Football Dads

As a rather avid sports fan, I found myself intrigued with the most recent Terrell Owens story. Last week Owens was taken to the hospital for an apparent drug overdose. He had been taking painkillers after having surgery on a broken finger. There were reports that he was trying to kill himself by taking all of the pills but those were apparently false. He was released from the hospital in the morning, practiced with the team that day and actually played against the Titans on Sunday.

One of the first reporters to talk to Owens after his ordeal was his good friend Michael Irvin. The former Cowboy and current ESPN analyst told us, amongst other things, that T.O. was being comforted and counseled by another good friend, Deion Sanders.

What a combination - T.O., Deion and Irvin! Three very, very good athletes who always played hard. But three guys that are never afraid to talk about money and spend it lavishly to stay in the spotlight. Three guys that scream for attention.

As the Owens story was unfolding Tiger Woods was winning another golf tournament. A week earlier he had not done so well in the Ryder Cup even though his friend Michael Jordan flew to Ireland to see him play. Maybe now that the baseball season is over Woods can get some help from his other friend Ken Griffey Jr. Now that's a combination - Tiger, MJ and Junior! Not just three great athletes but perhaps three of the best to ever play their respective sport. And three guys that never talk about money or scream for the cameras. Three guys that don't need attention.

So why are Woods, Jordan and Griffey so different from Owens, Irvin and Sanders?

One thing that stands out about Woods, Jordan and Griffey is the relationship that each of the men have had with their father. Tiger has never hid his thoughts and emotions regarding the impact his dad had on his career. Who can forget the image of Jordan lying on the ground, hugging the championship trophy - the first he won after his father was killed. Not only are the Griffey's the only father-son duo to hit back-to-back Home Runs, Senior still calls Junior after ballgames to help him with his swing.

With a little bit of research I discovered that Owens, Irvin and Sanders did not have an ideal relationship with their father. Terrell was raised by his grandmother as much as his mother and did not know who his father was until he was 12. Irvin was one of 17 children and although he did know his father, he died when Michael was a teenager. Sanders' father was a drug addict who died when Deion was seven.

That may not explain everything but it sure is more than a coincidence. I am not saying that men must have a strong relationship with their fathers in order to be successful in life. And I am certainly not saying women can't do a fine job of raising children without a father figure. I'm not joining Louis Farrakhan in his Million Man March. And I am certainly not trying to provide an excuse for Owens, Irvin, Sanders or anyone else who struggled through life without a dad. I am just pointing out something I was thinking about lately. Besides, I don't have time to solve the problems of society - naptime is almost over and I need to warm-up a bottle.