TO attempts suicide
September 27th, 2006Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens apparently tried to commit suicide last night by ingesting painkillers.
UPDATE: Now reports are surfacing that Owens didn’t attempt suicide. The story linked to above has been updated with the following info:
ESPN’s Michael Irvin said that Owens denied he attempted suicide and said he was rushed to the hospital as a result of an adverse reaction to medication. And a source close to Owens told ESPN.com’s Michael A. Smith that Owens wasn’t attempting suicide.
Publicist Kim Etheridge also said in various interviews Wednesday with Dallas-area media that the police have gotten the story wrong. She said she was with Owens, who was having trouble because he’d mixed his pain pills with supplements. She said she called for help because he was becoming unresponsive.
*coughATTENTIONJUNKIEcough*
A guy tries to kill himself and you make fun of him. That’s nice Jeff. Is that really funny to you?
I’m not a doctor but isn’t it possible that medication can cause depression?
I can’t imagine that this is a publicity stunt. There is nothing to gain from it. Owens already has any media coverage or endorsements that he wants.
It’s either blown out of proportion or it’s a mistake on Owen’s part because of depression/and or medication.
Tim, your favorite guy Colin is going on and on about it today. I “herd” a little bit of it on my way home for lunch.
When the guy is T.O. and has a history of lashing out at the world and thinking everyone’s out to get him, yes, I make fun of him.
When the news starts off like this: “The report says Owens even put two more pills into his mouth after fire rescue personnel arrived,” then I immediately think, “He knew they’d see him and rush to his aid. He’s just being dramatic.”
Sue me, I work in the news; I’m desensitized. Or evil. Either way, I’m cool with it.
Other theories: T.O. is trying to finish off his E! True Hollywood Story. (”After trying to kill himself with an overdose, Owens came back in late October to catch four touchdown passes and lead the Cowboys to the playoffs.”)
Or it could be that T.O. is really a Cardinals fan.
wouldn’t it be even more depressing to know that you can’t even succeed at killing yourself? I’m clueless on the issue but thats what I wonder everytime I hear about a suicide attempt.
I can’t make fun of someone who I pity… poor guy
What’s sick about all this is how ESPN is hyping it up to get ratings. “This young man has issues that we are just beginning to learn about.” Please. If you think that ESPN was “all TO, all the time” in preseason, you haven’t seen anything yet. Cowherd, Dan Patrick et al will be talking about this ’til they’re blue in the face an the letters T and O jump out of their mouths and strangle them.
I’m really waiting to hear more info about what happened and why, but my initial reaction is that I feel sorry for the guy. I have criticized the guy many times for his attitude, but trying to take you life is a very serious issue. I think it shows that T.O. wears a mask and doesn’t want anyone to know the real Terrell Owens. To me it is evident that everything he has been through (granted he brought it on himself) is getting to him. For a person to live like that I feel sorry for them. He definitely needs our prayers.
I work in news too. I don’t see how that plays into it.
I agree with Chuck. He needs our prayers and it seems apparent that under the bravado is a guy who doesn’t seem to like himself as much as he purported.
Update posted.
Update = Damage Control / Spin
No shock that the dude is not quite right…. that deep inside he’s hurting and lonely and depressed.
Perhaps a better headline to this story wouldhave been : T.O. Rushed to Hospital Under Suspicious Circumstances. Caution is the better part of valor Now if there was a noose around his neck or wrists slashed, perhaps then the press could go the suicide route.
Press Conference at 2:30 CST. Apparently he’ll be there which is odd considering he attempted suicide. You would think they would not release him.
Fishy.
But Tom–they went by the Dallas Police report. It wasn’t something that they just concluded. They had documentation.
Here is a narrative of the police report. I’m anxious to see how this is explained away.
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/sports/football/15621104.htm
I just saw the press conference. Did anyone else who saw it think that his publicist sounded confused? And she seemed to have skewed the time line a bit. First he was unresponsive and next he just wasn’t answering questions as he was taking suppliments. If he was so out of it how could he be popping pills? I just don’t get it. But maybe I am biased since I am no fan of T.O.
Give the guy a break. He’s obviously on pain pills and it should be no surprise that as an athlete he’s also on supplements. It’s certainly plausible that pain medication can make you loopy and unresponsive. I say things in my sleep, I’m glad there’s no police reports on that.
Bottom line: If this was Troy Williamson, way up in Minnesota or somewhere, this would be a non story. But ESPN is Bonds/TO obsessed. They create news, not report it. I’m not a big fan of TO but I say take him at his word unless you know otherwise.
I saw the news conference and didn’t think she was confused. More like incensed that this was of the magnitude that it was.
I find it odd that everyone criticizes TO for having the biggest ego in sports (2nd to Bonds) and suicide is the first thing that those same people come up with? Just shows you how ridiculous it is. Ego driven people don’t commit suicide. But hey I’m no expert.
The girl is the key to all of this I believe. She wasn’t confused but she was obviously backpeddling. Before becoming Owens’ publicist she was pushing hair care products. . Why he wasn’t subjected to psychological evaluation before released is a mystery. Isn’t that SOP?
Unless the ego is put on as an act, perhaps the act of a man desperate for affirmation, attention, and worth. I’m not saying that to ridicule TO, because he’s a sinner in need of grace just like me. But the appearance of ego does in no wise mean that a guy like that is soul-healthy.
“The officers reacted because they were called to this location to do this job. Now they’re being put under a microscope by some fancy little football person,” Senior Cpl. Glenn White said. “Give me a break. Those officers are 10 times better than this man. … We police officers don’t go out to these calls and make stuff up.”
Thank goodness someone is putting TO in his place.
I love the way he described him - “some fancy little football person.” Haha.