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T.O. can make a difference

If Dallas Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens, popularly nicknamed T.O., were not a role model for tens of thousands of low-income kids who want to become professional football players just like him, we could dismiss Owens' latest trouble as just another T.O. moment.

On the night of Sept. 26, Owens' publicist telephoned the Dallas Police Department from her client's condo and said that he may have taken "too many pills" and needed an ambulance immediately. In its initial report, the police concluded that rescue workers had responded to an attempted "suicide by prescription pain medication." By Thursday, however, official word was that the case was an "accidental overdose."

Whatever the truth is in this matter, a regrettable reality is that T.O.'s surreal flamboyance - the trash talking, showboating, personal insults and general braggadocio both on and off the field - has become the standard for many youngsters still trying to develop the basic skills to play the game. It is also regrettable that T.O.'s behavior prevents ordinary fans and many of his admirers from appreciating him as a devoted father and a loving son.

Each football weekend, untold numbers of boys across the nation tune in to see the great moves and catches the Dallas wideout will make on the field, and they listen to his interviews to hear his over-the-top comments. T.O. should use this incident as a reason to seriously reflect on his role in the NFL and the lives of others. He still could become a positive influence for thousands of young males who want to emulate him.

[Last modified September 30, 2006, 19:38:00]