And the nod goes to…Tom Brady. I guess mental heath isn’t that big of an issue after all. Oh, wait, it is, but only if it happens to football players.
Oh God, what a terrible choice.
That’s definitely shocking. Really, SI?
If you want to make it about some greater societal issue it’s a bad choice.
If you want it to be about on field achievement it’s the perfect choice. It’s remarkable what he is doing at his age both to finish off last season and so far this season.
It’s the perfect choice only in a world where Shohei Ohtani was ineligible for the award.
Ohtani isn’t American. They don’t give it to non-Americans, at least not by themselves.
The first award, in 1954, was given to Englishman Roger Bannister.
Ingemar Johansson of Sweden won the award in 1959.
Bobby Orr and Wayne Gretzky, both Canadians, won the award in 1970 and 1982.
Each of these awards was to one person.
I am convinced that they will consider a non-American by themselves if it was in one of the four major sports leagues (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL - although the fact that Sidney Crosby hasn’t won this yet makes me think the NHL has lost its lustre with SI; maybe if the Penguins win another Stanley Cup…then again, he would have won in 2017). In fact, had this not been an Olympic year and Brady crashed and burned at Tampa Bay in 2020 rather than being the Super Bowl MVP (in 2021), Ohtani had a decent chance of getting it.
Ohtani was great on a 77 win team. Brady brought a championship to Tampa Bay, was the Super Bowl MVP (again) and is on his way to a possible repeat at age 44. I did pick Ohtani earlier in the thread. I figured he would walk away with it. If Tampa was mediocre in 2021 I think he would have. But Brady doing what he’s doing at an age when most football players look like crippled old men is something that will never be seen again. Rothlisberger is 5 years younger but looks and plays like he is 20 years older.
Yes, I’ve noted those before. Gretzky was 39 years ago, and was the last example (and had to break his sport to do it.)
I vote for Tom Brady simply because I remember SO MANY people claiming that his move to Tampa Bay was going to “Humiliate him” or even “Ruin his reputation” due to so many losses. So many people had to eat crow over this.
When Brady left New England, there was a lot of discussion around, “now we’ll finally see how much of the Patriots’ success was Belichick, and how much was Brady.” Last season suggested that a lot of it was Brady, but now, after a year of re-tooling, Belichick has a young team in the #1 spot in the AFC (and Brady is still winning with the Bucs, too). So, I think the answer may have been “it was both.”
I admit to some Brady fatigue, but dang, the guy is 44, and still getting it done.
There has not been one top team that hasn’t looked vulnerable at times this year. (Except maybe the Cardinals, I haven’t watched them) None of the other teams look unbeatable.A Bucs/Patriots Super Bowl would not surprise me. I might have to become a hermit if that happens.