Terrell Owens should have been first-ballot Hall of Famer — by the numbers anyway

Nate Davis | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Terrell Owens skipping his Hall of Fame induction ceremony is sad SportsPulse: USA TODAY Sports' Jarrett Bell on Terrell Owens' decision to skip the upcoming Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Terrell Owens will not be in Canton, Ohio, this weekend, skipping his Hall of Fame induction party to throw his own in Tennessee, presumably attempting to exact retribution on the Hall's electors even if it angers several of his soon-to-be-peers, the players who have already been enshrined (but don't vote).

Many of those who already own gold jackets urged Owens to reconsider, put his beef with the entry process aside and embrace a celebration they think he'll eventually regret missing. Some pundits have accused him of being childish, and others point out that it's T.O.'s prerogative to spend this weekend however he chooses.

Had Owens been less of a diva on the field and in the five locker rooms he inhabited over 15 NFL seasons, voters probably would have conferred his bust in 2016, giving him elite first-ballot status. But should they have done so anyway, as Owens — and others — believe? (Only six of the Hall's 27 modern-era receivers went in during their first year of eligibility: Lance Alworth, Raymond Berry, Steve Largent, Jerry Rice, Paul Warfield and Owens' peer, Randy Moss.)

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It's hard to argue with T.O.'s numbers, though it must also be acknowledged that he benefited from a period when emphasis on the passing game was far greater than it had been in the past.

Here's an attempt at putting Owens' career in context, from a purely empirical standpoint (graphic courtesy of USA TODAY Sports' Greg Hester):

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