At first it looked like just another trash e-mail.
It hyped something called the College Football Performance Awards. Just what the world needs, more college football awards, right? It has gotten a bit silly. Every position and coach is honored to the point that, well, didn't some group or another just announce the Petrino Award, for the coach most likely to rent?
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| Rice's Chase Clement was third in the overall performer category. (US Presswire) |
It was more than the award-presenting "models" who get their own link on the site. The consultants on this project include noted economist Andrew Zimbalist. Gordon Marino is involved, too. That's not surprising because it's Gordon Marino, but that that there actually is a professor of sports ethics at any major college. This one is at Florida, of all places.
Former Davidson and USC kicker Brad Smith put the CFPA together. He hasn't made any money to date on his venture but neither have a lot of people on a lot of things in this economy. However Smith, 24, does have a dream -- and a degree in analytical philosophy as well as a master's in communications. The perfect blend, it would seem, to be able overthrow the old-boy award network with some common sense.
Smith's idea is both simple and radical. He wants to reward players for what happens on the field. No hype. No campaigns signed, sealed and delivered on College GameDay. No semifinalists announced in October. Consider this: Smith actually wants to wait until all the games are played to pick the best performer in 14 categories.
He is in the early stages of doing it, with surprising enough results to at least make me click on his e-mail.
Last season, the Overall Performer of the Year Trophy went to Texas' Colt McCoy. Heisman winner Sam Bradford was second and Rice's Chase Clement was third.
What, no Tim Tebow? You can hear Bull Gators everywhere growling. In the quarterback category -- separate from the overall performer -- Tebow was fifth. Clement, who accounted for 57 touchdowns last season, finished No. 1.
"As a student of philosophy I'm going to have to draw some distinctions," Smith reiterated. "Our methodology isn't about finding out who is the best. It's the best demonstrated on-field performance."
Wow, isn't that what we're supposed to be doing anyway?
The CFPA best receiver was Oklahoma State's Dez Bryant -- a perfectly sensible selection. Bryant was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award (best receiver) that went to Michael Crabtree. However, Texas Tech's All-American finished ninth at his position, according to Smith.
A disclaimer explains where Smith is coming from: [The process] does not take into account team success or contributions of teammates.
If it's any small solace, Texas did beat Oklahoma in something more than the Red River Shootout. "The best way to explain that is Sam Bradford had a better supporting cast [than McCoy]," Smith said.
His methodology -- it's all there on the website -- seeks to do away with bias and explains why ballot-based awards are faulty. That's the bias that might or might not exist with the Bednarik Award (best defensive player) going to a Penn State player in four of the last 10 years. The Bednarik offices are located in Pennsylvania.
It's not just the Bednarik, but all the postseason awards have a, shall we say, human element. Smith uses big words. Too big for a mere sportswriter, but he makes sense. Enough sense for the likes of the Davey O'Brien (best quarterback), Doak Walker (best running back) and Groza Award (best kicker) officials to listen to his spiel. Smith claims that the Groza folks used 90 percent of his methodology to select its semifinalists. The Grozas and CFPA agreed on the nation's best kicker, Florida State's Graham Gano.
The Heisman people have at least gotten to the catalyst of this column -- clicking on Smith's e-mail.
"Initially, they were flippantly dismissive," Smith said. "I would characterize future e-mails as slightly more receptive."
Does Smith think the Heisman Trust will one day use CFPA methods? "Hypothetically, it's still out there," he said. "My practical experience would tell me no."
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| According to the CFPA, Dez Bryant was the nation's best receiver. (US Presswire) |
Smith says on his website: "Who are the top performers in college football?" is an inherently empirical question. In other words, any attempt to answer this question trespasses overtly on the domain of science.
Science.
There's college football's seven-letter word. It suggests computers, which suggests BCS, which will make some of you stop reading right here.
What business does science have in the world of handshakes and back slaps? For one, the current system virtually ignores the non-BCS schools. Division I-AA, Division II and Division III have their awards. The top 66 schools in Division I-A monopolize more than the major bowl slots.
"The past seven seasons zero players from non-BCS schools have won postseason balloting-based awards for player performance," Smith said. "Over 100 trophies have been given out and none from non-BCS schools."
We'll have to take the kicker-philosopher's word for it. Three players from non-BCS schools finished No. 1 in the CFPAs at their positions last season. Is that reverse bias or a true indicator of the best performers in the game? Smith wants you to keep asking those questions. It means you're paying attention.
It also means there is room somewhere for the CFPAs. To date, those models haven't gotten much work. Awards were presented in person to maybe two players last season. McCoy wasn't one of them. In fact, the guess is that Texas' quarterback doesn't know a CFPA from a CPA.
But someone is listening. The traditional awards, in some degree. Also, a 28-week show is being shopped around the television universe with Pat Summerall involved in a pilot interviewing Smith.
For Smith to make money, though, sponsors are going to have to make money. Commerce, in essence, has to legitimize his science. For now, the Bull Gators should be soothed, if not satisfied. Again, just for giggles I asked Smith to figure up the best single-season performance since 2005, which is about as far back as his formula will reliably reach.
Better than Vince Young and Matt Leinart in 2005, better than Bradford or McCoy last season is a certain No. 15 at No. 1.
Superman. In 2007.
Did I need a trash e-mail to tell me that?
Dennis Dodd breaks down the traditional 2009 awards on his blog Dodds and Ends.
