2006 Tank Awards

[NJTank]

http://sportsecyclopedia.com/tank/2006/tank2006.html

Comments?

[BJ Sands]

I like most of the awards.

One I have to disagree with is LT for star of the year. My pick would have to be Vince Young. He was the best player in one of the best college football games ever. Then, he becomes one of the most exciting (and effective) quarterbacks in the NFL, taking a bad team to the cusp of the playoffs in the process.

I don't know if this is one of the criteria, but he may be one of the biggest "stars" in football. He's famous for what he's done on two levels in one year.

[See Red]

I like most of the awards.

One I have to disagree with is LT for star of the year. My pick would have to be Vince Young. He was the best player in one of the best college football games ever. Then, he becomes one of the most exciting (and effective) quarterbacks in the NFL, taking a bad team to the cusp of the playoffs in the process.

I don't know if this is one of the criteria, but he may be one of the biggest "stars" in football. He's famous for what he's done on two levels in one year.

LT is having one of the best seasons ever for the best team in the League. I know it's not the all-telling stat but Young's QB Rating is sub-70.

[BJ Sands]

I like most of the awards.

One I have to disagree with is LT for star of the year. My pick would have to be Vince Young. He was the best player in one of the best college football games ever. Then, he becomes one of the most exciting (and effective) quarterbacks in the NFL, taking a bad team to the cusp of the playoffs in the process.

I don't know if this is one of the criteria, but he may be one of the biggest "stars" in football. He's famous for what he's done on two levels in one year.

LT is having one of the best seasons ever for the best team in the League. I know it's not the all-telling stat but Young's QB Rating is sub-70.

Doesn't it seem like the touchdown record gets broken every other year? Since 1995, Emmitt Smith, Marshall Faulk, Priest Holmes, Shawn Alexander and now LT have held the TD record.

But, yes, LT is having a special season. However, I don't think anyone has affected the sport of football more than VY. He is having a unique calendar year and maybe the most impactful.

[OB33]

One quick note: Robert Gallery played at Iowa, not Ohio State.

But other than that, very good. Can't really disagree with any of your picks.

[ColeJ]

I like most of the awards.

One I have to disagree with is LT for star of the year. My pick would have to be Vince Young. He was the best player in one of the best college football games ever. Then, he becomes one of the most exciting (and effective) quarterbacks in the NFL, taking a bad team to the cusp of the playoffs in the process.

I don't know if this is one of the criteria, but he may be one of the biggest "stars" in football. He's famous for what he's done on two levels in one year.

LT is having one of the best seasons ever for the best team in the League. I know it's not the all-telling stat but Young's QB Rating is sub-70.

i'm not saying vince is more deserving, because i respect LT like crazy.

so don't misunderstand my comments...

but it's not a quarterback rating.

it's a passer rating.

there's more to being a QB than just throwing the ball.

[BlueSky]

Ironman or not, Favre should have shared the "Stayed Too Long" trophy with Randy Johnson. He's clearly lost his passion for the game and it's just painful to see him at post-game press conferences saying stuff like, "I have to ask myself what I'm doing here." Saying the Packers are still in the playoff hunt isn't saying much; you could give the same "compliment" to Michael Vick or Eli Manning since nearly the entire NFC is "still in the hunt."

Let's hope Favre ends the misery this off-season before he and the Packers are embarassed any further.

I was amused though to hear one of the network shows saying that when Favre's streak started, Matt Leinart was in 4th grade.

[Starchild]

No beef here, just sort of pointing out something:

The Village Idiot Award:

Knicks GM & Coach Isiah Thomas who has turned a once proud franchise in the New York Knicks into the laughing stocks of the NBA, while demonstrating the old adage that true insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results as he continued to acquire overpriced underachieving players tying up the Knicks Salary Cap for years to come, while dealing away top prospects and draft players that could be used to improve the team.

I don't want ot put ALL the blame on Thomas here... I think most of it has to go on Scott Layden, whose trading of Patrick Ewing and signing of Allan Houston to an insane contract, and not to mention passing up on Ron Artest for Frederic Weiss is what started the Knicks' downward spiral.

