11/05/24
January 05, 2007
Ready for a shocker?: In a stunning development that nobody saw coming, San Diego's Ladainian Tomlinson runs away with the NFL MVP, receiving 44 of 50 votes. Also, Miami's Jason Taylor takes home the Defensive Player of the Year Award, and Chad Pennington of the New York Jets is your Comeback Player of the Year. Congrats!
posted by The_Black_Hand to football at 07:58 AM - 34 comments
Not that they didn't think that L.T. didn't deserve it (which just about everyone believes he did), it's just that with a Quarterback like Drew Brees who came back from surgery and to also be starting over with a new team (which had a devastating tragedy with Hurricane Katrina) in New Orleans, and to have the type of season the they're having is still awe-inspiring. Got to give him some credit for their transformation into one of the elite teams.
posted by BornIcon at 08:31 AM on January 05, 2007
Chad Pennington of the New York Jets is your Comeback Player of the Year. Dear bperk and chicobangs, PPPPBBBBBBBBT!
posted by MrFrisby at 08:40 AM on January 05, 2007
...a Quarterback like Drew Brees who came back ... I believe that Tomlinson, in a class manner, gave Breese recognition for his accomplishments this season. I only half-heard the comment while driving to work, but I think I heard Tomlinson say that Breese should have been the MVP. I can't see any arguments with the selections, although Jason Taylor is a mild surprise to me. There are a number of excellent defensive players who have had good seasons (no, not the salad dressing) who could have been selected. Of course, I know you were being a bit facetious with your title, TBH.
posted by Howard_T at 08:43 AM on January 05, 2007
I agree with BornIcon. LT is hands down the NFL player of the year. But the MVP should be exactly what it says... the most valuable player. The Chargers are still a playoff caliber team without the monster season that LT had. However, without the leadership and excellent play that the Saints got out of Brees this season, the Saints would not be in the position that they are now, in the playoffs with a first round bye.
posted by NightingalesGone at 08:54 AM on January 05, 2007
Dear bperk and chicobangs, PPPPBBBBBBBBT! Are you trying to jinx him?
posted by bperk at 09:28 AM on January 05, 2007
What's there to jinx?
posted by yerfatma at 09:45 AM on January 05, 2007
Oh crap. What the heck was I thinking? If it pleases the court, I would like my last statement stricken from the record.
posted by MrFrisby at 09:57 AM on January 05, 2007
What amazes me is the no one even mention others like St. Louis's Steve Jackson Who had more total yards from scrimmage than L.T. and played fro a whole lot worse team
posted by skeet0311 at 10:23 AM on January 05, 2007
Well, in all fairness to Steven Jackson (who is a tad overlooked - but really, MVP?), LT did manage to break Horung's seemingly unassailable scoring record for a Super Bowl contending team with a QB playing in his first year. I mean, you add it up and it's hard to see him not winning this. I echo the senitments of others in regards to Brees, though. A phenomenal year that only had the misfortune to occur the same year LT decided to join the ranks of the all-time greats. For what it's worth, I wish the voting was a little closer - but I wouldn't necessarily want to change the outcome. LT is the best football player on the planet. That deserves this kind of recognition.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 10:37 AM on January 05, 2007
Take LT out of the lineup and Rivers struggles. If Rivers struggles three or four wins turn into losses for the San Diego Martyballers. LT is the lynchpin. But, Brees' season was a head turner. If the Chiefs don't advance then the game I'd most love to see would be the Chargers-Saints. I'm not sure who I would pull for in that case. But Chargers against anyone else, I'm pulling for Marty.
posted by ChiefsSuperFan at 11:03 AM on January 05, 2007
"What amazes me is the no one even mention others like St. Louis's Steve Jackson..." That's because he hasn't really done anything worth mentioning. Don't get me wrong, Steven Jackson had a decent enough of a season (1528 yards - 13 TD's - 90 Receptions - 806 yards - 3 TD's) and when you compare him with L.T. (1528 yards - 28 Rushing TD's - 56 Receptions - 508 yards - 3 TD's), #39 for the Rams compares ever so slightly. Did I forget to mention that L.T. also was 2-3 as a Quarterback this season and with both completions going for touchdowns? My bad. The only real difference is that L.T. also broke a few records along the way and his team has had a magnificent season with 13 wins. Steven Jackson is a fine RB and will be a force to reckon with in the years to come but this is L.T's year and no one should try to diminish that. "LT is the best football player on the planet" It's hard to argue that considering he just won this year's MVP but "best football player on the planet", I don't know about that. Like Dennis Green once said, "If you wanna crown (him) then crown (him) already, DAMMIT!!" I would say that as of right now, he's THE best RB out there at the moment and a quality human being at that.
