My sincerest apologies for not blogging this sooner.
Anyway, Saturday the newest members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame were announced. And it's an awesome class.
Two Redskins, Art Monk and Darrell Green, seem to be the headliners. It's a little odd that Monk's election took so long. After all, he'd retired as the NFL's all-time leader in receptions. Now I don't much remember Monk, other than for being on a Redskins team that beat the Broncos in the Super Bowl, so I don't really mind that he had to wait. But while the quality and type of his catches certainly deserve consideration, I just don't see how you can be the all-time record holder in a category like that and not be a shoo-in.
Green, who played in the league from 1983 to 2002, I remember a little better. (I was going to put like 1960 down for his first year, but I figured '83-'02 looks like it's a joke already.) Super-fast, played forever on a signature franchise, won some Super Bowls, and made an All-Decade Team...it's no surprise he got in.
Fred Dean and Emmitt Thomas? Your guess is as good as mine.
Andre Tippett played for the Patriots, and I liked him as a kid, probably because I had his football card. (Never mind that I had just about everyone's in those days.)
My favorite selection, though, was former Vikings and Broncos left tackle Gary Zimmerman.
I don't remember the Broncos acquiring Zimmerman, but I do remember how excited I was the first time I saw his name on our roster. Here's a guy who'd already made the 1980s All-Decade Team, and though I'd probably never really watched him play, I certainly knew his reputation, which is saying a lot for an offensive lineman.
Zimmerman, of course, went on to be a critical member of Denver's line during their first Super Bowl-winning season. Of course, that whole line was ridiculous. From left to right: Zimmerman, Mark Schlereth, Tom Nalen, Brian Habib, Tony Jones. I can't seem to find confirmation of this anywhere, but I'm pretty sure I remember that line being named AFC Offensive Player of the Week after Denver's 42-17 drubbing of Jacksonville in the playoffs. And they deserved it: the line cleared the way for two hundred-yard rushers that day.
I don't honestly know how Zimmerman measures up against other great tackles of his era, such as the Bengals' Anthony Muñoz, except that Dr. Z once scoffed at the notion (I believe when it came up in Hall of Fame voting) that Zim was Muñoz's equal. But I do remember how much we missed him when he retired. Jones took his place on the left side (Jones' versatility at both tackle spots makes him the unsung hero of those teams), and Harry Swayne took over for Jones on the right. I don't mean to knock Swayne at all, but Zimmerman was a quarterback's best friend, and he ended up making the All-Decade Team for the 1990s, too.
Congratulations to Zimmerman on his selection.
Comments
The Art Monk thing is strange to me, too. People here in DC have been clamoring for his induction forever, and rightfully so. He kind of reminds me of Rod Smith both in play and demeanor - an unflashy guy who goes over the middle and gets it done. I think Smith will be overlooked as well, although the argument for him getting in is less strong than it was for Monk.
And speaking of Broncos players being overlooked, it is hard to believe that as good as we were in the Elway era, only two Broncos have made it in . . .
check out this mildly uncomfortable quote from the former mrs. elway. I un-earthed it from the "cool links to check out" on the 10th anniversary post:
Still, Janet was concerned enough about John's preparation that she kept her distance in the days leading up to the game. Alas, sex before competition is not the Elway way. "Not in our family, it's not," Janet said. "But if he wins, I'm sure he'll deserve any favor he wants." That may help explain the huge smile that was plastered on John's face as he hoisted the Lombardi trophy over his head on the victory podium.
I don't think Rod Smith will really sniff the Hall of Fame, despite being such a great receiver for so many years. The knock on Monk is that he wasn't much of a deep threat. Smith, on the other hand, most certainly was. And he was a great blocker. Such a great team guy. He did probably drop too many passes, but I feel like his greatness is too often overlooked, especially considering how popular his mate Easy Ed was.