level os skill, on-live vs. live

On another forum, a well respected member made this statement:

I play much higher live since the quality of competition is weaker. I compare 1/2 online to 10/20 live as far as caliber of play.
The 20/40 games I play are weaker than the 5/10 online games


Wow. That is an amazingly bold statement, one I've not heard elsewhere. Has anyone else noticed a strikingly differant level of skill among players, on-line vs. live?