Archives for March 10, 2009

‘Still, it seems T.O.never gets the ball thrown to him often enough, as he often points out. It’s always all about T.O. Considering that he complained about talented quarterbacks Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia and Tony Romo in Dallas, how long will it be before he becomes frustrated with the likes of Trent Edwards and J.P. Losman in Buffalo?’

‘In support of National Reading Month and Read Across America Day, Buffalo Bills linebacker John DiGiorgio visited with students at the Country Parkway Elementary School in Williamsville, NY on March 2nd. DiGiorgio read, Oh the Places You Will Go, by Dr. Seuss, signed Dr. Seuss books, and enjoyed green eggs and ham with the students for breakfast.’

‘In the end, it’s not just the Bills taking the risk; it’s T.O., too, even if he doesn’t know it. If he hurts the team, he hurts the community. Bills’ football isn’t Orchard Park or Buffalo; it’s Batavia and Olean and Rochester and Pittsford and Niagara Fallas and Perrysburgh. These are towns that get up in the morning, work hard at a place with dwindling prospects and turn on the tube Sunday for a reason to believe.’

‘”It happened so quick,” Schonert, the Bills offensive coordinator, told SI.com Tuesday in his first public comments since Buffalo signed the ex-Cowboys receiver. “Dick called and said we need you to come in. He didn’t even tell me who I was coming in to meet, just that I was to be on alert. But I was in by 2:15, and by 2:30 I was sitting down with Terrell and [agent] Drew Rosenhaus and telling them about our system and how we were going to use him, where we are and where we think we’re going, all those issues. It sounded like he liked what he heard, because we got a deal done with him soon thereafter.”’

‘Owens in Buffalo still sounds very strange to the ear, but there are things about it that hold considerable intrigue for the 2009 season. Here are five quick thoughts that came to mind when the Bills made their boldest move since trading for Drew Bledsoe in 2002…’.

‘Owens’ sudden signing with the Buffalo Bills was just the latest case of sports imitating pro wrestling. If Owens were the heel, then Rosenhaus is even more perfect cast in the role of the villain’s valet.’

‘Some may claim that Buffalo made a mistake by adding T.O., but the real error here was made by the receiver-strapped contenders that passed on him. A team such as the Titans is very close to being championship caliber, and Owens would have given them the established receiver they have lacked for years. Plus, they have a coach and QB that could’ve kept him in check. The same goes for the Giants, who are definitely going to need talented pass catchers if Plaxico Burress winds up in jail. Or how about the Bears or Jaguars, two teams that could compete for the worst receiving corps in the NFL? Do they really think they could be any worse by signing Owens? I doubt it. And these are just a sampling of the numerous clubs that missed out on a rare opportunity to add an All-Pro with quality seasons left in him.’

‘And why would events unfold differently this time?’

‘”The thing I like about him, and what I think that all stems from, is him wanting to win,” Edwards said. “That’s something I’m going to keep in mind. I spoke with him briefly on the phone and told him that. I don’t want to sit home in January. I don’t want to sit home in February. I want to play football. I want to be out there in the playoffs. I want to take this team to that level. I know he’s taken those teams that he’s played for in the past to that level, and I’m hoping I can do the same.”‘

‘Owens alone had 13 receiving TDs last season and 25 over the past two years. His two-year total is just one less than the Bills total over the same period.’

‘”You know what, the thing I like about him, and what I think that all stems from, is him wanting to win,” Edwards said. “If you keep that mind – and that’s something I’m going to keep in mind – that’s why I spoke with him on the phone briefly while he was here and told him that I don’t want to sit at home in January, I don’t want to sit at home in February. I want to play football.”‘

‘This move doesn’t necessarily make the Bills a playoff team. But it can’t hurt, regardless of the proverbial circus that may ensue and its 10-city fall tour.’

‘”We have no specific plans,” Rogers vice-chairman Phil Lind said yesterday. “But you can count on the fact that we’ll see Terrell up here, that’s for sure. Toronto’s an exciting city –one of the more exciting cities in North America — and I’m sure Terrell will be heading up here.”‘

‘In Buffalo, they’ve survived blizzards, the Music City Miracle, Wade Phillips and losing four Super Bowls. They can survive a year with Terrell Owens.’

‘But whatever he does, T.O. is a bad fit for the Bills. Buffalo is a working man’s city, with very good fans who appreciate good football, but who do not appreciate showboats. It’s not the big, national stage Owens likes for his antics, such as the one he had in Dallas, San Francisco and even in Philadelphia. The Buffalo fans may boo him off the stage.’