Media helped create Owens monster
They milked T.O. for all he was worth
Everybody was saying all the right things on the Terrell Owens situation yesterday. On ESPN’s NFL pre- game marathon, Michael Irvin said Owens was wrong in criticizing his team and quarterback Donovan McNabb. Tom Jackson said Owens had sabotaged his team and that the indefinite suspension was long overdue. Mike Ditka called him “ a selfish individual.”
“ He has seen his last big payday,” Jimmy Johnson said on the Fox pre- game show. “ He has cost himself millions.”
“ He doesn’t deserve to be on that football team,” Dan Marino said on the CBS show.
Irvin, who made a few Owenesque headlines in his playing day, was the most willing to forgive. But all agreed that T.O. needed a time out.
This was all well and good as Owens’ behaviour, from belittling his teammates to throwing punches in the weight room, should be condemned. But the criticism rings a little hollow.
After all, how can the media rip the guy after they’ve been promoting the Owens travelling circus the past few seasons?
Every time Owens staged one of his silly touchdown celebrations, network cameras were there to record it and replay it ad nauseam. Every outrageous comment was celebrated. When the Eagles suspended Owens last summer, helicopters hovered over his home to record his every move. The cameras continued whirring when he staged a workout in his front yard, followed by an impromptu press conference.
During games he got as much camera time as Tiger Woods. The guy was great copy and the media milked it.
That point was made during ESPN’s The Sports Reporters yesterday. After Bob Ryan called Owens a “ narcissist,” William C. Rhoden disagreed.
“ If you don’t blow your own horn, there ain’t no music,” he said. “ We bury, we rehabilitate. That’s what we do.” Mike Lupica agreed, noting that guys like Owens and Dennis Rodman are maybe just smarter than most.
“They’ve figured it out,” he said. ‘‘ Run their mouths and the press comes running.”
There’s little doubt that Owens is out of control, but who helped create this monster? Even though he wasn’t in the building, Owens was again at the centre of things when the Eagles played last night. When the CBS pre- game guys moved on to setting up the day’s games, Boomer Esiason was asked how Owens’ absence would affect the Eagles’ game against Washington.
“ Who cares?” he spat. “ Let’s stop talking about him.” As if. CHANNEL SURFING, THE GOOD: Dave Hodge didn’t pull punches yesterday on TSN’s The Reporters during a discussion of the Trevis Smith situation: “ What ( the Roughriders) did . . . was put their heads in the sand and hope this would go away.” . . . After the referee threw a flag and then his hat to call two penalties against Miami, Fox’s Daryl Johnston told viewers, ‘‘ I’m glad there wasn’t another penalty because I’d hate to see what the guy might throw next.” CHANNEL SURFING, THE BAD: Fox’s NFL pre- game show hit a new low yesterday when surgically altered Pamela Anderson joined Jillian Barberie to promote the former’s new show (surprise, it’s called Stacked) and plug the NFL sexiest man contest. The latter prompted Ms. Anderson to say of candidate Lawyer Milloy: “ I’d love to cross-examine him.” Heaven help us. . . . Freudian slip? ABC’s Mike Tirico directed those watching The Tour Championship to tune in later in the week for, “ an all- nude Invasion.” CHANNEL SURFING, THE UGLY: That was topped only by Hockey Night In Canada
host Ron MacLean, who followed a Don Cherry story with a tortured line that somehow connected a kick in the groin and Deep Throat. We presume that risqué joke was for all those kids who watch Coach’s Corner. czelkov@thestar.ca