Tiki Barber: MVP

Tiki Barber is the NFL's Most Valuable player. That's not to say that he will win the award ... only that he deserves to win it. Logic suggests that the sheer volume of media coverage in New York would insure that the accomplishments of an athlete playing in New York would never be overlooked. Nevertheless, Barber - for some strange reason - continues to be underrated outside of New York. Two possible explanations for why Barber will not receive the MVP award:

1. The insistence of the NFL, the media and the fans to focus on rushing yardage as the key statistic when evaluating running backs rather than total yards from scrimmage (combined rushing AND receiving yardage). How overlooked is yards from scrimmage? You can't even find it on the National Football League's official web site. After 14 games, Shaun Alexander has rushed for 91 more yards than Barber ... but Barber has 421 receiving yards to only 72 for Alexander. In terms of total yards from scrimmage, Barber is an impressive 210 yards ahead of his nearest competitor (Edgerrin James). In fact, Barber is on pace for the seventh most yards from scrimmage in a single season EVER!

2. The other key statistic that can make or break a running back's season in the eyes of MVP voters is touchdowns scored. Again, the emphasis is wrongly placed on rushing touchdowns rather than TOTAL touchdowns. Shaun Alexander - with an amazing 24 rushing touchdowns - has a shot at the single-season record of 27 (Priest Holmes, 2003). Barber is at a big disadvantage in this category with only eight rushing touchdowns (plus another two receiving TDs). However, it's Giants coach Tom Coughlin - not Barber - that is to blame for Tiki's relatively low TD production. Alexander gets all the goal line carries for Seattle - as he should - and has responded by scoring 24 of his team's 26 total rushing touchdowns. In contrast, Barber has only eight of the Giants' 15 total rushing touchdowns because of Coughlin's irrational insistence on force-feeding rookie Brandon Jacobs the overwhelming majority of the short-yardage carries near the goal line. Such a strategy would have some merit if Barber's backfield teammate was someone like Jerome Bettis ... but to deny Barber the opportunity to register the TD in favor of a rookie who - so far - hasn't even demonstrated any aptitude for the role makes no sense whatsoever.

So, when the NFL MVP Award for 2005 is handed to Shaun Alexander (or Carson Palmer or Peyton Manning), Tiki Barber can thank the ignorance of the voters (for failing to recognize yards from scrimmage as the key stat for running backs) as well as his own coaching staff (for failing to do what's best for the team and give him the ball at the goal line) for costing him the award. Tiki's so classy and media-savvy that he'd never complain publicly but that doesn't change the fact that he'll have every right to feel slighted.