While most of the state of Colorado is waiting to see if Peyton Manning is coming to the state or not, it looks as if one former NFL star won't be making the trip to Loveland this weekend.
The Colorado Ice host the Allen Wranglers on Sunday at the Budweiser Events Center (3 p.m.), and the Ice said Wednesday they don't expect Allen co-owner and player Terrell Owens to be on the game roster. Owens, a standout NFL receiver known as much for his personality as his play, missed all of last season recovering from a knee injury. He became part owner of the Wranglers in the offseason and signed a contract to play home games for the team. But last week, Owens played on the road against New Mexico, though it was widely reported the Stars' owner made special travel concessions for the outspoken wideout to attend, which Allen owner Jon Frankel confirmed to The Dallas Morning News. He would not comment, however, if Owens was paid an appearance fee for showing up.
Colorado owner Tom Wigley would not comment on if Allen requested certain things to make Owens available for the trip, saying only: "I will not get involved in compensating a player outside of league rules that I can't do the same and pay my own players. I will not compensate another player I cannot, by league rule, compensate my own players."
The Ice are trying to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network on Sunday as part of a Community Cares Day in conjunction with Sam's Club and hoped Owens might make the trip. In contacting Allen, they were told the team had no plans of suiting up Owens this weekend.
The Ice believe -- and Wigley is on the compliance board for the IFL -- that offering separate travel arrangements for a player could be in violation of league rules. With that, general manager Collins Sanders said the team will not arrange special accommodations for opposing players.
"It is our belief that there may be possible infractions for doing so," Sanders said. "It has not been ruled on definitively, and we're not willing to take that risk."
But IFL Commissioner Tommy Benizio — who happened to resign his post Wednesday to take a job as part owner and president of Allen — said offering travel arrangements for an opposing player is not against league rules, as it is not considered compensation. Benizio admitted when the rule was written, no one foresaw the type of circumstances Owens’ fame brings to the league.
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