NFL Capsules: Romo says kids should play more than one sport

STATELINE, Nev. — Tony Romo played all kinds of sports as a child, especially basketball, and figures he never would have become the Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback if he had concentrated on just one sport as many youths do today.

"People sometimes today are predominantly putting their kids into one sport," said Romo, who held the first-round lead and now is tied for third entering Sunday’s final round of the 20th annual American Century Celebrity Golf Championship at Lake Tahoe.

"Age 10, they’re going to do one thing the rest of their life. I have a hard time with that because, shoot, I was like a basketball player as a kid. I would have just concentrated on one sport, soccer or something," he told reporters after shooting a 3-under-par 69 on Friday.

"I never would have been able to do what I’m lucky enough to do — play football," he said.

Romo went undrafted out of Eastern Illinois but signed with Dallas as a free agent in 2003. After three years as a backup, he earned his first start against the Carolina Panthers in 2006, leading the Cowboys to a victory to begin a run that has seen him become a two-time Pro Bowl selection.

Born in San Diego, he said he wears No. 9 because that was Roy Hobb’s number in "The Natural," the baseball movie starring Robert Redford. He’s a firm believer that athletes — young and old alike — benefit from playing multiple sports.

"I use the tools that you get mentally on the (golf) course for football," said Romo, who followed Friday’s 3-under-par 69 with a 72 on Saturday.

"Anytime you’re in a pressure situation or something happens where you have to rely on your mental strength or discipline or all of a sudden you get nervous, blood starts racing, heart starts going, the more you’re in those situations the better off you’re going to be," he said.

"I think that is exciting to be in those situations on the golf course because then all of a sudden when you’re at the end of a football game, you felt your blood pressure rise, you felt this stuff go through your brain and you have to rely on your fundamentals. ... I think my fundamentals are probably a little better at football, but I think that it’s a neat thing to kind of use that in something else."

Romo once shot a 69 in a qualifying round for the U.S. Open Championship and won a playoff to become the first alternate but didn’t get in the field. He played Friday at the celebrity tournament with NFL Hall of Fame quarterbacks Dan Marino and John Elway.

"I’ll remember that for a long time. Those guys are as good as they get and it was special for me to be out there and be part of it and talk and hang out," he said.

"Obviously it was great to pick their brains a little bit on different things. But it was just fun being around it," he said.

Romo said he had so much fun he suggested playing another 18 holes.

"Elway’s like ‘My knee’s done.’ Marino said ‘My back, my shoulders,"’ he said. "I’ll be there in three years."

T.O. hopes series shows other side of his reality

BUFFALO, N.Y. — T.O. is the brash, mercurial athlete, a polarizing teammate for 13 NFL seasons. Terrell is the man, shy and sensitive by nature.

You’ve probably heard of one. Terrell Owens wants you to meet the other.

In an eight-episode reality series set to premiere Monday on the VH-1 cable network, Owens says he’ll present a counter argument to critics who portray him as a one-dimensional showboat perhaps known as much for self-indulgent sideline eruptions and quarterback criticisms as for being one of the most prolific receivers of his generation.

"Terrell you’ll see pretty much on this show," Owens said. "It’s pretty much to the ‘T’ of how I am. I mean, it’s reality."

Publicist Monique Jackson, one of Owens’ closest friends and a prominent figure in the show, said viewers will get a lot more than a glimpse into the life of a wealthy professional athlete.

"He’s human. He has feelings. He has a life story," Jackson said. "There are all these layers that you don’t understand, and all you see is this crazy body with phenomenal athletic abilities and this character."

Even as he tries to reveal another side of himself, Owens is aware that "The T.O. Show" might bring criticism from those who will label it just another exercise in self-promotion.

"That’s fine. Everybody’s entitled to their opinion," he said. "If it wasn’t the show, it was going to be something else."

The series is partly based in Buffalo, where Owens has been the center of attention since signing with the Bills in early March, a few days after being released by the Dallas Cowboys. Some of that attention is directly connected to the reality show and certain coordinated events arranged to provide the main character something to do.

