Owens Takes Parting Shots

He is gone now, beyond the reach of cameras, microphones and notebooks, media access finally, mercifully cut off until the final second of Super Bowl XXXIX has ticked away Sunday.

But before he left the last media interview session of the week Thursday, Philadelphia Eagle receiver Terrell Owens uttered a few final, choice sound bites to be savored, played and replayed until fresh material is available.

Asked whether it bothered him that the Eagle medical staff had not given its blessing to his participation in Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots, Owens said, “I’ve got the best doctor of all: God. You can’t argue with a guy like that.”

Owens has sat out nearly six weeks because of a fractured ankle but has been more and more involved in practice this week, resulting in nothing more than stiffness in his healing ankle.

“If you don’t believe in miracles,” Owens said, “just wait until Sunday.”

Owens, known as much for his celebrations as he is for his touchdown catches, has promised a new show should he make it into the end zone. Owens said Eagle trainer Rick Burkholder’s daughter Gwynn, 4, has “given me a new dance, if it comes up.”

Owens said that although he wouldn’t use additional tape to fortify his ankle, he wouldn’t rule out using painkillers. “I have a high threshold for pain,” he said, “but if I feel like I need it, I’ll do it.”

Owens shrugged off the suggestion that his week of dominating Eagle media coverage had been a distraction for his team.

“I am who I am,” he said. “I got a lot of attention before I got here.”

Owens took umbrage at the thought he might be used as a decoy Sunday, able to do little more than force the defense to commit valuable manpower to covering him while the real action is elsewhere.

“I don’t see myself as a decoy,” he said. “That would be like putting Shaquille O’Neal on the court and not giving him the ball.”

*

Although the temperature fell into the low 40s Thursday, light rain fell and a strong wind whipped up, the Eagles chose to practice outdoors at the University of North Florida rather than use an available indoor facility.

“It would have been the gymnasium,” Coach Andy Reid said. “No yard lines, hard floor. It’s no big deal. We are used to this stuff.”