The Mvp Award In Professional Sports

The MVP award in professional sports is alwaysthe pocket to make his decision. Sure he's a great
one of contention. Every year there is anquarterback, but does he make his team truly
argument levied in each of the four major sportsgreat?
between the importance of a player to his teamThe question is further complicated by players like
and the statistical performance of that player.Brett Favre, who with 17 years of NFL
In some sports, the result is varied - as withexperience has become one of the most
baseball. In 2007, the two MVPs for Major Leaguerespected and effective team leaders in the
Baseball were Alex Rodriguez for the Americansport. He runs the Packers on and off the field
League and Jimmie Rollins for the . Alexevery week and after a few rough years has
Rodriguez, regardless of whether or not his teampulled them not only into contention, but into first
might have made the playoffs in Octoberplace by a long shot. His numbers are not as
dominated the statistical columns this year andastronomical as Brady's but they are equally
was essentially the lock for most votes in theimpressive and his team could very well meet up
American League.with Brady's in the Super Bowl.
It did not matter whether or not he was mostIt is impossible to know which player will be given
valuable to his team, because he was so muchthe MVP honors. In recent years, running backs
better than his fellow players all year long.have been the stars of the sport, putting up
However, in the National League, the debate wasrecord setting seasons. This year it is the
not so cut and dry. Jimmie Rollins put upquarterbacks' turn to put up record numbers and
respectable numbers for the year, batting slightlyhog the spotlight, but will they be the most
under .300 all year and producing runs in drovesimportant men on the field?
for the Phillies. But, compared to Matt Holiday whoWhen the time comes at the end of a sporting
hit over .340 with 36 home runs, Rollins was notseason to vote for the MVP, writers, coaches,
even close statistically. The argument was brokenand professionals will go one of two ways -
by who was more important to their team, avoting for the player who was most impressive
category in which Rollins was a favorite - both forstatistically or the one who proved themselves to
his off the field comments and his on the fieldbe the most important for their team. Often
rallying cries.times, the two go hand in hand, but there are
How is such a contingency decided though? Itoccasions when a player whose numbers are not
depends on how you look at a given sport. In thequite as impressive as someone else's is so
NFL for example, deciding how a player is valuableinstrumental in his team's success that they could
to his team is a complex situation. This year'snot have been anything without him. Kobe Bryant
MVP will most assuredly be Tom Brady. With onlyis a prime example of such explosive talent and
four games left, the New England QB has inchedimportance - where would the Lakers be without
within 8 touchdowns of the all time single seasonhim?
record and plowed through nearly all of hisDon't assume that just because a player has
competition en route to a 12-0 start.proven themselves to be better than everyone
But, does that make him the most importantelse that they are more important than anyone
player on the team? His wide receiver core haselse, regardless of the awards they may receive.
been tremendous, hauling down catches that fewIt is a slippery slope from there to ignoring the
other men could make. His offensive line has beenvalue of team sports altogether.
stalwart, giving him unheard of amounts of time in