Let the Debate Commence

Chances are, ladies and gentlemen, we'll never see this again.

MVPs of the NHL, NBA and the American League of Major League Baseball.

All at once.

Joe Thornton, Steve Nash and Justin Morneau. Somehow I don't feel so bad about whatever depths we've sunk to in world soccer rankings, or why our Olympic swimming program doesn't win so much anymore.

Thornton, Nash and Morneau are, at least to my mind, evidence of a great sporting country.

To bad they all play professionally in the U.S., not Canada.

Morneau's victory over Derek Jeter in the American League MVP race, as colleague Dave Perkins pointed out in Wednesday's edition of The Star, only makes the process of voting for this year's Lou Marsh Trophy (Canada's top athlete) a heckuva lot more difficult.

The great Silken Laumann against chairs the Lou Marsh panel this year, and the arguments will rage when the group gets together to decide on a winner next month.

So here's your chance to get you vote in now.

The top four candidates are:

--Joe Thornton, NHL Hart Trophy winner

--Steve Nash, reigning MVP of the NBA

--Justin Morneau, 2006 American League MVP

--Cindy Klassen, Olympic speedskater hero

How would you rate them? In what order? Why?

Comments

[Jim Maron]

There really is no contest here. The award is meant to go to the top athlete.

Steve Nash has been voted the best player in the NBA for the second consecutive year. Basketball has grown to be the world's second biggest sport. Baseball, hockey and certainly speed skating, are all regional sports.

Being the best in a sport that is played world wide is clearly more of an accomplishment than that of the other 3 you mention.

[Ian Dudgeon]

1. Justin Morneau
2. Steve Nash
3. Cindy Klassen
4. Joe Thornton

I think what Morneau has accomplished is such a rarity for canadian athletes that his MVP should be recognized by Canadians as just that. Although Nash may be the better "athlete" (I've always had a hard time categorizing baseball players as athletes), since he's won twice, it's just not quite as special or unique this time.

I'm sure Klassen will win since whenever we have any kind of moderate-to-decent Olympic success, Candians typically ignore every other athletic accomplisment, but my gosh am I geting tired of hearing about her.

[Jim Anderson]

In my mind it is Cindy Klassen. No Canadian, male or female has done what she has done. If she were male there would be no question who the winner would be. The presuure that she was under as the games went on and her performance in the 5000 metres shows what it mean to be Canadian.

1. Klassen
2. Morneau
3. Nash
4. Thorton

[neil Craig]

1. Cindy Klassen - Olympics only come around every 4 years, and to dominate the way Klassen did is a remarkable achievement.
2. Steve Nash - if it wasn't an Olympic year I'd give the nod to Nash -to win it once is impressive, to win it back to back is herculean.
3. Justin Morneau
4. Joe Thorton

[Jim Boyd]

There is something about these “national” awards that always points me towards the “amateur” athlete and I’m not sure why. Best athlete in High School was often someone who excelled at more than one sport. That to me is a true athlete.

None of these individuals fit that model. So it comes down to pitting these individuals up against each other and really pitting their respective sports up against each other. Is it harder to sink a basketball, than to skate and score, or hit and catch a baseball or to train yourself to a point where you are the best speed skater in the world?

Does getting the most points, goals, hits in your sport make you the best athlete?

Nash and Thornton play team sports where their success is directly tied to performance of their teammates – their goals, baskets are assisted by teammates, their assists are only assists if their teammates convert into baskets and goals.

Morneau and Klassen succeed on more of an individual manner. It is batter vs the pitcher. Klassen one on one against her opponent.

Therefore,

Klassen
Morneau
Nash/Thornton

[Kelly Edgar]

I don't think that there is any question. Although I certainly respect the accomplishments of the other athletes, Cindy Klassen is without a doubt the winner of this year's award. While the others are involved with team play over the course of a whole season, Cindy needed to be on top of her game for each of her races. She couldn't take any down time to rest up or to heal and she could afford no slip ups. Other than in the team pursuit, she was on her own with no team members to pick up the slack should she make any misstakes.

Steve Nash would be my second choice. Here is a Canadian athlete who has dominated this basically American sport for more than two years now, being the MVP for the last two of them. Clearly a huge accomplishment!

Next on my list would be Justin Morneau because once again, here is a Canadian playing and excelling in an American dominated sport and league. I'm very proud to see so many Canadians now playing and starring in MLB.

