Time for some False Hope from Peter King

[BrudLee]

From today's MMQBTE (emphasis mine):

ART MONK TIME. From Steve Woods of Houston: "In response to your list of 10 players left out of the Hall of Fame, I have my own list (which I know you won't agree with):

1) Art Monk.
2) Art Monk.
3) Art Monk.
4) Art Monk.

You get my drift, and yes, I am a biased die-hard 'Skins fan. Monk had 940 career receptions, 12,000 career yards, with three Super Bowls rings. I think the presence of John Riggins on the goal line is a big reason why he didn't have quite as many touchdowns as you would have thought, given his other stats, although he does have more than several receivers already in, such as Stallworth and Swann. The guy was a tremendous player, who, in my opinion, was the heart and soul of the offense for much of the '80s. You can't do any more than that. It sure does seem like you have some sort of bias against the 'Skins, and Monk in particular, in recent years. I don't understand that. Are you a Cowboys fan?!? Please say it isn't so.''

Ain't so. I'm a fan of no football team. You may be interested to know that I am going to rethink my position on Monk this year. I don't want to be so stuck in the mud on this issue that I close my mind to the possibility that I'm wrong and that Monk really does belong. So I'm going to sit down with Joe Gibbs when I see the Redskins this summer and try to soak in what the Monk side believes I am missing. A lot of people I respect tell me I'm dead wrong on Monk -- Len Shapiro, Mike Wilbon among them, plus quieter ones with close ties to the Hall. So I'll rethink my position and let you know what I come up with.

Now, I'm sure we'll be treated to "Guys, I thought about it, and he still isn't there." But this is certainly better that the annual column that says "Art isn't good enough, and let me devote a page in the premier sports magazine to telling the nation why, but I don't have a horse in this race."