They say any publicity is good publicity. That may be true but this “Terrell Owens to the CFL” narrative is growing old quickly.
Look, I get it. There is a train of thought that suggests any time the CFL is a headline in North America, it’s a good thing. While I don’t disagree with that, this particular situation is becoming a little bit crazy.
Quick Background On The Owens Saga
On Friday, the Edmonton Eskimos decided to drop former NFL superstar Terrell Owens from their negotiation list. With this move, the possibility has opened up for Owens to sign with any CFL team going forward.
The Owens camp has already expressed interest in playing in the CFL, so that would not be an issue. However, speculation is that Owens preference would be to play in the Eastern Division if an opportunity should arise.
Although Owens has kept himself in unbelievable shape and can still run like the wind, he is 44 years old. He has not played a pro football game in over 6 years and admittedly is not in “football shape”. Not to mention the fact that he would earn a salary far less than what he was making in the NFL.
Not About Wins and Losses
One would certainly be right to question the motives of Terrell Owens wanting to play in the CFL. However, I’m left to wonder about the motivation of any CFL team wanting to sign him.
From my perspective, this is nothing more than a publicity stunt. If any team signs Owens, while great for the headlines, it would have absolutely nothing to do with winning football games.
The CFL season is already seven weeks old. The players who are playing now are already in game shape and playing at a high level. How could Owens step in and be a factor when he is so far removed from playing professional football? Simple answer, he can’t.
What team would honestly believe that adding Terrell Owens to their roster makes them a better football team? A receiver whose best seasons are over a decade behind him and has never played a down in the CFL? Again, the answer is simple- he would not.
There isn’t a CFL team out there that is a Terrell Owens away from a Grey Cup victory. There just isn’t.
Serious About Winning
If a team is serious about winning and not just adding fuel to an already out of control publicity stunt, I have a suggestion.
Perhaps looking at guys like Bakari Grant, Rob Bagg, or Chad Owens might be a better place to start. You know, guys who have experienced success in the CFL, and have likely kept themselves in great shape as well.
I get that they may not have the speed of Terrell Owens, work the outside of the field like he could or have the same cache. However, I find it difficult to believe that these guys wouldn’t add the same or greater value to a CFL roster. There are a lot of smart general managers and coaches in this league. I am sure they could find a use for these guys on their roster rather than recycling former NFL players.
Enough With This Publicity Stunt
There is a long list of former NFL players that have tried their luck at the Canadian game. Although the list is much shorter of those players which found sustained success in the CFL. Not to say that it can’t happen, it has just been proven over time that it doesn’t in most cases.
My hope is that the CFL teams, media, and fans can move along from this publicity stunt quickly. While these types of stories can be good for the league, it takes the focus away from other great stories that happen each week in our league.
Week 7 is coming up quickly, let’s talk about that.
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