Falling for Owens’ play now means eventual torment

By Anthony Bialy  |   Tuesday, March 10, 2009  |  Comments( 194 )

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Don’t be fooled by Terrell Owens’ first games. He may well rack up tremendous yardage at the dawn of his Buffalo Bills’ career; after all, he is a fanatically hard worker who is one of the most uncommonly gifted athletes in the sport. But there’s always a “but” with Owens, and allowing oneself to be hypnotized by his early gains will only cause later disappointments when he starts fabricating crises. Keeping in mind what happened after he initially played well with his previous two teams will help fans of his latest team avoid a letdown.

The statistics look good from Owens’ first year two stops ago. He managed seven 100-yard games during 2004 with the Philadelphia Eagles, not to mention that he took each of his 77 receptions a remarkable average of 15.9 yards during an injury-shortened campaign. But what doesn’t show up in stat lines is the quantity of times the Eagles eventually regretted adding him; that numeral is one.

Yes, he helped the Eagles to the Super Bowl, and no, it wasn’t worth it. The story didn’t precisely end happily; if the Devil’s getting your soul, you better at least get a Lombardi Trophy in return.

The children’s book author made less of an immediate impact with the Dallas Cowboys, as he didn’t break through the 100-yard ceiling until the team’s seventh game. But the veteran was nonetheless successful by the numbers in 2006: He put up 1,180 yards during his first Cowboy campaign, not to mention that he took 13 of his 85 receptions to the end zone. Of course, it didn’t last, as Dallas got as much use out of him as tolerable before it burned out on him.

Remembering the beginning of Owens’ tenures in both Philadelphia and Dallas is like watching formative episodes of “The Shield": Without dropping specific spoilers for those planning to experience the whole series for the first time on DVD, knowing what eventually happens between Vic Mackey and the rest of the Strike Team makes watching their primary interactions exceptionally tense. More importantly, anyone paying even remote attention when it was first run could tell that life would turn collectively sour. Minus the melodramatic bloodshed, it’s been the same way with Owens and his teams.

And why would events unfold differently this time? Owens may very well go over 100 yards in his first game as a Bill, and a thousand fans will race to Laux Sporting Goods with a handful of cash to buy his jersey Monday morning. Those same garments will again be available for purchase on eBay or at your neighborhood Salvation Army the day after his inevitable tirades commence. Owens making himself an outcast will spur economic activity.

If attitude isn’t everything, then attitude paired with chemistry covers it all. Cookie Gilchrist may have been Buffalo’s most talented back ever, but his taste for confrontation made him insufferable; Ralph Wilson should have remembered the bad aftertaste left 45 years ago by an incredibly talented player who picked every fight possible.

The only good news for the Bills is that Owens is on a one-year deal, so he may not detonate in time. Unfortunately, he may place himself on an accelerated schedule of mayhem, and it’s now a race to see how productive he is before ignition. The team’s best hope is that he plays well and then leaves before he gets the chance to act badly. So, how long is the fuse?
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About Anthony Bialy

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CommentsComments: 194  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
Alan		09:35 AM
03/10/2009
I think your looking too far into the TO attitude thing at this point, and past the most important thing right now - The...
No.2
PimpDaddy		09:41 AM
03/10/2009
It's been funny watching some of the talking heads on ESPN and various other news outlets discussing what the TO acquisition will...
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No.3
Joe P.		10:03 AM
03/10/2009
I haven't read the articles, but it looks like Bialy is against the TO signing? I may have to re-think my position.
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