Embrace Debate: The Finals MVP needs to be from the winning team

Bobby Richardson in 1960 on the diamond with the Yankees. Jerry West in 1969 on the hardwood for the Lakers. Chuck Howley in 1971 at the big game with the Cowboys. Jean-Sebastien Giguere on the ice with the Ducks in 2003, and now Connor McDavid after the final horn of the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals. What do these five men have in common?

They were all named the most valuable players in their respective sports championship, but none of them won the series.

That's right. A player from the losing side of a championship took home the coveted best of the best award. Moments ago, the Oilers center secured the Conn Smythe trophy, and this is a move I cannot stand by.

To set the record stright, this is not a blog trashing the efforts of Connor McDavid. He is one of the most exciting players in the sport and his playoff run was marvelous. 42 points in 25 games during Edmonton's run, those are video game numbers. He is the 4th highest player to achieve those stats, sitting only behind Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretsky twice. I was rooting heavy for Edmonton and was hoping they were the ones that could bring the cup back to Canada.

What McDavid accomplished is remarkable, but the winner of the Conn Smythe (let alone any finals MVP) should come from the MVP. If Luka dropped 65 points a night and the Mavs lost to the Celtics last week, Jaylen Brown still would've been the MVP in my book.

Announcing the MVP from the losing side seems to be an awkward play. These athletes just suffered arguably their biggest loss in their career, and then they have to meet with the commisioner of the league and take some pictures despite the winning team dancing in their face. The losing team is down in the dumps and it's probably the last thing the star player wants to do is to accept a trophy that has no substance behind it anymore.

That's been my take for regular season accolades as well. You might the best on the court or field or ice, but if you can't lead your team to the playoffs, are you truly the most valuable?

The commenters will come back after reading this far along claiming that "one guy can't influence a team sport" and it "takes more than one". I mean this with the upmost sincreity, kick rocks. I am not here to hand out particpation trophies and this is the hill I will die on.