A Note about MVP Voting

Manning demonstrates his uncanny ability to levitate, validating Colts fans' claims that he is in fact the second coming of Christ.

As you all likely know by now, Peyton Manning was today named the Associated Press NFL MVP.  Here is how the voting broke down:

32 — Peyton Manning, Colts quarterback

4 — Chad Pennington, Miami quarterback

4 — Michael Turner, Atlanta running back

3 — Adrian Peterson, Minnesota running back

3 — James Harrison, Pittsburgh linebacker

2 — Philip Rivers, San Diego quarterback

1 — Chris Johnson, Tennessee running back

1 — Kurt Warner, Arizona quarterback

There’s no hiding the fact that I am an avid Colts fan.  I have cheered for the team through the largely horrific years of their tenure in Indianapolis.  While I don’t subscribe to ridiculous arguments over who the best ever QB is, there’s no questioning the fact that Manning is incredibly gifted and the kind of quarterback that any NFL franchise would kill to have.  In fact, the man has spoiled me with a prolonged period of high caliber football that I very likely will never see again.  During said time, the long faced man with the laser rocket arm has garnered three league MVP awards, tying him with Brett “Babyeatin’” Favre for the most said honors in NFL history.

What criteria are used to determine who wins such an award?  Who knows.  Is it the biggest difference maker on the best team?  Record wise, this would put RB Chris Johnson squarely in the lead.  He is arguably the biggest addition to the Titans and the reason for their strong performance this season.  In spite of this fact (and yes, my science equations tell me clearly that CJ is a more important piece than Haynesworth or Vanden Bosch), Johnson garnered only 1 vote.  Is it the biggest addition to the most improved team?  Voters support this somewhat, as Pennington and Turner each earned four votes.  Still, only four votes apiece?  Clearly voters care little about defensive dominance, as Harrison’s amazing season only garnered him three votes.  When was the last time a defensive player won the MVP award?  1986.  Before that?  1971.  Clearly the voters, like the league itself, privilege offense.  Perhaps defensive players would garner greater statistics and MVP consideration if officiating weren’t so skewed in favor of the quarterback (ridiculous roughing penalties), the offensive line (the utter lack of holding penalties-as Dwight Freeney relayed, an NFL official told him that they would not call holding unless they felt the player had the chance to make a play on the ball), and wide receivers (illegal contact, etc).

Artist's rendering of that rare species of NFL penalties, holding.

So the voting year in and year out seems to boil down to the offensive player not necessarily with the best statistical year (see Drew Brees) but a player whose exceptional statistics correspond to the success of his squad.  This explains the vast majority of this year’s vote-getters (save for Harrison).  So why does a wild card team quarterback whose team started the season with a 3-4 record so soundly trounce a list of candidates that includes higher rated passers, division champions, and qbs and rbs who led their teams to tremendous improvements whilst putting up roughly similar statistics?  In a word, it’s all about the power of myth.  I’ll let Joseph Campbell explain this one:

Confused?  Well it’s quite simple you see.  As the archetypal hero of a thousand faces, Manning embodies the universal protagonist who endures numerous trials whilst overcoming the frailties of the human condition and ultimately achieving something seemingly unthinkable (often supernatural).  Voters simply love the mythic nature of Manning’s “comeback” from two off season knee surgeries and his success in spite of injuries, a nonexistent running game, and a very difficult schedule.  While candidates like Warner and Peterson put up impressive stats, their respective seasons were marred by turnovers and the lack of a heart warming conclusion that Manning produced with a record setting 4,000 yard season and a 9 game winning streak.  In a season that produced no one exceptional season long front runner for the award, Manning had the good fortune to run the table late in the year AND have the knee surgeries to seemingly blame for a lackluster first half of the season.

Artist's rendering of what a thousand faces look like when put together.

While I am extremely happy with Manning’s third MVP award, I do take issue with voters’ seeming ignorance of Adrian Peterson’s performance this season.  ESPN’s Kevin Seifert said it best here when he posed the befuddled “Peterson fourth?  Really?”  How can a 1700 yard season against teams who know you’re getting the ball and stack the defense against you earn you fourth place in league MVP voting?  He deserved better.

In terms of the winner, I think the voters got it right this year.  Given the current state of the Colts and the NFL, I would not be surprised if Manning picks up one more of these awards before he retires.  He will of course face stiff competition, but he is so integral to a team that just continues to put together one remarkable regular season after another.  As long as that continues to be the apparent criteria by which the voters make their selection, he will be a frontrunner for the forseeable future.