Hall of Shame

By John McMullen  |   Monday, August 04, 2008  |  Comments( 10 )

Minnesota Vikings
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It's pretty obvious that players like Cris Carter and Derrick Thomas are far more worthy of a spot in Canton than, say, Art Monk and Andre Tippett.

That's why I couldn't care less about the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

It's not about who deserves to go in; rather, it's all about egos and good old-fashioned reverence among the Hall's 44-person board of selectors.

No city in pro football proves that more than Minneapolis.

Let's look at Carter and Monk.

Monk, an all-time Redskins great, finished his career with 940 receptions for 12,721 yards and 68 touchdowns. Carter, meanwhile, had 1,101 catches for 13,899 yards and 130 TDs. No, Carter didn't collect any Super Bowl rings -- the only argument Redskins supporters can cling too -- but he found the end zone 62 more times than Monk.

So why is Monk in the Hall now and Carter isn't?

Well, you have to understand the selection process first. The board making these decisions consists of one media representative from each pro football city, including two from New York. A 33rd member is a representative of the Pro Football Writers of America (an organization I belong to) and there are 11 at-large delegates.

The selectors then meet with the media representatives introducing and making the case for players from the team they cover. For the Redskins that means David Elfin, the great Washington Times writer and the former PFWA President. For Minneapolis and people like Carter and Randall McDaniel, it means their fate is in the hands of Sid Hartman.

Elfin commands respect, while Hartman doesn't.

Apologists for the other 42 voters talk about "taking care" of previously forgotten guys like Monk, Tippett, Fred Dean and Gary Zimmerman before the coming crush of big-name Hall-eligible players arrives.

But here's the bottom line: Monk wasn't elected to the Hall of Fame until this year because Elfin didn't put his stamp of approval on him until now. It's not the player who is up for enshrinement; instead, it's the media representative's reputation. If Elfin was touting Carter and Hartman was championing Monk, the results would be reversed.

Don't think so? Let's look at McDaniel and Zimmerman. They actually played next to each other in Minnesota for five years (1988 to 1992.) In those five seasons, McDaniel was an All-Pro for four years and made four Pro Bowls. The only year missing from his resume was '88, his rookie season. Zimmerman-- a worthy Hall of Famer, by the way -- made two Pro Bowls and was named All-Pro once.

McDaniel went on to start 12 consecutive Pro Bowls in his career -- an NFL record -- and is one of the top two or three guards ever to play the game. The two players remain great friends to this day and Zimmerman would be the first to admit McDaniel was the better player.

So why did Zimmerman get the call before McDaniel? Simply put, Jeff Legwold of the Rocky Mountain News is well-liked. Hartman is not.

The 87-year-old Hartman had been Minnesota's media representative in the Hall selection process forever and his lack of respect among the other voters has been evident for a long time. Fran Tarkenton retired after the 1978 season as the NFL's all-time leader in completions, passing yardage and touchdowns. He guided the Vikings to three Super Bowl appearances but had to wait three years before being enshrined.

Dan Marino, who ended his career with the same records and just one Super Bowl berth, was a slam-dunk, first-year selection.

Legendary players like Carl Eller, Ron Yary and Paul Krause, the all-time interception leader, had to wait over a decade for induction. Jim Marshall, the Lou Gehrig of the NFL, and Mick Tinglehoff, one of the game's great centers, are still not in.

Their absences and the snubs of Carter and McDaniel not only expose the disrespect for Hartman, they also magnify just how little the rest of the voters know about the league they cover as a whole.

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About John McMullen

John is the managing editor of The Phanatic Magazine, the assistant managing editor of The Sports Network and the co-host of the highly rated 'Johns on Sports' radio show on WTBQ in New York. Every Saturday from 6:30-9 p.m. (et) you can hear John along with his co-host, John Gottlieb, talk to the ...
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CommentsComments: 10  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
05:36 AM
08/05/2008
Actually the reason Monk is in and Carter isn't is because Carter didn't lead the NFL in any major catagories. Monk retired as ...
No.2
zippy916		07:47 AM
08/05/2008
I am a Viking fan, and do think Carter should be in the HOF...But Monk should too. He was the all time leader @ a time when ...
No.3
jacotaco3		09:48 AM
08/05/2008
Monk waited all this time he deserves to go in hes a class act and should have more guys like him in there rather that popular ...
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