Owens misses start of Bills' voluntary workouts

[Arch Stanton]

Owens misses start of Bills' voluntary workouts

By JOHN WAWROW,
AP Sports Writer

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) Terrell Owens is a no-show for the start of the Buffalo Bills' voluntary workouts. The team's strength and conditioning coach isn't worried.

Assistant John Allaire stressed that attendance at the offseason conditioning program is voluntary and that Owens usually keeps himself in great shape.

Allaire said Monday he's not sure if the star receiver will join the program. Under NFL rules governing offseason workouts, Owens is required to attend only the mandatory minicamp in June.

Owens signed with the Bills on March 7.

http://stats.nypost.com/fb/story.asp?i=20090323194534810000101&ref=hea&tm=&src=

 

[Tusan_Homichi]

Just because I want to be the first to say it:

What do voluntary mean?

 

[Doomsday101]

Just because I want to be the first to say it:

What do voluntary mean?

It means the teams can only hold so many mandatory workouts by league rules so they have voluntary workouts as well. As far as I'm concerned all team workouts mandatory or voluntary should be attended by all players unless there is a good reason a player can't attend.

 

[5Stars]

Apparently he was in Miami getting drunk per TMZ of course!

 

[dadymat]

no news here......same ole......he dont need to learn their system they need to learn his...

 

[5Stars]

no news here......same ole......he dont need to learn their system they need to learn his...

:laugh2: :laugh2:

 

[dcdallaschick]

I wasn't one of those "thank God he's finally gone" people, but I must say it's kind of refreshing to have this story (and the TMZ one, bogus or no) be about somebody else's team. Still expect to hear somebody at BSPN refer to him as "former Cowboy Terrell Owens"--just for giggles.

 

[Dave_in-NC]

No news here, just the same ole same ole.

 

[WarC]

Yeah...Who here is surprised? :laugh2:

 

[TellerMorrow34]

This isn't even a story at this point. This is standard for him every single offseason.

 

[Doomsday101]

This isn't even a story at this point. This is standard for him every single offseason.

Just one of many standards for him. Lets see he in now on team #4 and nothing changes? :laugh2:

 

[khiladi]

Maybe he was hanging out with Roy Williams.....

 

[1fisher]

Maybe he was hanging out with Roy Williams.....

Lame........

 

[1fisher]

Just because I want to be the first to say it:

What do voluntary mean?

Good ol Hambrick... :laugh2:

 

[DallasFanSince86]

Just because I want to be the first to say it:

What do voluntary mean?

Good ol Hambrick... :laugh2:

I have been hear over a year now and I still do not know how this joke came about?

 

[DallasEast]

I have been hear over a year now and I still do not know how this joke came about?

During his fourth year as a Cowboy back in 2001, linebacker Darren Hambrick was engaged in a contract dispute prior to several voluntary minicamps. As a sign of protest, he skipped the minicamps. That did not sit well with Coach Campo, who demoted Hambrick to second string for the first few weeks of training camp.

When he was asked to explain why he skipped the minicamps, which Campo had deemed every player should participate in, Hambrick answered, "What do 'voluntary' mean?" The rest, as they say, is history.

 

[DallasFanSince86]

During his fourth year as a Cowboy back in 2001, linebacker Darren Hambrick was engaged in a contract dispute prior to several voluntary minicamps. As a sign of protest, he skipped the minicamps. That did not sit well with Coach Campo, who demoted Hambrick to second string for the first few weeks of training camp.

When he was asked to explain why he skipped the minicamps, which Campo had deemed every player should participate in, Hambrick answered, "What do 'voluntary' mean?" The rest, as they say, is history.

:laugh1:

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Biggems]

i was just on yahoo sports and apparently the reason TO is not at camp is because he is in Washington DC to receive an award for his work in raising money and awareness for Alzheimer's......something his granny has.

I'd miss camp too, especially if I was already in phenominal shape, if I was trying to raise money and awareness for a disease that a close family member had.

 

[DallasEast]

i was just on yahoo sports and apparently the reason TO is not at camp is because he is in Washington DC to receive an award for his work in raising money and awareness for Alzheimer's......something his granny has.

I'd miss camp too, especially if I was already in phenominal shape, if I was trying to raise money and awareness for a disease that a close family member had.

The Buffalo Bills' voluntary conditioning program began Monday, March 23 ( article ). The National Alzheimer's Gala was scheduled for Wednesday, March 25 ( website ).

As always, Terrell Owens had a choice. His choices were:

A) attended the Gala and receive recognition for his work in fighting the disease

B) attended the voluntary minicamp, demonstrate symbolically to everyone (front office, new teammates, fans and the media) that he is willing to show his face even though he does not have to be there

C) attend the voluntary minicamp on Monday and Tuesday, score public relations points with his new team, fans and the media, fly to Washington D.C. on Wednesday (thus missing the third day of minicamp instead of the first and second days), attended the Gala and score even more public relations points with his new team, fans, the media, plus soak in the recognition from others praising him for his charity work--which he is unquestionably deserving of

Which choice did Owens take? A. And that should not surprise (literally) anyone.

Which choice never entered his mind? B, also known as the Darren Hambrick rule of "What Do Voluntary Mean?" which is embraced by a number of players in addition to Owens.

Which choice would have been the smart one? C.

That's Terrell Owens. Always has been. Always will be.

I wonder where Owens will be today, which is Thursday a.k.a. the day after the Gala a.k.a. the fourth day of the voluntary minicamp? Stay tuned.

EDIT! STOP THE PRESSES!

The Bills conditioning program runs four days a week, with most players usually working Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, while taking Wednesdays off. But the schedule is flexible for players to move workout days up a day or back a day depending on other offseason obligations.

- http://www.buffalobills.com/news/ar...workouts/35cbba03-b43d-49de-b0c5-cdce9d38e0a2

~inserts Looney Tunes theme~ That's Terrell!

 

[Bluebeard]

Sure glad I live a dull, ordinary life. So happy that my every move or twitch is not scrutinized by every arm chair QB or as Wade put it.."yellow journalism". With all the flaws that TO had in Dallas, he showed up to play every Sunday. As a leader, if he felt a guy wasn't performing up to their capabilities, even himself, he got on them. Everyone knew what we were getting when he was signed a few years back but somehow, some seem to be shocked that he was outspoken.

Not one of us actually knows what went on in the locker room, not even Mr. Ed (Werder) himself, but because ESPN had "BREAKING NEWS" tickers every two minutes on the bottom of all our TVs' it somehow became Gospel.
I work a 9 to 5 job where I may have two or three guys to answer to, who may have to evaluate me once a year, not every week because I missed a voluntary workout. It's easy to sit back and criticize someone when we can turn off the TV or close the newspaper or jump off the Internet, but when it's you whose name is synonymous with Cancer, Team Obliterator etc. we all might sing a different tune. If he hasn't come to voluntary workouts with any other team and he feels that doing his own thing benefits him better and has the track record to prove it, then I applaud him for sticking with what he believes in and not worrying about what we think.

My two bits