The MVP selection process

Have you ever watched some sort of sporting event, like the Super Bowl or an all-star game, and then wondered who got to select the game's MVP? And why, exactly, did those voters select who they did?

I'll fill you in on our thought process for the R&L Holiday Classic, specifically the boys game. And I'll be honest, I think our job of selecting a tournament-wide MVP is much tougher than selecting one for a single game. We have multiple games to consider, and in some cases, teams play a different number of total games, which skews stats.



Before the boys championship game between Lake Norman and Statesville, fellow sports writer Brian Meadows and I compiled a list of players who had done well and deserved MVP consideration. Anybody is eligible for MVP but, like in most instances, it typically goes to a member of the winning team.

Once the game was final - Lake Norman 68, Statesville 58 - there was only time for a brief consultation of stats and discussion before presenting our selection.

It's pretty demanding, actually. We're already there to cover the game, look for interesting story lines and keep our own stats, in addition to constantly thinking about the MVP selection.

It came down to two people, both from Lake Norman - sophomore Paul Larsen and senior Nathan Bowers (if Statesville won, it probably would have been either T.J. McCombs or William Marion).

Let's take a quick look at the numbers: Nathan Bowers finished with 37 points and 24 rebounds in two games. He played great defense and picked up timely rebounds and blocked shots. Paul Larsen finished with 39 points and 22 rebounds in two games. He also played great defense and picked up timely blocked shots and rebounds.

Talk about a doozy - nearly identical numbers and impact.

Here's a few other things we considered: Bowers' best game was against North Iredell in the semifinals. He had 24 points, was 9-of-16 from the field and pulled down 11 rebounds before fouling out in the fourth quarter. There's no way Lake Norman would have won without him.

Larsen's best game was in the championship, when he scored 26 points and had 14 rebounds. He scored 11 points in the final six minutes of the game, including eight in a row at one point. In the semifinals against North Iredell, he made two game-winning free throws with 0.7 seconds left.

Taking all of that into consideration, Paul Larsen won the MVP. The biggest reason behind that was his clutch play in the championship game. That doesn't take anything away from Bowers, because he had an outstanding tournament as well. It was about as close as you could get.

Thanks for reading, and have a happy New Year.

Red, white and ... rainbow?

I was puttering along the road yesterday when a very old white van passed me.

When it passed me, I noticed a gigantic bumper sticker on the back window. It was one of those "Power of Pride" stickers, but it was a bit different. This thing was HUGE. It nearly stretched all the way across the entire back window.

But then something else jumped out at me.

Halfway across the sticker, between the "r" and the "i" in Pride, it appeared another bumper sticker was slapped on. A gigantic picture of Jeff Gordon's head came into view, with the phrase "Rainbow Warrior" and a picture of his No. 24 car.

So the person in this van, after purchasing this Jeff Gordon sticker, was so intent on people seeing it, he completely covered up his American sticker.

Yes, it's true. People in Statesville love Jeff Gordon more than their country.

Football thoughts

This is one of my favorite times of the year as it relates to sports. In fact, it's right up there with March Madness.

All of the college football bowl games are set. Intriguing matches dot the landscape, and conversations will take place about who got snubbed, the biggest Cinderella and the best matchups.

In the NFL, there are only four games left in the regular season and the playoffs are beginning to take shape.

Here's what I'm thinking heading into what should be a very exciting next few months.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
I really don't mind the BCS national championship game of Ohio State vs. LSU. I think both teams are very good, and there's a ton of story lines. But I think the best team in the nation is Oklahoma. I know the Sooners lost to Colorado, which was a long time ago. More recently, they lost to Texas Tech, but keep in mind that was without Sam Bradford. They just smashed the No. 1 team in the nation in a game everybody was watching. I would have liked to see them get a shot at the title. But LSU also lost twice, and it took six total overtimes for them to lose. They deserve it as well. Plus-one, anybody?

I'm also pretty intrigued by most of the BCS matchups this year. Oklahoma and West Virginia is a great pairing. The traditional power team versus the up-and-coming Mountaineers and their speed and spread offense. Georgia and Hawaii should also be a lot of fun, and I think Hawaii will make this an interesting game.

The biggest snub - easily - has to go to Missouri. Missouri lost twice this year, both times to Oklahoma. They defeated Kansas fairly easily, and they also beat Illinois to open the season. Somehow, Kansas and Illinois (with three losses, but a marquee win) are in the BCS and Missouri is going to the Cotton Bowl.

Other intriguing bowl games I like are:

Gator Bowl: Texas Tech vs. Virginia
Two completely different styles here. Virginia's running game and strong defense against air-it-out Texas Tech.

Armed Forces: Air Force vs. California
Cal was once ranked No. 2 in the country and on pace to play for the BCS title. Since then, the Bears have lost six of seven, including last week's defeat against Stanford. Air Force is a great story this year, and they have a very good team. It's a team stoked to be in a bowl against a team which had BCS aspirations.

Capital One Bowl: Michigan vs. Florida
So many reasons to love this one. Michigan's senior class trying to win its first bowl game. Michigan's coaching situation. Florida's spread offense. Keep in mind Michigan's defense was overwhelmed by Appalachian State's and Oregon's spread offense. Florida runs a spread better than anybody in the country. With a month to prepare, can the Wolverines finally shut down a fast, dynamic offense?

NFL
I can't remember a season where, with four games remaining, every division race was essentially over, but the playoff picture still has a bunch of scenarios. New England has clinched its division and Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and San Diego all have a two-game lead. The gap is even wider in the NFC. Green Bay has a whopping four-game lead while Dallas and Tampa Bay are ahead three games and Seattle is ahead two. But check out the wild-card scenarios in both leagues.

AFC: Jacksonville (8-4), Cleveland (7-5), Tennessee (7-5), Buffalo (6-6) and a host of a 5-7 teams are still alive. The Jaguars have played a great season and should be in, but the race for that last spot will be intense.

It's even wackier in the NFC wild card race: the New York Giants, at 8-4, should be in. But there are EIGHT teams within one game of each other for the final spot. Arizona, Detroit and Minnesota are 6-6, and Carolina, Chicago, New Orleans, Philadelphia and Washington are 5-7. The Panthers have an absolutely brutal schedule remaining and I think they won't make it. I also think the fading Lions will be eliminated from contention, as will the Redskins and Eagles. I'd look for the surging Vikings, behind a suddenly explosive offense, to clinch the No. 6 seed.