Not a huge "Z" fan, for a couple of reasons.
As you can see
here, Dr. Z is on the Hall of Fame voting committee, as the offcial representative of the New York Jets. (Each team has a representative from its media market, presumably to act as a water-bearer for the local teams' interests.) While he covered football for the New York Post (and other NY publications) before joining Sports Illustrated, he joined SI in 1979. That's 27 years since he was a Jets beat reporter, or a columnist that focused on the Jets (or even the New York Sports scene). I suppose there isn't enough of a media presence in New York to find someone more appropriate.
He's also been the source of some of the most outrageous anti-Art Monk quotes
ever.
Quote:
SI.COM: How about Art Monk?
Dr. Z: Monk was hurt by Michael Irvin being eligible this year. It's done alphabetically, and Irvin was presented before Monk. I think that really hurt him.
|
Quote:
|
You DON'T get into the Hall of Fame catching 800 eight-yard hooks.
|
Quote:
|
Art Monk is another four-timer. A great possession receiver. Caught a lot of balls in Joe Gibbs' system. Every time I mention that I didn't vote for him because I simply felt that other people were more deserving than a guy who caught 900 eight-yard hooks, I wake up all the Washington diehards, who start screaming about my anti-Redskins bias. Start stirring, you folk out there. It will happen again.
|
Quote:
|
Catching 800 eight-yard hooks does not make a Hall of Famer, which is the same reply I’ve given your two or three other correspondences … you remember, the ones you wrote on toilet paper in crayon.
|
The Art Monk Hall of Fame Website lists nearly every mention from Zimmerman of Monk, both when he was playing and not. Of note would be this review of the 1991 NFC Championship game (emphasis mine):
Quote:
|
The Washington offense was typical Joe Gibbs: Set ‘em up with one thing, hit ‘em with another. He’ll use the thunder of the heavy running game behind two or three tight ends, then the deep strike from quarterback Mark Rypien — 45 yards to Gary Clark, 31 to Art Monk, a 21-yard TD to Monk, 45 yards to Terry Orr. That last one left the fans smiling.
|