I couldn’t believe my eyes as I read and then reread the text message that ESPN had just sent to my phone. I must have misunderstood something, because surely the NBA wasn’t one to repeat its mistakes. But there it was, in black and white: Fans can make pick for NBA MVP, with combined fans’ choice counting for one vote on official ballot. Did we not learn anything from the Allen Iverson as All-Star starter debacle earlier this year? As much as I love the game and love the concept that my opinion matters and my vote counts, giving the fans a voice in awards as important and prestigious as the league MVP is a bad idea.
Every year when I see some highly popular but undeserving player receiving a ridiculously high number of fan votes for a spot on the NBA All-Star team, I have the same internal argument with myself. Which is worth more: a fan’s chance to have their vote count, or actually having players of superstar caliber on the All-Star team? And every year, I lean more and more towards removing the fan vote altogether. How in the world can fans justify voting Allen Iverson in as a starter when he barely played ten games this season? Or even Tracy McGrady, for that matter, who was (is) always a fan favorite, but has been injured several times while STILL leading in fan voting? What kind of nonsense is that?
My solution is simple. If you’re going to keep allowing the fans to actively participate through All-Star (and now MVP) voting, then have them undergo testing first. No physical fitness test, no eyeballing inkblots, no battery of psychological testing. What I propose is nothing more than a simple ten to twenty question covering current NBA players, events, and trends. Maybe they could even throw in a few NBA trivia questions concerning legends like Jordan and Bird and Magic. We just need some way to prove that those fans who were voting actually knew a little something about basketball. After all, it’s not supposed to be a popularity contest, but an award based on achievement. How can you possibly know who would be deserving of pro basketball’s highest individual honor if you don’t even follow the game?
I’m sure the NBA powers that be feel they’re evolving and being more proactive by trying to involve their fans in every way possible. In theory, I appreciate what they’re attempting to accomplish by giving the fans a vote. In reality, I fear we’ll see fans voting for Yao Ming or Greg Oden for MVP. Thankfully, no matter how crazily the NBA fandom votes, they’re only going to get just that: one vote.
Every year when I see some highly popular but undeserving player receiving a ridiculously high number of fan votes for a spot on the NBA All-Star team, I have the same internal argument with myself. Which is worth more: a fan’s chance to have their vote count, or actually having players of superstar caliber on the All-Star team? And every year, I lean more and more towards removing the fan vote altogether. How in the world can fans justify voting Allen Iverson in as a starter when he barely played ten games this season? Or even Tracy McGrady, for that matter, who was (is) always a fan favorite, but has been injured several times while STILL leading in fan voting? What kind of nonsense is that?
My solution is simple. If you’re going to keep allowing the fans to actively participate through All-Star (and now MVP) voting, then have them undergo testing first. No physical fitness test, no eyeballing inkblots, no battery of psychological testing. What I propose is nothing more than a simple ten to twenty question covering current NBA players, events, and trends. Maybe they could even throw in a few NBA trivia questions concerning legends like Jordan and Bird and Magic. We just need some way to prove that those fans who were voting actually knew a little something about basketball. After all, it’s not supposed to be a popularity contest, but an award based on achievement. How can you possibly know who would be deserving of pro basketball’s highest individual honor if you don’t even follow the game?
I’m sure the NBA powers that be feel they’re evolving and being more proactive by trying to involve their fans in every way possible. In theory, I appreciate what they’re attempting to accomplish by giving the fans a vote. In reality, I fear we’ll see fans voting for Yao Ming or Greg Oden for MVP. Thankfully, no matter how crazily the NBA fandom votes, they’re only going to get just that: one vote.
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