TimGraham

What Owens tweeted repeatedly about Rodney Harrison's suspension I certainly consider trash talking.

Whoa, whoa, whoa ... So then what's the problem? You want him to speak out about the Bills' problems, but we're not supposed to ask him about it when it's obvious that's what he's thinking but refusing to say? The media is supposed to ask the questions the fans want answered. Based on your comments, we did just that.

Please. Bickering Bills is minor league compared to Terrell Owens. Ask somebody in Cleveland about the Bickering Bills. They'll want to know which two Williams you're talking about and what their quarrel is.

Thanks for your feedback, Emmitt. It's "goad," not "goat." But you're way off in trying to find our ulterior motives and your concepts of how journalism works. We can't get a scoop in a news conference. It's impossible, by definition. There are dozens of news outlets in the room. Whatever he says, everybody gets to use. There is no exclusive. As I explained before, this news conference barely rates in terms of hostility. If you think we were being bullies, then you should see us in front of somebody like Jerry Jones, Michael Vick, Joe Torre, Ozzie Guillen, Alex Rodriguez, Kobe Bryant ... You know those Coors Light commercials where snippets of a coach's news conference are used? You think those were polite exchanges? Those are all born of heated interview sessions. They happen all the time. This is a classic case of fans not wanting to see how the sausage is made. If you're a Bills fans, you're aghast because this is the first time you've been exposed to anything like this. Believe me, there's much worse on a weekly basis.

I think you have hit on something there. I get the sense that Bills fans -- deep down -- know Owens isn't a Bill. He's not supposed to be here. This isn't the type of player the Bills historically employ. This isn't the type of team Owens has played for. He's a short-timer, a one and done. He's still considered an unknown in regard to the Bills and by the time most of us get a handle on what he's about he'll be gone. Wilson, Brandon, Jauron, Edwards, Lynch ... THEY'RE Bills and, therefore, part of the problem. T.O. is not a Bill. I think we've accidentally hit on a very intriguing point.

Thanks for the kind words, Dan. But what struck me (and I agree) is your statement that this has just about been played. I wrote the column less than two days ago and, despite the fury, everybody has moved on to something else. It's a fast-food world ... and don't blame McDonald's for making people buy their french fries.

I didn't mean "you" specifically. The "refuse to speak" deal is after games. Lynch spoke after games when somebody interviewed him. The local media stopped interviewing him because they got sick of dealing with him. But he speak when approached after games. I talked to him in Miami last year.

The byline does that for most people.

To about 90 percent of the people on this thread: Please read the column. I don't write about being owed anything. I don't whine. I don't need a tissue. The column isn't even about Sunday's news conference. You might have noticed that had you read it. Do I mention it? Yes, but that's not what it's about. If I was offended at the way Owens acted on Sunday, I would have written about it Sunday ... or Monday. I wrote a column sympathetic to Owens on Sunday night, his news conference included. I feel badly for him and for the fans who bought season tickets because he was on the team (someone brought up the point earlier that it's disingenuous of me to make that point because Evans makes more than Owens; so what? Evans didn't make people who were about to boycott the team over Jauron and three straight 7-9 seasons turn around and throw their money at the team). Anyway, what this column is about is Owens' act when he went on "Two Live Stews," claiming to be the victim of media bullies ... at a time when the coverage was sympathetic towards him. He's already playing his role of the victim -- this time by the big, bad Buffalo media, which is laughable. As mentioned in the Ask Tim Graham thread, on the volatile news conference scale, this rated a 6. He probably averaged an 8 in Dallas. Any Larry Quinn news conference is a healthy 7. But everybody is all worked up because a) the entire news conference was played on ESPN, b) Owens has played the victim role so well for so long, people feel the need to jump to his defense like he's a child. If this news conference offended you, then you would have a stroke if you saw what the average news conference is like in a major market. I was at the Donovan McNabb news conference the day the Eagles signed Michael Vick. I didn't see anybody jump in to save McNabb from the bullies. But T.O. is so meek and helpless, people feel the need to embrace him. Larry Quinn wants to know where you guys are after his news conferences.

