Comics » Terrell Owens should have had a better excuse for blowing

You know http://www.raidersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-trayvon-mullen-jersey , like maybe he was going bowling.That, at least, might have been understood in the tiny universe of T.O., the one the former wide receiver lives in and no one else seems to penetrate. Owens was so into bowling after his football career was over that he tried to go pro, only to be undone by slippery lane conditions.Owens was a lot more successful in football, where his numbers were so good he arguably — and Owens argues this most — should have been inducted in Canton in his first year of eligibility. It wasn’t until his third year that Owens was voted in, part of a class that includes, among others, Jerry Kramer, Ray Lewis and fellow wide receiver Randy Moss.They’ll all be there, slipping on the gold jackets for the first time that signify they’re the best of the best.Owens probably will get his in the mail.That’s entirely on T.O., and it’s not entirely surprising. His great numbers always came with great problems, and he’s never been one to forget a slight Maxx Crosby Jersey , perceived or otherwise.That’s why he’s still engaged in a mostly one-way feud with Donovan McNabb, 13 years after the Philadelphia Eagles lost the 2005 Super Bowl to New England and Owens famously said he “wasn’t the guy who got tired” in the game.It’s also why he’s spending the day he should be getting his gold jacket at a ceremony of his own at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he went to college.Hard to say exactly, but it seems T.O. is not happy with the way the media covered him over his 15-year career. He believes he got a bad rap as a bad teammate, and didn’t get the credit for the things he did on the field for his teams.And he’s really not happy with being skipped over two years before finally being voted into the hall.Just T.O. being T.O., a familiar scene to anyone who followed his career. Now Owens can claim a first that may hold a long time — the only living player of the 318 elected to the Hall of Fame who refused to attend his own induction.“It wasn’t like he had to wait that long,” said Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News, who championed Owens cause to his 47 fellow Hall of Fame voters. “A lot of people have waited a lot longer than three years.”Owens may not be there to get his jacket, but he’ll still be a Hall of Famer. There will be a T.O. bust, and provisions have been made to send him a jacket.But he won’t be inducted individually like the others in his class in what should be one of the greatest moments of his life.His call, yes. But if Owens is trying to make a point, it’s likely to get lost in the fuss being made over those actually in Canton for their inductions.Then again, this is a player who held a bizarre press conference while working out in his driveway after being suspended for arguing with Eagles coach Andy Reid prior to the 2005 season. Shirtless and doing sit-ups Hakeem Butler Jersey , Owens mostly answered “no comment” before exasperated writers asked him if he was trying to set a record for offering no comment.“No comment,” he said.Wide receivers tend to be a strange breed, even if Owens took it to a new level. Moss, after all, once famously walked off the field with 2 seconds left in a game and his Minnesota Vikings lined up for an onside kick attempt.Moss will be in Canton on Saturday for his induction, and maybe Owens didn’t want to share the stage with him. Unlike Owens, Moss got in in his first year of eligibility.A look at the numbers makes the case for Owens, who had a great career playing in San Francisco, Philadelphia, Dallas, Buffalo and Cincinnati. Moss is second only to Jerry Rice in receiving yards, and third in touchdown catches behind Rice and Moss. He was a six-time Pro Bowl pick, and his touchdown celebrations live on in NFL lore.Yes Chris Lindstrom Jersey , he once questioned the sexuality of one of his quarterbacks. Yes, he threw quarterbacks and coaches under the bus whenever it suited his fancy.But he deserves to be in Canton. He should be in Canton.“I don’t understand what he’s trying to accomplish here, but he’s a tough guy to understand,” Domowitch said. I think he’s going to regret it later on because a lot of the Hall of Famers are going to hold it against him. Part of the joy of being one of those guys is not just getting inducted but all the things you go to together in the future. When the other Hall of Famers get together, he won’t really be welcomed.”No he won’t, though to Owens it doesn’t seem to matter.It’s just T.O. being T.O.——Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at tdahlberg(at)ap.org or http://twitter.com/timdahlberg Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio isn’t permitted to interview for head coaching openings until after the Bears face the Eagles in the playoffs on Sunday and he won’t be waiting long to speak to interested teams once eligible.Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Fangio is expected to interview with the Broncos and Dolphins next Monday. Both teams requested permission to speak to Fangio after firing their head coaches on December 31.Fangio has never been a head coach, but he has over two decades of experience as a coordinator under a variety of head coaches and has had his name come up with openings a few times in recent years.The Dolphins have also reached out to Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak, Cowboys defensive backs coach Kris Richard and Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. Munchak is also on the radar in Denver along with Colts coach Chuck Pagano, Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor and Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores.