My definition of Most Valuable Player may differ from yours. I do not believe an MVP can come from a losing or worse yet, last place Team. For Exhibit A I give you Andre Dawson. In 1987 he won the NL MVP while playing for the last place Cubs. Wrong sport, but who cares, you get my point!
No, an MVP is someone who is on a winning team and whose team would NOT be winning if he were not present. Period.
This is why you will not see a name like Priest Holmes bandied about. The Chiefs would still be where they are if Father Holmes wasn't there. This is not a slight against the Padre, just to say that the Chiefs with or without him are the same Team.
But there are some truly worthwhile MVP candidates. Brett Favre. Donovan McNabb. Drew Bledsoe. These are all examples of players who have, on times, carried their Teams to victories.
One player however, has played to the level of the aforementioned stars and then some. And that player is Ricky Williams. The oft-maligned RB is often times called on to carry the Fish on his broad shoulders. So far so good. He is averaging over a hundred yards on the ground per game and has scored 7 TD's. When Jay Fielder and now Ray Lucas are your starting QB's, you damn well better make sure you have a solid ground game. Kudos to Wannstedt et al for going out and getting the franchise back this organization desperately needed.
LVP
Then we come to the opposite end of the spectrum, the Least Valuable Player. The player, who despite having a world of talent, simply doesn't get it. That he is blessed with a God-given ability and chooses to do nothing with it. Professional Sports is literally loaded with players who meet the above criteria.
But we're talking Professional Football and this year to be exact. Again there are some worthy candidates for this not so prestigious award. Kurt Warner rings a bell. Yes he was hurt. But what exactly did he do in the off-season, besides make commercials and buy his wife more sweaters. I'll tell you one thing he didn't do and that was have his thumb attended to. Don't tell me anything about rest. He could've done more and he didn't. Case closed.
But the only true winner of this award can only be one player. Yes, the meter-maids love him and so should you, I give you Randy Moss. Look up the word punk in the dictionary and right after the picture of KeShawn Johnson and Terrell Owens, you will see a pitcure of Randy Moss.
Biggest Surprise - Team
Most responses to this question are in the positive light. San Diego Chargers. A great story. Arizona Cardinals. Atlanta Falcons. Ditto. But to me, the biggest surprise Team has got to be the St. Louis Rams.
We all read the Pre-Season forecasts. Did you see anything even remotely resembling the Rams a) not making the Playoffs or b) not going to the Super Bowl? I sure didn't. A Team that has Marshall Faulk and is 2-5? Take it Spock: Illogical.
Biggest Surprise - Player
Now this selection will actually surprise a lot of people, no pun intended. But how many of us out there thought Drew Bledsoe would rebound the way he has? Well, I did actually. But to many, he is the biggest surprise player to date. What he has done is nothing short of phenomenal. He has taken a team that has no business being in the thick of a divisional race and has them actually challenging for the division lead itself! And how bad does the Bills front office look now? They've had players like Eric Moulds and Peerless Price and tried to make it work with the likes of Doug Flutie and worse, Rob Johnson!
Biggest Bust - Team
Okay so the Rams should technically appear as the Biggest Bust for a team, but there are a few Teams that, while not as surprising as the Rams, are on par with them as far as being a Bust.
Coming off a 13 win season, the Chicago Bears were supposed to take the next step. They took a step alright, in the wrong direction! And the New York J-E-T-S were too coming off a very successful season and appeared to be primed for a run to the Big Dance as well.
These Teams may be going to the Dance alright. As chaperones.
Biggest Bust - Player (on a New Team)
When I read that Johnnie Morton was going to the Chiefs, I immediately wanted him for my Fantasy Team this upcoming season. After all I had him the last 4 out of 5 years and while not a top notch receiver, he was a more than adequete #2 receiver on any Fantasy roster. Good for 7-9 TD's a year. And that was in Detroit! The man has sixteen catches to date! Sixteen! That noted wideout Tony Richardson has eleven for crying out loud!
Lucky for me someone "beat" me to him on Draft day. What a shame!
Biggest Bust - Player (on the Same Team)
Can KeShawn Johnson be considered a Bust? I mean isn't part of being a Bust imply that you were once actually pretty good and now you stink? I'd like to rename this award to Biggest Fraud - Player (on the same Team) cause Mr. Johnson, you a F-R-A-U-D.
Best Coaching Job
Some tremendous coaching jobs being done week and week out in the National Football League this year. Dave Wannstedt. Mike Shanhan. Andy Reid. Jim Haslett.
But without question the best is Marty Schottenheimer. He has taken a team that always seemed to be oh-so-close to loving up the NFL food chain but just couldn't quite get over the hump. One city's demise is another's good fortune. On behalf of the Bolts fans, thank you to Daniel Snyder for being the fool that you are.
Worst Coaching Job
Boy does Mike Martz look like the poster boy for worst coach of the year? Well, yes as a matter of fact he does. But I would also like to submit his counterpart in the Big Show just a few short years ago. Jeff Fisher has taken a team that was nasty, tough and hard-nosed and turned them into an XFL Team.
Won't Make the Playoffs (despite a promising start)
You have to give Bill Callahan credit. No one gave him any chance of actually succeeding Chucky now did we? Well he has done an admirable job in staying the course. The Offense has been very impressive while the Defense... the Oakland Raiders will not make the Playoffs in the ultra competitive AFC.
Will Make the Playoffs (despite a not-so-promising start)
The "jaw" -- it's all you need to hear and you know exactly whom I am referring to. Yes, the Pittsburgh Steelers have looked downright abysmal at times this season. But that was when #10 was back in the pocket. Now that #8 is there, this team is primed and poised to make their now all too familiar playoff dash.
Offensive Rookie of the Year
This one is a no-brainer. Clinton Portis has assumed the role vacated by Terrell Davis and the Broncos haven't missed a beat. Okay so he likes to put the ball on the shag sometimes. Hey, we can live with it if he comes running the way he has for the first half of the season.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
No-brainer, Part Deux. Julius Peppers wasn't sure to play basketball or football. My biggest decision is to have Cap N' Crunch or Cocoa Krispies each day. A little different scale, huh?
But I digress. Peppers has been dominant in leading the resurgence of the Panthers Defense.
Comeback Player of the Year
Robert Edwards was nearly without one of his legs just a few years ago. Think about that. Without one of his legs! We ain't talkin about not having say, one of his fingers say or even toes.
No we're talking legs. This just in: Playing football is a helluva lot easier when you have two legs.
His is one of legend, plain and simple. All but tossed aside he has rebounded to give new meaning to the term, the human spirit.