Once again, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Terrell Owens has become the subject of negative media attention. This time, commentators have attacked Owens for comments that he made in his new autobiography, T.O. Apparently, people are upset that Owens described his rehabilitation and 2005 Superbowl comeback as “heroic.” In typical T.O. fashion, Owens stoked the controversy by saying that he was misquoted. Of course, the media, which was already chomping at the bit for a T.O. attack, scoffed at the absurdity of a person being misquoted in their own autobiography.Upon closer examination, however, Owens’ claim is not so ridiculous. The reality is that most famous people do not write their own autobiographies. Even the otherwise unknown J.L. King, who made big bank from his On The Down Low rag, didn’t actually write the book. (Note: As someone who writes for a living, I must confess that it drives me crazy that any idiot with a publicist, money, or a sexy story can get credit for a New York Times bestseller without writing a word.)The sad par t about Owens’ claim is that it actually could be true. Based on his comments and history, I have every reason to believe that Owens hasn’t even read his own autobiography. Again, this isn’t an uncommon occurrence for athletes. Only a few years ago, Charles Barkley made similar claims about his autobiography co-written with Michael Wilbon. I’m not saying, nor do I believe, that Barkley was as bad as T.O.. Still, the point is the same: too many athletes don’t read their own books. While this is sad, it’s hard to have sympathy for such willful ignorance.