If You Talk About It Enough

It's amazing what we are able to convince ourselves of--if we talk about something enough.  I was listening to a national sports talk radio show yesterday afternoon and the hot topic was who should be the NFL Most Valuable Player.  The host admitted that "until a few weeks ago, this was a no-brainer--but now there is some doubt!!"  And I kept thinking "what doubt is there?  The doubt talking heads have created by saying 'there is some doubt!'?"

Aaron Rodgers is the NFL MVP.  This was the "no-brainer" when the Packers were 13-0--and it remains a "no-brainer" now as the Packers are 14-1.  And how one road game where his receivers couldn't catch and his offensive line couldn't block changes that is beyond me.  Yet, show after show on ESPN beats the drum for Saints quarterback Drew Brees and Patriots QB Tom Brady as "potential new frontrunners". 

This is my frustration with the "new media"--if a story is going to be settled without controversy, those covering the story feel the overwhelming need to boost interest by injecting their own controversy.  Back in the pre-ESPN-sports-radio-24/7-talk-cycle world, people would think about NFL MVP the day the award was handed out.  You wouldn't have three hours of "who is the first half NFL MVP" discussions in October.  You wouldn't have weekly Power Polls or Stock Up/Stock Down features.  Those who voted on the award would look at the entire season--at the end of the season--consider who had the best year for the best team and vote for that player.  And this year, Aaron Rodgers would have been the unanimous choice--no doubt about it.

And when A-Rod wins this year's award, all of those talking heads who questioned if he would be the one this week will be back on the air saying "This was an obvious choice, blah, blah, blah...."  Give me a break.