Instead of taking a physical with the Baltimore Ravens, Terrell Owens bided his time, waiting to see if he will be declared a free agent by a special arbitrator.
The Ravens waited for the same decision Monday.
The tempestuous wide receiver was traded to Baltimore by San Francisco last week for a second-round draft choice after the league ruled his agent had not voided the final three years of his contract by a Feb. 21 deadline.
He was traded last Thursday after the Ravens offered more than the Philadelphia Eagles, the team Owens expressed a desire to play for.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Monday the league had been informed by the NFL Players Association that the union will ask special master Stephen Burbank to have Owens' contract voided, making him a free agent.
Burbank is in charge of settling disputes involving the NFL's collective bargaining agreement.
In a statement Monday, Owens made it clear he does not plan to suit up for the Ravens.
"So that there is no misunderstanding, regardless of what happens with the grievance, under the present circumstances I do not see myself playing for the Ravens," Owens said. "I can assure everyone that I will continue to keep fighting for my right to play for the team of my choice even after the grievance. At the end of this process, I simply want to be able to exercise my right to play for a team of my choosing under a deal that is fair to me and my family."
Meanwhile, quarterback Jeff Garcia, Owens' former teammate in San Francisco, was offered an US$8 million, two-year contract by the Cleveland Browns. Garcia worked out in Tampa on Sunday and there were reports he is close to a deal with the Bucs, whose West Coast offense is the system in which he thrived with the 49ers.
One indication that Garcia might not sign with Cleveland came from Tim Couch, the Browns' incumbent quarterback, who has been asked to take a pay cut.
-- The Jets released veteran wide receiver Curtis Conway and welcomed Justin McCareins, obtained for a second-round draft choice from Tennessee last week.
"It's great to have a team be that interested in you," said MCareins, who caught 47 passes for the Titans last season and scored seven touchdowns, one against the Jets in their Monday night upset victory over Tennessee.
-- The Vikings agreed to terms with wide receiver Marcus Robinson, whose career experienced a brief renaissance in Baltimore. They hope he'll be a complement to Randy Moss.
After Chicago let him go last year, Robinson signed with the Ravens and finished the season strong. He caught 22 passes for 375 yards and six touchdowns over the final five regular-season games for playoff-bound Baltimore.
-- Oakland signed three-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman Ron Stone. Stone spent the past two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers before being cut last week in a salary-cap move. He will be counted on to boost an offense that ranked 25th last season and struggled to protect the quarterback.
-- The NFC champion Panthers signed offensive lineman Adam Meadows to a five-year contract. Meadows was cut two weeks ago by the Indianapolis Colts in a salary-cap move. His acquisition helps fill the void left when guard Jeno James went to Miami in free agency and Kevin Donnalley retired.
Two people died on Thursday after fans and police clashed outside the Estadio Monumental in Santiago ahead of a game in South America’s Copa Libertadores, Chilean authorities said. The fatalities happened shortly before the match between Chile’s Colo-Colo and Brazilian club Fortaleza, when police blocked about 100 fans when they attempted to enter the stadium. There were conflicting accounts of how the fatalities occurred, with local media reporting that one of the dead was a 13-year-old boy. The other victim was an 18-year-old woman, according to a relative at the hospital where she was treated. The fans died after being caught underneath a
College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen has become the first female player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after the Golden State Valkyries selected her in the third and final round of the league’s draft on Monday. Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship earlier this month. While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament’s most outstanding player three times from 2022 to last year. Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as
College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen (陳凱玲) has become the first player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after being selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the third and final round of the league's draft yesterday. Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship on April 6. While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament's most outstanding player three times from 2022 to last year. Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as a
Japan yesterday secured a second consecutive Billie Jean King Cup finals appearance with a 2-1 win over 2023 champions Canada, thanks to Ena Shibahara and Shuko Aoyama’s 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 win over Kayla Cross and Rebecca Marino in the qualifying doubles decider. Shibahara and Aoyama powered through the opening set 6-3, breaking twice for a quick 3-0 lead. Cross and Marino hit back in the second, edging it 7-5 to level the match, before the Japanese pair regained control in the third. Canada’s 18-year-old Victoria Mboko edged Shibahara 6-4, 6-7 (8/10), 7-5 in a marathon opening clash. Mboko fired eight aces to
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