Jon Jones Receives No AP Athlete of the Year Votes

Despite having what many (including myself) feel is, without a doubt, the greatest year in the history of mixed martial arts, Jon Jones did not receive a single vote in the AP vote for Athlete of the Year. To Mike Chiapetta of MMA Fighting, this was proof that it is the mainstream that needs to catch up to MMA, not vice versa.

From the article:

I'm not arguing that Jones should have won the award. The winner, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, had an amazing calendar year. He won the Super Bowl, led his team to a 19-game win streak and has them in position to possibly repeat. Runner-up Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers won both the American League Most Valuable Player and Cy Young awards, the first pitcher to do that in 27 years. Third-place went to tennis star Novak Djokovic, who won 10 tournaments -- including three majors -- and finished the year with an exceptional 70-6 record.

...

Jones, MMA Fighting's Fighter of the Year, had arguably the best calendar year in MMA history, winning four matches overall, defeating three former UFC champions and becoming the youngest title holder in UFC history. He wasn't exactly invisible doing it, either. He was a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and on the day of his title win, helped thwart a robbery, an act that resulted in major national attention.

If a boxer like Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather put together a year like that, you better believe that they would have earned votes.

But because Jones fights in a cage instead of a ring, his accomplishments go unappreciated and unrecognized. It's not like this was a small sample size; 212 alleged experts in sports cast ballots for the award.

The problem with saying this is an example of a larger ignorance of MMA is that to vote for Jones meant that the voters would have had to have not voted for who they truly felt was deserving of the award. Yes, maybe some (most) of the voters are ignorant of MMA, but would more information have caused them to vote for Jones over Rogers? Is a courtesy vote really that important?

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it's a shame, but not surprising. the ufc has a long way to go before AP voters put a ufc fighter of a guy like Rodgers, LeBron, Pujols, etc.

maybe one day

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Posted by Poor_Franklin

it's a shame, but not surprising. the ufc has a long way to go before AP voters put a ufc fighter of a guy like Rodgers, LeBron, Pujols, etc.

maybe one day

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This

People's hatred for the man is getting in the way of their logical thinking. I don't like Bones but dude had the best year then anyone has in a LONG time!

really not even one vote?? thats insane. I can understand not winning but not even one vote?? that is a hard title to win though, the last basketball player was jordan in 1993 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associated_Press_Athlete_of_the_Year

there is the list of all the winners, its pretty much nothing but 1st ballot haller famers but still not one vote

He didn't deserve a 1st place vote, so how is that crazy?

The first two guys could of been switched in order. I personally believe Verlander deserved it, just because of the amazing year he had. Cy young and MVP, thats nuts.

I am not a fan of Jon Jones, nor hate the guy, but I think its going to be some time before you see a MMA fighter in the TOP 3.
I think for a fighter to be considered to win over hockey, nba or football, they will have to fight like 5 times or more a year. I doubt that will ever happen, because at the pace most these guys fight twice a year. I do give props to Jones fighting 4 times this year, i think guys fight less than how often they could fight (if not injured).

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Posted by Poor_Franklin

it's a shame, but not surprising. the ufc has a long way to go before AP voters put a ufc fighter of a guy like Rodgers, LeBron, Pujols, etc.

maybe one day

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Seriously if jones had won a fight every month in a year he still wouldnt get the respect from the AP...It will take another 20 years at least for honorable mention...

I just dont see MMA getting big enough to rival team sports...maybe in 20 years with popualtion growth and deeper pools of fighters skilled but now its still a bit new to most people...

Not sure why this comes as a surprise to anyone. If you ever watch any of the ESPN talk shows like PTI or Around the Horn, you can easily see that nearly all of those sports writers loathe MMA. They refuse to acknowledge it and Kornholer and Wilbum go as far to compare it all to inhumane street brawling. I agree it isn't for everyone, but people who think it's too violent but enjoy watching one huge dude slam another guy into the ground, giving him a concussion, are complete hypocrites. I guess if there is a ball involved violence is justified...or a puck in the case of those hockey fights.

I know this won't be the popular opinion but for me I don't watch sports.
To me, MMA is the only sport. Everything else is just a group of people with a strange obsession over balls.

He should have received a few votes

Verlander's MVP was a joke. i personally would have voted for Novak Djokovic to win.

back on topic, its sad that not one vote went to him. i didnt expect a top 5 finish or anything but some recognition is nice. give it a few years before the dinosaurs who are current voters are gone before MMA fighters get noticed

I'm pretty ignorant here as im from the UK so im guessing the judges for this are American is that right, I love most sports but do not follow baseball or American football so the guys who came 1st and 2nd I've never heard of. Djokovic had a great year and I think people from around the world will know that and im probably going to get slammed for this but around the world people are more likely to know Jones than they are the guys who came 1st and 2nd just not in america

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But because Jones fights in a cage instead of a ring, his accomplishments go unappreciated and unrecognized.

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I'd also like to address the idea that a boxer would receive consideration. In 2008, Manny Pacquiao defeated Juan Manuel Marquez in a title bout at 130 pounds in a battle between two of the top three pound for pound fighters in the sport. Manny then went up to 135 and beat one of the top two lightweights in the world in David Diaz to capture a title, then went all the way up to 147 and decimated Oscar De La Hoya in a huge fight. He also received zero AP Athlete of the Year votes.

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I don't know why the `cage instead of a ring` comment gets thrown in there when a little later in the article he refutes it.

Anyways, 4 boxers have won it in the last 80 years; all 4 were Heavyweights. You have to be a Heavyweight in a combat sport to even attempt to contend for awards like this that are glorified popularity contests of who made the most headlines. Being a 'pick only one' style poll, it's not surprising at all. Only 5 athletes worldwide even received a vote. There wasn't a single vote for an NBA player either, that doesn't mean the NBA isn't mainstream. This isn't the type of poll a Jon Jones from MMA would be close to getting a vote in.

Aaron Rodgers 112
Justin Verlander 50
Novak Djokovic 21
Cam Newton 6
Tony Stewart 5

Voting Results above were used from this ESPN article

EDIT: For those wondering why on the Cam Newton votes over other QB's or other athletes, the BCS Championship he won at Auburn was in 2011 to go along with what he accomplished in the NFL.