MVP?

The new year has started with great optimism. First, the market rallies for 250 points on Friday. Then, Peyton Manning is gifted his 3rd MVP for leading the Colts to a wild card berth after a 3-4 start. Colts fans were promptly rewarded with Manning's uncanny ability to stink at the absolute worst time. But don't say you weren't warned. I wrote about this the other day and for more of my true feelings on this dude, reference one of my earliest blogs:

http://bigbigbet.blogspot.com/2008/01/manning.html

I think Peyton Manning solidified his position as the 2nd most overrated player of all-time behind only Emmitt Smith. Really impressive losing to an 8-8 team after a 9-game win streak over great opponents like Cincinnati, Cleveland (without scoring an offensive td), and Detroit. Unable to make one first down all night from inside his own 20 and taking a sack on 3rd-and-2, Manning, like always, failed to get it done. He somehow managed to not see the blitzer from his right side. He also failed to convert on a 4th-and-inches early in the 3rd quarter. If Manning wasn't such an egomaniac, Dungy might have tried to kick a 49 yard field goal which would've proved to be the game winner. But no way, Manning was gonna get it!

His only touchdown came on a play where SD inexplicably tried to substitute players against the no-huddle and Manning threw a free play pass to Wayne for a run and score. His inability to lead the Colts from their own end of the field left the Chargers with field position for all of their scores except their last. All of this against the NFL's worst pass defense. How quickly the writers seemed to forget it was Manning's atrocious play (10 tds, 9 picks) that led to their awful start. Instead, the let the last few weeks of the season cloud their voting for the man who should've won his 3rd MVP, Kurt Warner.

That's right, Kurt Warner. Where in the world would the Cards be without him? The Colts have been winning 12 games a year forever behind a team of 8-10 pro-bowlers. Manning has an all-pro WR, TE, and RB, not to mention Gonzalez, with an admittedly now washed up Harrison as his 5th option. Warner? No doubt Fitzgerald and Boldin are studs, but he's also playing with a high school line and a has-been RB who was discarded from the Colts. Granted, they also play in a stinky division, but if anyone thinks this is better than a 4-12 team with Leinart at QB, they're nuts. And oh, yeah, Warner doesn't choke under pressure. He managed to lead his team to a playoff win yesterday against a better 11-5 team after he had thrown 2 perfect TD passes and Boldin left for the entire 2nd half.

We'll see what surprises today brings, and back to the market on Monday.

P.S. My confidence picks were as awful as Manning. I apologize. Alabama and Texas Tech, nice job.