Terrell Owens Reported Suicide Attempt Caused by the Media, Says ESPN Guest Professor
Syracuse University professor says that pressure from the media causes unfair stress on "bad boy" athletes like Barry Bonds and Terrell Owens.
Syracuse, NY (PRWEB) September 27, 2006 -- Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse Professor and author of "What if George Bush were a Black Man?" says he believes that the reported suicide attempt by Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens was caused, in large part, by unfair media pressure being placed on him. "They made this guy into the devil, and he'd done nothing but give everything to help his team," says Dr. Watkins, who has spoken extensively about black male athletes like Owens on ESPN and other networks. "It's sad that when a black athlete opens his mouth, he is punished for being a 'bad boy.' "
Watkins says he believes that there is a link between the depression of Owens and that of Barry Bonds, star of the San Francisco Giants. Both Bonds and Owens experienced depression that arose shortly after heavy media attacks and subsequent injuries. "Both of these guys were forced to take on the entire world, and when they find themselves injured, they are unable to prove all the naysayers wrong," says Watkins. "The media has crushed these men and treated them worse than criminals, even though both of them have been model citizens and hard working athletes."
Neither Bonds nor Owens have been arrested or had off the field problems. Watkins also points to Owens' heroic performance in the SuperBowl (in which he risked permanent injury to come back in time to play for his team) as evidence of his commitment to hard work and dedication. "Terrell embodies many values that we cherish as Americans, namely hard work," says Watkins, who was the only American scholar invited as a Visiting Fellow with the Center for European Economic Research. "It is sad that we let our collective racism get in the way of seeing our heroes for what they really are."
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