NFL: The Top 100 Players of 2016: An Issue of Numbers?
At the current rate, there will be a list of the top 100 complaints regarding the NFL’s latest list of the game’s best players.
Top 10s. Top 5s. Bottom 10. Who’s the best? Who’s the worst?
Lists. Unless it’s concerning weekend chores around the house, most people enjoy lists.
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Sports fans love lists. From “The 5 Things You Need to Know” on ESPN’s Mike and Mike and later “5 Facts I Doug Up” for CBS Sports Radio’s Doug Gottlieb to SportsCenter’s Top 10. Let’s make it definitive…sort of.
NFL Network has capitalized on this list factor and has presented the NFL’s Top 100 Players each summer in recent years. It’s a list voted on by the players and it’s a fun exercise on what is a very subjective topic.
But there have been quite a few veterans who have voiced their displeasure with the list in general. This offseason endeavor designed to evoke discussion among those who love the game has received more than its share of criticism.
However, tell that to the various players that did not make the top 100 or those who appeared to be quite disappointed by the rankings.
The latter applies to New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. The two-year pro ranked a very-respectable 10th on the list, had plenty to say on not only his Twitter account but on Instagram as well. His surprise and/or disappointed regarding his placement was punctuated by these words. “They don’t want it like I want it. I got to have it.”
Apparently, Beckham’s ranking is going to provide motivation for the exciting wideout. Still, it’s hard to imagine he can be much better than he has been to date. He’s played in 27 games and totaled 187 receptions for 2,755 yards and 25 scores.
Baltimore Ravens wideout Steve Smith Sr. comes off an injury-shortened 2015 and didn’t make this year’s list. He also took to social media to voice his displeasure over the omission. Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner was short on words but long on sentiment when it came to the list. Washington Redskins speedster DeSean Jackson was also left out and turned to social media with a few comments.
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Even NFL Spin Zone colleague Zac Wassink chimed in on No. 1 selection Cam Newton and stated that the 2015 NFL MVP was not the best player in the league.
To each his own.
Let’s do the math. Take 53 times 32 teams and you get 1,696 players. Common sense says that an awful lot of good players are not going to make the list each year. But it doesn’t take away the talents and accomplishments of these men.
And if you really think about it, the only number each performer should be happy with in 2016 is 51, as in Super Bowl LI.
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If not making “The NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2016” gets you amped up for this season, more power to those players who use it. It’s been interesting to watch the reaction of those who feel a little snubbed. But it should also make for some fun moments this fall.