Buffalo Bills lose minds, sign T.O.

Story here: http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/story/600430.html

Doesn't seem like a real obvious match to me. The high maintenance spotlight-craving Dallas diva is going to a city that isn't exactly a media hub (I went to college there) with a blue collar image and a football team that hasn't had a notable passing offense in awhile.

I can't really think of a less likely team to take him, except maybe Pittsburgh.

I seriously wonder if this is just a bid by the Bills to sell more tickets, team chemistry be damned.

So they'll be the next team to be almost great, then flounder, then have to deal with all the drama T.O. requires as part of his care and feeding.

The only team that guy needs (and I say this not out of malice but severity) is a team of psychologists. He is not well in the head.

The Bills would be best served to charge media folks $25/hour for parking and $10 per question asked to T.O.

Within a month, they'd be able to release a stimulus package bigger than the one Obama signed.

I can't remember the last time the Bills were on TV here in a game I had any interest in, so hopefully this means I'll be able to skip the entire T. O. Drama Show this time around. That makes this a good signing, in my opinion.

Of course, the other side of the coin is that Buffalo might suddenly become 'newsworthy', so every one of their games gets national airplay. In which case, I'll have more time to get work done around the house on Sundays this fall.

Anyone want to make any predictions as to when TO pulls some ridiculous attention-seeking stunt (publicly calling out his quarterback, demanding to be traded, fake suicide attempt, whatever)? I say before Thanksgiving.

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Originally posted by Laughing Lagomorph

Anyone want to make any predictions as to when TO pulls some ridiculous attention-seeking stunt (publicly calling out his quarterback, demanding to be traded, fake suicide attempt, whatever)? I say before Thanksgiving.

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Now that's not entirely fair -- T.O. always waits at least one season before demanding a trade. :D

I can certainly see this move as being an attempt to generate some buzz for a team that has been off the radar for a number of years. Bringing Owens in means the media will be paying attention. It also means a bunch off Bills jerseys with 81 on them are going to be sold. If, in the long run, it puts people in the stands and boosts overall franchise profitability, it's a good business move, even if it's a horrible move in terms of their competitiveness.

[quote=dread pirate jimbo]

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Originally posted by "Laughing Lagomorph":23pnpbld

I can certainly see this move as being an attempt to generate some buzz for a team that has been off the radar for a number of years. Bringing Owens in means the media will be paying attention. It also means a bunch off Bills jerseys with 81 on them are going to be sold. If, in the long run, it puts people in the stands and boosts overall franchise profitability, it's a good business move, even if it's a horrible move in terms of their competitiveness.

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These are the Bills. They don't need asses in the seats: they sell out every home game anyways. I wonder if TO is still going to have the selling power he once had: if he doesn't have a huge comeback season (which he might, Lee Evans is the best other receiver he's worked with since Jerry Rice), he's going to be a complete waste of space, even in terms of marketing.

Is it going to be the case this year that Buffalo plays some of its games in Toronto?

If so, TO will help sell those seats.

It seems to me that the issue isn't so much T.O. being a drama queen, as it is the media desperately, breathlessly waiting for something, anything, to report. I mean, let's be honest here, some of the big drama surrounding T.O. is nothing but manufactured outrage, because T.O. is a popular lightning rod for this sort of thing. Cris Collinsworth practically comes in his pants when he gets a chance to bitch about Owens, regardless of whether or not Owens is actually guilty of anything.

Dallas had a lot of problems the past few years, and a lot of them were not the result of T.O.

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Originally posted by Stink Fish Pot

Is it going to be the case this year that Buffalo plays some of its games in Toronto?

If so, TO will help sell those seats.

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Yes, the Bills are playing one game a year in Toronto for the next...I think it is four more years.

I'm not a Bills fan but living here in WNY just about everyone else is. Surprisingly, everyone I talk to thinks it's a great idea for the Bills to sign TO. The plan is to have him here for one year only, which doesn't give him enough time for him to get bored or start sniping with everyone else. Theoretically TO will be on his best behavior (so far as that goes) because after the contract is over he'll be back on the free-agent market. If he bombs in Buffalo, his career is as good as over.

And, football-wise, TO is a good fit for the Bills. He'll pull coverage away from Lee Evans and James Hardy. He'll force defenses to go to a seven-man front, which should free up space for Marshawn Lynch. And he'll take a lot of pressure off Edwards/Losman/QB of the future.

Lastly, let's face it, Buffalo needed a star. You know how a lot of local businesses put a popular football player on ads? Around here the most popular player for that role was Brian Moorman. He's the freakin' punter. There wasn't anybody else on the team with enough draw.

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Originally posted by Laughing Lagomorph

Anyone want to make any predictions as to when TO pulls some ridiculous attention-seeking stunt (publicly calling out his quarterback, demanding to be traded, fake suicide attempt, whatever)? I say before Thanksgiving.

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Your being too generous, I say before Labor Day. Too bad, I was really liking the Bills for this upcoming season too.

They are surely in for some headaches.

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Originally posted by pepperlandgirl

It seems to me that the issue isn't so much T.O. being a drama queen, as it is the media desperately, breathlessly waiting for something, anything, to report. I mean, let's be honest here, some of the big drama surrounding T.O. is nothing but manufactured outrage, because T.O. is a popular lightning rod for this sort of thing. Cris Collinsworth practically comes in his pants when he gets a chance to bitch about Owens, regardless of whether or not Owens is actually guilty of anything.

Dallas had a lot of problems the past few years, and a lot of them were not the result of T.O.

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I agree. Do you remember the up close and personal T.O. coverage between plays, hoping that T.O. would act up for the camera at almost every game last season. There had to be a dedicated T.O. cameraman.

Hitler didn't like the signing much (NSFW language)

Let's face it, too, after this past season, where the Bills started out 4 and 0, and ended up with the worst record in their division, the management has a good reason to want to have someone, anyone, else to bear the brunt of the fans ire. When the word came out that the head coach was signed for next year, instead of fire, there was a lot of disgust here.

So, T.O. (Terrell Owens) is coming to T.O. (Toronto, Ontario -- "T.O." is a common nickname for Toronto, often reduced to "T-dot" in rap songs that I never listen to).

Okay, so there had to a be a light side.

I predict this will be a positive for the Bills. They'll make the playoffs this year, maybe even win in the first round.

....THEN everything will go bad.

So you're saying the Bills are the new Red Sox?