FORT WORTH, Texas _ Cowboys legend Michael Irvin has some thoughts for the Pro Football Hall of Fame on its decision to not mention Owens during any of the induction proceedings, which will take place Aug. 4 in Canton, Ohio.
Back in February, Terrell Owens was announced as a member of the 2018 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. But Owens felt that the honor was long overdue, so he decided to skip his own induction ceremony.
Speaking to reporters at the National Fantasy Football Convention in Will Rogers Arena, Irvin talked about the Hall's decision.
"I think they are doing the right thing there," Irvin said. "We can't spend this moment for all these other guys talking about the guy that is not here. You cannot do that.
"T.O. is doing his own thing, wherever he is doing his own thing and god bless him."
Owens will still have his bust enshrined in the hall and will receive his gold jacket in the mail.
Back in early July, Owens explained that he would he hold his own celebration with close family and friends at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, his alma mater.
On Saturday, Irvin reiterated that he was disappointed by Owens' decision.
"We will be cheated as a Hall of Fame team (by) one of our teammates, that he took that decision," Irvin said. "Everyone says 'Oh, well he had the right to make that decision.' Yes, he does. And we have the right to say we don't like it. It is what it is.
"I am also disappointed because we fought for T.O. It wasn't like T.O. said that it didn't matter or (he said) 'I don't care about being in the hall, I don't care about that at all.' Then everybody wouldn't have invested emotions and feelings into it. And we did.
"And so when we did, everybody talked about it and tried to get him in. And we talked about it on-air because he rightfully belongs in and then he gets in and makes that decision. I was absolutely disappointed."
Last month, Owens responded to Irvin's initial criticisms (which also took place in June) with racially charged and cocaine-related insults.
A few weeks later, Irvin discussed the comments during an appearance on the Dennis and Cowlishaw show on 103.3 ESPN FM. Irvin's response is lengthy, but essentially, he says that he doesn't have much of an issue with Owens.
"T.O. and I have had, I don't know, a good friendship, relationship and hopefully it's still that. I don't have any issue with T.O. I'm sorry, obviously he feels the way he feels right now and I don't know how we miscommunicated whatever happened. Because the first thing I texted T.O., and I haven't talked to him in a while, the first thing I text him was 'Hey T.O., you know I've got to go on the air. I've got to address your decision.' And then I asked him questions. I said, 'I just want to get clarification before I go on. Get clarity about, you know.' He said 'What is there to get clarity about?'
"I said, 'Well you said in a statement after visiting the Hall, I decided not to attend. So is there something that happened at the Hall? Or is this just a decision you're making?' All of this stuff.
"And I guess here it comes back. I guess he said that these were private texts that he didn't want me to talk about the things that we talked about. But I said in the first text that I have to go on the air to address it and my job is, 'Let me call and find out if there's something I need to know.'
"And, guys, honestly: I've been around T.O. long enough and I've always considered him a friend. I've been doing TV for almost 20 years. I'd never try to sandblast, whatever he calls it, anybody. I've always tried to uplift guys because I believe the game is what it is and the game is used to save lives.
"I heard you guys talking about Randy Gregory earlier when I was leaving Cowboys practice today. I heard Steve talking about, 'Why don't we forget about this guy?' And I'm like, 'No. We have to use the game to save guys like this, to save guys like me, to save guys like T.O.'
"That just the way I believe. It's unfortunate that T.O. believes that somehow someway I let him down or whatever and then he goes the distance that he goes and saying the statements that he made. I won't even get into all of that. I won't get into it. I'm just going to wish him the best in his endeavors, all of them. Hopefully one day we will be fortunate enough to see him at the Hall of Fame."
