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T.O., Hall make up — thanks to Deion

Ex-star persuades Falcons cornerback to take phone call, apology from WR

Terrell Owens, DeAngelo Hall
Dallas' Terrell Owens, right, falls after beating Atlanta's DeAngelo Hall for the first of his two touchdown catches on Saturday night. Later in the game, Owens spit in Hall's face during an argument.
Rob Carr / AP
updated 5:39 p.m. ET Dec. 21, 2006

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. - The feud is over.

After Terrell Owens spit in DeAngelo Hall’s face in Saturday night’s game, Hall insisted he’d have nothing to do with the Dallas receiver.

Owens, who was fined $35,000 by the NFL, kept trying to contact Hall, the Falcons’ star cornerback. Former Atlanta and Dallas player Deion Sanders finally convinced Hall to take a three-way telephone call on Monday.

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“We had a pretty good conversation,” Hall said Wednesday. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s over. We got it all out, cleared it all out. It’s over.”

Owens wasn’t ejected because officials didn’t see the incident. He avoided a suspension from the league, but may face further punishment from Cowboys coach Bill Parcells.

Hall said said Sanders, who was at the Georgia Dome as part of the NFL Network broadcast team, was “pretty persuasive.”

“I told Deion I don’t even think my mom could have gotten me on the phone with that guy,” Hall said.

He said Owens “had been calling the past couple of days, and I didn’t want anything to do with the guy.”

“I just listened to everything the guy had to say and then I said what I had to say,” added Hall. “I told (Owens) I don’t plan on retiring anytime soon and he doesn’t, so we’ll definitely meet again — hopefully in the playoffs.”

After the game, Owens told the NFL Network he apologized for becoming frustrated during the game. Later, he said the spitting was just an accident.

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“When it happened, we were jawing in each other’s face, so it wasn’t anything intentional,” Owens said. “I didn’t intentionally spit in his face. He’s trying to make it seem like more than what it was by saying I hauled off and spit in his face.”

Owens beat Hall for a 7-yard touchdown late in the first quarter and a 51-yard score midway through the second in the Cowboys’ 38-28 win.

The Falcons (7-7) host Carolina on Sunday as they try to preserve their wild-card hopes.

Hall earned his second straight NFC Pro Bowl berth Tuesday. Though he was beaten by Owens for the two big plays in the game, Hall said he was proud he didn’t allow the incident to cause him to retaliate and possibly face a fine or suspension.

“For me to be able to keep my cool for the sake of my team and my teammates speaks volumes,” Hall said.

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