Press, and fans alike gathered on the Albright-Knox Art Gallery steps in anticipation of Terrell Owens’ press conference today. Originally a 4:00 start time, TO’s famous showmanship turned it into more of a 4:25 start. When two black SUVs pulled up, the crowd pushed together to catch a glimpse of the man who can quite possibly be considered the world’s most famous football player. Soon, “Let’s Go Buffalo!” chants and the Buffalo Public Schools marching band combined to create a uniquely Buffalo fanfare.
First to address the crowd was VH1 president, Buffalo native, and Bills season ticket holder Tom Calderone, who spoke on Buffalo as his “favorite city,” and the upcoming VH1 reality program “The TO Show,” which will be filmed in Buffalo this summer.
Next up was Mayor Brown, who handed TO a bag of Buffalo goodies, thanked him for coming to the Bills, and handed TO a “unique” key to the city, as it carried the stipulations that TO score at least 10 touchdowns, and the Bills must make the playoffs. If not, the key “won’t open ANY door in Buffalo.”
Brown also mentioned that Buffalo has comparatively lower tax rates than other places in the region, and encouraged Owens to try and find a house in the city.
When TO stepped up the mic, the crowd resumed its rowdy celebration, chanting his name and cheering for the Bills. “As for the 10 touchdowns,” he began, “that shouldn’t be a problem. And with the help of my teammates, the playoffs are taken care of too.” The crowd went even more nuts.
(T.O. cracks a few jokes)
“The last key to the city I received was the key to Dallas,” he said. Everyone booed, as expected. “My welcome to Buffalo was priceless,” he added, in reference to the large gathering of fans at the airport when he arrived.
“I’ll show you why I’m deserving of the key to the city,” he promised the crowd.
TO was optimistic about the team after what he considered to be a great practice in Orchard Park today, and is excited about getting to know his teammates.