Christian Ponder launches Heisman Trophy campaign website
At exactly 12:01 a.m. Wednesday morning, Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder’s Heisman Trophy campaign website launched across the world.
The site itself is flashy and professional. It features an “About Christian” link, which emphasizes his remarkable feat of earning his undergraduate degree in 2.5 years.
There is also a “Media Gallery” section, which features several videos, including one of Ponder and Seminole punter Shawn Powell horsing around on a golf course. There is also a link to the latest news articles across the country about Ponder.
The site is impressive for sure, but count me in as someone who thinks it’s hardly necessary.
No Heisman winner in the history of the award had his own official pre-season campaign.
Some of the more notable campaigns in recent history included Eric Berry and C.J. Spiller (2009), Michael Crabtree and Graham Harrell (2008). Washington quarterback Jake Locker has also begun his own personal appeal to the east coast media to be named a Heisman favorite.
This stuff is stupid. While the exposure might help a guy from a team that doesn’t normally get much, like Joey Harrington at Oregon in 2001, it’s not going to make you win (Harrington finished fourth).
The only way someone is going to win the Heisman Trophy is by having the best year. The biggest bias in the awarding the trophy belongs to quarterbacks and running backs anyway, so if Ponder has the numbers to win, he’ll win. The website is just for glitz.
The Heisman Pundit blog created a list of the 10 Heismandments in 2004, and it is spot on. None of them mention an official campaign (to be fair, Hesimandment No. 4 states the winner must have prior name recognition, but Ponder fits that bill without the new website).
When push comes to shove, if the freaking quarterback for freaking Florida State has a huge year and the Seminoles win at least 9 games, he’ll be in New York with as good a chance as anyone to win.
Think about it: if Florida State’s “return to glory” season turns out to be 2010, with Ponder as the posterboy, every Heisman voter in the country will be riding his jock harder than anyone since Reggie Bush.
If Ponder were a Florida Atlantic Owl, the site would merit more attention. The fact of the matter is, he’s a Florida State Seminole, and he’s a darn good quarterback. There’s your campaign right there.
