The Bridge Burner!

"I really didn't mean to burn all of those bridges bruh!"

In 1993 the Hughes Brothers directed the ground breaking film Menace II Society that depicted the gritty reality of urban violence. The main character in the movie “Caine” had done so much dirt during his life that it was bound to come back his way.

 Big Momma would always say, "Don't burn any bridges baby because at some point you've got to cross back over them. Don't write any checks that your butt can't cash or watch what you say or do to folks because it’ll come back to haunt you." My favorite of them all was, "If you keep talkin' somebody is going to close that mouth for you." We've all heard those words of wisdom at some point in our lives. If you and I are familiar with them why did T.O. always act like these words were foreign to him?

On every team this guy was a part of he found a way to act a complete fool! It really got started when he was traded to Philly to play with Donovan McNabb. Forget about burning the bridge bruh. He simply blew it up! Now the brother was ridiculously productive with the Eagles though. Remember when he came back just weeks after breaking his ankle to play in the Super Bowl? Unfortunately, he was a diva in every since of the word and caused all types of problems in the locker room. Owens then went on a bridge burning spree in Dallas, Buffalo and it finally ended last year in Cincinnati.

Just recently, Carson Palmer was asked if he'd like for his current team, the Oakland Raiders, to pick up T.O.? His response was, "T.O. and I had a great working relationship, he had one of his most successful years over the past five or six years, a lot of production and he was a great teammate in Cincinnati.”


“The problem is that for him to get here there’s not anybody that we could let go, we have a stable of young horses that can run and guys that can just move, very young, very inexperienced but tons of potential and it’s tough to give up a young guy with a lot of potential for a guy that’s got a lot of history in the league that’s in his late 30s, so I can’t see him coming here but I had a good time playing with him and he’s an explosive player himself.”

All of that was code for, "I don't want that freaking guy anywhere near me or my team!"

The Raiders did in fact, go out and sign a veteran wide receiver on Tuesday but it was T.J. Houshmandzadeh. He's 34 and slightly younger than the 37 year old Owens but let’s keep it real. If T.O. didn't come with so much baggage Palmer would have spoken up for his former teammate.

T.O. acts like the old timers weren’t spitting words of wisdom on his porch when he was a kid. Even if you weren't getting it from family everybody knows of an "Old Man Mr. Johnny."  He was the guy in the neighborhood that would come through with some sound advice every now and then. Maybe he heard it but decided to not to take heed to it just like Caine.

At some point you’ve got to pay for all of the damage that you’ve done along the way. When boyz came back for Caine they brought the heat and as he was dying he said to himself, “I knew boyz were going to come back but I didn’t know they were going to come back like this.” Well, I guess T.O. never thought about how his actions would affect his career and personal life in the long run either.
　
He was one of the best wide receivers to ever play the game. This guy was gifted with all of the tools and natural ability that human beings are rarely born with. His inability to use wisdom and tact hampered his career tremendously. Talent is only a small portion of what it takes to maximize potential.

He'll definitely be a first ballot Hall Of Famer but he could have been an even more productive player that finished his career with all types of NFL receiving records. Instead he’s an outcast. Always remember that bridges are fragile and you’ve got to be able to handle them with care. My man Soloman says it best in the book of Proverbs 18:6, "A fool's lips bring him strife and his mouth invites a beating."

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter:@jaygravesreport