All I have to say is.....GETCHA POPCORN READY!!!
Ok, I know this is a media blog, but I just HAVE to comment on my beloved Buffalo Bills' signing of(insert media's disparaging adjective here) WR Terrell Owens, formerly of the Cowboys, Eagles and 49ers. First of all, if you're not a Bills fan, you have no idea how refreshing and exhilarating this is. The team has not made the playoffs since 2000, and since then, the team has been little more than a punchline to the point where they are never mentioned in the media without the tag of "only loser of four consecutive Super Bowls."
With one signing, the team has made itself relevant again. Sure, you will hear the media relentlessly ripping this move because of T.O.'s mercurial personality and his history of driving wedges into locker rooms. However, the Bills only signed him to a one-year-deal, so if he is a pest, then you put him on injured reserve. More than likely, though, he will be on his best behavior for one reason: next year's contract. He will be a choir boy this year to show other teams he is not a cancer, and he will have a solid on-field impact because he will be trying to show teams that he still has something left in the tank.
Next, for a franchise who is struggling with its bottom line, this is a genius move. The financial situation in Buffalo is so dire that the team is playing several preseason and regular season games in Toronto to garner more revenue. However, bringing in someone like T.O. will sell more season and single game tickets, jersey sales will skyrocket and there will undoubtedly be more national TV appearances for the Bills. This paragraph is reason enough to bring him in, but the fact remains that the guy can still play, and at a high level at that.
This brings us to the football aspect of the deal. Lee Evans is entrenched as the team's #1 receiver. (His recently signed contract that pays him almost $10 million a year ensures that). So, that means the team wants T.O. to be the #2; a big possession receiver that will take attention away from Evans, who has struggled without a true talent on the other side to take away double teams. I'm guessing that he will put up numbers this year along the lines of 40 catches, 600 yards and 5 TDs. If that's not enough for your #2 receiver, then I do not know what sport you are watching.
So let the media bitch and complain about the signing. They will continue to pump out nasty stories about the man (some of which I'll admit, is warranted) but that's just because they are always looking to portray the story in a way that will sell the most papers and bring in the highest viewer ratings. For a team with its back up against the wall, there was no better move that could have been made. Hell, two days ago they were offering Laveranues Coles nearly $30 million! But just try to look past the media's bullshit as they shamelessly pursue the "juiciest" aspects of the story, and you will see that this is a low risk, high reward, intelligent move for a team wallowing in desperation financially and competitively.
UPDATE: I just found this quote from Bills starting strong safety Donte Whitner. Sounds like Mr. Whitner knows the truth and sees through the bullshit:
"I'm not a concerned about that at all...a lot of public perception is through the media. A lot of stuff is about ratings and how many newspapers you can sell. I've learned a long time ago not to judge people by public perceptions, but by your personal relationship with them."
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