Comeback Joke of the Year

At the end of the 2008 season Chad Pennington was named the Associated Press' Comeback Player of the Year for a second time in his career. I am certain I am not the only person who is confused by this. How can an NFL player make a comeback twice? Would that just make him a candidate for the Most Inconsistent Player award? I am not trying to knock the incredible job Chad Pennington did for turning around the Miami Dolphins from a 1-15 team to division champs in just his first season. I am just saying that consistent inconsistency should not be rewarded, especially when there were several other far more deserving candidates out there, one of them was Chaddy P'steammate.

Dolphins LB Joey Porter followed up a pedestrian 2007 season where he could barely stay on the field for the hapless Dolphins, with a dominating performance leading the NFL in sacks for most of the year finishing with 17.5 sacks and being atop the AFC all while terrorizing offensive players all over the field. Yet Porter only gathered 3 votes in the comeback player of the year category.

QB Kerry Collins who received only 6 votes has been hiding on the bench as a back-up for the last few years stepped in for Vince Young and the Tennessee Titans and has them as the #1 seed in the playoffs. His numbers were not off the charts in terms of production (2,676yrds, 12 TD’s, 7 Ints) but was a solid contributor who won games with his arm when he had to.

Finally, the player who would have won my vote as Comeback Player of the Year and received only 4 votes from the Associated Press, is WR Antonio Bryant of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bryant, was not even on an NFL roster in 2007, he came back to football focused and was in integral part of the Bucs offense, so much so that he beat out former starter Joey Galloway and buried him on the bench. Bryant finished the season with 83 catches for 1,248 yards and 7TD’s, and had a knack for making some unbelievable catches, all while being the only offensive weapon on a team that struggled to get a running game going allowing teams to focus on stopping the pass, where Bryant was almost unstoppable.

I will leave you with a few thoughts.... What criteria do the AP voters use when deciding their choices, do they base their decisions on facts or who would make the better story? Also, how many more years do you think Pennington will have to wait until he can win his 3rd comeback player of the year? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

(Update) In support of my stance on the AP voters I have further proof that those at the Associated Press know nothing about football, when the AP All Pro team was announced today OLB James Harrison recieved 38 votes at OLB and bizarrely 1 vote at Inside Linebacker a position he does not play. Eagles CB Asante Samuels was given credit for playing for the New England Patriots, along with a few other players voted out of position.