Terrell Owens has just been suspended for the season, which should not come as any surprise. To put it mildly, Owens has had a troubled existence in Philly and appears to be confronting a number of psychological issues.

Players like Owens are actually very insecure. Their need to speak out, as well as their on-field antics (and Owens has a long history in this area as well) are often fueled by their deep seeded need for recognition. Keep in mind Owens complained that his 100th touchdown catch was not properly celebrated.

Moreover, Owens has played with an Eagles team that has featured a lot of talent. Perhaps his need to separate himself from this group and be seen as the elite player has also caused him to speak out in a less than enhancing manner.

Donovan McNabb is a pretty fair quarterback to say the least, and has earned his stripes in the game. The fact that Owens would make McNabb a target speaks to his own fragility.

People like Owens have great difficulty dealing with any slight or criticism, which makes walking away from an altercation with the likes of a Hugh Douglas almost impossible.

All in the service of making him feel better about himself.

What a shame. Owens' body of work and articulate persona have gotten him a ton of accolades and attention. Apparently this just wasn’t enough.

Dr. Richard Lustberg is a well known psychologist who has always had an interest in the psychological aspects of sports and athletes.  For more information about him, go to his web site -- Psychology of Sports at www.psychologyofsports.com.  In addition, Lustberg has created a blog, of which this article is an entry. To read more articles like this, or if you have comments on this one, go to
http://www.psychologyofsports.com/blog/blogger.html