Mariotti says media not fit to vote

http://jay-mariotti.fanhouse.com/2010/05/17/media-have-no-business-voting-for-sports-honors/?ncid=webmaildl8

Here's an excerpt from the linked article:
(I agree with him on a lot of his premises here, too)

You 'roid, you void.

So when Cushing kept the award, it exposed another example of the sports media being unfit to vote and affecting the news. Let's hope it leads to an across-the-board policy that bans media from sponsoring or participating in voting, leaving leagues to conduct the process with other types of panelists. Whether it's a beat writer with a heavy emphasis on reporting or a columnist with robust opinions, we shouldn't be so personally involved with a story to vote on an honor as monumental as, say, the Hall of Fame. Heisman Trophy ballots are sent to too many cred-challenged voters who don't see enough college football. Why would we ever be involved in helping choose a college football champion? Or an MVP award that can change an athlete's life? Even something as seemingly harmless as a Rookie of the Year award shouldn't be in our hands. Take it away from us, all of it.

 

Because everyone is going to remember who the 2010 AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year was...

 

I don't believe the media should vote, either. Simply because they should remain impartial.

 

To me, this is proof that even some of the biggest wind-bags and self-promoting divas still can have good points and argue for the right things. The fact that Cushing (who through a friend who went to HS with him said he'd been getting "assistance" early on in HS) is keeping the award despite the positive test is pathetic and exposes how flimsy some of our morals are.

The apparent mind-set of some voters:

 

Rick Telander, one of Mariotti's mortal enemies, made the same point in the Sun-Times.

 

Having the media vote on awards is very problematic. But there's a practical issue, too. Who else should vote? The players? Logrolling like you wouldn't believe. The fans? Please. An impartial panel of experts? Sure, you find 'em.

 

I totally see that rationale, but it leads to a logical "where does it stop" discussion....should media outlets, then, cease advertising in venues that sports teams play in?

 

Not the media's problem. Business writers don't vote for executive of the year? Why do it in sports?

 

I think the fact he won again is evidence of writers thinking it was a stupid idea to re-vote in the first place. And i would agree with that.

Retroactive stripping of individual awards by an outside entity is just a stupid fucking idea.

I sincerely hope the Heisman Trust folks don't go down that road with Reggie Bush.

 

I had an AP vote and a Heisman vote for a couple years and I've voted for a couple different pro awards over the years and I always treated it very seriously. My worst nightmare (which happened twice) was having another member of the media calling me to ask me to explain my vote. Both times it resulted in a ton of email hatred from the team/player who I didn't vote for and I can honestly say it impacted how I voted later on. There were two times where I didn't vote for the guy I thought should win because I knew someone else was going to win in a landslide and I didn't feel like reading in the bottom of the story, "Mizzougrad96 was the only writer who kept this guy from being a unanimous winner." Maybe that makes me chickenshit, but I know other writers who have done the same thing.

Take the votes away. Let the other players and coaches vote on it.

 

This whole thing about writers voting for awards has gotten blown way out of proportion. There is no conflict of interest in writers voting for awards.
We've become a bunch of pompous asses defending our "integrity" by saying we shuldn;t vote when our business is going into the dumper. There are about 2 million more important issues in the newspaper business than voting for a few mostly useless and meaningless awatrds. As someone said, wo's going to remeber in two years who the Defensive ROY was this year?

And, Mizzou, if you don't want to explain your ballot, tell the guy who called it's none of his business.
We make way too much out of this shit. The public couldn't care less...except those idiots who have nothing else in their lives except Local U football.