MDS mentioned earlier today receiver Terrell Owens explanation to Dr. Phil that the future Hall of Famer squandered $80 million while playing. And the episode of Dr. Phil’s show featuring T.O. is currently residing on my DVR, and I’ll inevitably decide to watch it. Probably.
But for a guy who claims to continue to hold out hope for playing in the NFL, why is he going on a show like Dr. Phil’s? It won’t help persuade a team to sign Owens; it will if anything have only the opposite effect.
Owens’ willingness to appear on the program possibly arises from his desire to find a way, no matter how desperate or sad or ill-advised, to remain in the spotlight. And that’s all the more reason for the NFL to find a way to help its players transition to a post-football existence that ordinarily entails far less cash -- and even farther less fame.
With the fame long gome, T.O. apparently is settling for notoriety, and he’ll undoubtedly continue to take whatever of it he can get. Hopefully, he’ll realize at some point that he doesn’t need it, and he’ll find a path to relevance and fulfillment that doesn’t involve smiling into a camera or talking into a microphone.