Eagles give T.O. an ultimatum

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — A day after they booted Terrell Owens out of training camp, the Philadelphia Eagles took an even harder stance on their star's contract dispute: T.O. can play for the Eagles or he won't play at all.

Team president Joe Banner said Thursday that when the banished wide receiver returns to camp next week, it will be without the new contract he desperately wants and with an understanding that he can no longer become a disruption.

"Our hope, obviously, is that he comes back next week and is what he can be in every sense, whether that's how he contributes to the team on the field or off the field," Banner said. "We've been clear that the choices are to play under this contract or not. I'm not sure he still believes that, but we've said from Day 1 those were the choices on the table and he had to make a choice between one of the two things.

"That's not going to change."

Owens' timeout from training camp won't end until he meets with coach Andy Reid next week. He was told to go home Wednesday after a heated dispute with Reid — and to stay there for a week.

"I'll address him on Wednesday and that's between T.O. and myself," Reid said.

The Eagles couldn't have been shocked over the latest twist in a controversial career. Owens told the team he wouldn't be happy when he reported if he didn't have a new contract, and said he could be disruptive in camp.

He was.

"What we see happening is exactly what he said was going to happen," Banner said. "It kind of puts you in a hard position to then have any kind of deniability. You can try to blame other people if he wants, but it's a little bit of a stretch in credibility in light of what he said before he got here."

Reid called the incident in-house business and skirted numerous questions about the playmaking, showboating Owens.

"I'll work it out with T.O. and only T.O. I'm not going to turn this into a bash session," Reid said.

But Owens offered some insight into what prompted his banishment from camp, telling ESPN that Reid told him to shut up.

"And I told him my name isn't Reid. My name is Owens. I'm not one of his kids. Don't tell me to shut up," Owens said.