Screen Shot 2011-11-05 at 12.32.27 PMPhoto: TMZ

The other day, I was a guest on 1350 AM in Lancaster with our friend Adam McAllister. He asked what I thought was the first sign of an athlete bottoming out. We were talking about Lenny Dykstra, who will take part in a “celebrity” boxing match against Jose Canseco tonight. Such events are the bottom rung on the ladder of unfortunate life experiences, and a real sign that there is truly no chance of climbing back up onto the roof that most of us call “life.” Somewhere in the middle of that ladder is a rung that, once stepped below, indicates a real sign of trouble and likely free-fall to the bottom. 

At what point do we know athletes are destined to wind up fighting Kato Kaelin on pay-per-view?

When they start appearing – consistently – on TMZ.

Enter Terrell Owens.

Sure, T.O. has always been toed the line between athlete and celebrity, but he now has his own fairly exhaustive category on the gossip website, officially signaling his rapid decent to a boxing ring.

Last week, the site leaked 911 audio tapes of T.O.’s assistant telling dispatchers that her boss tried to kill himself. Now we learn that a judge has issued a bench warrant for T.O.’s arrest after he skipped a baby mama drama court hearing so he could audition – shirtless – for the NFL: [TMZ]

TMZ broke the story … a California judge issued a bench warrant for the football player's arrest for not appearing at a scheduled hearing on October 24. 

But T.O.'s rep tells us he tried like hell to reschedule because he had a massively publicized workout at Calabasas High School that day (below) … but his baby's mother wouldn't cut him a break.

 

All aboard the Owens Train. Next stop: bankruptcy!

In other soon to be TMZ news, from perhaps the only man to ever (nearly) scrape the bottom rung and ascend back up the ladder: some chick emailed this website [via Deadspin] trying to sell naked pictures of Michael Vick taken in a Dallas hotel room. Last year.

That should be fun.

H/T to (@JDubbUard)