As Sunday’s Super Bowl approached, Cam Newton defended the antics of the Carolina Panthers by pointing out that an N.F.L. play usually lasts for only four to six seconds, and that anyone looking to judge him or his team should focus on what they do during that time frame rather than being distracted by the irrelevant things that happen between plays.
One of the finalists for the 2016 class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which was to be announced Saturday, very likely knows what Newton is trying to say more than anyone else. Terrell Owens, a dominant wide receiver with a tremendous work ethic and a track record of phenomenal consistency, still finds himself written off by many as a distraction, a head case or a prima donna — sometimes all three.