In most team pro sports leagues, the Most Valuable Player award usually goes to a player from among the best teams who was also personally outstanding.
I suggest something a little different: the award should go to the player who contributed the most to victories. Here's an illustration:
Quarterback A starts 16 games, and goes 12-4. In 3 wins his own play is ordinary, but in 9 wins and all 4 losses his individual play is great, and his season statistical totals are consistent with MVP winners of the past. Quarterback B, in contrast, starts 13 games and misses 3 to injury. He's 12-1 in his starts and played great in all 12 victories. Of the two, I'd give the MVP to Quarterback B because he was a positive contributor to more wins.
To award the MVP this way, however, we have to isolate each game. No more looking at season statistical totals and won-loss records. What I'll do instead is look at the quarterback, backs, and receivers of winning teams each week and assign points according to statistical benchmarks indicating they personally had good-to-great games.
Just as with my college football rankings, early on there will be a crowded field in the "lead" for the MVP, but as the weeks go by, teams start losing, and players have ordinary or poor games, the rankings will take shape.
James Leroy Wilson writes from Nebraska. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter. If you find value in his articles, your support through Paypal helps keep him going. Permission to reprint is granted with attribution.
I suggest something a little different: the award should go to the player who contributed the most to victories. Here's an illustration:
Quarterback A starts 16 games, and goes 12-4. In 3 wins his own play is ordinary, but in 9 wins and all 4 losses his individual play is great, and his season statistical totals are consistent with MVP winners of the past. Quarterback B, in contrast, starts 13 games and misses 3 to injury. He's 12-1 in his starts and played great in all 12 victories. Of the two, I'd give the MVP to Quarterback B because he was a positive contributor to more wins.
To award the MVP this way, however, we have to isolate each game. No more looking at season statistical totals and won-loss records. What I'll do instead is look at the quarterback, backs, and receivers of winning teams each week and assign points according to statistical benchmarks indicating they personally had good-to-great games.
Just as with my college football rankings, early on there will be a crowded field in the "lead" for the MVP, but as the weeks go by, teams start losing, and players have ordinary or poor games, the rankings will take shape.
James Leroy Wilson writes from Nebraska. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter. If you find value in his articles, your support through Paypal helps keep him going. Permission to reprint is granted with attribution.
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