Manster68-
i have no problem with irvin gettin into the hall. in defense of monk, a few points-
Irvin was a truly great receiver who had his career shortened, was not afraid to go over the middle, and made key downfield blocks for Emmitt (who was given the ball much more than Michael).
monk was also known as a great blocker.
In big games, the name Art Monk was not heard from much.
thats not true. if we look at post season games as 'big games', in 15 career postseason games monk averaged almost 5 catches a game for over 70 yards a game and 7 TD's. irvins numbers are similar- in 16 post season games, almost 6 catches per game for 82 yards and 8 total TD's.
Art got his numbers due to longevity. Irvin was on pace to surpass Monks numbers had he been able to play 16 years.
if we're looking at monks numbers being inflated due to longevity, it's fair to look at the 9th, 10th and 11th years for both players, as these were irvins last 3 complete years. monk caught 226 passes- 75 per year and 18 TD's. in 5 fewer games, irvin caught 213- 71 per year for 12 total TD's.
again, very similar numbers with monk having an edge in TD's even by compensating for irvins 5 fewer games.
monk followed his 11th year with 71 receptions for over 1,000 yards and 8 TD's with an average of 14.8 yards a catch in his 12th season. again, these numbers are comparable to irvins. monks 8 TD's stand out by comparison.
it's also fair to point out that aikman was a better QB than theismann/schroeder/williams/rypien. monk set records with lesser QB's.
3 notable records for monk-
monk retired with more catches than any other WR to ever play the game.
monk set a record for receptions in a season (which has nothing to do with longevity- a sticking point for HOF voters and critics).
monk set a record for most games with at least one reception.
both players should be in. how you say no to the guy who has more catches than any other WR currently in the hall is mind boggling.
......Pearson made some big plays in his day as well.
