It might seem tough to remember now, in the wake of his confusing Vicodin with Tic-Tacs, but Terrell Owens was once a productive and fairly shy receiver for the San Francisco 49ers.

Yes, a few short days ago he was dodging Duracells thrown by Philadelphia's finest citizens, but at one time the public at large knew him for his productivity as a wide receiver, and specifically for his last-play touchdown catch to win a wild-card playoff game.

Yet, the more Owens was built up, the more cracks we noticed in his façade. He became a spoiled prima donna almost overnight, and it wasn't long before he was traded to Philadelphia.

We all know what happened there.

Needless to say, he's gone from superstar to pariah in a few short years.

Take Tom Cruise as another example. When he broke on the scene, his performances in Top Gun, Jerry Maguire, Mission Impossible and even Vanilla Sky were well-received, both critically and by fans.

Not much was said about his devotion to Scientology, fans loved him, women swooned over him and everyone seemed to ignore the fact that he was about 5 foot 6 inches tall and married to a woman almost half a foot taller.

In short, he was about as big as it gets in Hollywood. He was making over $20 million a picture, and everyone wanted him for every big role in every marquee movie.

Yet now, people are clamoring for the mother of his child to be "freed," claiming that he is in fact gay, and that the conception of "his" daughter more than likely involved a sperm bank and a surgical, decidedly non-sexual procedure.

It seems as if people couldn't handle what they saw when some of Cruise's more private tendencies were made public.

Take another example: Creed...oh wait, they always sucked.

Terrell Owens, Tom Cruise and Creed all have one thing in common. More than likely, they, along with numerous other despised celebrities, probably aren't as bad as the public thinks they are.

Okay, Creed still really sucks.

There is one well-known person in particular that I would like to apply this "build them up, tear them down" principle to. He wears number 14 for the football team. You've probably heard of him at some point.

Anthony Morelli was rated as high as No. 2 in the country among senior quarterbacks when he was in high school. When he de-committed to Pitt and decided to come to Penn State, everyone here couldn't believe the Nittany Lions' good fortune.

When Zack Mills struggled during Morelli's freshman season, the fans called for him to play. He was the savior of the team, proof that Penn State could still swing with the big boys in recruiting. In short, he was the "next big thing." So Morelli finally got his chance to start this year, and after one so-so game, the detractors were out in force.

Suddenly, the ludicrous accusation that he wasn't smart enough to read defenses reared its ugly head, and every armchair quarterback was ready to insert everyone short of, well, Zack Mills in his place.

Just like Tom Cruise almost certainly isn't as crazy as we think he is and Terrell Owens probably isn't nearly the jerk he appears to be, I'm fairly certain that Anthony Morelli is a pretty good quarterback.

And Creed still sucks.

People, it's not that he's not smart enough to read a defense, it's that he's inexperienced. It's not that he has no touch on the ball, it's just that he has a much stronger arm than Michael Robinson. It's not that he can't make plays against good teams, it's that his offensive line is still learning to play together, and it's not that he's not a good quarterback, it's just that he hasn't had his signature game yet.

Remember MRob's game against Northwestern last year? I'm willing to bet Morelli has one of those very soon, and at a very good time, like, say, against Michigan.

So, if it's too hard to let go of the grudge against people like T.O. and Tom Cruise, let's at least try to give Morelli the benefit of the doubt. There aren't many more high profile positions for a college kid to be in than quarterback of the football team, and getting constant negative feedback can't help.

Try refraining from booing after that incompletion, and not calling for Air Bud: Golden Receiver, after the next INT. In short, give the guy a little love, like you used to lavish on Michael Robinson, and yes, long ago, even Zack Mills.

But you can still be tough on Creed, because they'll always suck.