Zak Boggs and Darrius Barnes Finalists For MLS Awards
by Steve Stoehr on Nov 8, 2011 11:36 AM EST
in Revolution News
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Zak Boggs and Darrius Barnes may provide a lone bright spot on 2011's gloomy MLS campaign as finalists for two MLS End-Of-Season Awards. The following is directly off the press release:
Two New England Revolution players are among the three finalists for year-end Major League Soccer awards, the league announced today. Defender Darrius Barnes is a finalist for the Xbox 360 Fair Play Award, while midfielder Zak Boggs is a finalist for the MLS W.O.R.K.S Humanitarian of the Year Award. The winners of both awards will be announced later this week.
The Xbox 360 Fair Play Award will be announced on Tuesday, Nov. 8. Barnes is joined among the finalists by Colorado defender Kosuke Kimura and Philadelphia forward Sebastien Le Toux.
The MLS W.O.R.K.S. Humanitarian of the Year Award will be announced on Wednesday, Nov. 9. Joining Boggs as finalists are Houston midfielder Brad Davis and San Jose forward Chris Wondolowski.
The Fair Play Award this year is being awarded based on objective criteria, including fewest fouls committed and cards received, and a subjective evaluation of sportsman-like behavior. In 2011, Barnes made 28 appearances, including 25 starts. He committed just 14 fouls playing both left and right back and center back. Additionally, he was only issued one caution and no ejections this year.
Boggs' work in Dr. Marsha Moses' lab at Children's Hospital Boston has the potential to solve one of humanity's greatest evils: cancer. Each week, Boggs goes into Boston to help Moses and her staff research potential cancer diagnostics and prognostics. Specifically, he is helping to attempt to find proteins in the body that would more clearly identify someone who has cancer from someone who does not. Not only has Boggs been a fixture in Moses' lab since 2010 - when a concussion sidelined him for the entire second half of the MLS season - but Boggs has also been a regular visitor to patients at Children's Hospital through the team's monthly visits.
Boggs was a co-winner of the New England Revolution's own Humanitarian of the Year award with Matt Reis. The last Revs player to win the award at the league level was Michael Parkhurst in 2006. The last Rev to win the Fair Play award was then-captain and current Houston Dynamo assistant coach Steve Ralston in 2009.
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Upside Down Awards
Call me jadded but should we really be proud of a defender that only committed 14 fouls, got 1 yellow but is RESPONSIBLE for numerous goals?
I am about fair play but when it comes to the pro game, I favor the cynical professional foul to prevent a goal rather than the fair play one.
Darius Barnes might be a fair play guy but he has had his lunch eaten several times during the season. May be it is not fair play mark but more a softy mark. I am not sure he should be rewarded for being fair play in the second worst MLS defense.
Regarding Boggs, I agree that he is a heck of a human being. The problem is that he is pro soccer player and he is terrible at this. He should hang his cleats and get a job at the lab. He has no room on the football field. Rewarding his outstanding contributions is great but let’s not forget how terrible he is.
I really hope neither of them get the award because the FO marketing machine will then go in full force to the tune of “We might suck on the field but we are GOOD guys!”
I rather have DP who do not win the Fair Play award (e.g. Becks with all his yellow card) and players whose accomplishment off the field are matched by their accomplishment on the field.
Go Revs!
I disagree on Barnes
He had to play out of position a lot this year and did very well in unfamiliar roles. At the end of the season when Soares was hurt and the team was reeling, EVERYONE had their lunch eaten in defense. If I had to pick a guy that performed adequately on the back line besides Soares, it would be Barnes. Furthermore, Michael Parkhurst won the Fair Play award in ‘07 – the same year he won Defender of the Year. I’m also pretty certain he was never sent off in MLS action. Does his aversion to the cynical foul make him a poor player?
As for Boggs, that award has absolutely zero to do with anything that goes on during gametime, so regardless of how you feel about his play (and I agree with your feelings there), they don’t mean squat. He’s a hell of a guy and a great humanitarian, and should be honored for it.
Founder and Editor of The Bent Musket on SBNation.
Twitter: @Stoehrst or @TheBentMusket
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