Terrell Owens not being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame? What a joke.

Obviously, this is the Hall of Fame's way of making an example of T.O., using him as a warning to other players in the future that even if you have the stats to back up your case, you won't be inducted if you act a fool on and off the field and stir up controversy the way Owens did over stretches of his 15-year NFL career.

But here's the thing... while trying to use Owens to make that example, the only people that the Pro Football Hall of Fame is fooling is themselves. Scratch that... they're straight playing themselves.

Like his on- and off-the-field antics or not, there's no denying what a beast T.O. was on the field, ending his illustrious career in 2010 as the fifth-leading touchdown scorer in NFL history with 156. His 1,078 receptions are sixth all-time amongst NFL wide receivers, as not only one of the greatest wideouts to ever play the game, but one of the greatest players to play the game, period.

Simply put — T.O. was too good. Way too good to not make the cut for the Hall of Fame.

He should have been an automatic entrant, no questions asked, regardless of his behavior at times.

Sure, he has done questionable things like publicly criticize his quarterbacks, yell at his own coaches and teammates on the sidelines, pose on the Dallas Cowboys' star at the 50-yard line as a visiting player and celebrate touchdowns with everything from popcorn to dancing with cheerleaders and signing a football with a Sharpie. Some have even referred to him as a cancer for destroying teams and their locker rooms.

While that latter point is arguable, his individual stats are so good that they simply can't be looked past. The Hall of Fame is playing itself bad.

So, yeah, you can't blame T.O. saying fellow wideout legend Cris Carter had to "beg" his way into the Hall, as reported by Bleacher Report.

What's sadder is T.O. expected this to happen.

The Hall is going to make him wait and drag this out... and it's unfortunate.

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