Terrell Owens won’t attend Hall of Fame inductionTerrell Owens always likes being the center of attention. His decision to skip the induction ceremony for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August will keep him far from the spotlight.Owens was voted into the hall in February after being denied in his first two years of eligibility. His announcement Thursday is unprecedented by an enshrinee.“Hopefully Jake Fisher Jersey , the story this summer will remain about those that will be there instead of the one that will not,” said Howard Balzer of SiriusXM Radio, a 15-year voter for the Hall of Fame.In a statement released Thursday by his publicist, Owens said: “While I am incredibly appreciative of this opportunity, I have made the decision to publicly decline my invitation to attend the induction ceremony in Canton.“After visiting Canton earlier this year, I came to the realization that I wish to celebrate what will be one of the most memorable days of my life, elsewhere,” Owens added. “At a later date, I will announce where and when I will celebrate my induction.”The hall confirmed that the former All-Pro receiver informed them he would not be on hand Aug. 4 for the enshrinements.“We are disappointed but will respect Terrell’s decision not to participate in the enshrinement,” Hall of Fame President & CEO David Baker said.“While unprecedented, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the nearly 5,000 volunteers and the entire community are committed to celebrating the excellence of the Class of 2018 that will kick off the NFL’s 99th season.“As we do not want to detract from this great honor being enjoyed by the seven other members of the class of 2018 — Bobby Beathard, Robert Brazile, Brian Dawkins, Jerry Kramer Tyler Kroft Jersey , Ray Lewis, Randy Moss and Brian Urlacher — their family, friends, and fans, the Pro Football Hall of Fame will have no further comment on the decision made by Terrell Owens.”28View Gallery Gallery:PHOTOS: Dak, Zeke and a bunch of new faces at Dallas Cowboys OTAsMatthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports | Matthew EmmonsOwens entered the league as a third-round pick by San Francisco in 1996 and developed into a star known for some memorable playoff appearances, including his winning 25-yard TD catch to beat Green Bay in 1999; his 177 yards in a comeback win against the Giants in 2003; and his nine catches for 122 yards in the 2004 Super Bowl against New England just seven weeks after breaking his leg.He ranks second to Jerry Rice with 15,934 yards receiving and is third on the all-time touchdowns receiving list with 153.Owens heavily criticized the voting process when he failed to be elected in 2016 and 2017. Among the reasons he fell short were his being considered a divisive teammate and negative presence in the locker room.Still, he received strong consideration for the hall before getting in last February, along with Moss, another standout receiver.“I think T.O. actually was disappointed when he got in this year,” said Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News, who presented Owens’ case for induction and has been on the selection committee for 16 years. “I think he was happier when he got snubbed and could play the part of the persecuted victim and moan on every radio talk show that was willing to bring him on about the unfairness of the process.“Maybe he was worried that he would become forgotten after the induction ceremony. This way, he gets his gold jacket, but still will be remembered as the guy who told the hall to go stuff it.”Another Owens supporter in the hall voting, Jarrett Bell of USA Today John Miller Jersey , has been on the selection committee for 21 years and was “at a loss to understand” why Owens would decline to attend the inductions.But Bell, like Baker, stressed Owens’ absence would not affect the ceremony much.“Think of the other members of the class of 2018,” Bell said. “They deserve their upcoming honor and the celebration. There’s no stain on them because someone doesn’t want to show up.“Think of the players who gave their all to the sport, including many worthy of Hall of Fame consideration, who will never be enshrined. Think of the family members of former players, coaches and officials — many of whom have passed away — pushing for their loved ones to receive special recognition for career accomplishments. Then think of Terrell Owens. In that order.”As perhaps an indicator he might skip the August ceremony, Owens didn’t attend the announcement that he’d been selected to the hall.“All these years Owens wanted to go to the hall and was quite vocal about it,” said Rick Gosselin, a hall voter for 23 years. “Now he doesn’t want to go to the hall? It’s kind of puzzling. … I wonder what all of his new teammates wearing those gold jackets think.”Owens did thank the 49ers, Eagles, Cowboys, Bills and Bengals in his statement and called becoming a Hall of Famer “an honor to be part of such elite company. This honor is something that I will cherish forever.”He just won’t be on hand to see his bust unveiled in August.