MAKE A FACE: Given that I guess they didn't feel like awarding it to a deserving LeBron James for a second straight year, Sports Illustrated has named the also-unquestionably-worthy Peyton Manning its Sportsman of the Year.
added: Dave Zirin calls it "a resoundingly establishment choice that serves to obscure the rumbling resistance to the status quo throughout the sports world," suggesting Britney Griner, Robbie Rogers, the Grambling football team, Serena Williams, or everyone in Boston as worthier alternatives.
My first response when I saw this was incredulous, hysterical laughter. Yes, he's having a good year... but not a historic one, and not one with ANY important wins.
ReplyDeleteMy pick, as I believe it was last year too, is Serena Williams. She won "only" two majors this year, but she had one of the all-time great seasons for a female tennis player, and she remains indisputably dominant. The most shocking thing about her season is that it's only the third time she's ended the season at number 1. And she's doing all this in her 30s. Simply incredible.
Whoops, Peyton has 47 TDs, and it would be a huge upset if he doesn't break the record of 50 in the next 2 games. Kind of a big deal, the TD passing record, right?
ReplyDeleteAlso, despite this blog, football>>>>>>baseball in popular culture, if you've been keeping track.
Not even a Peyton fan, but your comment (and the following one by Randy) is kinda not getting it.
Her record since losing that French Open is simply astonishing.
ReplyDeleteGod, Zirin is a twit. Since when has the sports establishment been reluctant to note the greatness of Williams, Griner, or anything remotely related to the city of Boston?
ReplyDeleteNo active tennis player has won SotY since Chris Evert in 1976. (Arthur Ashe won it in 1992 just two months before he passed away.)
ReplyDeleteBig deal? I'd say a medium deal. It's a nice accomplishment for him and the team. He's a great quarterback having another great season, but even if he sets the touchdown record he finishes 2013 with a 0-1 record in playoff games.
ReplyDeleteHe's a popular athlete who will sell magazines. That's what the "award" is for.
Yep. If you can sell a pizza, you can sell a magazine. It's awkward that this is coming out immediately after the San Diego game, where Manning looked mediocre at best.
ReplyDeleteKeep in mind this is coming from a lifelong Denver fan- I was at the Titans game last week in -12 degree weather.
It begs a good discussion of ranking awards in terms of authenticness- what major/common awards have the least amount of marketing influence? SI Athlete of the year is certainly not high on that list.
I am liking this comment mainly for the Sifl and Olly avatar.
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