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The Super Aspirations of Terrell Owens

© Roy Pickering

His quandary is a legitimate one, by no means manufactured to sell jerseys or newspapers. The man has worked very hard to get where he is today. God given gifts aside, talent can only take one so far. The remainder of the distance must be bridged by human will. Terrell Owens has already earned recognition as a great wide receiver, one of the game's all time best. He is a Pro Bowl regular who earns top dollar and is a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame someday. When his playing career is over with, no doubt he will have multiple jobs in the media to choose between. The camera loves Owens as much as he loves the camera's spotlight. Yet there is something critical missing from his impressive resume that he desperate craves - a Super Bowl ring. This is the reason why he left his former team that was going nowhere in a hurry, the San Francisco 49'ers, and then rejected the Baltimore Ravens attempt to secure his services. Top of the chart statistics, the bulk of the praise and glory, and financial recognition of his elite level of play was no longer enough to satisfy him. He wanted a championship, which meant he needed a team that was one great wide receiver away from taking a step to the next level. Terrell Owens and the Philadelphia Eagles proved to be a perfect fit. They dominated their opposition throughout the season while Owens dominated the highlight reels. Then Terrell was injured, casting the happy ending to the story he envisioned in doubt.

Doctors declared that due to the severity of his injury, he would most likely not be able to play again this season. Terrell Owens countered that if his team could manage to win a few games without him, including the NFC championship game that had been their undoing three years running, he would defy medical science and return for the moment he has been dreaming of for most of his life. He is in amazing physical condition, so if anybody was up to such a daunting task, it would be him. We rooted for circumstances to work out as he planned, reminiscent of Willis Reed limping on to the court at Madison Square Garden for Game 7 of the NBA Finals, or Kirk Gibson practically dragging himself to home plate and then being carried around the bases by the lift of adrenaline after hitting a time capsule homerun. But with the Super Bowl now only a week away, Owen's doctor has refused to clear him to play. If he defies the experts, the worst case scenario may unfold. Serious damage could be inflicted by a single hit to the wrong spot, or if an unfortunate step to the open field is taken without sufficient muscle support. Terrell Owens may then crumble to the ground along with the remainder of his career.