My name is Gary Gambino. (No relation, wise guy.) My column is entitled “The Silence of the Gambz.” Enjoy.Super Bowl XXXIX will be played next Sunday between the favored New England Patriots and the underdog Philadelphia Eagles. The Pats will be attempting to win a third Super Bowl in four seasons, a feat accomplished only once, by the Dallas Cowboys of the mid-90’s.
But all that is secondary.
Enter the Official Attention-Grabbing Black Hole of Super Bowl XXXIX, Terrell Owens and his Pennsylvania-sized ego. Either this year’s Supe really is a yawner, or Owens has outdone the hype of the game itself.
Owens, you will recall, was injured several weeks ago in a game against the Cowboys — one of the major disappointments of 2004, but that’s another column — when Roy Williams bent T.O.’s ankle into a most awkward position. He was originally expected to miss the rest of the regular season, then he was expected to miss all but the Super Bowl.
Now he’s garnering more ink than the Bush Administration. Combined.
In typical “The Silence of the Gambz” fashion, I have several questions:
* “Should I care about all this?”
Yes. The brash, cocky Owens has made himself bigger than the Eagles’ second NFC championship, in sickness and in health. The incident I refer to as “Skankgate II,” the naked embrace with Desperate Housewife Nicollette Sheridan, takes a backseat to the Anklegate fiasco.
* “Will he play?”
Owens would have to be unconscious to miss this game. Even if he walks with a limp and has a cast on his foot, he’ll be there, even as a top-DB-scarfing decoy.
* “Will he be effective?”
Who knows? My prediction is an Eagles upset, whether Owens is a factor or not. And Owens, whether or not he catches a pass, should be named MVP.
Most Visible Prima donna.