Take your eyes off the paycheck and look around, T.O.

Say it ain’t so, T.O.

The past week or so, you’ve been pushing for the Eagles to give you… Say it ain’t so, T.O.

The past week or so, you’ve been pushing for the Eagles to give you more money after just one year of your back-loaded, seven-year, $49 million contract. Additionally, you’ve been taking shots at your teammates, who have been nothing but loyal to you. And now you’re in a war of words with Skip Bayless.

If none of this other stuff makes you feel foolish, please take into account what you’re doing in this last situation. We’ve only got so much time on Earth — I’m sure none of it was intended to be used acknowledging the existence of Skip Bayless.

You’re starting to look terribly silly, T.O. You can ask for all the money you want after just one season, and make the upper management question whether or not you’re worth keeping, or you can accept the contract you have now and understand how good you have it here. Perhaps a refresher for you on your current situation — which is a better one than you’ve ever had — is in order. We can do this by comparing your team now with your team before.

First, let’s talk about your favorite subject — you. In San Francisco, you were the star receiver for years. After Steve Young left, everybody knew that was your team. Jeff Garcia? Nothing compared to the name Terrell Owens. Now you’re in Philly. Is it your team? No. But when people talked about the Eagles this year, the first thing they talked about was not star quarterback Donovan McNabb. It wasn’t the Swiss army knife’s-worth of uses for Brian Westbrook. It was the biggest transaction of the off-season — you. Isn’t this what you love?

Now let’s talk quarterbacks. You hated Garcia, going so far as to question his sexuality in the national media. What you wanted was not a competent quarterback you didn’t get along with, like the above-average Garcia. Instead, you wanted a guy who could pass well, one with a good reputation. And most importantly, one who could throw you the deep ball.

Enter McNabb. He could find you anywhere on the field. His cool demeanor and constant grins kept your fiery emotions in check even in tough games. This is what you’ve been waiting for. Then, you go and take a crack at him in the papers, saying pointedly that you weren’t the one who got tired in the Super Bowl? I don’t get it.

The Eagles also give you Westbrook. In San Francisco, you had Charlie “Dang, there goes another rib” Garner and Garrison Hearst. The two of them together couldn’t do half of what Westbrook can. He takes pressure off you without stealing the spotlight. And he makes the team you’re playing on even better. That’s what you want, right?

What about the defense? It’s better than the 49ers’ ever was while you were there. Three of the four Eagles in the secondary made the Pro Bowl. Your line completely shut down Michael Vick, the most mobile quarterback in the game. Your linebackers? Shaky until the Steelers game, but then stifling for the rest of the year. And for good measure, let’s just toss in the fact that you’ve got arguably the game’s greatest kicker in David Akers.

So, is the coach the problem? If so, there really is no hope. Steve Mariucci was good; Andy Reid is better. This man knows his team inside and out. (See: resting team for two whole games before the playoffs in the face of the most intense media criticism of a coaching decision since Grady Little’s “Pedro, you good to go one more?”) He can control every ego on his squad; you’ll rarely see a clash between him and a player in the papers.

So quit while you’re still ahead. The situation you have in Philadelphia is probably the best one you’re ever going to be in, and if you take back some of the recent stuff you’ve said, management will probably let the talk be water under the bridge.

But as much as you’d like to think you’re the whole team, the higher-ups can let you go if they get too fed up. You’re not indispensable. If you go, the Eagles will lose an integral part of their offense, to be sure. But they won’t lose the whole thing. They still have McNabb, Westbrook, Todd Pinkston, Greg Lewis and No. 84. They’ll survive. Why don’t you ask yourself where you’ll be.

Not asking for more money is the right thing to do for T.O. And when it comes down to it, he’s all that matters to you.

So do the right thing: forget the cash, and just play the game.

Brian Weaver is a staff writer for The Pitt News. He urges you to pull a Sharpie out of your sock and send him a letter, or e-mail him at bweaves_pittnews@hotmail.com.