Cowboys need Owens to play young while acting his age

By Anthony Bialy  |   Thursday, June 05, 2008  |  Comments( 8 )

Dallas Cowboys
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Forget that No. 81 will be 38 when his new contract extension expires. While Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens’ age is ostensibly the overwhelming issue concerning his three-year contract annex, there is always the lurking fear that he’s still possibly good for at least a few impending outbursts. Like Michael Myers, this subject is never certainly dead, as the prolific wideout must stay relatively level lest his nagging divisive tendencies flare again.

The only reason to dredge up previous nasty matters is to ensure they don’t happen again, a condition that’s ultimately up to the player himself. While Owens has been mostly good as a Cowboy, it’s important to never forget that he’s proved capable of being detrimentally naughty, too.

It’s not his birth year of 1973 that’s the issue, especially in light of what others with similarly exceptional talent have done at the same career point. Many top-level performers who currently man the position have hung around for almost as long as "The Simpsons" without thoroughly declining in quantity as the once-great cartoon has. For example, Marvin Harrison is about 15 and a half months older than Owens, and current Niner Isaac Bruce’s first reception was from a pass thrown by Roman Gabriel, maybe.

On top of that, recent stellar wideouts have lasted for longer than the standard automobile or toaster. For example, Tim Brown was active for 17 seasons, while Cris Carter, Andre Reed, and Art Monk each spent 16 campaigns in the league, the same total that Owens would have upon this deal’s completion; while those previous players of course declined, they didn’t collectively sink to the point where they were embarrassing themselves.

Holding up physically isn’t the greatest concern when it comes to elite talents, especially for one who is maintaining incomparable statistics at a point in life when most mortals are thinking of joining a gym just to be less fat.

Owens’ 81 receptions, 1,355 yards, and 15 scores last season serve as a reminder that he’s not precisely fading in his mid-30s; those numbers ranked him 20th, fifth, and third in the league, respectively, which is slightly more notable given that he sat out the season’s final game. That output partially explains why Dallas didn’t acquire a receiver at the draft: For its most prominent offensive player, aging is not the equivalent of declining.

Factor in his renowned physical regimen along with the truth that he doesn’t face the relentless physical battering that causes, say, running backs to average a meager handful of years in the league, and there’s fair evidence to suggest that this contract may be an NFL rarity, namely one that the athlete actually plays out.

That’s if he behaves, of course. There is always the fear with Owens that he’s only been docile lately because his fuse hasn’t been lit. Things have gone relatively well all around in Dallas during the immediately recent past, which has contributed to the player’s tranquility, but what if circumstances took a sour turn?

A four-game losing streak or a more lucrative contract extension given to another prominent receiver could provoke a relapse; of course, no player likes enduring rough patches, but restraining those feelings is the difference between bailing water on a sinking ship and running to turn on all the faucets. The Cowboys need him to play as he has in the past while leaving some of his notorious antics there.

He appears to be happy: A glitzy owner paired with a laid-back coach have combined to create an ideal environment for Owens, but even now he’s still capable of at least moderately melodramatic conduct, as when he shed tears defending his quarterback after the team’s playoff loss to the Giants.

Reigning in emotions is an attribute most begin to develop around the time they get their first driver’s license, yet it’s a useful life skill Owens has never totally acquired. This is an ailment that impacts some athletes in general and some receivers in particular, and in Owens’ case a diva-style history lurks among the shadows and will do so through his last career play.

Nothing might happen; hopefully for Dallas, he’s matured enough as he’s aged to realize that his antics distract from his genuinely tremendous athletic performances. Owens should be aware that an embarrassingly choreographed celebration makes viewers instantly forget about the immediately preceding fine football play. Going out there and being calmly productive until the next presidential campaign begins is the best way to kill these concerns. He has four seasons to keep proving himself – or four seasons to fall off the wagon.

Owens has been relatively placid since he became a Cowboy compared to his tantrum string in earlier years with earlier teams, but another first-game playoff exodus or a month without a touchdown reception will be the true test of whether he has grown up or simply older.
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CommentsComments: 8  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
ken7700		10:21 AM
06/05/2008
Now that Terrell Owens is getting the kind of money ha has always wanted it is time to be a team player and that means if you do ...
No.2
Mauvekat		05:43 PM
06/05/2008
One can hope that Owens is "groing" up more and becoming more of a team player. His antics were pretty bad before he came to ...
No.3
bardley80		06:58 PM
06/05/2008
Maybe T.O.'s maturing some in his old age. I tend to think all these leg injuries he's had (ankles and such) may catch up to him ...
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