One event had Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown presenting Owens with a key to the city at a ceremony that included a high school marching band on the steps of an art gallery. Then there was Owens playing the role of broadcaster, presenting the sports news on a local television station. He also visited the Anchor Bar, birthplace of Buffalo-style chicken wings, and Niagara Falls.

On the day The Associated Press was invited to view the filming, Owens spent part of an afternoon touring two condominiums overlooking the city’s waterfront.

The 20-member VH-1 crew was already in place at the front doors of the complex when Owens and his entourage pulled up in an SUV and were greeted by a real estate agent.

The search came up empty, as both suites — including a 2,000-square foot, two-bedroom condo — were considered too small for Owens’ needs. Kita Williams, also an Owens publicist and friend, did most of the talking, and at one point urged the real estate agent to "get diva-licious and let’s figure something out."

Yet there also are scenes of compelling authenticity.

Filming began the same week Owens was cut by the Cowboys, and cameras were rolling when the receiver learned of his release while watching television.

Owens is particularly proud of the filming that took place in his native Alabama, where he spent time with his grandmother, Alice Black, whom he credits for raising him and who now suffers from Alzheimer’s.

"It gives me chills," Owens said, growing emotional speaking about his visit. "That brought back memories. It’s the intimate stuff, spending time with my family, really showing that’s who I am. That’s how I’ve gotten to be so successful. That’s why I am who I am."

Much of that has to do with Black. Her influence on Owens is evident as he discusses how difficult it is for him to cope with her illness, which first became apparent early this decade.

"My success and all that I’ve accomplished, she knows nothing of it," Owens said. "That is so, like, my motivation. She’s been a rock for me. This is a reward for her. She’s been so much to me."

Producer Jesse Ignjatovic was impressed by how much Owens allowed crews to film.

"What did surprise me is the depth that he was willing to go to in the show emotionally and also reflecting on his own life and shortcomings and things he wants to do to make him a better man," Ignjatovic said. "He really shows some sides of himself and really exposes his emotions in ways that I never thought possible."

Williams and Jackson are not surprised, because this is the side of Owens they’ve known since first becoming friends with him some 10 years ago.

Their roles in the show are integral as far as Owens is concerned because they offer perspective into who the receiver is, beyond the highlights and what people have written about him.

"People think he’s misunderstood," Williams said. "He’s not misunderstood at all. It’s just that people don’t know him, so it’s hard to understand when you don’t have the background."

"We’re not saying he was perfect when we met him," Williams said.

Added Jackson: "And he’s still not perfect."

Williams says loving Owens as a friend is no different than loving your own child.

"You’re sometimes going to be disappointed," she said. "But does that mean you don’t care about that person?"

Owens, at 35, is no child of course. He is sensitive about his image and unhappy with how the media often concentrate on the negative or outlandish things he might do while overlooking the positives, such as his charitable work or how many of his former teammates in Philadelphia and Dallas rallied to his support.

"I feel like they’re poisoning minds about who I am," Owens said. "That’s the unfairness of it because (people) take everything that they say as it is, pretty much biblical. I understand being journalistic and doing your job but, dude, report the facts."

"I can’t win for losing," Owens said, shrugging his shoulders.

At least the show gives him his own platform.

"I’m the EP," he says with a slight grin, "executive producer."

-- John Wawrow

Vick’s legal sentence ends, more judgments await

Michael Vick’s federal dogfighting sentence is scheduled to end Monday and that is also when he will go back on trial — facing a whole new series of judgments.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, teams, fans and sponsors are among those who will weigh in on Vick’s future.

First and foremost, Goodell must decide whether Vick’s suspension will end and, if so, when — allowing the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback a chance to play in the league again. Goodell is expected to act fairly quickly, so Vick and teams know his status for the coming season. Training camps for veterans start opening next weekend.

There has been communication between Vick’s camp and the league about the process, although neither side is making substantive comments publicly about where things stand.

"As we said in 2007, when he was indefinitely suspended, Michael Vick’s status will be reviewed following the conclusion of the legal proceedings," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said.

Vick has kept silent and probably will continue to until Goodell makes an announcement. While Goodell is declining interview requests on this topic, his position is fairly well-outlined: He wants a face-to-face meeting, and Vick must show serious contrition.

