When the NFL first announced that it was going to host an Oscars-like awards ceremony for the league’s season awards, my first thought was, “Great news for people who like the ESPYs but have ADHD.” But Alec Baldwin was hosting and I like football, so I figured I’d at least be able to watch it for the sake of making fun of it. Yet as I watched it Sunday morning on my DVR, I couldn’t help but admit to my dog that it wasn’t terrible.
The NFL Honors were far from perfect, though, and if they’re going to make this event a tradition, league officials are going to need to make a few tweaks to the overall process. For starters, as much as I love Baldwin, he didn’t exactly hit home runs with his jokes. I mean, I laughed, but they showed more blank faces in the audience, and I really don’t know if Clay Matthews appreciated being called Madonna.
As for the actual award process, I know that they need to make it seem like each category was so close and it was so difficult and arduous to determine which players were going to win, but we’re not stupid. Offensive Rookie of the Year couldn’t have been more obvious, so clearly we didn’t need two minutes of intro footage that included Mark Ingram and Julio Jones. If anything, it felt like some guys were being teased.
Most of the awards were dead on – I only really disagreed with one – so we can debate them and some of the evening’s finer moments after the jump.
(Images via Getty and the AP; Tebow helping Baldwin “Tebow” can be seen here.)
Not a shocker. I definitely could have argued for Drew Brees, but I’m a big fan of Rodgers and his poonhoundery so I accept this. And I just assume that Rodgers and Chris Evans London Bridged their way around Indianapolis with no shame.
I dislike the existence of this award because people will not stop complaining about how Rodgers can’t be the MVP if he isn’t the Offensive Player of the Year. You can switch Rodgers and Brees and I won’t care. They both had amazing seasons.
I would have picked Jared Allen for his 22 sacks, but Suggs had more turnovers and of course made the playoffs, so I won’t argue it.
Any other season, it would have been great to see Andy Dalton and AJ Green split Offensive Rookie of the Year, but Cam Newton was a total “Duhhhhhhhhhhh” pick. Like Mark Ingram was even in the discussion.
I could see San Francisco 49ers rookie Aldon Smith winning, but I think he was done in by his recent DUI. Miller also just meant a lot more to his team’s previously awful defense.
Harbaugh didn’t show up to accept his award – thus, Alex Smith accepting – leading me to believe that he might have been unconscious in Jim Schwartz’s trunk.
AKA The “We’re Giving Tim Tebow An Award No Matter What” Award.
Well deserved and he seemed really humbled. I couldn’t find a video of his great acceptance speech, but you can hear him talk a little about it here.
Sure, it was a great play. Sort of a silly award, because there were so many good plays, but I guess the longest play in NFL history is pretty cool. If you’re into that kind of stuff.
Look, Matt Stafford had an incredible season. But this award should have gone to Alex Smith. Stafford’s been in the league three seasons and he’s been banged up because the Detroit Lions took their sweet ass time putting together an offensive line for him (still a work in progress, mind you). Smith, though, has played for a different offensive coordinator in basically every season since the San Francisco 49ers drafted him, and he hasn’t exactly had great head coaches either. The guy’s been counted out, crapped on at every turn in his career, and most of it was justifiable. He flat out sucked. But he still managed to suck it up and win instead of becoming the next big bust. I’d say that’s a pretty great comeback.
Again, I love Alec Baldwin, but I think maybe the host should be a little younger and hipper, so the athletes don’t fall asleep in their seats.
But at least Billy Baldwin showed up to support him and lend star power.
I can almost forgive Emmanuelle Chriqui for being on Entourage. Almost.
If NBC wants to keep trying to cram Katherine McPhee in our faces… I am 100% fine with that.
In the process of making her unfunny Tim Tebow joke, Katy Perry showed off her fashion sense and why the youth of America will be our demise.
“Great, Lenny Kravitz is performing!” – People in 1993
I’d love to hear what Questlove and Joe Namath had to talk about.
The positive: As long as Taylor Lautner is at awards shows, he’s not making movies.
1) A picture with Jon Hamm is better than any trophy.
2) Tebow apparently was “spreading the gospel” among the ladies this weekend, and by that I mean he was flirting a lot. As he should.
3) I can’t find a picture anywhere, but Jack McBrayer (Kenneth from 30 Rock) was sitting with a gorgeous blonde girl who looked a little like Brooklyn Decker. Either way, it was both impressive and mind-boggling.
