Upon Further Review, Antonio Brown Is CLEARLY The Undisputed #1 Overall Pick Of The Sports Diva Draft
Alexa enhance
It only feels right to run back the Sports Diva Draft with all the Antonio Brown stuff going on. If you remember, this is the lone appearance from Ryan Whitney on the Snake Draft. Some people have dubbed it The Greatest Guest Spot in podcasting history, although I'm (sensibly) loyal to Clem & Rico primarily. Nevertheless I digress.
Point is I want to go public with some newfound critical observations nearly one year after this episode originally published. I won't be advocating for a re-vote but at the same time I feel like this draftboard is ever-evolving and thus subject to continued, routine evaluations. Maybe we'll make it an annual thing? For now I'm in year 1 and not in the market for another long-term commitment. Let's just try and have some fun and see where this goes.
- Terrell Owens went 1st overall and it was argued there was no other player for contention. Personally I felt that was an insult to the textual definition of "Diva" but also a gross oversight of A-Rod's accomplishments. A-Rod's the premier Diva in a sport that churns out the single highest ratio of Divas-per-play so of course I had him high on my list. But alas, Whitney was convinced TO stood alone. He claimed it was a combination of the sport, position, era and endless media craze that renders TO seamlessly deserving of the 1st overall pick.
- Under That Logic, AB Is A Tier-1 Diva because he's got everything TO brings and now you can add yesterday's early exit to the list.
For all of TO's bullshit, I don't remember him quitting mid game. No fuckin way he was leaving all those targets on the table. In some respects that kinda makes him a bigger Diva but it also makes him a good teammate on the simple fact that his selfishness enabled him to be the best. As Jim Graziano says, one hand washes the other. TO's capacity to be a Diva was inherently limited by an obsessive need to succeed. End result was a guy averaging 15 games and 125 targets a year for the better part of TWO DECADES.
Comparatively, Antonio Brown has played a grand total of 16 games since 2018 while doing nothing but dominating the headlines. Alleged criminal behavior mixed with the psychotic and unexplainable. Reports that paint him as a downright terrible human being. People coming out of the woodwork accusing him of all sorts of crazy shit. For all intents and purposes, AB is every bit of the equal distraction with a fraction of TO's productivity during his illustrious Diva run of the early 2000's. All things equal that easily makes AB the bigger Diva to me.
- Now mix in yesterday's tantrum and it's inarguable that AB is the biggest Diva in pro sports. The fact he slipped to 13th overall makes me feel dirty to even think about and that's before pointed considerations of previous picks. Conor McGregor at 2 overall? Iverson 4th? Brady 5th? Kevin Durant is more of a petty average Joe than anything and I'm actually shocked Johnny Manziel was even eligible for a professional athlete draft.
All of these guys were considered bigger Divas than Anotnio Brown. It was crazy then and it's even crazier to me now.
- Again, I'm not looking for a re-vote because I want to beat Whitney fair and square in round 2. But it's at least important to point out that his Diva Draft victory doesn't hold up over time. Like when Dennis Eckersley won the 1992 MVP because he saved 51 games. You can't go take away the hardware from Eckersley but same time you know it's just a different MVP with more deserving candidates. Even with fucked up voting processes, you have to respect the separate electorates.
Anyways that's how I feel now that Antonio Brown has clearly cemented himself as the 1.1 overall pick for all future Sports Diva based drafts. Credit to Whitney for being prepared, but ultimately I was always right.
And ultimately Dennis Eckersley had a 2.9 WAR in 1992 - good for the 11th best season of his career.
If you need me I'll be over here with the ghost of Ron Santo listening to today's draft.