In July 2007, I trekked to Cooperstown to watch as Cal Ripken was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. As a lifelong Orioles fan, I felt proud to see an overwhelmingly pro-Ripken crowd—a supportive sea of Black and Orange and 8s. Tony Gwynn was also inducted during that ceremony. Ripken and Gwynn were class acts, and folks in the crowd speculated about when or if we would ever again see such an untainted, upstanding, classy duo go into the Hall of Fame.
Fast forward to Saturday, August 2, the day history repeated itself. This time, however, it was a sea of Burgundy and Gold and 81s and 28s and Hog Noses and, of course, Chief Zee. This time, the stage was in Canton, and the untainted, upstanding, classy duo was Redskins Darrell Green and Art Monk.
Green, the speedster cornerback who played more the 20 years with the Redskins, punctuated his speech by saying that he belonged in Canton and that he deserved to be here because, as a Christian man, an upstanding man, a faithful man, a man, he knew what to do with the fame, fortune, talent and voice he was given. In other words, he knows that with all that he has been given, he never took it for granted, using his talents for good. (Between the lines, this appears to be a shot at many of the oft-spoiled, disrespectful, superstar players who get into trouble and blow a great opportunity to do something positive with their time in the spotlight.)
Greeted by a four-plus minute standing ovation and cheers of “It’s About Time, It’s About Time,” Art Monk was the last enshrinee to take the stage. Monk, a record-breaking wide receiver with the Redskins, expressed his appreciation for being inducted, but he made it very clear that he was complete before this honor was bestowed upon him. Over the years, he said, fans would come up to him and tell him that he belonged in Canton, and that he was always appreciative of the support he received from the Washington community. However, he let it be known that he was already complete because of his faith, his community work, and the way he lived his life. The Hall of Fame was the cherry on top.
Cooperstown and Canton.
Gwynn and Ripken.
Green and Monk.
Upstanding and Classy.
