Is T.O. good for football?

[Goldenfleece]

I don't mind guys that showboat so much, but the fact that Owens bad-mouthes his teammates incessantly and whines about his contract is a real problem.

Just for the sake of comparison, look at Chad Johnson's antics. Sure, he does his touchdown celebrations, but I had friends who were tuning in to Bengals games just to see what he would do next. The difference is that some celebrations are all about having fun like the "please don't fine me" sign or passing out presents at a Christmas game, whereas others are rubbing it in, i.e. dancing on the Dallas star. Both players could be considered self-centered, but Johnson sets aside a budget to deal with the fines because he thinks it makes the game more enjoyable for the fans (he has even been booed for not doing anything), whereas Owens complains he isn't getting paid enough. To me, Chad acts like a little kid whose dream to play in the NFL has come true, whereas Owens acts like a child who is disappointed because he only got an X-Box for Christmas when he would have rather had a bigscreen tv to go along with it.

I have always liked the guys who just go out and do their thing quietly and with little fanfare, but I think flamboyant players bring in fans as well. Deion's another example of a flashy player who was good for the game. I think there's room for guys who make the game fun just as long as their egos don't get too big to grasp the concept of "team." T.O. is the quintessential model for the latter.

[txramsfan]

T.O. is what the NFL needs. It's not called the "No Fun League" for nothing.


"I love ME some ME." You have to admit, that's pretty funny.

[theodus69]

T.O. brings in new fans to the game. I can't stand the guy, but people who don't know a thing about football are talking about him. He's the water cooler Talk!