posted by BornIcon at 11:08 AM on January 05, 2007
As a Saints fan since the franchise was begun, I'm in agreement that Drew deserved a few more votes, but the best thing now would be to see him voted Super Bowl MVP. There's an old joke in Saintsville about an old Cajun dying and going to Hell. One day, the Devil sees him actually enjoying himself, so he turns up the heat, only to find the Cajun enjoying himself more. So the Devil freezes him out, only to find the old Cajun jumping up and down, laughing up a storm. The Devil asks him why, and the old Cajun hugs the devil and says "The Saints just won the Super Bowl!"
posted by drtherc at 11:32 AM on January 05, 2007
MrFrisby, not only am I beyond thrilled to be wrong, I doubt you could have found anyone who would have guessed that Chad would have managed to stay uninjured for all 16 games. Two other predictions of mine may yet come true, though. I picked the Bears to go all the way (not that I'm pulling all that hard for them at this point, but still) and the one about the Cowboys losing in the first round (I had them going down to the Eagles, which was close). And LaDanian Tomlinson is the best football player on the planet. He's doing Walter Payton & Jim Brown level stuff right now. I like Drew Brees -- he deserved the love he got, and anyone who isn't pulling for the Saints to at least go deep in the playoffs is a heartless sonofabitch -- but LT deserves the hype. Fair play to him.
posted by chicobangs at 12:13 PM on January 05, 2007
L.T. also broke a few records along the way and his team has had a magnificent season with 13 wins. *cough* 14 *cough*
posted by LionIndex at 12:59 PM on January 05, 2007
and anyone who isn't pulling for the Saints to at least go deep in the playoffs is a heartless sonofabitch Suppose my favorite team is playing them in the second round. I'm a sonofabitch for not rooting against my favorite team? Don't get me wrong, I think it's an amazing turnaround for the NO franchise and we all know the city needed something to cheer about after last year, but I don't feel the need to root for them simply because there was a hurricane there last year. Having said that, I certainly hope my team does not have to face them because they are a good team and are playing about as well as anyone in the NFC, except maybe Philly. It won't surprise me at all to see them go deep in the playoffs, but I don't feel obligated to cheer them on in any way. I don't let natural disasters dictate which teams I root for or against. I may be a heartless sonofabitch but it's for different reasons than this. Getting back to the post, I think the awards were right on the money this year. You can always make an arguement for other players, but I think you'd be hard pressed to make any substansial arguements against the individuals who won awards this year. All seem to me to be very deserving.
posted by ampto11 at 02:40 PM on January 05, 2007
(1528 yards - 13 TD's - 90 Receptions - 806 yards - 3 TD's) That only qualifies as a "decent"season? Wow.
posted by brainofdtrain at 03:17 PM on January 05, 2007
I find it odd that people use total touchdowns as a measuring tool for running backs. I'm not suggesting that it isn't important that your running back can score touchdowns, but if you've got a running back/fullback who does nothing but plunge/bullrush in from the 2 yard line, that doesn't make him a great running back, regardless of how many of them he scores in a season. I'm not saying that L.T.'s record is meaningless, or that all of his touchdowns were of that fashion (or even a large percentage), but I'm going to put more weight in total rushing yards, attempts, yards/attempt, and average touchdown rushing distance than in the total number of rushing touchdowns. (In general, great running backs have good touchdown numbers AND the other numbers too, so it doesn't really matter. It's just that the situation could arise where a "super-Bettis"-type back could be used for nothing but the final 5 yards, and he could rack up a huge number of touchdowns without much else to contribute to the offense.) If the quarterback and the receivers march 80 yards down the field to the opposing team's 3 yard line, and the running back then grinds out the last 3 yards to get the touchdown, who did all the work and who gets the glory? (I think this is in the same vein as "closers" and "saves", or "pitchers" and "wins" in baseball. Some counting stats are interesting but too much prestige is being assigned to them.)
posted by grum@work at 04:01 PM on January 05, 2007
How come Eli Manning got no consideration? He got the giants into the playoffs for gods sakes!!
posted by antwan at 04:10 PM on January 05, 2007
Grum, good point. I think Marion Barber III is an example this year. He leads the NFC in rushing touchdowns and is second in the league to Tomlinson. But he is not, and I'm a Cowboys fan, he is not one of the top 10 backs in the league. Probably not top 15 or 20, in my opinion.
posted by ampto11 at 04:20 PM on January 05, 2007
I would have picked Brees for comeback player over anybody else after what he accomplished. He and Rivers are good friends, talk to each other frequently, both classy guys. I hated to see Brees get dumped by SD but have been more than a little bit pleased with Rivers and the whole team. Have been a charter Charger since when they left LA and seen a lot of good and great players, but LT is the best. I hope it's our year and there's still a lot of football to be played....by the entire team.
