Read the opposing argument from Babe Ruthless.
The state of Georgia went to the polls on Tuesday to vote in the primary election for the candidates who will be seeking office in November. Some of the positions I was able to vote for included governor, attorney general, and a few local races. Apparently, the college football world has gotten in on the whole campaign theme because several schools have launched Heisman campaigns for their supposed Heisman contenders. Check out the websites for Christian Ponder, Ryan Mallet, and Jake Locker. There are others out there, too. Keep in mind that the season is well over a month away. What a joke this is! Didn’t we all just get through fussing about how overhyped NBA free agency was?
I have a real problem with campaigning for awards like the Heisman, especially before the season. In the contradictory argument to mine, Babe Ruthless writes about the breakdown of the Heisman voters. I have a simple question for our judge today, Sports Geek, for the distinguished voters of the Heisman trophy, and for our loyal TSD readers.
What has a guy like Jake Locker or Christian Ponder done to prove to you that he deserves the 2010 Heisman Trophy?
Humor me! How many touchdowns have they thrown for so far? Yards? How many wins do their teams have?
My point exactly! These guys, and the hundreds of other players competing for the Heisman, have zeroes all across their stat sheet. What’s ironic is that guys like Locker and Ponder may have uphill battles to convince Heisman voters this year. Locker’s Washington Huskies are coming off a 5-7 2009 season, and Locker himself has yet to even be named All Pac-10 at the quarterback position. Christian Ponder is on a Florida State team that went 7-6 team in 2009. While the team should be better this season, Ponder missed the last four games of the season after separating his shoulder. He appears to be fully recovered, but again, it brings his “candidacy” into question.
All of this hype puts a lot of extra pressure on the student-athlete, whether it’s before the season or during the season. A guy like Ponder can probably handle it. He’s a smart guy, as he has already earned his MBA and will be halfway through a master’s degree in sports management this Fall.
But others may not be able to handle the stress. They could be thinking, “The school is spending all this money hyping me. I don’t want to let them down. I don’t want to let my teammates down.” This hype could prove to be detrimental to the team in the long run, and it’s not like all the extra hype always works. If hype ALWAYS worked, Tim Tebow could have left Gainesville with three Heisman Trophies. How could he do that? Because he’s Tim Tebow!
Winning awards should come down to what happens on the field, both individually and as a team. Winning… now there’s a concept.
The Heisman Trophy has been victimized by the media and turned into a popularity contest. We’re definitely living in an age of televised free agent decisions and extended live coverage of press conferences. The hype machine is on full throttle 24-7! And enough is enough!
