Lobbying for Monk
By Matthew Sprague, Eagle sports editor
For the next year, you're going to hear every political candidate, television talking head and long-time-listener,-first-time-caller espouse their strong beliefs on many important subjects relevant to our daily lives in the United States of America.
I won't be one of them.
It's not that I'm a warped nihilist or anything along those lines. It's just that I feel most strongly about issues that really don't pertain to the average American's daily life. Some of my most fervent beliefs are as follows:
- "Airplane!" is the funniest movie ever made. Anyone who doesn't agree doesn't know humor.
- If you're going to a concert, don't wear that band's t-shirt or listen to their music en route to the show.
- Art Monk should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Of these three statements, the latter has sparked serious debate for at least the last five years. Nowhere, however, is that debate more important than the room full of Hall of Fame voters, who meet annually before the Super Bowl to determine that year's induction class. They'll meet again this weekend.
For many years, Monk — a 16-year veteran wide receiver for the Washington Redskins, New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles — has been eligible. He's been passed over every year.
There might not be another candidate for the Hall, however, with as rabid of a fan base. Monk's supporters have done all the talking — well, shouting — in support of his candidacy. They've started Web sites; they've e-mailed, called and written every Hall voter; they've even collected videos of what must be every one of his 940 career receptions and uploaded them to YouTube.com. Here's a sample.
Do the fans' emotions factor into the Hall vote, in which a candidate needs to survive numerous cuts and get at least 80 percent of the 40-some-odd voters to give him a 'yes'? Some would say no, some would say yes.
The 'yes' camp would point to comments made by Sports Illustrated writers and Hall voters Peter King and Paul Zimmerman in the last two years. They've been considered by many Monk supporters to be the most influential in the anti-Monk group.
However, both King and Zimmerman have stated that they have re-examined Monk's candidacy and decided to vote 'yes.' They've also acknowledged that they've been inundated by communications from pro-Monk readers.
As a football fan, I wouldn't ever go this far. However, knowing my duty as a journalist, I won't deprive you of the whole story here. In the interest of full disclosure, I should tell you that, as a preteen, I was a "silver club" camper at the annual Art Monk Football Camp, held in Westminster, Md. and Bridgewater, Va.
The small and grainy, yet damning photographic proof:
Now that we have that out of the way, I'll make my own arguments for Monk's induction.
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It's obvious that, in this day and age of improved passers and ball-catchers, as well as more sophisticated passing attacks, wide receivers' career statistics may very well be obsolete just 10 to 15 years after their retirements. This hurts Monk. His 940 career receptions, 12,721 receiving yards and 183 consecutive games with at least one reception looked a lot better on paper when he retired after the 1995 season.
Now, however, he's being passed by many receivers. He retired as the leader in career receptions; he's now seventh, having recently been passed by St. Louis Rams lifer Isaac Bruce. He retired with the record for consecutive games with one catch; he's been passed — nay, obliterated — by Jerry Rice, who caught a pass in 274 straight games.
This is a given. Records, after all, are meant to be broken. Rice, who will certainly be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he's eligible in 2010, holds so many receiving records that it almost defies logic. Many consider him the greatest receiver of all time.
If it takes the greatest receiver of all time — who, by the way, now holds the career receptions record Monk once held — to break your marks, doesn't that at least earn you a mention as one of the greatest? (Unless you were the first one there, which Monk wasn't.)
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Another record Monk once held was the most receptions in a single season, with 106 in 1984. He was the only 1,000-yard receiver on the team which also featured a 1,000-yard rusher — Hall of Famer John Riggins. The 'Skins passed for more yards than they rushed for that year, so it can't be successfully argued that it was a run-first team.
However, sifting through NFL receiving statistics, one will find that Monk's 1984 season was the first 100-catch season since Charley Hennigan caught 101 passes in 1964 for the Houston Oilers. Nobody caught 100 passes in a season again until 1990, when — you guessed it — Rice hit triple digits.
Obviously, in Monk's era, 100 catches was a rarity. Heck, two years before Monk's record-breaking season, San Francisco's Dwight Clark (of "The Catch" fame) led the league with just 60 receptions.
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Comparing Monk's statistics to the last three receivers elected to the Hall — Michael Irvin (2007), James Lofton (2003) and John Stallworth (2002) — his candidacy should be strengthened. His stats are comparable to Lofton's, and in many areas are better than those of Irvin and Stallworth, though Monk played more years than both.
