Immortality on hold (warning, this will tick you off)

[MTK]

http://espn.go.com/classic/s/2004/0805/1852886.html

As Barry Sanders and John Elway bask in the glow of the hideously colored yet still oddly drab yellow blazers they will wear when inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Art Monk will be home again, waiting for a call that may never come.

So will Harry Carson, who is so unhappy at having been passed over so often that he has allegedly expressed his unhappiness with the process to the Hall officials themselves.

Art Monk did make it to 1,000 catches, but he did have more than 1,000 yards receiving five times in his career.


And then there are Steve Young, Dan Marino, Troy Aikman and Reggie White, the next four slam-dunks in the Hall of Fame queue.
Not that any of this has anything to do with Sanders or Elway, whose nominating speeches last January were the typical state-the-name-and-then-sit-down specials, or Carl Eller or Bob Brown, both of whom thought they had been forgotten by the panel, and whose elections came as surprises.

This is life on the cusp of immortality, more or less. Some are born to it, others have to earn it, and still more don't get there even when it seems like they've done plenty.

The question that arises, though, is whether plenty is ever enough.

Carson has credentials worthy of any Hall of Fame debate, although the outrage over his annual omission seems to taper off quickly once the New York skyline disappears from the rear view mirror.

Monk's name has been brought up several times, with the leading argument being his 940 receptions and his noticeable contributions in Super Bowl XXVI (the one where the Redskins dope-slapped the Broncos). And yet his candidacy seems to have stalled too.

This does not bode particularly well for, say, Michael Irvin, who is eligible this year, or for Andre Reed, who comes up next, or for Tim Brown, still looking to keep his day job even after 1,000 catches and being released by the Raiders this week. Jerry Rice is, of course, a different story.

Which brings us to the Hall of Fame selection process itself, which is just arcane enough (39 people in a room, one from each of the 32 NFL cities, the president of the Pro Football Writers of America, and six at-large voters), just secretive enough (not even the voters know who got how many votes) and just capricious enough (a bad presentation in the room on Super Bowl Eve can doom a candidate, just as a really good one can elevate him) to make everyone scratch their heads in wonder at the process, and the result.

Now nobody in their right mind would argue against Sanders or Elway's induction, and those old enough to remember football P.M. (Pre-Madden) would cheerfully vouch for Brown and Eller as well. Nobody snuck in through the service entrance, is what we're saying here.

But Monk is the most curious case, because if his numbers say no, then it's hard to see a much more compelling case for Irvin, Reed or Brown. It is almost as if 900 catches is the 500-homer plateau in baseball -- not nearly as impressive as you would think it should be.

It isn't as though his case hasn't been made effectively or forcefully enough (voters on both sides agree they have gotten the full measure of Monk's body of work). Or for that matter, that Carson's C.V. has been properly presented.

Still, they wait, as do Rayfield Wright, Lester Hayes, Jim Marshall, Bob Hayes and a growing backlog of others who will find that the required 32 votes may as well be 32 million. As Halls of Fame go, this one is far tougher to crowbar into than the basketball or hockey versions, and only slightly less rigorous than baseball's.

The Hall might be better served by a more open policy, one in which the voters must account for their votes, and that the final vote totals are released. Then we would know just how close Monk or Carson are to actual inclusion. For that matter, so would they.

This would be particularly helpful given that after Young and Marino next time, and Aikman the year after, there are no slam-dunks. Not Deion Sanders. Not Warren Moon. Not Thurman Thomas. Nor any of the massive human clot of previously considered candidates who didn't make their nut. This isn't going to get easier for them, but harder.

And maybe that's as it should be, some argue. The Hall of Fame ought to be the final measure of a man's career, and it ought to be a high bar to clear. Really high.

But for those still with their faces pressed against the window in Canton, Ohio, the question of how high that bar really is remains a mystery.

Ray Ratto is a columnist with the San Francisco Chronicle and a regular contributor to ESPN.com

[Daseal]

Monk was a great player, and I think players that shouldn't get chosen above him, however I'm not sure if he is a shoe in for the HoF. Most non-skins fans know of Monk, but don't hold him in quite the same regard we do.