“But don’t think of even considering it a sad day for the Hall of Fame,” Bell said. “The hall will always be bigger than one person.”18View Gallery Gallery:Dallas Cowboys 2018 NFL ScheduleAP We take a look at the five biggest needs the Bengals still need to address this offseason."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections #BITESIZEFilm RoomRoster Transactions and ContractsOrange & Black InsiderSalary Cap And CBAAnalysisVideosTop 5 remaining needs for the BengalsNew,122commentsWe take a look at the five biggest needs the Bengals still need to address this offseason.EDTShareTweetShareShareTop 5 remaining needs for the BengalsTop 5 remaining Bengals needsZac Taylor’s first offseason as the Bengals’ head coach has been mainly a mixed bag. The retention of veterans C.J. Uzomah, Bobby Hart Alex Redmond Jersey , Preston Brown, Tyler Eifert and Darqueze Dennard to go with the additions of B.W. Webb, John Miller and Kerry Wynn make up the Bengals’ free agency period, but there’s more work to be done in improving the roster. With the NFL Draft inching closer and closer, let’s take a look at the five biggest needs remaining for Cincinnati.1. A starting linebackerNick Vigil played well in 2018, but struggled staying healthy and is only one of two linebackers the Bengals really need for 2019. This is the position that the Bengals would be best off at least partially addressing via a trade. There are two former first-round linebackers who are reportedly on the trade block in Darron Lee and Haason Reddick. Neither of these players have lived up to their billing, but they have shown a lot of potential in the NFL and would definitely be an upgrade over Hardy Nickerson. The Bengals of course can address it with their first pick in the draft with Devin Bush or Devin White, or their second pick with someone like Vosean Joseph.2. A quality starting offensive tackleThe Bengals extended one of the worst offensive tackles in the league in Bobby Hart, but they should not stop looking. Hart is not a good player and the Bengals should be thinking at the very least depth at the position to eventually replace him down the road.It seems unlikely that the Bengals will address offensive tackle early in the draft after re-signing Hart to a multi-year deal, but their depth at the position is on par with Hart’s ability: poor. On top of that Cordy Glenn has had health issues and is getting up there in age. The Bengals need to make a lot of additions on their offensive line and they should be considering all options throughout the draft. 3. Better wide receiver depthThe Bengals have a starting trio with great potential in their wide receiver room. However, two of those starters in A.J.Green and John Ross have both struggled with injuries and their absences greatly impacts the offense as a whole. On top of that, it is unlikely all three will be able to be kept long-term if Ross continues developing into a great player, but the front office will try to begin that process this offseason. Behind Ross there resides a lot of unproven talent grouped with middling contributors. Josh Malone has barely played, Cody Core is not good, Alex Erickson is a slot receiver with little explosiveness, and Auden Tate barely contributed when he got a chance. The Bengals would be wise to target a wide receiver somewhere around the fourth round in a draft deep with wide receivers. A player like Parris Campbell Bobby Hart Jersey , Miles Boykin, or Emmanuel Hall should be available in that range. 4. Young talent at tight endThe Bengals have 2 good players at tight end. What Tyler Eifert lacks in durability, he makes up for in athletic ability — and C.J. Uzomah is essentially the contrast of that.The Bengals need to continue injecting the position group with young talent to see if they can find a dynamic player who can offer a little more than Uzomah. Because of this, it would not be completely shocking for the Bengals to take either T.J. Hockenson or Noah Fant in the first round. With Uzomah’s under contract for three more years, drafting a tight end of the future now would make sense. 5. Any at all running back depthIn the last draft, one of the Bengals’ most surprising picks was running back Mark Walton. Now, Walton has gotten himself into legal trouble and subsequently off of the Bengals’ roster. Like with wide receiver. this draft is weak at the top for running backs, but it is deep with solid players. A guy like Rodney Anderson would be perfect, as someone who will likely fall due to injuries, he is more than talented enough to go on the second day of the draft and the Bengals could be getting a steal. With Mixon in the fold, Anderson would never be relied on or expected to take a full load, which should help him stay healthy.