Sometimes in sports, numbers do not tell the whole story. Sometimes in sports, they do.
For the past several years, Art Monk has been denied entrance in the National Football League Hall of Fame. In the case of Mr. Monk, numbers tell a compelling story.
When Art Monk retired, he caught more passes than any other receiver in NFL history. His record has since been eclipsed but how does a man who's grabbed 940 catches for nearly 13,000 yards and still be slighted for football highest honor? Football writers have yet to find a place in Canton hallow grounds for Art Monk. Say whatever you want, there is no logic or excuses for such an oversight.
Art Monk was part of two Super Bowl champions and even caught seven passes for 113 yards against the Buffalo Bills in the 1992 Super Bowl. What makes Monk stats more amazing is that he played for a predominately running team and he never had a Hall of Fame quarterback throwing passes in his direction.
In 183 straight games, he managed to get open to catch at least one pass - signifying that he was an integral part of any Redskin offense. Many excuses have been made for not allowing him in the Hall of Fame, but the stats speak for themselves. Art Monk deserves his place among football's immortal.
Another player who has been slighted by voters is Bert Blyleven. If Art Monk is deserving of being in NFL Hall of Fame, Bert Blyleven equally deserves to be in baseball's Hall of Fame. Blyleven won 287 games and if he had managed to squeeze out 13 more victories over his career, we would not be having this debate. He would be automatically in. Finishing just 13 victories shy of 300 doomed this great curve baller. Blyleven did not have a blazing fastball like Roger Clemens or Nolan Ryan. What he had was guile, smarts, and a curveball that kept batters on their heels. Only four pitchers have managed to strike out more batters.
Blyleven helped two different teams in both leagues to World Series championships. As an important cog of the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates and 1987 Minnesota Twins pitching staff, Blyleven showed that he was more than just a good pitcher over the years but a winner. Like Art Monk, who played a key role in two Super Bowls, Blyleven played a key role in two World Series championships.
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Article comments
1 - Tan The Man
Good article. You can also put Tommy John in that same HOF limbo that Blyleven is in. I have NO idea who ISN'T voting for these pitchers when ballot time rolls around. It's amazing how unqualified these writers need to be to get a vote.
2 - Authentic Signed Sports
The majority of writers who vote for hall of fame inductions have never donned a uniform nor thrown a ball. The voting should be left up to the players peers. Those who played with or against them are better qualified to determine who belongs in their resepective halls.