The saying “built it and they will come” did not apply to the recent workout that Terrell Owens set up at Calabasas High School in California. The audition was designed to showcase to the NFL teams that the veteran wide receiver has some gas left in the tank and is ready for game action after surgery on a torn ACL.

Normally auditions have an audience and unfortunately for T.O. and his agent Drew Rosenhaus, there was not a single member in the crowd.

The 38-year-old Owens is used to being surrounded by media in and around camps, in locker rooms and even during any past scheduled or unscheduled press conferences so this had to hurt; like a kick square in the nuts.

The Batman of the former Batman & Robin tandem that fizzled out in Cincy said he wasn’t bothered by the empty house but what else would we expect a player with his competitive nature to say when his ego is in the dirt.

The media that attended reported that they saw no signs of the knee struggling to perform and the veteran wideout also seemed to be in decent physical condition.

But the opinion of the media doesn’t matter; what matters is if there is any team hard up enough to take a shot on an aging veteran coming off surgery when there are younger players who may fill in a third receiver as well or better…and by the looks of the turnout and response, that isn’t happening.

Regardless how this plays out, Owens did have a decent year with the Bengals last year, catching 72 balls for 983 yards and nine touchdowns but along with that potential he brings a distracting demeanor into locker rooms as well and that may be part of the sticking point for some coaches and teams.

So where will batman end up?

Analyst Brian Billick guesses the Titans or Raiders while others have speculated him landing in Washington to fill in for the loss of Santana Moss.

My guess?

Mike Shanahan recently eliminated a cancer (Fat Albert) from his locker room so the ‘Skins won’t be interested in another media circus but those Raiders sure seem like a nice fit. We may see a few more Carson Palmer to T.O. TDs coming our way.

Used with permission of the author.

Jay Donetelli is a Tampa-based freelance sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax. With an opinion sharper than an Ovechkin skate blade with the sting of an Ali jab, Donetelli has a loyal cult of readers who have found a way to love him.

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