Mel Kiper on Monk

But Martin will benifit from playing more of his career in the internet/fantasy football/NFL Network era. More people probably know about martin and his accomplishments and that's why he's getting the pub now. Plus, he's just now retiring, so that helps.
Just a thought.


Someone fill me in, What did Martin ever accomplish? Getting to the Super Bowl? Winning a few divisions and a rushing title? Big Deal. Under that criteria if Alexander retired tomorrow he would be in.

Hell, vote in Eddie George.

Obviously, stats don't get you in. Compare Monk to Swann, Stallworth etc. Monk had great stats when he retired.

Kiper is right. The voters are idiots and basically choose on a whim.

Kiper is right. The voters are idiots and basically choose on a whim.
Does anyone have a link to the transcript or a podcast of Kiper's rant?

Someone fill me in, What did Martin ever accomplish? Getting to the Super Bowl? Winning a few divisions and a rushing title? Big Deal. Under that criteria if Alexander retired tomorrow he would be in.

Hell, vote in Eddie George.

Obviously, stats don't get you in. Compare Monk to Swann, Stallworth etc. Monk had great stats when he retired.

Kiper is right. The voters are idiots and basically choose on a whim.

So, Barry Sanders doesn't deserve to be in the Hall?

Winning the SB is not (nor should it be) a prerequisite for getting into the Hall.

Someone fill me in, What did Martin ever accomplish? Getting to the Super Bowl? Winning a few divisions and a rushing title? Big Deal. Under that criteria if Alexander retired tomorrow he would be in.

Hell, vote in Eddie George.

Obviously, stats don't get you in. Compare Monk to Swann, Stallworth etc. Monk had great stats when he retired.

Kiper is right. The voters are idiots and basically choose on a whim.

I believe C-Mart is 4th on the ALL-TIME rushing list ... how can you say he didn't accomplish anything? That means there are only 3 other people to EVER rush for more yards than him -- that is a big deal, my friend.

However, you're right: the hall doesn't care much for stats ... it's a popularity contest.

i read an article somewhere that most HoFs for sports blow. i think they were bitching about joe dumars being in the hall. i sort of agree. too many people get in it seems.

i guess it's not so bad for the NFL but still...
i read the same article, and some of the beef was dumars getting in because he is an extremely nice guy, even to the press. and maybe his career numbers don't add up to being hall worthy

Monk gets the shaft on many levels. He played in a day where catching 100 balls in a season was unheard of... and he was the first to do it! With how pass happy the NFL has become, it's only made his accomplishments seem that much more insignificant which is sad.

It should be interesting to see what happens with Martin. I'm really not sure that he's a lock. There are a lot of people out there that differ on Martin and even Bettis.

If I had a vote, I'd put Martin in. To me his numbers tell the story.

#4 on the rushing list
14,101 yards
90 TDs
10 straight 1000 yard seasons
5 seasons of 1300 or better
4.0 avg
4 seasons of double digit TDs

He was consistently one of the better backs in this league for a long time.

This is so true, but the problem Monk is having is that the voters are lumping him in with the pass happy era when in reality the bulk of his carreer came just before it.

So, Barry Sanders doesn't deserve to be in the Hall?

Winning the SB is not (nor should it be) a prerequisite for getting into the Hall.


When did I say that Barry Sanders shouldn't be in the hall? He is probably the best pure runner of all time. He would have run for 25,000 yards if he wanted to.

Martin was on a lot of bad teams and it would be a travesty if he gets in before Monk.

When did I say that Barry Sanders shouldn't be in the hall?
First of all, it's clear that Sanders deserves to be in the Hall, and I don't really think you would suggest otherwise, but, judging Sanders by the criteria you laid out for Martin would keep Sanders out of the Hall, too. Sanders never even got to the Super Bowl. The Lions won their division maybe once (I don't recall, but it can't be more than once). He was always in the top 5 rushing, so, I will grant you, that is a difference.

Martin was on a lot of bad teams and it would be a travesty if he gets in before Monk.

I agree, because they should both be first ballot HoF'ers.

But you have to concede that Sanders pretty much only played on bad teams - the Lions always sucked (save a lone 12-4 season). So, why should Martin have a different standard?

First of all, it's clear that Sanders deserves to be in the Hall, and I don't really think you would suggest otherwise, but, judging Sanders by the criteria you laid out for Martin would keep Sanders out of the Hall, too. Sanders never even got to the Super Bowl. The Lions won their division maybe once (I don't recall, but it can't be more than once). He was always in the top 5 rushing, so, I will grant you, that is a difference.



I agree, because they should both be first ballot HoF'ers.

But you have to concede that Sanders pretty much only played on bad teams - the Lions always sucked (save a lone 12-4 season). So, why should Martin have a different standard?

I tend to trust my eyes more than stats. Martin was very fortunate to be able to play effectively for a long time. Martin was probably the 2nd or 3rd best player on his team many of his years with the Patriots and Jets.

Barry Sanders was the best player on the field in probably 95% (if not higher) of every game he ever played in.

Martin isn't on the same map as Barry Sanders.

I could probably list 4 or 5 backs that were more talented than Martin every year that he played so I don't think that he deserves the Hall. Hell, his rushing title was pure luck Holmgren could have easily let Alexander have it that year.

4th all time is nothing to sneeze at but I think that if he gets in before Art Monk, it is proof that the HOF is only a beauty contest.

Barry Sanders was the best player on the field in probably 95% (if not higher) of every game he ever played in.
No argument there.

Martin isn't on the same map as Barry Sanders.
Nor there.

I could probably list 4 or 5 backs that were more talented than Martin every year that he played so I don't think that he deserves the Hall.
I take issue with this, although, even if it were true, maintaining top 5 status for 11 years is pretty much impossible these days. Martin did it, but who else stayed at the top of the league for so long? I know a lot of people probably disagree with this, and would argue that longevity doesn't mean Hall-worthy. However, Martin had longevity and very good numbers - that does it for me.

Hell, his rushing title was pure luck Holmgren could have easily let Alexander have it that year.
Again, I agree.

4th all time is nothing to sneeze at but I think that if he gets in before Art Monk, it is proof that the HOF is only a beauty contest.
No question, but I think they are both first ballot HoF'ers. They've already missed their chance to do right by Monk - I don't think it corrects anything to wait 5 years to let Martin in.