Michael Ventre

Throughout the history of human conflict, there have been countless instances in which one combatant has publicly informed his rival what he planned to do to him before he did it.

Charlemagne was believed to have told the Lombards in 774 that he was going to take their helmets and shields and shove them in such a way that they would be burping pewter for weeks. In 1776, George Washington led 2,400 troops in a surprise attack upon the British in the Battle of Trenton, which marked the first American victory of the Revolutionary War; of course, afterward the father of our country was all over the British, making fun of their tailored red unis, trashing their cuisine and, in a curious twist, insulting their ancestry.

Dizzy Dean once said, “It ain’t braggin’ if you can do it.” And he’s right. Of course, not everybody can do it. Napoleon couldn’t do it at Waterloo. Custer couldn’t do it at Little Bighorn. They were two of the most pompous loudmouths in the history of antagonism. And they were hardly alone.

This brings us to the modern-day National Football League, where braggadocio is as common as corporate logos. Not a day goes by during the 16-game season — and, for that matter, during the lead-up to it, and the entire offseason — when some player isn’t announcing his intention to inflict damage upon the opposition before the coin is tossed.

But whereas their counterparts in history had a limited audience, today’s high-profile and high-salaried warriors can reach millions with one testy blast. When a player nowadays has a boast he’d like to deliver, he has myriad television, radio, print and Internet outlets to help him get out the bombastic word. As a result, the trash talkers get an inordinate amount of attention, even if they can’t back it up.

The focus on mouths that roar will be especially intense this week when Terrell Owens returns to Philadelphia — site of his most potent verbal salvos — along with his Dallas Cowboys to play Donovan McNabb and the Eagles. Earplugs sold separately.

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Actions don’t necessarily speak louder than words. A couple of weeks ago Nebraska cornerback Andre Jones popped off before his team visited the Coliseum to play USC. He said, “When we beat USC, it’s going to slingshot our season.” The pronouncement got lots of play across the country. But when the Cornhuskers fell, 28-10, to the Trojans, he did not eat an equal amount of crow. That’s because by that time his foolish declaration had been exposed as such, and it was already anticlimactic. The humbling of Mr. Jones did not serve as nearly as sexy a sound bite as the original headline-maker.

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That’s the essential problem. And that’s why trash talkers are reproducing like amoebas. There are no real consequences. Letting loose with a self-absorbed harangue promises a huge reward if it comes to pass, and only a gentle public flogging if it doesn’t.

Some of the more energetic big mouths throughout history are known more for their colossal failures, but today’s NFL players don’t have to worry about such dubious recognition in this climate. Any residue will be gone with the next 24-hour news cycle.

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