Terrell Owens is undoubtedly one of the best wide receivers to ever play in the NFL. He’s third all-time in receiving yards with 15,934, third all-time in receiving touchdowns with 153 and eighth all-time in total receptions with 1,078.
There’s absolutely no way you can have a conversation about the best wide receivers in NFL history without bringing up his name.
Yet, somehow, though, the NFL managed to find a way.
As a part of an initiative celebrating the league’s 100th season, the NFL crafted an all-time team with 100 players named to it. The 100-member team had a specific number of players at each position.
Wide receiver included 10 players: Lance Alworth, Raymond Berry, Larry Fitzgerald, Marvin Harrison, Elroy Hirsch, Don Hutson, Steve Largent, Randy Moss, Jerry Rice, and Paul Warfield. Not even a mention of Owens.
He took to Twitter to voice his displeasure about his omission.
Pure HATE! But God is good and I will continue to smile and keep my head up. 😎 For the voters, despicable!! 🤷🏾♂️ https://t.co/2XiFEctt3g
— Terrell Owens (@terrellowens) December 21, 2019
Lots of other people followed his lead, saying the league very clearly got it wrong. Many of the people coming to his defense were his peers.
Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Largent were All Pro once, meaning they should not be on an all-time list. Terrell Owens was All Pro FIVE times. Hirsch was less meaningful Pro Bowl just thrice and has no business being on this team. Is just a borderline HOFer. #NFL100
— Michael Salfino (@MichaelSalfino) December 21, 2019
I don’t know who needs to hear this but this is not one of the 10 best wide receivers of all time. I get paying respect to those that played before but https://t.co/w3Z6jx7CZw pic.twitter.com/AcQcC6LDZR
— Torrey Smith (@TorreySmithWR) December 21, 2019
Big homie @terrellowens not being on the NFL Top 100 list of receivers is BS. It’s a shame.
— Michael Robinson (@RealMikeRob) December 21, 2019
Yo! These people in charge of making these NFL top lists are not real football historians! How is Terrell Owens not a first ballot HOF, now he ain’t top 10 WR?! Laughable & the media wonders why athletes question their sports IQ
— keith bulluck (@kbull53) December 21, 2019
How do you leave @terrellowens off the #NFLTop100 receivers? That’s unbelievable. He’s top 3 minimum. Owens dominated for a decade plus.
— Cedric Golden (@CedGolden) December 21, 2019
No @terrellowens on NFL Top 100?! Come on @NFL y’all know better than that!!!
— Mike Wallace (@Wallace17_daKid) December 21, 2019
Just like his case for the Hall of Fame, it seems that Owens is once again being punished for being a difficult teammate. He was selected to the Hall of Fame in his third year of eligibility.
NFL reporter Judy Battista, one of the voters on the panel of 26 who selected the team, acknowledged that Owens was indeed a finalist. She couldn’t definitively say that his behavior was a problem, but acknowledged that that could’ve been the reason why.
Via NFL.com:
“It’s hard to say if that is why Owens did not make the all-time list — nobody on the panel said as much, and we do not know how each other voted — or if he ran into the same problem so many other stellar players at every position did: There were so many great candidates but so few spaces open.”
Either way, it feels ridiculous to leave a talent like Owens off of this list. The You can’t talk about the NFL in the 2000’s without bringing him up.
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