Since he took over in late 2003, he really hasn't traded away any top prospects... Maciej Lampe, the rights to Milos Vujanic, Trevor Ariza, Dijon Thompson. On the prospects front, I'd say he's been successful in picking up Channing Frye, David Lee and Nate Robinson all in the same draft. His only real blunder with prospects is in the Eddy Curry deal - but so far Tyrus Thomas hasn't shown much for the Bulls to prove the trade was a bust (especially since Curry has been coming on strong lately) and there is no guarantee the Bulls are going to get a better player than Curry this season, especially because it doesn't look like Greg Oden is going to jump, and even if he did, a team like Philly would have the greatest shot at him.

Other than those 2 points, the rest of your criticism on the Knicks in the awards were fine

[winters in buffalo]

The Crapsketball beat out the Buffalslug for the New Coke Award???

[NJTank]

The Buffalsug was not recalled

[BBTV]

I got a chuckle out of the New Coke award.

Nice job.

[cappital92]

The Buffalsug was not recalled

Yet.It should have.

[leedsunited]

I like most of the awards.

One I have to disagree with is LT for star of the year. My pick would have to be Vince Young. He was the best player in one of the best college football games ever. Then, he becomes one of the most exciting (and effective) quarterbacks in the NFL, taking a bad team to the cusp of the playoffs in the process.

I don't know if this is one of the criteria, but he may be one of the biggest "stars" in football. He's famous for what he's done on two levels in one year.

LT is having a season for all time as a running back. VY is rook of the year for sure, but he's not even close to what LT is doing.

No beef here, just sort of pointing out something:

The Village Idiot Award:

Knicks GM & Coach Isiah Thomas who has turned a once proud franchise in the New York Knicks into the laughing stocks of the NBA, while demonstrating the old adage that true insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results as he continued to acquire overpriced underachieving players tying up the Knicks Salary Cap for years to come, while dealing away top prospects and draft players that could be used to improve the team.

I don't want ot put ALL the blame on Thomas here... I think most of it has to go on Scott Layden, whose trading of Patrick Ewing and signing of Allan Houston to an insane contract, and not to mention passing up on Ron Artest for Frederic Weiss is what started the Knicks' downward spiral.

Since he took over in late 2003, he really hasn't traded away any top prospects... Maciej Lampe, the rights to Milos Vujanic, Trevor Ariza, Dijon Thompson. On the prospects front, I'd say he's been successful in picking up Channing Frye, David Lee and Nate Robinson all in the same draft. His only real blunder with prospects is in the Eddy Curry deal - but so far Tyrus Thomas hasn't shown much for the Bulls to prove the trade was a bust (especially since Curry has been coming on strong lately) and there is no guarantee the Bulls are going to get a better player than Curry this season, especially because it doesn't look like Greg Oden is going to jump, and even if he did, a team like Philly would have the greatest shot at him.

Other than those 2 points, the rest of your criticism on the Knicks in the awards were fine

Are you freakin' kidding me!? Yes, Scott Layden was in over his head and did a woeful job in NYC, but the current Knick malaise falls at the feet of one Isiah Thomas and no one else (unless you hold James Dolan in complicity). What is killing the Knicks and will continue to kill the Knicks is the fact that Isiah picked up so many longterm contracts that his salcap is shot to hell. Jalen Rose? Jamal Crawford? Quintin Richardson? Eddy Freakin' Curry? Stephon Marbury? Steve Francis? There's no chemistry, and with the exception of Rose, they're all gonna be around for quite some time. And yes, David Lee has been a diamond in the rough, and Renaldo Balkman is serviceable, but Channing Frye has regressed and Nate Robinson is essentially worthless (yes, he jumps high and he plays with energy - but his basketball IQ is nonexistant).

That's a helluva lot worse than passing on Ron Artest in the 1999 draft (which wasn't such a bad idea in retrospect).

[BJ Sands]

I like most of the awards.

One I have to disagree with is LT for star of the year. My pick would have to be Vince Young. He was the best player in one of the best college football games ever. Then, he becomes one of the most exciting (and effective) quarterbacks in the NFL, taking a bad team to the cusp of the playoffs in the process.

I don't know if this is one of the criteria, but he may be one of the biggest "stars" in football. He's famous for what he's done on two levels in one year.

LT is having a season for all time as a running back. VY is rook of the year for sure, but he's not even close to what LT is doing.

What was LT doing in January of this year? Nada. VY had one of the all-time performances in one of the greatest football games ever in the Rose Bowl.

