In the spirit of the season

This is a good time of year to be charitable.

Therefore, let's say something good about Terrell Owens.

Remember all of the dire predictions about Owens? How he would ruin the Bills' chemistry simply by walking through the locker room? How he was an overpaid diva who would be complaining as soon as a pass was thrown elsewhere?

Let's settle up here. It hasn't happened. It's tough to know if he's been a model teammate behind closed doors, but based on an outside perception you'd have to say he hasn't been a problem child. Owens has shown up for every game, apparently worked hard in practice, and given some coaching to younger players after workouts.

That's not to say that the Bills acted correctly in signing Owens, at least in hindsight. The $6.5 million spent on Owens probably could have gone elsewhere -- yes, I'm thinking of the offensive line. He was something of a luxury that the Bills really couldn't afford at this stage. And he did take playing time away from young players like James Hardy and Steve Johnson; the Bills needed to know if those performers had any sort of future before going forward. We still don't know.

Still, you can't blame Owens for taking the money, especially since he probably wasn't going to get an offer like that from any other team. And he sold some t-shirts and jerseys around town.

My friends have joked that Owens may walk straight out of the stadium next week and head for a limo to the airport, littering the tunnel and parking lot with his equipment as he goes along. Owens only has had a few good moments in Buffalo this season, the touchdown against Miami topping the list, but he hasn't been a disaster.

But the dreary standards of the 2009 season, that counts for something.

What does it open, anyway?

For you out-of-town readers, you probably are wondering what's going on in the City of Buffalo these days. Well, today's big news story is that Terrell Owens has been given the key to the city.

Here's the link.

My favorite "key to the city" story involves the last time Supertramp played in Memorial Auditorium. Lead singer Rick Davies talked about the band's history in Buffalo with affection, and said, "One time we received the key to the city, which we cherish to this day."

And Dave Kerner said to me, "I can hear Mayor Griffin saying, 'Yeah, I listen to you goofs all the time.' "

I'm not sure what Owens did to deserve the key to the city already. It's not like he's brought fame and glory to our fair city. That concept was a subject of conversation on talk shows today, according to the story. I can only hope the appearance increased attendance at the art gallery.

Split personality

The problem is that there are two Terrell Owenses.

The Good T.O. was the guy who had a rough childhood. He was, believe it or not, once too shy to come out of the house to play with the other children. He didn't know who his father was, as his mother had lied about his identity. It turned out dad lived right across the street. Owens overcame poverty and worked hard to become a world-class athlete.

After arriving in the NFL, Owens has put up numbers that may get him in the Hall of Fame some day. His work ethic is such that he's considered a good influence on his teammates in that department. The man came back to play a Super Bowl essentially on one leg, and was a standout.

The Bad T.O. has been a problem child wherever he's gone. You've heard of the concept of the Wide Receiver as Diva? Owens practically invented the concept. If every play featured a pass to Owens, he'd probably complain that he wasn't allowed to throw an option pass once in a while. Owens has feuded in public with every single starting quarterback he's had.

And, he's now 35. He has been one of the league leaders in dropped passes over the past few years. Owens will get $6.5 million in 2009, and may have trouble earning it. And his public image of crying out for attention goes against the values of many football fans. (I particularly liked The Buffalo News blogger who ripped the team for signing "a social path.")

Here's the catch, pardon the pun: You can't sign only one Terrell Owens. You get them both. The reaction to the Bills' signing of Owens has been split almost exactly down those lines. Some think he'll make the team much better, some think he'll start it on the path of self-destruction sooner rather than later.

To me, the signing wasn't a bad gamble, although it would be interesting to know if the Bills were bidding against themselves for Owens' services. It's only for a year, so the exit strategy is obvious if things go wrong.

And if Edwards gets off to a shaky start, well, maybe Brett Favre is warming up in the bullpen.

So what happens?

About that last blog I wrote two days ago:

Check out entry number three.

Honest, I had no idea Terrell Owens would fly into Buffalo Saturday morning, and then agree to a deal by 6 o'clock that night.

We're going to have to buy a calliope here in Western New York. Because the circus is coming to town.