Other alternate awards

After yesterday's post on NBA Most Valuable Duos, it got me to thinking about the old, petroleum-based days, when putting out an alternative set of awards was part of the spring routine. One of them was the Executioner of the Year, which this year, really, ought to be retired and just handed to Isiah Thomas. Hell, it ought to be named for him.

But what about the NHL? There's no shortage of Executioner candidates this year. And what about other awards you'd like to see?

Over at Sports Guy North, Kent MacDonald is trying to decide his annual Rucchin of the Year winner -- a great idea, this, giving an award for the strongest coattail-hanger of the year, and Jonathan Cheechoo is the runaway leader.

In the NBA, I'm not sure what you'd call this -- the John Salley Trophy, perhaps, or the Phil Jackson Plaque.

Any alternate awards you can think of, send 'em along, as we ready for Part I of the NHL bloggers' playof roundtable.

A slam dunk for Nash

A while back, e-mailer Mike Dojc sent in a question that led to an e-mail exchange that's worth pondering this morning, with Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns tonight's opponent for the Raptors:

"Who do you like for the Lou Marsh Award this year? Do you think it's a toss up between Steve Nash and Sidney Crosby or is there another name in the race?

(snip)

I think Jason Bay should be a nominee as well because he improved dramatically over his rookie of the year season and finished tenth in batting average in the NL but I think you have to give it to Nash because Crosby has many better years ahead, he hasn't finished developing yet. My darkhorse would be Christine Sinclair, who FIFA nominated as one of the best soccer players in the world."

Voting for the Lou Marsh, given to Canada's athlete of the year, will be held on Dec. 8. As to the question, I can't remember when there was as clear a front-runner as Nash. Put it this way -- if he doesn't win this year, he never will. Even if you don't think he was the NBA MVP, he was a first-team all-star and led his team to the best record in the league last season.

Usually this is an award that draws controversy -- Weir over Gagne in '03, Villeneuve over anyone, anytime. This time, Bay and Sinclair deserve some mention -- I wouldn't put Crosby up there, but from hockey I'd consider Hayley Wickenheiser and Rick Nash.

With no NHL and in a non-Olympic year, though, Steve Nash gets my vote unreservedly. If I had one, that is. I don't think they'll need it in this case.