If not for the Rose Bowl, I wouldn't be choosing VY. Statistically, LT has been superior to VY. However, doesn't just a part of you think that any good RB could put up huge stats for the Chargers? Meanwhile, I can't think of any other QB in the NFL who has done more with less than VY, not to mention upsetting USC in Los Angeles.

Once again, no disrespect to LT, but didn't Shawn Alexander have a "season for all time" just last year? What VY is doing is more rare.

[Starchild]

That's a helluva lot worse than passing on Ron Artest in the 1999 draft (which wasn't such a bad idea in retrospect).

Ron Artest is a lock-down defender, a proven scorer and has incredible passion. Not to mention he's a native New Yorker. He's crazy only be everyone else's standards outside of NY.... any real New York basketball mind would kill to have Artest in blue and orange. He's a difference maker, made perfectly clear by the turnaround that Sacramento made last season and also giving a run to the Spurs in the playoffs. People said the same thing about Sprewell, and he was one of the major reasons the Knicks made their run to the Finals in 1999.

Meanwhile, Frederic Weiss becomes a poster.

Sure, Isiah has stockpiled overpriced and overrated players, but the Knicks were never going to get under the cap any faster if they hadn't... Ewing's trade and Houston's contract (and the lovely contract he gave to Shandon Anderson) prevented that. What would yuou have Isiah done instead? Rebuilding doesn't work in New York. He took a lineup of Dikembe Mutombo, Kurt Thomas (because McDyess was injured, as usual), Keith Van Horn, a hobbled Allan Houston, and Howard Eisley and turned them into players like Eddy Curry, David Lee, Quentin Richardson, Jamal Crawford and Stephon Marbury. Granted the team hasn't performed any better, and that's Isiah's responsibility, but in terms of quality of players, they're far better. The team he inherited wasn't anymore of a team, any more of a contender, and didn't have better chemistry than the one he's built. He's basically exchanged crappy overpriced has-beens or never-was players with overpriced youth and talent (albeit individual talent). Not to mention, Isiah is a proven winner in the NBA Draft... meanwhile, Layden, as mentioned before, passes on Artest.

Isiah is bad... but he'll never, EVER be on the level of Layden, or owner James Dolan, who is really responsible for all problems Knicks-related. Speaking of which, I'm surprised Dolan didn't get a spot on Tank's awards. He needs to be recognized.

[Troy]

The Buffalsug was not recalled

Yet.It should have.

Absolutely, I could puke upon the sight of those atriocities

[PeytonManningRocks]

These are good awards. I think there are a few that should be different, however. How can the Buffalo Fightin' Slugs not be worst-dressed? The Milwaukee Bucks aren't the best dressed.... in fact, I liked the green and purple better.

As far as star of the year, LT is a good choice, but how about Albert Pujols or Ryan Howard?

As far as classiest athlete goes, I think Drew Brees should get consideration for his help in the New Orleans community.

And finally, The Hurricanes aren't the surprise of the year. The Saints are, by far.

However, you hit some of them right on the dot. Randy Johnson is old and washed up. Isiah Thomas hasn't been a good coach at all. A lot of these awards are really good.

[leedsunited]

That's a helluva lot worse than passing on Ron Artest in the 1999 draft (which wasn't such a bad idea in retrospect).

Ron Artest is a lock-down defender, a proven scorer and has incredible passion. Not to mention he's a native New Yorker. He's crazy only be everyone else's standards outside of NY.... any real New York basketball mind would kill to have Artest in blue and orange. He's a difference maker, made perfectly clear by the turnaround that Sacramento made last season and also giving a run to the Spurs in the playoffs. People said the same thing about Sprewell, and he was one of the major reasons the Knicks made their run to the Finals in 1999.

Ron Artest is already getting shopped around by Sacramento (tired of his antics so soon?). Yeah, Weis was a bad pick, but Artest is a joke himself. If Isiah wants him, he can be had. Oh, that's right. They have no tradeable pieces, nor anyone of real value.

We'll have to disagree. What we do know is that the Knicks let Layden go in early 2003. That's quite some time for Isiah to make his imprimatur on the franchise. In fact, how many on the squad are still around from that time period? Not many, particularly on the starting front. You can still blame Layden, but he's been gone and Thomas has been making moves for awhile now.

[OnWis97]

I got a chuckle out of the New Coke award.

Nice job.

So did I, but I bet a number of people would say "What's 'The New Coke?'" and make me feel old.