Discover why Mel Owens, the 66-year-old former NFL player and sports lawyer, might not be the perfect fit for ‘The Golden Bachelor’ Season 2.
After a dramatic and exciting first season, ABC’s The Golden Bachelor is back with its next season. The newest lead is Mel Owens, a 66-year-old former NFL player and lawyer, trying to find true love once again.
While fans are excited, it doesn’t seem like Owens is the perfect fit even though he is a pretty eligible bachelor given his impressive resume. With the first season’s Gerry Turner setting a high bar—despite his own short-lived marriage to Theresa Nist—we can’t help but question whether Owens is truly ready to find lasting love on national television.
Who is ABC’s The Golden Bachelor Mel Owens?
After Gerry Turner‘s emotionally charged and controversial first season, The Golden Bachelor Season 2 has found its perfect candidate in Mel Owens. The 66-year-old hails from Detroit, Michigan, and is a former NFL linebacker who played nine seasons for the Los Angeles Rams after being drafted ninth overall in 1981.
A University of Michigan graduate, Owens transitioned from professional football to a successful legal career. Following his retirement, he earned a law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, and became a founding member of Namanny, Byrne & Owens, dedicating his time to helping people with sports-related injuries.
As for his love life, Owens was previously married to his first love, Fabiana Pimentel, but they divorced after 25 years of marriage in 2020. He has two sons from his first marriage and following his divorce, channeled all his energy into being the best father he could be (via The Hollywood Reporter and Swooon.com).
Why Mel Owens might not be the right fit for The Golden Bachelor S2?
According to ABC, Mel Owens is ready to rediscover a love rooted in the simple joys of companionship — sharing life’s everyday moments, making plans for the future, and growing stronger together as a couple (via THR). Moreover, Owens is looking for a ‘perfect teammate’ in his golden years.
Well, for starters, the above description doesn’t entirely sound like he is looking for love, suggesting he may be seeking companionship more than romantic love. As for his past love life, his recent divorce in 2020, after a 25-year marriage, casts doubt on his ability to commit to a new relationship so soon.
Unlike Turner, who was a widower, the end of Owens’ long marriage prompts questions about his emotional readiness to settle down again, especially since there’s no public evidence of him dating in the five years since his split. Then there is the question of why his marriage ended, making me wonder if he is really ready for commitment, also casting doubt over his character since ending a marriage that long doesn’t sound good at all.
Furthermore, Owens remains deeply invested in his career. While his resume and work ethic are admirable, his demanding career may limit the time and energy he can devote to nurturing a new relationship, both during filming and beyond. Well, all these factors considered, Mel Owens sounds like a potentially risky choice for a show that demands a full commitment to finding lasting love, even more so after we witnessed the fiasco of Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist.
