Art Monk

There seems to be a debate about whether Art Monk should be in the NFL Hall of Fame and whether Michael Irvin deserved to get in before Monk. So, what do DUers think; did Art Monk deserve to be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame? Did Irvin deserve to go into the NFL Hall of Fame before Monk? Please explain your opinions. In addition, for those in support of Art Monk please give reasons other than he was a great guy who had great character. I am not against character; however, I contend a player should be elected to any Hall of Fame based mainly on his work on the field. So mainly I would first ask did the player have the numbers to be elected to the Hall of Fame. I contend that if two players have similar numbers than character should be the deciding factor, but I players should not get into any hall of fame based soley on his character if another player had much better numbers. So, does Art Monk deserve to be in the NFL Hall of Fame?

Art Monk was a darn good player over a long period of time. He was never a dominant player. IMO that doesn't qualify him to the Hall of Fame, at least not without a wait similar to Rayfield Wright, the Dallas tackle who got in last year.

Despite having his career cut short, Irvin was a 5-time Pro Bowler to 3 for Monk. He averaged substantially more yards per reception, 15.9 to Monk's 13.5. Monk very rarely finished among the league leaders in any of the receiving categories, as you can see by this link, at "Seasons Among League's Top 10":

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/MonkAr00.htm

Now look at Irvin's chart:

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/IrviMi00.htm

He practically never got called for it.

But Monk played for a revolving door of quarterbacks. Ivin played his whole career with nearly one. That makes a BIG difference.

Theismann
Williams
Rypien
Humphries
Conklin
Graham
Gannon

i think he will get in eventually. Irvin was no doubt first ballot guy. no question.

now has their "triplets" - Aikman, Smith & Michael "crackhead" Irvin

The Redskins has 1 - John Riggins

What about:
Ark Monk
Darryl Green
Dexter Manley
Joe Jacoby
Russ Grimm
Joe Theismann???????????????


Hall of Fame voters are so lame, secret voting, wonder how much they were paid?

the rest????

Monk is borderline at best. Irvin - shoo in first ballot. but making up quaint nicknames for him may make you feel better. how about Art "not in the hall of fame" Monk?

because of the drugs, alcohol & prostitutes.

A very upstanding individual now, Irvin is a born again Christian.

a pass? I seem to recall a record there. The other guy did he ever get close to Jerry Rice records? For long time the reception #'s and yardage #'s were 2nd to Rice. Irvin had none of those. And as someone else eluded to on another thread Irvin was the master of the push off (illegal) which he rarely got called for. So lets see Irvin had an accurate HOF QB his whole career, all time rushing leader RB to draw attention away from him a great o-line. The only thing Monk had going for him was a great O-line and a great offensive mind in Joe Gibbs. If he had not worked obsessively on his conditioning he wouldn't have had the career he did either. Irvin had many natural gifts. I would say he had a silver spoon in the mouth kind of advantage. Monk was a way better route runner. He couldn't just reach up and grab it as Irvin could with his height advantage.

Stats don't lie.... Here's the question you have to ask. In thier prime, who would you pick to play for your team... Now I know the Redskin homers will say Monk because they're blinded by Cowboy hate....

But if your were to ask any GM that question---they'd pick Mike in a second. What--- a playmaker or a 3rd down possession receiver? Not even close.

Very similar stats, it is just that Monk wasn't what they cann a "play-maker", Mr. Excitement, but he got things done.

Michael Irvin


+--------------------------+-------------------------+
| Rushing | Receiving |
+----------+-----+--------------------------+-------------------------+
| Year TM | G | Att Yards Y/A TD | Rec Yards Y/R TD |
+----------+-----+--------------------------+-------------------------+
| 1988 dal | 14 | 1 2 2.0 0 | 32 654 20.4 5 |
| 1989 dal | 6 | 1 6 6.0 0 | 26 378 14.5 2 |
| 1990 dal | 12 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 20 413 20.6 5 |
| 1991 dal | 16 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 93 1523 16.4 8 |
| 1992 dal | 16 | 1 -9 -9.0 0 | 78 1396 17.9 7 |
| 1993 dal | 16 | 2 6 3.0 0 | 88 1330 15.1 7 |
| 1994 dal | 16 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 79 1241 15.7 6 |
| 1995 dal | 16 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 111 1603 14.4 10 |
| 1996 dal | 11 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 64 962 15.0 2 |
| 1997 dal | 16 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 75 1180 15.7 9 |
| 1998 dal | 16 | 1 1 1.0 0 | 74 1057 14.3 1 |
| 1999 dal | 4 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 10 167 16.7 3 |
+----------+-----+--------------------------+-------------------------+
| TOTAL | 159 | 6 6 1.0 0 | 750 11904 15.9 65 |
+----------+-----+--------------------------+-------------------------+



Art Monk Stats

+--------------------------+-------------------------+
| Rushing | Receiving |
+----------+-----+--------------------------+-------------------------+
| Year TM | G | Att Yards Y/A TD | Rec Yards Y/R TD |
+----------+-----+--------------------------+-------------------------+
| 1980 was | 16 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 58 797 13.7 3 |
| 1981 was | 16 | 1 -5 -5.0 0 | 56 894 16.0 6 |
| 1982 was | 9 | 7 21 3.0 0 | 35 447 12.8 1 |
| 1983 was | 12 | 3 -19 -6.3 0 | 47 746 15.9 5 |
| 1984 was | 16 | 2 18 9.0 0 | 106 1372 12.9 7 |
| 1985 was | 15 | 7 51 7.3 0 | 91 1226 13.5 2 |
| 1986 was | 16 | 4 27 6.8 0 | 73 1068 14.6 4 |
| 1987 was | 9 | 6 63 10.5 0 | 38 483 12.7 6 |
| 1988 was | 16 | 7 46 6.6 0 | 72 946 13.1 5 |
| 1989 was | 16 | 3 8 2.7 0 | 86 1186 13.8 8 |
| 1990 was | 16 | 7 59 8.4 0 | 68 770 11.3 5 |
| 1991 was | 16 | 9 19 2.1 0 | 71 1049 14.8 8 |
| 1992 was | 16 | 6 45 7.5 0 | 46 644 14.0 3 |
| 1993 was | 16 | 1 -1 -1.0 0 | 41 398 9.7 2 |
| 1994 nyj | 16 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 46 581 12.6 3 |
| 1995 phi | 3 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 6 114 19.0 0 |
+----------+-----+--------------------------+-------------------------+
| TOTAL | 224 | 63 332 5.3 0 | 940 12721 13.5 68 |
+----------+-----+--------------------------+-------------------------+

Monk played 13 seasons with 10+ games, and reached 1000 yards in five of them. Irvin played 10 seasons with 10+ games and racked up 7 1000+ seasons.

I'm no Irvin fan, and I don't like the Cowboys at all. And I think Monk deserves (and will get) eventual election the hall of fame. But Irvin was the better receiver.

America's team, and there were 27-29 others.

So where is Dallas now? They have a QB problem too. And now, my guess is that Jerry Jones will choose Norv Turner (former Redskin coach) as the Cowboys head coach.

Dallas in the last 7 years has been over-hyped