Tim Brown on Terrell Owens: ‘I have nothing but big-brother love for him, but I know he doesn’t want my love’

Tim Brown would like to see Terrell Owens show up for the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremonies on Aug. 4.

Even if that isn’t going to happen, Brown would like to have a heart-to-heart conversation with his fellow Hall of Fame receiver just to let Owens know he cares and has his best interests in mind.

‘We’ve, unfortunately, been unable to see eye-to-eye for years’

However, Brown knows that he is one of the last people Owens would listen to.

“We’ve, unfortunately, been unable to see eye-to-eye for years,” Brown told Bruce Murray and Kirk Morrison at last week’s American Century Celebrity Golf Tournament in Lake Tahoe. “It all stemmed back from when he did (when he stood on the star in the middle of) Cowboys Stadium (when Owens played for the 49ers). I had a radio show up in Oakland and I said on my show, ‘Hey, let’s not make this game harder for yourself. It’s a tough game, people are going to take shots at you being a receiver. Let’s not put a bull’s-eye on the back of your head.’ And he didn’t like that at all.

‘You want to see guys do the right thing and be able to benefit from everything they’ve done’

“And ever since then … that was 17 years ago … I mean, we haven’t been able to get on the same page. I tried to speak with him a couple weeks ago at Reggie Bush’s golf tournament and couldn’t get him to have a conversation with me, so maybe I’m not the one. Maybe it’s Jerry Rice, maybe it’s somebody else in the Hall who can speak with him. But, look, we all want the best for everybody in the Hall of Fame, for everybody who played a tough game. You want to see guys do the right thing and be able to benefit from everything they’ve done. I have nothing but big-brother love for him, but I know he doesn’t want my love. So I wish him well and we’ll see what happens.”

Brown said, although Owens has made it clear he is taking a stand over not being a first-ballot induction and plans to have his own celebration, Brown doesn’t think Owens’ beef is with the Hall.

‘If this is the way you want to do it, then God bless you’

“I think it’s T.O.,” Brown said. “He’s choosing to do things this way and, quite frankly, I say every man to himself. If this is the way you want to do it, then God bless you. You’re the one that has to live with hit. I don’t have to live with your decision. I told somebody, ‘Look, I’m trying to raise four kids. I don’t have time to be trying to get into some other man’s business to try and figure out what’s happening.’

“But, certainly, the Hall would like for him to be there. All the guys would love to welcome him in, but he’s choosing to do things his way, so God bless him.”