So I'm going through one of my daily sports site rounds on the interwebs today, and after perusing a number of similar pieces, I come across ESPN's MVP voting ballot. Now, granted, more often than not, like Matt Groening, I can be rightfully accused of blatant homerism. But reading some of the names being touted over Chad has left me downright infuriated.

I am all too aware that the MVP trophy is one that is far from aptly-named, that the word 'valuable' is often inconsistently interpreted as an akward combination of spectacular, popular, victorious, inspirational and statistically-congenial. But, at the end of this season, if (and, frankly, only if) the Miami Dolphins claim the AFC East scalp, Pennington has to finish at least top-three in the voting.

But he won't.

The aim of this post is not to slight or belittle any other player's achievements. No running back, in my humble opinion, has had a season worthy of an MVP title, so for the sake of discussion, I'll focus solely on America's favorite position.

(cue a litany of sexual innuendos in the comments section)

Kurt Warner has found the AC Green signature fountain of youth, and has been nothing short of brilliant. Drew Brees is still flirting with The Man's hallowed single season passing yards record. Eli's 20-8 TD-Int. ratio is straight gangster. But Chad, calling plays behind one of the youngest offensive lines in the league, has been working primarily with a still-a-work-in-progress Ted Ginn, Jr., Greg Camarillo (only a handful of receptions prior to this season), and an undrafted Davone Bess (only slightly taller than phinsguy99). I love our young receivers, but enviable they are not. Yet.

Despite all of this, Pennington will probably end the season with his highest ever yard total and, having completed at least 50% of his passes in every game, will distance himself even further from the rest of the pack as the most efficient quarterback in the history of the NFL. But my argument lies not on a bed of numbers and data, but in a cloud of 'intangibles', your favorite commentator's favorite comment.

The Jets' front office made it clear they were fairly unanimous in their pursuit of Favre, but I wonder how many Jets players felt so similarly compelled behind closed doors. The calming effect Pennington has had on our overhauled squad as a team leader has been colorfully spun dozens of times on these boards, so I'll spare you any recycled rhetoric.

To any stubborn nay-sayers, though, I simply suggest you offer them this: if your life depended on someone directing an offense, rousing his teammates and completing one crucial pass in a tight fourth quarter situation, whose hands would you entrust with your fate? Tom Brady, the thinking man's choice, is exempt from the debate just as he is from this year's race. Peyton? This year? Brees? Cutler? Warner? Eli? Fav-ruh?

Please.

I'm not saying Chad is the obvious choice, he's just obviously as sound a selection as anyone else on that list, if not more. Yet no one in the national media seems prepared to acknowledge this.

What I am saying is that if a trophyless Steve Nash can win back-to-back MVPs in the NBA, a trophyless Chad Pennington can win one in the NFL.

For the very same reason.

His value.