The Many Faults of the Heisman, College Football's Most "Prized" Hardware

When you think about the Heisman trophy, what comes to mind first?

Some fans have no problem with the tradition and fame of the trophy, while others would go to great lengths to fix an award going in the wrong direction.

I will let it be known that I have officially joined the hate party on the bronze figurine himself.

I view the Heisman as an irrelevant, political award judged on six commandments that eliminate roughly 95 percent of the players before the ball is even put in play on opening weekend.

Here is why:

John W. Heisman

The first problem with the trophy is the man it was named after.

Mr. Heisman is a mysterious figure to most, but a legend in the college football world. A great and successful coach and an accomplished player at two Ivy League schools, he was also known for his bitterness and unsportsmanlike victories.

Most notably, the most lopsided victory in the history of the NCAA can be credited to Mr. Heisman. Up by 126 points at the half, the Georgia Tech coach was quoted as saying, "Who knows what they have up their sleeves?".

As the clock hit zero, the scoreboard read Georgia Tech, 222, Cumberland College, 0.

Another trademark of Heisman was his sarcastic advice to opponent coaches after a victory.

Why don't we just name the award after Steve Spurrier instead?

The Six Heisman-dents

To win the Heisman, one must follow the guidelines listed below. There are very few exceptions to these prerequisites for the trophy awarded annually to the best player in college football, also known as "the best player on the best team in college football".

As much as I don't believe in them, I present to you the six commandments:

1) The winner must be a quarterback, running back, or a multi-threat, hybrid athlete.

2) The winner must have some prior name recognition.

3) The winner must perform well on national television and/or in big games.

4) The winner must not be a player whose numbers are obviously inflated due to his team's system.

5) The winner must be:

• A major exception to all of the above.

• The top impact player on a national title contender, or-
  

• A consistent player over his career with above-averages statistics from a traditional power with a good record (BCS worthy).
  

To support the argument, the records of the 11 most recent winners of the award:

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