For what it's worth, I'd like to toss in my 2¢ about the MVP awards at the National Tournament. X and Miss Fortune are both awesome and certainly deserving. But I just didn't like the way the MVP had to be chosen from the final bout.
I really preferred the way it was done at the Eastern tourny, and I'm not just saying that because I got a vote. At the National tourny, there were two MVPs chosen and I believe the two final teams were asked to choose them, one each from the other team. This seems like a fine way to do things, but isn't that really just the MVP of the final bout then?
At the Easterns, instant runoff write-in ballots were distributed to certain people on the first day. I dunno how we were chosen, I'm assuming it was skaters, coaches, announcers, etc...people who know derby well enough to make an informed choice. The ballots had to be turned in by halftime of the final bout and one winner chosen.
It just felt more authentic as an award for MVP of the entire tournament, not just the final match. The winner, Racer McChaseHer of Detroit, wasn't even in the final match; her team finished fourth. But the voters felt that she contributed most overall to her team and to the event.
That's a great point.
Gnosis,
That's a great point and the classic sports argument. I did like the way the East voted, as I also had a ballot, giving us our only MVP outside of a final tourney bout. That is the only time, I'm aware of, that the MVP has been chosen that way. I don't know how many people had votes, but they were hand selected. I know not all announcers had votes.
I believe in most, if not all cases, you're right. The opposing teams pick MVP from each other's team. I think it's noteable that Miss Fortune was tourney Co-MVP (with D-Bomb)in the West and MVP for her team in the Nationals.
Bob Noxious
Announcer Mad Rollin' Dolls