Editor's note: I never published this in May 2010 because I was waiting for more response from AP voters, but I regret that decision because I think the piece added to the conversation. Because I don't want it to go completely to waste, here's a post completely irrelevant to the current newscycle. I didn't change anything other than updating a dead link.
Something has been lost amid the hubbub over Brian Cushing's steroid suspension — the Houston Texans linebacker will miss four games after testing positive for hCG, a fertility drug used during steroid cycles — and The Associated Press' unprecedented decision to revote for the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
It's not surprising that almost half of the AP voters (24 of 50) switched their votes. Several commentators are arguing nobody should have voted a second time for Cushing, who won the award again. I'll leave that for others to decide, although I don't fault holding a revote (Cushing tested positive in September, at the beginning of his rookie season) or voting for Cushing twice (in an attempt to avoid revising history).
What's surprising is the breakdown of the revote reveals four voters who changed their minds originally voted for someone other than Cushing. Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was brazen enough to change his vote to Cushing after originally selecting Buffalo Bills safety Jairus Byrd.
David Elfin, formerly of the Washington Times, changed his vote from Byrd to Washington Redskins linebacker Bryan Orapko. Len Shapiro of the Miami Herald changed his vote from Orapko to Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews. Howard Balzer of Fox Sports Net changed his vote from Orapko to St. Louis linebacker James Laurinaitis, who didn't receive any votes in the original tally.
It seems likely Cushing took steroids to improve his on-field performance. But what did these players do during the offseason — there were four months between the votes — to boost their predetermined statistics? I reached out to the aforementioned voters to get some insight into their thought process.
Elfin said he gave his decision more thought, and considered how Orakpo — who played defensive end at Texas — had changed positions since college.
"It was razor-close each time," Elfin wrote in an e-mail. "I just decided that Orakpo had a slightly better season on a good defense."
I don't fault any of the voters for changing their mind. It's a sign of intelligence when people are comfortable enough to form a new opinion after receiving additional information (most blatantly in Cushing's case).
The Pro Football Hall of Fame even embraces the power of persuasion, for better or worse. Each of the semifinalists receives a presentation (often from a voter who covers their former team) arguing for their induction before the 50 voters
Perhaps the moral of the story is that the AP should give voters more time before collecting their ballots for postseason awards. I don't know exactly how the process works, but Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin was named Offensive Rookie of the Year only three days after the regular season ended.
The voters likely have an idea of who they will select by that point, but there's no reason to expedite the process. With two weeks between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl, why not give the voters some extra time and announce all the award winners during that dead time?
No comments:
Post a Comment