NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens said Wednesday that recent disrespect for New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and former coach Bill Belichick shows the system is flawed and someone needs to be held accountable.
“It’s just ridiculous,” Owens told CNBC Sports in an interview in San Francisco ahead of Super Bowl LX. “Something has to change.”
Due to the Patriots’ success, the decision not to vote Kraft and Belichick into the Pro Football Hall of Fame raised eyebrows. If they beat the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, the franchise will have won seven Super Bowls, the most of any NFL team. Belichick was the team’s head coach for all six championship wins, including the win over Owens’ Philadelphia Eagles.
2018 Hall of Fame inductee Terrell Owens speaks during the halftime ceremony of the San Francisco 49ers vs. Oakland Raiders game at Levi’s Stadium on November 1, 2018 in Santa Clara, California.
Daniel Shirley | Getty Images
Owens suggested that Hall of Fame president Jim Porter may have the authority to change the system.
“He needs to change the Hall of Fame standards or the mission statement or make some adjustments or modifications. Something needs to be done,” Owens said.
He also held writers responsible for voting.
“Whoever set the guidelines and bylaws that ultimately put coaches and players in the most prestigious positions ever, that’s Canton. If those appointed don’t follow them, something is wrong. They should be held accountable. They should be stripped of their positions,” he said.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame did not respond to a request for comment.
Owens, a former six-time Pro Bowler, will know a thing or two about Hall of Fame voting. Owens played 15 seasons in the NFL and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018 after two passes, despite ranking near the top in nearly every receiving category. Owens said it was a financial burden.
“There’s a lot of complicated financial opportunities when you actually get into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. There’s a ring to it,” he added. “It used to be very important, but now it seems to have faded a little bit.”
According to ESPN, Owens skipped the Hall of Fame celebration in Canton, Ohio, to protest what he called a “flawed process,” instead choosing to hold his own celebration at his alma mater, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
