Terrell Owens has a way of drawing attention to himself like mosquitoes to barbeque chefs on a hot Summer day. He is a virtuoso at courting television cameras, encourages adulation and agitation in equal measure through a variety of exploits. Owens excels at walking the walk, and is virtually without peer at talking the talk. Fans watch him in anticipation of his next acrobatic reception and the even more entertaining celebration that is sure to follow. He does what many others do, but manages to pull things off in a manner that routinely invites controversy. For example, there are countless professional athletes who do commercials for a wide range of products. Some of these commercials are non-descript, others amusing, a rare few are even memorable classics, such as when Mean Joe Green asked that kid to catch. But when Terrell Owens gets involved in the advertising game, suddenly you have threats of boycotts and official apologies need to be issued. Even when a moment is not scripted by Owens for maximum exposure, his mere presence is somehow enough to stir up trouble and heightened interest. He is not the type of man who engages in activities that get him arrested or sued with regularity. I don't know him personally, but as far as I can tell, he is a responsible citizen if not quite a wholesome role model to the youth of America. He just happens to be a man that whether by design or accident or a combination of the two, ends up time and time again at the center of attention.
It should come as no surprise to anyone that of all the storylines sports writers may choose to explore and exploit leading up to Super Bowl Sunday, the most intriguing one which has led to endless speculation involves Terrell Owens. Will he play or won't he? Should he play or shouldn't he? Never mind that the New England Patriots are on the verge of becoming a dynasty, Tom Brady at the precipice of being declared a legend in his own time, and Bill Belichick possibly about to prove he is the greatest ever to coach the game. Forget the feel good story of Donovan McNabb finally getting the Eagles over the hump and taking a stab at immortality, the second African-American quarterback to do so, and the first to definitively prove that Rush Limbaugh is an idiot. That stuff is merely filler. This Super Bowl is first and foremost about Terrell Owens.
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