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T.O. isn’t remorseful about his tenure in Philly

WR enjoying outstanding year with NFC East champion Cowboys

PHILADELPHIA - Regrets, T.O.’s got very few.

More than two years since he was kicked off the Eagles, Terrell Owens isn’t remorseful about the bitter way his short tenure in Philadelphia ended.

“No, not at all,” Owens said Wednesday when asked if he had any regrets about his tumultuous 1½ seasons with the Eagles.

“I know there are things I probably could’ve done differently. Overall, I’m content with where I am. I honestly know that everything that was reported when I got suspended there wasn’t true. Everything happens for a reason. I feel like I got the better end of the deal.”

Owens is enjoying an outstanding year with the NFC East champion Dallas Cowboys (12-1) while the Eagles (5-8) are sitting in last place. He’s getting ready to face his former team for the fourth time since he was banished from Philly just a half-season after helping the Eagles reach the Super Bowl.

Despite a valiant performance by Owens 6½ weeks after ankle surgery, Philadelphia lost to New England in the 2005 Super Bowl. Now Owens has a chance to get that championship ring with the Cowboys. As for the Eagles, they’re closer to rebuilding than winning it all.

“In my heart, I’m getting the last laugh,” Owens said in a conference call.

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Owens was the missing piece the Eagles desperately needed when he arrived here in 2004. With Owens catching his passes instead of the usual crop of mediocre receivers the Eagles employed, Donovan McNabb had his finest season and the offense was unstoppable.

But Owens’ problems started when he publicly demanded a new contract just one year into a seven-year, $48.97 million deal. He feuded with McNabb, criticized management and violated several team rules such as breaking the dress code and sleeping through team meetings.

Owens still denies those charges.

“The arbitration and all the allegations they brought up, a lot of that wasn’t true,” he said, declining to be more specific.

Owens has since patched up things with McNabb, though the two aren’t all that chummy.

“We’ve had discussions and we’ve left it at that,” Owens said. “I wish him well and I’m doing my thing.”

At least Owens passed on the opportunity to diss McNabb again when asked to compare him with Tony Romo.

“I wouldn’t compare them at this point,” he said. “The numbers speak for themselves.”

Owens had a difficult first season in Dallas with coach Bill Parcells, but he’s thriving under Wade Phillips. Though he’s taken a few shots at Parcells in the past, Owens avoided making any controversial comments Wednesday.

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“The difference between this year and last year is not really the coaches,” he said. “It’s the way they’ve used me as a playmaker. I wasn’t used that way last year. This year I’m being utilized the way I’ve always been used in my career.”

No matter what Owens did in his past, and his relationships with former coaches, Phillips only has positive things to say about one of the best wideouts in the NFL.

“He’s a great teammate,” Phillips said. “He’s a very hard worker and I like players that work hard. And he’s shown leadership. He says the right things and does the right things.”

If Owens acted that way with the Eagles, he might still be in Philly.

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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