Elect Art Monk!

OK, I’m pissed. Big surprise, I know.

When Michael Irvin is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, one of the biggest travesties in football history will have taken place.

I’m not saying this as a Washington Redskins fan; I’m saying this as a football fan.

"ELECT ART MONK!"

Art has more receptions than Michael (940 vs. 750), more total yards (12,721 vs. 11,904), and more touchdowns (68 vs. 65). Michael, however, does have a higher yard-per-reception average (15.9 vs. 13.5).

Both receivers won three Super Bowls, and both went to multiple Pro Bowls.

Also, Art Monk has NEVER been arrested on drug possession charges. Art has NEVER been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in Charlotte, with a gun to her head, while videotaping the whole sordid affair.

Art Monk is a true philanthropist in the Washington area, creating the Art Monk Football Camp that has graduated over 14,000 athletes. A big section of those athletes have gone on to play college ball.

Art also joined up with former Redskin defensive end Charles Mann to form the Good Samaritan Foundation, whereas Irvin can’t even spell the word “samaritan.”

OK, Hall voters…you tell me. Compare the two men, and tell me WHY IN THE HELL did Irvin get in, and Monk has not?

Hell, Andre Reed should have gotten in long before Michael Irvin.

People say, “But he was ‘The Playmaker.” Big f**king deal. Just because you’re flashy, that doesn’t overshadow productivity and class.

Some have said, “Art wasn’t the friendliest player to the media when he was with Washington, so they’re not going to vote him in.” OK, being in the media, I can say that how a player deals with us on a day-to-day basis does have something to do with how we cover him. But, come the hell on, you want to keep a man like Monk out of Canton because he didn’t have a bubbly personality? WTF?!?

Look at what Hall of Fame cornerback Ronnie Lott said about Art Monk:

"You have a Hall of Fame for all it represents. I know he represents all that it's about," said Lott. "Integrity, love and passion for the game, community, what he gave back. Look how he conducted himself. Nobody I know deserves it more."

What has Irvin given back to the game? Bad suits? Stupid laugh? An arrest record?

MSNBC columnist Bill Williamson penned a column today, saying Irvin was lucky to get into the HOF when he did. Here's an excerpt:

"NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has to sit through Michael Irvin’s induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend. You got to know what’s going to be zipping through No-Tolerance Rog’s mind as Irvin pontificates on his greatness in the sticky summer afternoon heat. 'This wouldn’t be happening on my watch.'"

Washington Post sportswriter Thomas Loverro had this to say about Monk:

"He embodied the old school, and for that alone he should be enshrined so that when a father takes his son through the Hall of Fame, he can say, 'Son, here is a man who once caught 106 passes in a season when no one was catching 100 passes. Here was a man who caught a pass in 183 straight games. And not once did he ever pull a cell phone out to make a call after any of those catches.'"

The HOF voters need to pull their heads out of their asses, and do the right thing. So what if 2 out of the “Dallas Triplets” are now in the HOF (Aikman, Irvin)? People forget about the ORIGINAL Triplets in Washington – Monk, Gary Clark, and Ricky Sanders (none of whom are in the HOF).

They were the beginning. They were the real deal. They were doing their thing long before Troy Aikman ever stepped foot on a UCLA football field. When Aikman accepted a scholarship to play for Barry Switzer at OU in 1984, Monk was catching 106 passes in his fifth season in the NFL. NO ONE was catching over 100 passes in a season back then.

Quit placating the Dallas Cowboys. Quit stroking Michael’s over-extended ego.

Give credit where credit is f**king due.

"ELECT ART MONK!"

I’m not usually this deep, just deep in it. Trust me.

--John V. Wood