Like him or not Terrell Owens is a Hall of Famer..period

This Saturday is the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony. Eight new men will join the ranks of the legends of the games for all eternity. One Hall of Famer will be noticeably absent from this weekend's festivities.

Back in June, Terrell Owens made an announcement that he would not attend the enshrinement ceremony in Canton, Ohio. Owens later announced he would celebrate his induction at his alma mater, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga instead. His decision caused a media firestorm with many Hall of Fame voters deriding his decision and accusing him of being selfish. Worst still, some voters went so far as to say that they would not have voted for Owens had they known he would not attend the enshrinement ceremony.

Love him or hate him, Terrell Owens IS a Hall of Famer. He is worthy of being in the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame is not a popularity contest and not a measure of how good of a human being a person is before, during or after their playing career. It is not a measure of who they were once they stepped off the field of play. If this were the case many people in the Hall of Fame would not be in the Hall of Fame now.

There are men in the Hall of Fame now who have been accused or convicted of domestic violence, assault, drug trafficking and even murder. Despite being accused of being a bad teammate and "locker room cancer", Owens has never once been accused of any off-field issues. Considered brash, cocky and selfish, many former teammates say he was generous and kind behind closed doors.

However he was portrayed in the media, whatever issues he created for himself with the teams he played for, Owens' numbers cannot be denied. Owens finished his sixteen year career with six Pro Bowl selections, 1,078 receptions, 15,934 yards receiving (second all-time) and 153 touchdowns (third all-time). His stats are on par with Randy Moss whose career was also considered controversial but also made the Hall of Fame this year.

Terrell Owens may not be a media darling and folks may be disappointed he won't be in Canton, Ohio for the enshrinement ceremony but to belittle his accomplishments for his decision to not attend is ridiculous. In the end the ceremony is for the fans and if the players don't want to attend it is their right to not attend. We can still applaud their accomplishment and be happy that we got to see them during the height of their playing days. In the end that's what matters most.