National Football League

T.O. makes Hall of Fame case on location

Published Aug. 10, 2009 7:57 a.m. ET

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Alex Marvez

Even on Hall of Fame weekend, the T.O. Show stole the show.

With all due respect to this year's six inductees, the big story from pro football's most hallowed grounds was Terrell Owens' Buffalo Bills debut. The controversial wide receiver didn't disappoint. Owens caught two passes for 27 yards in his lone series during Sunday night's 21-18 preseason loss against Tennessee.

It was so far, so good from a Bills standpoint except for Owens suffering a minor toe injury. He shined against Tennessee's soft zone coverage while splitting time between flanker and split end for nine plays. He didn't implode on the sidelines when Trent Edwards was intercepted throwing toward another wideout (Lee Evans) instead of in his direction. Edwards also was smart enough to get off on the right foot with T.O., targeting Owens with his first two passes in Buffalo's new no-huddle attack.


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Of course, such harmony may not last for long. Owens once had great relationships with his other quarterbacks — Jeff Garcia, Donovan McNabb and Tony Romo. By burning those bridges, T.O. was reduced to a nomadic status that has exiled him to the NFL equivalent of Siberia. Bills owner Ralph Wilson even admitted Sunday he signed Owens in part for being a "national figure publicity-wise" that could give the franchise some much-needed star power.

"I thought, 'If this guy's a bad guy, so what? We'll have to get rid of him,' Wilson said. "But if he's a good guy, hey, we're ahead of the game.'"

Owens now has what may be one last chance to prove he really is a good guy, that his burning desire to win was misinterpreted by others as counterproductive to the cause. As his athletic skills gradually diminish, a 35-year-old player like Owens will be given increasingly less leeway to demonstratively demand passes, chew out his quarterback or exhibit me-first behavior at the expense of his team like last season in Dallas. If these headaches happen in Buffalo, the T.O. Show will get canceled as soon as his one-year contract expires. Another NFL suitor may not be forthcoming.

But there's a bigger-picture issue to this season for Owens as well. And the snapshot can be found in the iconic building just behind the north stands of Fawcett Stadium where Owens played Sunday.

Five years after his career ends, Owens will be eligible to have his bust enshrined in the Hall of Fame alongside the game's other greats. The debate among Hall voters like me should be a spirited one.

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