Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Owens blames debate show legend Skip Bayless for targeting him with negative criticism durigng and after his career, which influenced others to spread false narrative about him and cost him opportunities
Bayless’ open criticism of Owens and other sports stars throughout his career as one of the leading daily debate voices in media is what elevated him to celebrity status. Along the way, Bayless has made some enemies among those athletes he’s spoken unfavorably about.
The rocky relationship between Owens and Bayless has been well-documented. It really turned up after T.O. retired and Bayless rose to prominence on “First Take.”
Years later, Owens still has no love for Bayless and blames the media giant for trying to blemish his career because he didn’t fit Bayless’ vision of how a Black athlete should act. Owens is still most bothered by Bayless frequently criticizing him during his playing days, giving him nicknames like “Terrible Owens” and “Team Obliterator” for allegedly fracturing team chemistry.
Terell Owens Says Skip Bayless Targeted Him
In a recent interview with Max Kellerman on the “Game Over” podcast, Owens said he believes that any reputation he may have for being a negative presence in the locker room began with Skip. According to Owens, Bayless “targeted” him during his early tenure in San Francisco because he didn’t conduct himself “the way a Black athlete was supposed to act.”
Owens added that Bayless’ irresponsible commentary opened the floodgates for other media members to push a narrative that he was selfish and unwilling to compromise.
“I was a target, and I guess he almost kind of made his name off really targeting me,” Owens said. “And then I guess I didn’t act a certain way or, I guess, the way a Black athlete was supposed to act.
“Speaking of touchdown celebrations, me being open and me just standing on business and just being outspoken, which I didn’t think was a bad thing. I was honest. Not really outspoken, but I was honest. You ask me something, a press conference or whatever, based on what happened in the game, I was always honest about what I thought happened,” he continued.
“I didn’t understand at that time — I was young — I didn’t understand…, being politically correct. What you wanted to know, I was going to give it to you. Not really thinking how to process my answers and understand that if I answered a certain way that this may then put another teammate or somebody else in harm’s way. Which is called ‘throwing somebody else under the bus.’ That wasn’t what I was always doing.”
Fans had little sympathy for either party.
“Lol just another girl fight between 2 dipsh*ts,” one user commented.
“Two major assholes still b*tching,” another agreed.
Does T.O. Have Legitimate Beef?
The “Team Obliterator” moniker was placed on Owens, and Bayless said it with his chest out on numerous occasions. Owens says he changed teams for opportunity, not because the organizations ushered him out of the door. Owens wanted to make more money and boost his legacy after overcoming humble beginnings and anonymity to become one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history.
Owens added that Bayless twisted what should have been a story about the “American Dream.”
“Everything I did, I did for my family,” Owens said. “And then you look back on my career and how people perceived me and portrayed me, it’s all based on the media’s narrative, and how they pushed that I was arrogant, I was cocky. Skip Bayless has people looking at me, calling me ‘Team Obliterator.’ That I destroyed locker rooms.”
When T.O. was passed over for the Hall of Fame during his initial voting years, Bayless was vocal in arguing Owens’s personal conduct and friction with quarterbacks like Jeff Garcia and Donovan McNabb were the reasons he was kept out. Owens fired back, accusing Bayless of lying, spreading false narratives, and catering to hearsay.
“Whether it was ESPN, NFL Network, they piggy-backed on that. Your Mark Schlereths, your Sean Salisburys, your Tom Jacksons. I remember all these names because they piggy-backed on what [he] said,” Owens said.
“And if Skip Bayless had sidebar conversations with teammates or even certain coaches on the team about who I was, as a football player or a person or my character, if they said something negative, they don’t speak for the 73 guys in that locker room. And then he used language like, ’50 percent of the guys liked him, 50 percent of the guys didn’t.’ You didn’t ask 100 percent of the guys to come up with those numbers.”
Owens’ shining moment in football, when he essentially played on a broken leg in Super Bowl XXXIX was also misrepresented, Owens said, in part as a “selfish” act in which Owens made himself the story. It was an eye-opening moment for Owens, who said he realized how much his race influenced media coverage.
“If I was white, this would have never been said,” he said. “It would have been totally different.”
A very revealing perspective, giving fans some insight into how powerful and influential media voices can be. And how some build careers off of attacking superstar athletes and feeding on race, jealousy and misinformation.
