The most controversial answer from the Eagles' newest receiver was about Jeff Garcia, his former teammate and quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers. Owens was critical of Garcia's ability before and after he left the 49ers, but Playboy's question was not about the quarterback's on-field performance.

The question: Jeff Garcia \"has denied media rumors he's gay. What do you think?\"

Owens' response: \"Like my boy tells me: If it looks like a rat and smells like a rat, by golly, it is a rat.\"

Exactly what he meant by \"my boy\" is not clear. Owens is single and does not have any children, according to the Eagles' media guide.

Playboy followed up by asking what would happen if an NFL player came out of the closet and admitted he was gay.

\"I probably wouldn't say anything right off the bat,\" Owens said. \"I'd just see what everyone else has to say. I'd probably keep my distance and, hopefully, he would keep his. If it was a guy who was helping us win ball games, hey, I'd have no problem with it. He can do what he wants to do outside of my everyday life.\"

\"It was just a loose conversation,\" Owens said. \"He asked me about it. I just told him, my boy always told me if it looks like a rat, smells like a rat, obviously, by golly, it must be a rat.\"

While Owens' was likely referring to a friend, the identity of Owens' boy is unknown. According to the Eagles' media guide, Owens is single and has no children.

But Owens emphasized he never actually stated that Garcia was a homosexual.

\"I didn't say that he was gay,\" Owens said. \"The conversation and the interview were loose. To my knowledge, I'm not sure if Jeff is gay or not. I've seen him out — he had a girlfriend when we were in San Fran. There's been a recent report that he has a girlfriend now. That was the extent of it. Everybody's going to make a big deal out of it. It wasn't like I came out and said 'Jeff was gay.' People asked me similar questions about Steve Young. Everybody is going to have their rumors.\"

Andy Reid said he hadn't seen Owens' comments.

\"I don't read Playboy,\" Reid quipped.

PhillyFan:
JEFF GARCIA is gay? Playboy should have called me like a few years ago after I heard him speak on TV.

Interestingly, Garcia's girlfriend, Carmella Decesare, was a high-profile bystander at Browns practice yesterday. And she just happens to be the 2004 Playboy Playmate of the Year.

Garcia has said he is not gay. Earlier this year, he said, \"I've heard the rumor myself that I'm gay. That is not the case. I've had girlfriends in the past and I do want to be married someday.\"

William1865:
when a pro athlete rumored to be gay out of the blue starts dating a Playboy Playmate, that's the next best thing to coming out in my book.

sportinlife:
The statement \"Like my boy tells me: If it looks like a rat and smells like a rat, by golly, it is a rat.\" suggests TO thinks Garcia is gay.

danimal:
The statement \"Like my boy tells me: If it looks like a rat and smells like a rat, by golly, it is a rat.\" suggests TO thinks Garcia is gay. More to the point, it suggests that Owens thinks being gay is a bad thing, or at least wants the public to think he does. \"Rat\" is rarely used as a compliment.

Either way, Owens comes across as a homophobic prick. :mad:

\"It is really a waste of my time to sit here and to have to answer to such ridiculous, untrue comments that are made out there in the world today,\" Garcia said.

He noted that it has been reported that he has a girlfriend and has had girlfriends in the past.

\"So many people know my situation here. It has never been a secret,\" Garcia said.

Jim at Outsports:
How big of a story is this in Philly? ESPN News is devoting 15 minutes to it in their 4-5 p.m. Pacific hour.

Jim at Outsports:
How big of a story is this in Philly? ESPN News is devoting 15 minutes to it in their 4-5 p.m. Pacific hour.

Owens' comments angered the lesbian and gay community. \"Terrell Owens needs to make a public apology,\" said Rita Addessa, executive director of the Lesbian and Gay Task Force of Philadelphia.

\"[Owner] Jeffrey Lurie needs to demonstrate his own leadership and make it clear that he will not tolerate any public bias or bigotry on the part of his players,\" Addessa said. \"He needs to address this matter.\" Owens' comments \"degrade and dehumanize\" lesbian and gay people, she said, and such comments \"set up people to be harmed.\"