posted by jazzdog at 04:49 PM on January 05, 2007
I also think Grum made a good point. I like Tomlinson and think he's a great back, but there came a point early in the season where everyone started talking about Martyball and how it would lead to the Chargers demise. At the same time, people were saying Tomlinson's backup, Michael Turner, could start on many teams in the league. There was at least two times in those first four games Turner got the team down the field and Tomlinson came in and took the touchdown (I know this from owning Turner in a couple of fantasy leagues.) And in week 6, against, the 49ers, Tomlinson stayed on the field in the entire game of a blowout win. He had four touchdowns. Maybe Marty was tired of all the talk, I don't know. Turner had 31 carries in those first four games. In the next seven he only had 16 (he was injured in week 12.) My point is, lots of those touchdowns were gimmees to help Tomlinson get close to and eventually break the record. That's fine. Got no problem with it. But I think if you knock off about eight or 9 of those touchdowns, the votes are a lot closer between Brees and Tomlinson. Or at least they should be.
posted by forrestv at 04:52 PM on January 05, 2007
Brees was in at the end of blow outs as well. What does that show? Tomlinson is amazing to watch. If you erased the records and only watched the players play, he would still win MVP.
posted by bperk at 04:56 PM on January 05, 2007
Well, apparently it doesn't show anything. All I'm saying is, I know sportwriters, have worked with them, and for a short time was one myself. We got excited over highlights and the final stat line. Doesn't matter if those stats came in crunch-time. A highlight is a highlight and that's what most of these voters saw and drooled over. I can't say I saw many Saints games as I did Chargers games, but it seemed like almost on a weekly basis Brees was making a different receiver look like a Pro Bowler. If the Saints lost him, they wouldn't be where they are. If the Chargers lost Tomlinson, there were still plenty of other weapons.
posted by forrestv at 05:32 PM on January 05, 2007
I think people are putting a little too much stake in Phillip Rivers skills. While he has put up Pro Bowl numbers this year, a large part of his success is because of LT. Without LT the Chargers would have been a very different team, especially with a first year starter at the helm. With LT around Rivers had somebody to lean on, and that only made him more effective.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 06:15 PM on January 05, 2007
Without LT the Chargers have an awesome defense and an average offense with a new quarterback still learning his trade. LT made that easier for him. I love Drew & thought that SD should have kept him but it looks like it worked out for the Chargers & the Saints. LT is in a class by himself and is the MVP. Pennington had a good year, Drew had agreat year! Drew should have been comeback player of the year. Go Chargers!
posted by steelerchooks at 07:22 PM on January 05, 2007
Jason Taylor wins the Defensive Player of the Year award over Shawne “Tainted Suppliment” Merriman. Taylor gets 22 votes in the lead while third place Merriman only six votes. Message?
posted by Newbie Walker at 12:15 AM on January 06, 2007
Unless the message was that the best Defensive Player in the game should win the Best Defensive Player Award, no, no message.
posted by chicobangs at 12:45 AM on January 06, 2007
and anyone who isn't pulling for the Saints to at least go deep in the playoffs is a heartless sonofabitch If that were the case, I hope you also called me a heartless sonofabitch for not cheering for any New York teams in 2001 or ever.
posted by jmd82 at 11:25 AM on January 06, 2007
Drew Brees threw for over 3,500 yards (9th in the league) and 24 touchdowns (4th) in '05. Where did he "come back" from? The best thing about football, especially pro football, is you're only as good as the other 10 guys on the field and the scheme the coaches put you in. So the individual awards aren't quite as obvious as the other sports. Tangent: I always wonder about highly drafted players who fizzle out, or some mid-level players that just don't make it, and wonder what might have happened if they ended up on a different team with some talent around them (read: not Detroit) or a scheme that benefits them. Add in injuries and the NFL more than any other sport is such a crap-shoot to have a successful career.
posted by SummersEve at 11:34 AM on January 06, 2007
Sometimes i wonder y i get on here
posted by chad at 10:50 PM on January 06, 2007
o yea to see people argue about things they agree on.
posted by chad at 10:52 PM on January 06, 2007
Well, it obviously isn't to improve your spelling or grammar.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 09:25 AM on January 07, 2007
Given Merriman's performance in his halftime interview just now (Pats/ Jets), I'm glad he lost. Amazing that James Brown would talk about his "amazing athleticism", given it's apparently chemically enhanced.
posted by yerfatma at 01:53 PM on January 07, 2007
The real shocker here? That there are six people who thought LT wasn't the MVP.