T.O. gets sympathy from Philly, around the league

PHILADELPHIA -- Terrell Owens got sympathy from an unlikely place: Philadelphia.

Former teammates and fans in a city that lashed out against the star receiver after the Eagles kicked him off the team last year expressed their concern for Owens on Wednesday.

"We may hate the guy for what he did to our team, but I don't want to see him dead," said Mike Paluso, a season ticketholder who has a curse word taped over Owens' name on his No. 81 jersey. "I'd rather see (Eagles safety) Brian Dawkins lay him out with a hard hit across the middle."

Owens, hospitalized late Tuesday, denied a police report Wednesday that he attempted suicide, saying he became groggy after mixing painkillers with supplements.

Released from the hospital late Wednesday morning, two hours later Owens was catching passes from Dallas Cowboys quarterback Drew Bledsoe and looking ahead to Sunday's game, despite a broken right hand.

Wednesday, the NFL struggled to keep up with the ever-changing series of events.

"I don't know what's truth and what's fiction. I just hope he's OK," said Falcons coach Jim Mora, the defensive coordinator in San Francisco when Owens played for the 49ers. "Whatever is going on, we all hope the best for him and hope this is much ado about nothing. He's a good person. I know sometimes people say (different), but he's got a good heart and a good soul. I hope he's OK."

Many players quickly disputed the report of a possible suicide attempt.

"It's probably best not to say anything because nobody knows what's going on. My phone hasn't rang at all," said Carolina's Keyshawn Johnson as he pulled his phone from his pocket and showed it to reporters. "That just goes to tell me there really isn't much to it, because my phone hasn't rang."

Bengals receiver Chad Johnson agreed.

"As soon as I got the news this morning, I had to make my call to make sure everything was OK," said Johnson, who added he talks to Owens nearly every day. "You know what it was? He took the pain medication for his hand. But he took it on an empty stomach. You know what happens if any of you have ever tried to take pain medication on an empty stomach, your stomach is going to suffer. So he went to the hospital."

Vikings receiver Billy McMullen, who played 1½ seasons with Owens in Philadelphia, also didn't believe reports of a suicide attempt.

"Too proud of a guy to do that," McMullen said. "Too much going on. Too much faith in him. Too much God in him to do that."