Early in his speech, Owens explained his reasoning thusly: "Today, I stand here to put truth to power. Or power to truth. So I want to address the elephant in the room. Many of you may be wondering why we're here instead of Canton. There's been a lot of speculation and false reports as to why I chose not to be there. I would like to set the record straight. It's not because [of] how many times it took me [to be] voted [into] the Hall; it's because the sportswriters are not in alignment with the mission and core values of the Hall of Fame. These writers disregarded the system, the criteria and bylaws in which guys are inducted and ultimately the true meaning of the Hall of Fame and what it represents."