"Michael’s going to have to demonstrate to myself and the general public and to a lot of people: Did he learn anything from this experience? Does he regret what happened?" Goodell said in May. "Does he feel that he can be a positive influence going forward? Those are questions that I would like to see when I sit with him."

Once Goodell’s ruling is rendered, NFL clubs will have to determine what, if any, interest they have in Vick. Among the questions teams will ponder: What kind of shape is he in? What position should he play? What type of public relations hit might he bring?

"Teams certainly are going to want to know: Where is his mind-set? Going forward, is he going to be a good citizen? You’d interview him and hope you get a good feel in the interview. That’s the first thing," former Redskins and Texans general manager Charley Casserly said. "The second thing is: You’ve got a guy two years out of football, with no structured conditioning program."

NFL teams are allowed to initiate talks with Vick, because the Falcons released him in June. He was cut less than five years after signing a $130 million, 10-year contract.

Vick’s agent, Joel Segal, would not discuss whether teams have been in contact about his client.

An AP survey of the 31 other NFL clubs in November found that at least a half-dozen teams would not shut the door on the possibility of acquiring Vick at some stage.

At his best, Vick — who turned 29 last month — was as dynamic an athlete as there was in the NFL, a No. 1 overall draft pick and three-time Pro Bowl selection who led the Falcons to the 2005 NFC championship game. He was the first NFL quarterback to rush for 1,000 yards in a season; he also never threw for more than 3,000 yards or 20 touchdowns in any season, and his career completion percentage is below 55.

"His best chance to have success would be a Wildcat formation. He was running the Wildcat before they called it the ‘Wildcat,"’ said Casserly, who works for NFL Network. "Would I give him a tryout? Yeah, I’d give him a tryout — assuming the interview went fine."

Vick’s release from federal custody comes Monday, when he can stop wearing an electronic monitor as he begins three years’ probation. He is finishing a two-month home confinement in Hampton, Va., which completes a 23-month sentence after he admitted bankrolling a dogfighting operation. Court papers revealed gruesome details about the operation, including the killing of underperforming dogs by electrocution, drowning and hanging.

That is why his toughest critics moving forward could be animal rights activists. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wrote to Goodell in January, saying Vick shouldn’t be allowed to return to the NFL unless he submits to a psychological evaluation.

"We haven’t taken the possibility of protests off the table, by any stretch of the imagination," PETA assistant director Dan Shannon said Friday. "But at the same time, we have to see how it’s handled before we make any kind of determination."

Eventually, if Vick reshapes his public image, and if he gets the OK from Goodell, and if he finds a team, and if he plays football well, there will come a day where there will be one more group that will pass judgment: endorsers.

Vick used to earn millions in sponsorship dollars on top of his Falcons salary, but that all dried up. Vick’s actions cost him his fortune and his NFL career, and some fans feel he deserves a second chance.

They have demonstrated their support, shouting encouragement and wearing Vick jerseys when he has made court appearances.

But would advertisers ever come back?

"Over time, a truly apologetic sports star is forgiven easily by the general public," said Bob Williams, CEO of Burns Entertainment & Sports Marketing. "People said Kobe Bryant was persona non grata for product endorsements after what happened in Colorado, and he’s done a terrific job rehabilitating his image and getting back into the endorsement market. He could be a role model for Michael Vick."

Williams thinks Vick needs to begin his image-shaping efforts off the field. If that’s accomplished, there is one other key factor.

"The American sports public loves winners," Williams noted. "It would expedite Michael Vick’s efforts tremendously if he were on a winning team, a team that went deep in the playoffs, a team that won the Super Bowl."

Potential teammates and foes alike will assess when and whether Vick deserves to return.

The general consensus among NFL players appears to line up with the opinion expressed this week on Twitter by Washington Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall, who like Vick played at Virginia Tech: "I honestly think Mike has paid his debt to society. I would love to see him play again sooner than later! But I respect the NFL."

As NFL scouting director Gil Brandt put it: "He has to convince both the fans and his teammates that he’s a new man."

First things first: It seems quite clear Vick must start the next phase of his life by convincing Goodell of that.

-- Howard Fendrich