[SKINSnCANES]

How many receivers have over 900 receptions though? Is it just Brown and Rice that do?

[SmootSmack]

Cris Carter finished with over 1,000 and Andre Reed has 900+, not sure how many but I know he has more than Monk

Of the top 10 receivers of all time, 5 have played with the Redskins at some point: Reed, Monk, Irving Fryar, Larry Centers, and Henry Ellard

[MTK]

Here's the top 20 all-time

http://www.profootballhof.com/histor.../receivers.jsp

[That Guy]

that'd be #4, 5, 6, 7, and 10.

[SmootSmack]

I would have never guessed Terance Mathis in the top 20 all time

[MTK]

Look at where Harrison is, he's got a great shot at climbing pretty high the way he's going. He has a legit shot at 1000.

[MTK]

Mathis is a surprise, I'm also kinda surprised to see McCardell in there. Some people just sneak up on ya I guess.

Check out the stats on Mathis, 8 seasons of at least 50 catches, and one 100+ catch season too.

http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/1189

[jdlea]

Art Monk was probably in the top 3 receivers ever when he hung it up. He was the first man to catch 100 balls in a season and he even did it twice. Not to mention 5th all time in receptions. He belongs in the Hall.

[Beemnseven]

The thing is, Lynn Swann and John Stallworth are both in who have far less that Art Monk in terms of numbers. But since they were part of that magical Steelers dynasty, they basically get a free pass. Perhaps it's because they shined in the Super Bowl.

I think eventually Monk will get in. The article itself states that the issue simply will not go away especially with Andre Reed and Michael Irvin coming up for eligibility.

[Cowboyhater]

It is an outrage that Monk is not in the Hall. If I could I would have held up a "42-10" sign at Elway's induction in protest of Monk not being inducted.

I hope that the sportswriters have some secret plan to vote in Darrell and Art in the same class and they are just waiting for Darrell to become eligible.

[BrunellFan]

Originally Posted by Cowboyhater

It is an outrage that Monk is not in the Hall. If I could I would have held up a "42-10" sign at Elway's induction in protest of Monk not being inducted.

I hope that the sportswriters have some secret plan to vote in Darrell and Art in the same class and they are just waiting for Darrell to become eligible.

Interesting theory. It would be cool to have both of them inducted at the same time. However, I believe that Art Monk will get in there eventually, its just that this year's class had some really heavy hitters.

[Dave Butz Baby!]

One thing I have read repeatedly is that the HoF voters often look for "that defining moment" (ie, highlight reel) on the field during the big game. Swan and Stallworth definitely had theirs.. how many times have you seen Swan's over the shoulder catch as he's going down in against the Cowrhoids in the 1979 SB? Plenty. Monk didn't really have any of those. For that matter, neither did Steve Largent that I can remember. All I remember about him was (like Monk), he caught everything that came his way. Those two guys had very similar careers, with one major difference. Monk has rings. But Largent's in. As SportsCurmudgeon pointed out, Monk was not exactly a press friendly person and they're the ones doing the voting.

I do think the voters' need of wanting the one defining "picture perfect play" along with a career long body of consistent work is a crime. Pure unadulterated bullshit, actually. Unfortunately, I also think that if Monk had retired when his Skins career was over, he may have gotten in already. With Jerry Rice (hands down, best receiver ever) coming through at the end of Monks career and just annihilating all the records like he has, it's probably not hard to put on the blinders and compare everyone from here on out to Jerry. That is damn unfair, just like all shooting guards will always be compared to Jordan. You could be incredible, but compared to those transcendental types of players, you're not going to look like the best.

As far as DG getting in, he'll be a first ballot inductee. Hell, even Dr Z said he's a lock. I've even seem him referred to as the second greatest corner (don't dare say who was the best) to ever play the game by a HoF voter.

I'm pretty sure he has a few highlight reel performances of Mr. Green that'll get played over and over again on ESPN when he gets in!

[SmootSmack]

And Monk, unfortunately was never a big factor in any of the Super Bowls:

XVII: Didn't play
XVIII: Let's not even talk about this game
XXII: Overshadowed by Williams, Clark, Sanders, and Smith
XXVI: Had the first touchdown in the game overruled by instant replay