Is Peyton Manning the Most Valuable Player Ever?

The Indianapolis Colts fell to 0-7 Sunday after a 62-7 shellacking from the New Orleans Saints. As the Colts continue to struggle this season without Peyton Manning, the question of, “is Peyton Manning the most valuable player to his team ever” is starting to really pick up steam.

Professional sports have been played for decades and inevitably, star players leave their teams; either through retirement, injuries, free agency or trades. While regular season MVP awards help judge a players value to their team when the players are playing, it isn’t until they leave their respective teams that the true value of the player is revealed. Tom Brady is a multiple time MVP, however, when he went down with a knee injury in the first game of the ’08 season, the Patriots inserted Matt Cassel. The same Matt Cassel who hadn’t started a football game since high school and was more known for his appearance in the Little League World Series and still they finished with 11 wins (I’ve referenced this before in making the point that Manning may be the most valuable player to his team almost 9 months ago here).

Below is a look at five of their sports most revered players and the impact they had coming to or leaving their respective teams.  I chose to examine players who are Hall-of-Famers and either were drafted by a horrible team or left after their team won a championship. Read on and decide who is the most valuable player ever.

You see a lot more of this
from Peyton nowadays

Peyton Manning-

            We’ll start with the man of the hour. Before drafting Peyton in 1998 the Colts posted a season that the 2011 Colts are certainly trying to outdo. The ’97 Colts went a not so respectable 3-13, suffering through 10 straight losses before their first (Hang on Colts fans, the Saints game may not be the worst part of the season).  Three different quarterbacks combined for 3500 yards, 16 tds and 17 ints. That ’97 team even had two future Hall-of-famers in Marshall Faulk and Marvin Harrison but managed to rank 20^th out of 30 teams in points scored. What did Peyton do once he was drafted? Only make the Colts the winningest NFL franchise of the 2000’s (141-67), lead them to two Super Bowls, winning one and average a yearly output of 4200 yards, 30tds and 15 ints. So if you’re following along that’s 3-13 before Peyton and 0-7 after Peyton. I think it is safe to say, Manning is pretty valuable to his team.

John Elway-

Tebow is praying he'll be the answer

            We’ll stay in the NFL and take a look at one of the best quarterbacks ever and his impact. Rather than look at what the Broncos were before they drafted Elway, we’ll examine life after Elway since he left after they won back to back Super Bowls. The ’99 Broncos (Two time defending champion Broncos) finished 6-10. They had two quarterbacks combine to through for 3600 yards, 16 tds and 18 ints. They were still relatively stacked on offense with pro-bowlers Rod Smith, Ed Mcaffrey, Terrell Davis and Shannon Sharpe. Losing Elway dropped the Broncos to a slightly less than average 18^th in points scored. Elway’s average yearly output was a somewhat pedestrian 3200 yards, 18tds and 14 ints. Seems that statistically the Broncos didn’t suffer too much, however, going from back to back Super Bowls to just 6 wins really helps Elway’s case for most valuable ever. Another big factor in Elway’s value; it’s been over a decade since he left the team and Denver is still looking for a full time heir to Elway’s throne. Tim Tebow is the current candidate; however, his chances appear slim after needing a fifteen point four quarter comeback to beat the winless Dolphins this past week.

Lebron James-

            Lebron may be Peyton’s biggest competition for most valuable player ever.  Not so much now since he has teamed up with future Hall-of-Famer Dwayne Wade and future “oh that guy was pretty good too” Chris Bosh. However, Lebron James was certainly very valuable to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Prior to drafting home grown Lebron in 2003, the ’02 Cavs finished an abysmal 17-65. The two small forwards on the team, Tyrone Hill and Darius Miles combined to score 15.5 ppg and the Cavs as a team were 25^th and 28^th respectively in points scored and points allowed. The team did have future All Stars, Carlos Boozer and Zydrunas Ilgauskas so they weren’t all bad talent wise. Lebron arrived and along came a stretch of 349-225 (50 wins per year) 27 ppg night in and night out, a surprise trip to the finals and two league MVPs. When Lebron took his talents to South Beach, the Cavs went back to their old ways and rattled off 25 straight losses at one point.

Was I really that valuable?

Michael Jordan-

                We’ll stay in basketball and analyze arguably the greatest basketball player of all time’s impact. Jordan left twice after the Bulls won titles so we have twice the data to digest. Jordan’s first retirement doesn’t help his case for most valuable ever. After leaving for baseball in ’93, the 1994 Bulls went 55-27. Losing Jordan hurt a little on the offensive end as they fell to 22^nd in points scored but the defense held strong ranking them 3^rd in points against. When Jordan left again after The Russell push off Shot that beat the Jazz for the title, it hit the Bulls a little harder. The ’99 Bulls finished just 13-37 and dropped to 29^th and 14^th respectively in points scored and against. Jordan won six titles, averaged 30.1 ppg for his career and won several league MVPs. However, his total effect on the Bulls is hard to quantify. When he left the first time the Bulls didn’t suffer much; largely in part to MVP candidate that year, Scottie Pippen. When Jordan left the second time so did a major components of the team, Pippen, Rodman and coach Phil Jackson. While there is no doubt that Jordan is an all-time great, his impact doesn’t appear to be as valuable as Peyton’s or even Lebron’s.

Babe Ruth-

            Like Jordan, Ruth is also considered an all-time great if not the greatest player of his sport. But how valuable was he to one team.  The 1920 Boston Red Sox finished 72-81, which was actually better than the year prior with Ruth. Ruth’s real impact is seen in home runs. In 1919 Ruth hit 29 home runs. In 1920 the Boston Red Sox as a team hit just 22 home runs. Ruth would go on to hit 714 career home runs and be remembered as a Yankee. The biggest argument for Ruth as the most valuable player ever is the fact that he apparently cursed a team. The Curse of the Bambino last for decades and tortured a fan base. No other player on this list can hold claim to cursing a team like the Babe can.

It may not be clear as to which player is the most valuable of all time but the 2011 Colts are surely making a strong case for it to be Peyton Manning. Unless the Colts, excuse me for the upcoming pun, Luck into another solid quarterback to lead their team, the day Peyton hangs up his cleats may be a very sad day in Indianapolis. Peyton’s first absence since being drafted has the made the Colts into one of the worst teams in the league. The only light at the end of the tunnel is that Manning will be back. How gloomy will the day be when fans realize Peyton is gone forever?