Call me a purist.

Yep. That’s what it must be. That must be why I feel as strongly as I do about the game of football. Why I’m compelled to add my two cents to a topic that has received more attention than it’s worth. A topic that seems small in the majestic history of football, and even smaller in the wake of the challenges our nation faces.

Maybe it’s naiveté. Or a sincere passion for this game that has enriched my life and probably yours.    

Whatever the case, you, noble reader, are my release. And I can only hope you can bear with me.

Yep. I’m the guy who prefers college football to its professional step-son, the National Football League. I got more of a thrill watching Boise State’s “Statue of Liberty” play in its miracle win over Oklahoma than watching Eli Manning and David Tyree’s unbelievable play in last year’s Super Bowl. 

I’m the guy who watches the Army-Navy game each year—loyally. And has convinced himself that those slower, smaller guys represent real football players.

I’m the guy who believes that football is a microcosm of life—a testament to the power of mankind when he bands himself to another for a common cause. I believe that even in a world that emphasizes the accomplishment of individuals the game of football is evidence that a team is not merely a sum of its players—it’s a manifestation of their common effort. 

Now you may not agree with me on all that. 

And that’s fine. 

You might be saying to yourself, “This guy’s got problems.”

And I do. 

But I think we can all agree on one thing. 

Terrell Owens has bigger problems.    

Let me posit for you now a disclaimer. Life has taught me never to judge a man’s character. Each of us is a victim and beneficiary of our own experiences and each is endowed with our own strengths and weakness. 

So in keeping with that, I attempt to explain my opinion of the player and not the person. And in my opinion, Owens is "The Anti-Player."

That’s right, The Anti-Player. 

He might be one of the greatest athletes on the face of the earth. He may be a physical freak of nature. But the man just simply isn’t a football player. 

I’m a young guy. But even as one born in a generation with an alleged over-emphasis on “self,” it’s hard to find any character in public life as uncontrollably narcissistic as Mr. Owens seems to be. The recently exposed Governor of Illinois should be referred to as the “Terrell Owens of politics.” 

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