as T.O. at all.

I'm talking about Terrell Owens' modern-day equivalent in the world of entertainment — the King of All Media, one Howard Stern.

Bizarre comparison? Sure, if you look at it on the exterior. What could a 51-year-old guy with an appreciation for Blue Iris "granny porn" and "Rock Star INXS" possibly have in common with a 31-year-old NFL All-Pro wide receiver? But, the more you analyze these two men, the more they seem the same: Two incredible talents with a unique ability to simultaneously endear and enrage.

Their respective paths to stardom are eerily similar. T.O. came into the league as an unknown, hard-working kid out of Chattanooga. In the shadow of Jerry Rice in San Francisco his first few seasons, Owens was a secondary guy, a complementary piece in a high-octane 49er offense. He had the skills, but wasn't the main option right away.


Is Howard Stern the T.O. of the airwaves? Or is T.O. the Howard Stern of the NFL? ( / Associated Press)



Stern came into the radio biz the same way. His initial shows in Hartford and Detroit, though successful, were nothing quite as outrageous as the shows he put on in the mid '80s and 90s in D.C. and New York. He'd play the records, do the news, and have the honor of introducing bands like Journey at concerts. Standard fare for an FM DJ. After tearing up the Washington, D.C. market, Stern came home to New York to work at WNBC. There, like Owens in San Francisco, he was treated as the second option. Don Imus had been at the station for years and was "the man."

Once Rice left San Francisco (T.O. had 20 receptions in Jerry's last regular-season game as a Niner), it was Owens' turn to become the first option. He responded with greatness. The numbers were astounding. From 2001 to 2003, Owens had season reception totals of 93, 100, and 80. He erupted from second-fiddle status to become one of the most feared men in football. Along the way came Sharpie pens, pom-poms, and poses on the Texas Stadium star. He was the total package — a tremendous talent with personality and passion. The talking heads ranted and raved about the antics, and yet, his actions led the sports highlights shows each night. He became the poster boy for all that was wrong in sports. But every time you turned on the tube, there he was — in the spotlight.

Where to start with Stern? If you've read the book or seen the movie Private Parts, you most likely already know the gist. He would leave WNBC, move to K-ROCK (WXRK), get syndicated across the nation, and even consider a run for New York governor. No. 1 in ratings year in and year out, he's one of the most beloved personalities in the country. He's also one of the most hated. Along the way, he's introduced the world to Beetlejuice, Hank the Angry Dwarf, Elegant Elliot Offen, and the genius that is Richard Christie's father. His version of the Sharpie Pen is the Robo-Spanker. His pom-poms? The Wheel of Sex. The media eats him up. They also spit him out. Like Owens, Stern is vilified by critics and moralists alike.

Monday, Stern was punished with a one-day suspension from his employers, Infinity Broadcasting. They felt as though he was plugging his future gig, a massive deal with Sirius Satellite Radio, too much on their dime. His spokesman, Matt Traub, told the Associated Press, "This is an act of desperation by men who are losing their once-in-a-lifetime franchise."

On the same day, coincidentally, T.O. was suspended, too. In an interview with ESPN last week, he confirmed an earlier statement that suggested Philadelphia would be better off with Brett Favre as the team's quarterback. The comment was just another jab in a long line of digs at Eagles gunslinger and face-of-the-franchise, Donovan McNabb. You've read the timelines, seen the montages, and been bludgeoned to death with that drama already. No need to go over all of it again here. Let's just say Owens' latest attack at McNabb was the straw that broke the camel's back. Or the swipe that clipped the Eagle's wing. Or whatever clever, poignant, animal metaphor you'd like to use.

Both men were told not to come to work Tuesday, and neither did. They'll each be toiling for new employers in 2006, refreshed, and ready to start anew. Framed as public enemies, their new beginnings will be two of the biggest stories of the upcoming calendar year. Don't worry, you'll hear all about both. Over and over and over again.

Owens and Stern, two men who have yet to meet in person, are shockingly pretty similar. They're entertainers, at the prime of their careers, doing what they do best — going against the grain. Whereas neither man is a perfect angel, neither has done anything altogether illegal either. For every High-Pitch Eric "Kelly Clarkson" phone call Stern takes, there are dozens of entertainers out there abusing drugs, cheating on spouses, and getting caught drunk driving. In the same vein, for every quarterback Owens speaks poorly about, for every Nicolette Sheridan locker-room bit he participates in, there's a handful of athletes breaking the law, cheating the game, and committing crimes off the field. Something to consider the next time the talking heads use both men to characterize "What's wrong with America today."

But for all their similarities, T.O. and Stern do, indeed, have their differences. Whereas one man seems to grasp the concept of a "team," the other man simply does not. Stern has historically been incredibly loyal to those that work with and below him. Whether it's hooking up J.D. "The Tivo Guy" with a new iPod after being mugged on the subway, or letting former callers have full-time positions on his show, it seems as though Stern is as reliable a teammate as there is. Sure enough, he's taking the whole cast and crew from his current show right on with him over to satellite (Yes, even Benjy). For all his character flaws and indecencies, no one can deny that Stern's a team guy. He "gets it."

Owens? Eh, not so much. His treatment of former teammate Jeff Garcia was unacceptable, and his recent public criticism of McNabb has been downright bizarre. Great all-around talent? Yes. Good interview? Sure. Nice enough guy? You bet. Good teammate? No, can't give you that one.

Of course, there's one more difference between the two that should probably be pointed out as well.

Stern has a guaranteed contract for the next five years from his new employer. It's mighty lucrative ($500 million over the next five years), too. Owens? Well, let's just say he's got a better chance of being put in the Robo-Spanker than ever receiving the type of green he could have made in Philly had he just watched his mouth. The poses, the dances, the flexing — it was all OK. It was his words that burned him. Wherever he'll be next year — whether it is in Atlanta, Baltimore, or the Arena League — you can be certain that his salary won't be what it could have been had he just been able to keep his lips sealed.

If only Owens had the FCC to shut him up before it was too late. He would still be on the field today.

And a much wealthier man tomorrow.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5071738

[Sikotic™]

Both suspensions are bullshit

[J Bananas]

were they brash?

[blonde_opie]

what's funny is they are both acting pussy whipped.

t.o. for appoligizing NOW, after the fact, when it's too late.

and stern for not talking about satellite radio any more...... (suspension? ha!)

[Sikotic™]

Yeah, Stern sayin all those people that were involved in his suspensian are great guys when he wished death on them a few days before.

Bitch move.

[blonde_opie]

Yeah, Stern sayin all those people that were involved in his suspensian are great guys when he wished death on them a few days before.

Bitch move.

well, the thing about this whole thing is that everyone knows that it was a scheduled day off.

If it was a real suspension, there would be no way Infinity would allow him to talk about the suspension on air, right?

All in all, I hate both of these "brash talents" listed in this thread.

[Stone Cold is Bout It, Bout It]

He was bein nice by not talking about sirius radio for the rest of the day..he didn't punk out

[blonde_opie]

He was bein nice by not talking about sirius radio for the rest of the day..he didn't punk out

don't you mean... ew....ew...ew.... come on, you all should know that i would never listen to stern.  i'm an O&A fan who hates P.O.S. AM Stations like the station that carrys stern in my market.

i'm simply reporting what i read on DCRTV.ORG.

[Sikotic™]

He was bein nice by not talking about sirius radio for the rest of the day..he didn't punk out

don't you mean... ew....ew...ew.... come on, you all should know that i would never listen to stern.  i'm an O&A fan who hates P.O.S. AM Stations like the station that carrys stern in my market.

i'm simply reporting what i read on DCRTV.ORG.

You poor fellow.

[blonde_opie]

He was bein nice by not talking about sirius radio for the rest of the day..he didn't punk out

don't you mean... ew....ew...ew.... come on, you all should know that i would never listen to stern.  i'm an O&A fan who hates P.O.S. AM Stations like the station that carrys stern in my market.

i'm simply reporting what i read on DCRTV.ORG.

You poor fellow.

[Sikotic™]

He was bein nice by not talking about sirius radio for the rest of the day..he didn't punk out

don't you mean... ew....ew...ew.... come on, you all should know that i would never listen to stern.  i'm an O&A fan who hates P.O.S. AM Stations like the station that carrys stern in my market.

i'm simply reporting what i read on DCRTV.ORG.

You poor fellow.

 

[blonde_opie]

He was bein nice by not talking about sirius radio for the rest of the day..he didn't punk out

don't you mean... ew....ew...ew.... come on, you all should know that i would never listen to stern.  i'm an O&A fan who hates P.O.S. AM Stations like the station that carrys stern in my market.

i'm simply reporting what i read on DCRTV.ORG.

You poor fellow.

 

[Sikotic™]

He was bein nice by not talking about sirius radio for the rest of the day..he didn't punk out

don't you mean... ew....ew...ew.... come on, you all should know that i would never listen to stern.  i'm an O&A fan who hates P.O.S. AM Stations like the station that carrys stern in my market.

i'm simply reporting what i read on DCRTV.ORG.

You poor fellow.

 

[blonde_opie]

He was bein nice by not talking about sirius radio for the rest of the day..he didn't punk out

don't you mean... ew....ew...ew.... come on, you all should know that i would never listen to stern.  i'm an O&A fan who hates P.O.S. AM Stations like the station that carrys stern in my market.

i'm simply reporting what i read on DCRTV.ORG.

You poor fellow.