Hi, jreed. I've been responding to the comments on my blog for a day now. You're allowed to communicate with me there, too. I get paid to spend time on ESPN.com. I come here when I can.

Sullivan's column was sympathetic to Owens and the fans who paid to watch him. That fact alone defuses your theory. Sully had no "motive."

This is all he had to do three days ago: http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/...tion-with-media Notice how many comments his quotes generated at the bottom of the blog? 10 as of this post. The column I wrote about his behavior after the game generated 600 comments within 24 hours. So you can't play "no matter what he says it will get blown out of proportion" card. He said a bunch of insightful stuff Wednesday that was accepted at face value. He could have done that Sunday.

Shame on me for asking the kinds of questions that would elicit what you'd like for him to say, especially since he has a track record for saying those types of things ... Interesting take.

Thanks for the feedback. I think it's a nonsensical analogy, but it's what you think. I appreciate you taking the time to share.

This is the most interesting take I've seen on the topic. Interesting because I want to know how you conjured it up in your head. If I was upset about what Owens said in his news conference, I would have written about it on Sunday. My column on Sunday was sympathetic to him. So was Jerry Sullivan's. Jerry sided with the fans, who expect the Bills to showcase him. People bought season tickets to watch him perform. I didn't write about Owens' news conference on Monday either. What I wrote about on Tuesday was Owens going on a radio program the next day and playing the victim role at a time when coverage was sympathetic to him. Did you see anybody in the local media bash Owens for what he said Sunday? I guess you did based on these remarks. But I didn't. As for the NFL forcing Owens to the interview, you're right. Every player has to be available to the media. Owens wanted the league to give him special treatment. They refused. Simple as that.

Owens' tone was combative from the start. He kicked the door open and then kept giving snide responses right off the bat. I don't recall all the questions, but the first two were about his streak coming to an end and the Bills scoring only 7 points. Those are the two most obvious questions I can think of. We were asking a football player football questions after a football game. Nobody got personal. Dick Jauron news conferences are much more heated than what Owens went through. This whole "you bullied T.O." theme is silly. How about the Larry Quinn news conference after they lost Briere and Drury? What T.O. faced on Sunday was ordinary by comparison. On the scale of 1-10 for intense news conferences I've attended, this was a 6. I'm sure T.O. averaged an 8 in Dallas.

First off, I need to apologize for not being around more. I'm still in between homes, staying with my folks in Ohio while waiting for our place in Getzville to be ready -- hopefully, in two weeks. But I've been driving back and forth between Buffalo and Ohio Amish country. My brain hurts. As for this question, I have to admit I have no idea about that particular audible. And a good thing, too. Because if I could figure it out, you know an NFL cornerback or defensive coordinator could. Teams change out their signals at different times, depending on whether they've played that team before or who might be on the opposing staff. But some teams change signals every game. Some might even change them at halftime.

They're not allowed to step foot in the team facility or be on the sidelines. They can attend the games if they sit in the stands, however.

Sorry it took me so long to respond. I haven't been around the Bills since that game (I covered the other two AFC East games this past weekend). But I will be covering the Bills this week. I'll see what I can find out.

Hard to say when he doesn't talk. Who am I kidding? It's hard to say when he does talk, too.

Yes, he does tell some great baseball stories on Mike & Mike. I find Schlereth entertaining and insightful. Then again, I'm the type of person who doesn't let differing opinions ruin my day.

Even if I had time, that's not my scene. I'm more of a Quarterdeck guy. But I got into Fort Lauderdale at noon Monday and had a 6:45 a.m. flight Tuesday. Not a fun trip.

I'd have to agree with this sentiment. He's a curmudgeon, but I don't think he's reckless or malicious in his opinions. He's one of those "NFL code" guys, and he has a dislike for guys who don't go by the "code."

Thank you, Buffalonian. I'm sure Leodis knows this was the work of the exception and not the rule. He won't hold a grudge.

I'm pulling the double header this week. I will be at Pats-Jets on Sunday then headed to South Florida on Monday morning. I will be attending Saints-Bills in Week 3.