Was Calvin Johnson Better than Terrell Owens?

Terrell Owens got the nod for being the best player to wear No. 81. Was that the correct choice?

John Maakaron | Apr 3, 2020

In a time with no LIVE sporting events, some very interesting sports debates have been written about and talked about online.

Old stories have been revisited, and lists have been made to keep sports fans engaged amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

This week, The Athletic released its list of the greatest NFL players to wear each jersey number.

In regard to the No. 81, The Athletic gave the nod to six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Terrell Owens.

According to The Athletic's NFL staff, "There was never a dull moment with Owens. He is third all time in receiving yards and touchdown receptions. Owens played his first eight seasons for the 49ers before moving on to Philadelphia, Dallas, Buffalo and Cincinnati. He was a five-time first-team All-Pro selection."

Fox Sports analyst Skip Bayless felt differently, and shared his thoughts with colleague and Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe on Wednesday's edition of "Undisputed."

“Look, Calvin Johnson was a freak of a beast of a rare player. We’ve never seen anything like it. He was 6'5, 240 pounds, and he ran (a) 4.35 at the combine. What? It was unheard of, it’s impossible. He could jump. He could catch. He was a package unlike anything Terrell could ever dream of," Bayless said.

Bayless added, “He had a nickname, 'Megatron,' for a reason. It’s because nobody had ever seen anyone like him. When I think of '81,' I think of Calvin as the essence of 81. I think he was the most gifted receiver ever. Eighty-one should belong to Calvin Johnson. He was just better than Terrell.”

.@RealSkipBayless on the best player to ever wear #81:

"From my heart and soul I like TO. I enjoy having him on the show. I really respect him. But Calvin Johnson was a freak of a beast, of a rare player. We've never seen anything like it." pic.twitter.com/QmdUCvlnIX
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) April 1, 2020

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JOHN MAAKARON

John Maakaron has covered Detroit Sports since 2013. Brings a vast array of experience covering the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, Detroit Mercy Titans, and Oakland University Golden Grizzlies. John brings a wealth of sports broadcast experience. In 2013, John had the vision to establish the Detroit Sports Podcast Network. Has recorded over 3000 podcasts analyzing Detroit Sports. In 2019, Sports Illustrated Media Group, a historical sports media outlet, partnered with Detroit Sports Podcast to provide daily Lions content for their growing and expanding digital media outlet. Our Lions content can also be read in the newspaper at The Oakland Passionate about Detroit Sports and it is reflected in his coverage of the local teams!