Joe Thornton would be my last choice simply because he is playing in a sport and league traditionally dominated by Canadians. This is not to take anything away from his performance. He is an excellent athlete. He has just had the misfortune to win his MVP award this year.

[Donna J. Edwards]

Klassen wins hands over.....She proves women can be good, have stamina, perserverance and skill. She achieved, in my opinion, MVP honoring Canada.

[Andrew Barrie]

1) Cindy Klassen. if she is not your number one, you were not watching the olympics.

2) Steve Nash. He carries his team. their glory rests on his (wonky) back.

3) Joe Thornton. Let's see, Boston went down hill and his captaincy, he took San Jose by Storm, at least until the post season when he disapeared, much the same way he did in Boston.

4) Justin Morneau. baseball is not a sport. Sure, it has some supremely talented individuals, and even a few quasi-athletes, but awarding a baseball player this award, we might as well award it to the guy who can maintain the longest uninterupted belch, because that guy too can be described as a supremely talented indivual, but certainly not an athlete.

[Alex]

I just have a feeling that there is a somewhat anti-hockey bias in these votings due to the fact that Canada and hockey seem synonymous at times... Steve Nash won the NBA MVP again, but I think that Morneau's winning of the MLB MVP (never won by a Canuck in the AL) could well be the winner. Klassen gets the biggest points though for being an amateur athlete and dominating the Olympics so thoroughly.

Klassen
Morneau
Nash/Thornton

[Ian Malo]

1 - Cindy Klassen
2 - Joe Thornton
3 - Justin Morneau
4 - Steve Nash

I feel as though the sheer dominance of an individual in his/her given sport should be the determining factor, as it's all about relativism. Klassen was by far the undisputed champion of the rink in Turin, while Joe Thornton's MVP selection for the NHL was not unanimous, Steve Nash was much more decisive in his selection by the NBA the previous year, and many argue that Morneau wasn't even the best Twin.
The very fact that we can have this debate speaks volumes for the various Canadian athletic programs. Way to go Canada!

[JP]

I don't know about Klassen. It was a huge accomplishment, but what's the competition? A few dozen skaters. How popular is the sport? Not very popular.

If you look at the NBA you have a league with hundreds of professional players, thousands playing at other levels, and millions of fans. The top player is Canadian. Pretty rare. With the NBA going global, it's not as if pro-Klassen supporters can say she took on the world and won because speed skating is itself a sport with limited global reach given its nature. Basketball is arguably the second most popular sport world wide after soccer.

Klassen accomplished alot, but she did it within a very small sample. With Thornton he didn't really have a 'wow!' season. It was more the Thornton-Cheechoo tandem that was so good, but not spectacular. With Morneau I don't think you can call him the best in baseball (that distinction goes to Howard). Although if he keeps it up and brings in another MVP then there's a good chance he could win this award in the future.

Nash
Klassen
Morneau
Thornton

[Sam Laldin]

Shockingly, this is a pretty easy decision. Cindy Klassen.

Thornton - yes he won the Hart, but that doesn't mean he should get the Marsh. One could argue that Sydney Crosby had an equally remarkable season. Or Pronger. Thornton is simply not head-over-heels better than all other hockey players like Klassen is, in comparison to other speed skaters.

This argument holds true for Morneau and Nash as well. The only reason they are in the limelight is due to their sport and/or being uniquely Canadian within that sport.

Klassen, however, has only won the top all-around female speedskater championship (1st Canadian since 1974), most ever medals in a single olympics for a canadian, most medals by a female speedskater at a single olympics, and most medals at Turin, where Rogge proclaimed her "woman of the games'. She also holds three world records (I don't believe Thornton, Nash or Morneau hold any in their respective leagues). All this without the financial support that Thornton, Morneau, and Nash have. Finally, don't forget that she missed the entire 2003-4 season after severing 12 tendons in her right arm.

I'm not a fan of speedskating (or the Olympics), but Klassen has had a remarkable season and proven to be a remarkable athlete in a sport where you can't use your team to help you out on off-nights. She deserves the award.

As for ranking the other three:

2. Nash - overcoming the odds to be one of the games better passers
3. Thornton - overcoming the trade to having a fantastic season. But it should really be shared with Cheechoo.
4. Morneau - he had a good season, but it's not one for the record books. His future, however, does look bright.

[Kevin]

Clara Hughes...as much for the way she conducts herself off the ice as on.