Every year we indulge ourselves in award shows. From the Oscars to the Espys we just can't turn away. This year I figured why not one more, so I'd like to introduce you to the Eddies, and no these awards have nothing to do with Iron Maiden. This award is honor of the great Eddie DeBartolo Jr., the man who gave us the 49ers dynasty. So without further ado I present to you the Midseason Eddie Awards.Offensive MVP: Frank Gore and Alex Smith are both deserving of this honor, but through eight games Frank Gore gets the nod. The second year back out of the "M" is eighth in rushing yards and sixth in yards from scrimmage. Gore has had a few mishaps this season, mainly in holding onto the ball, but Frank keeps the 49ers in games with his legs. Just imagine the yards he'd have if the 49ers didn't play catch up through most the season.
Defensive MVP: There is not a whole lot to chose from with this unit, but so far on the season the MVP goes to Walt Harris. In seven games this season Harris has 27 tackles, four interceptions, and six passes defended. One of the few bright spots on a poor defense.
Rookie of the Year: Manny Lawson wins this award at midseason. He is one of the few rookies who has stayed healthy and has contributed to the team week in and week out. Runner-up goes to Melvin Oliver the rookie out of LSU who has earned himself a starting spot on the defensive line.
Biggest Disappointment (Offense): This race has come down to the wire. The top choices are Kwame Harris, Jonas Jennings, and Vernon Davis. The Eddie goes to Jonas Jennings, mainly because he was payed lots of money to solidify the left
tackle spot only to miss more time with injuries. Most thought Kwame Harris would win this award, but this isn't the first season he has disappointed.
Biggest Disappointment (Defense): Derek Smith wins by a landslide. We've all heard the Smith homers talk about his 100 tackle seasons, whoop-dee-frickin-doo. A middle linebacker should have 100 tackles. It is what Smith doesn't do that wins him this award, such as missed tackles and poor coverage. Factor in that along with his decision to continue to play with only one good eye, Smith is a no-brainer.
Biggest Disappointment (Rookie): Vernon Davis wins this award. The number six overall pick has played in three games and was supposed to be a big part of the offense. Davis has a chance to rebound once he comes back from injury, but he'll have to really shine to not win this award again by seasons end.
Special Teams MVP: Joe Nedney was a shoe in at the beginning of the season for this award, but due to some unfortunate misses he loses this award to punter Andy Lee, who is having his best season yet with an average of 43.5 yards per punt and 11 inside the 20.
Well there you have it, those are the Midseason Eddie Awards. At the end of the season we'll hand out more Eddie Awards. Now the question is will the same winners win again, or will others step up or step down? We'll just have to wait and see.
