Sunday, September 14, 2008

What Happened to Terrell Owens?

I'm sitting here watching an interview on ESPN with Terrell Owens, and I just have to wonder: what the hell happened in his life that would turn him from a quiet, seemingly humble man into the worst kind of blowhard, the very worst that sports has to offer?

It's really hard to grasp the trajectory of his career. When he caught that miracle pass from Steve Young in 1998 to defeat the Green Bay Packers in one of the greatest postseason games in history, one would have thought he was well on his way to becoming one of the great figures in NFL history. A receiver with immense physical talents, but one also wise enough to allow Jerry Rice, still a fine receiver but well past his prime, to hold the limelight.

But it's been downhill since then. I'm all for amusing touchdown celebrations to help shake up the staid NFL image, but Owens has gone so far beyond that on so many occasions that it is amazing to me that anyone could still root for his success - even the most diehard Dallas Cowboys fan. Trust me, Cowboys fans, it is only a matter of time before he turns on Tony Romo, turns on Wade Phillips, turns on Jerry Jones. As with the scorpion stinging the frog while riding on his back across the river, it is his nature - he just can't help himself.

He is a stain on the game, and the sooner his career is over, and with it the prospect that he might actually serve as a role model for an impressionable young athlete, the better.

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