It's harder, however, to get receivers in the Hall these days. Not counting tight ends, only five have been inducted in the last 10 years, as opposed to eight quarterbacks and 13 linemen. Even Lofton and Stallworth, as well as Stallworth's Steelers teammate Lynn Swann, had to wait a while before they were inducted.
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With this in mind, it should be noted that two other receivers are among the Hall finalists this year alongside Monk — Cris Carter and Andre Reed. Many think their inclusion will ultimately doom Monk to waiting for induction by the Veterans' Committee, never a sure thing.
Carter, who played 16 years with the Eagles, Vikings and Dolphins, has Monk on receiving yards (13,899 to 12,721) and touchdowns (130 to 68). Monk, however, averaged 13.5 yards per catch to Carter's 12.6.
Reed also played 16 seasons with the Bills and Redskins. He's also got Monk on several statistics, but by slimmer margins. Monk had one more 1,000-yard receiving season than Reed (five to four). That isn't that impressive of a margin, but one thing should be taken into consideration: Number of Super Bowl rings. That count: Monk 3, Reed 0, Carter 0.
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Monk's three Pro Bowl selections have been used as a negative. Irvin, for example, went to five. Lofton went to eight.
That's nice, but try these on for size: Riggins, a Hall of Famer, went to one. Jim Kelly, a Hall of Famer, went to four. Ozzie Newsome, a Hall of Famer, went to three.
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Monk was named to the NFL's 1980s "All-Decade Team." Of the four receivers on the roster, two — Lofton and Steve Largent — are in the Hall. Monk and Rice are the other receivers, and it's (seemingly) a given that Rice will be in the Hall as soon as he's eligible.
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The more opinionated, less fact-based arguments:
- It was said by many that Monk shouldn't get in until Irvin got in. Well, Irvin's in.
- It's been said that Monk's "Posse" teammates Gary Clark and Ricky Sanders were the real threats in the Redskins receiving corps in the 1980s and 1990s. Sure, Clark and Sanders were the flashier deep threats. If Doug Williams, Jay Schroeder, Stan Humphries, Mark Rypien, etc. were looking for an 11-yard in route on a third-and-9, however, they'd go to Monk. He was the mold from which receivers like possession receivers like Keyshawn Johnson and Marvin Harrison were built.
- Monk was, as offensive players went, the constant on four Redskins Super Bowl teams (wins in the 1982, 1987 and 1991 seasons and a loss in the 1983 season). No matter the quarterback — and there were many of them — Monk was there to make catch after catch. He's considered by many to be the quiet locker room leader on many of those Joe Gibbs-led Redskins teams, which should count for something.
- A few quotes from people who know about these sorts of things:
''Art should have been in a long time ago." - Andre Reed, quoted in a Jan. 17 story from the Allentown Morning Call
"There's no doubt [Monk] was one of the best receivers to ever play the game and it's an honor to break his record. Art Monk, he was an ideal receiver." - Jerry Rice, quoted in an Oct. 25, 1998 story after breaking Monk's career reception record
"Art Monk was an example for Jerry Rice. That's what Jerry always told me. ... If he doesn't get in, it doesn't make sense." - Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, quoted in a Feb. 2, 2002 story from the Westchester Journal News
"Art Monk ... I still can't believe he's not in." - Hall of Famer Jim Kelly, at the Hall inductee announcement on Feb. 3, 2007
"But when you catch a lot of passes and win Super Bowls, you should be a lock." - Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, who answered the question "Who is not in the Hall of Fame now who should be?" with Monk's name in a June 11, 2006 interview in the Monroe News Star
"Can y'all please get Art Monk in the Hall of Fame? He's one of the greatest receivers ever." - Giants receiver Plaxico Burress, to a group of reporters during Super Bowl week (quoted from Wednesday's Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
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There are more important things to be discussed this year, of course. After all, it's an election year. If there's one vote I'll be hanging on before November, however, it's the vote of the 40-some-odd football writers and broadcasters the week of the Super Bowl, deciding who gets a bust and an ugly-looking yellowish blazer for a career full of highlights.
A bust and a place in Canton, Ohio are long overdue for Art Monk.
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ADDENDUM, 5:40 p.m., Feb. 2: The bust and blazer will come this summer. Monk is one of six men voted today into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. -M.S.
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