T.O. can hold a grudge.
Terrell Owens, who wasn’t elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, made the rounds Wednesday morning on ESPN, discussing his Canton snub and several other football-related topics. He also took a shot at fellow former NFL wide receiver Cris Carter, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame back in 2013, for criticizing him over the years.
“(Carter) is a guy that’s criticized me plenty of times, for anything,” Owens said, per SI.com. “For me, that was something that motivated me.
” … For somebody like that, for Cris Carter to come out and say something like that, I just felt like it was disrespectful. And so now, when you look at where I am statistically, I’ve surpassed him. And from what I’ve heard, from a lot of guys, he begged his way into the Hall of Fame.”
For comparison’s sake, here are the career numbers for each receiver:
Owens: 1,078 receptions, 15,934 receiving yards, 153 receiving touchdowns
Carter: 1,101 receptions, 13,899 receiving yards, 130 receiving touchdowns
One could argue rather easily that both Carter and Owens belong in the Hall of Fame. It’s also possible — if not very likely — that Owens will join Carter in Canton soon enough, as it often takes time for wide receivers to punch their Hall tickets.
But that’s neither here nor there. Owens clearly has personal issues with Carter for things said in the past, and the beef now is magnified with Owens’ claim that Carter went out of his way to gain enshrinement into the Hall of Fame.
Get your popcorn ready, folks. This rivalry isn’t going anywhere, especially if Owens continues to be denied enshrinement despite posting numbers that stack up well against Carter’s.
Thumbnail photo via YouTube screengrab
