My first reaction was to bestow this award on the Seattle Seahawks. Not the offense. Not the defense. Not just the team. But the entire Seattle Football franchise and its ill fated 30-year legacy. Last night, the Seahawks definitely stepped out of NFL obscurity, shedding yet another perennial monkey from its back, winning a game in the Eastern time zone. Again, the fact that this game was under moonight, instead of sunlight, may have assisted in that respect, but it was a global coming out party for the franchise who everyone thought still needed to prove something.
Then there was the image of billionaire software magnate Paul Allen, standing on the sideline snowstorm, in his Dr. Zhivago fez, and I thought, THERE'S a potential MGA Award winner. I mean, in a league with Jerry Jones, Daniel Snyder and Al Davis, Paul Allen is one of the MOST obscure major sports team owners, who for the fist several years of presiding over this franchise, only seemed to be moonliging in the NFL. Then reality set in and I figured that anyone who cofounded Micro$oft with Bill Gate$, and is described as a BILLIONAIRE software magnate couldn't really be considered for this award.
So I had to look at the players.
On the initial scoring drive, the big name 'regulars' stepped up, Matt, Jerramy, Shaun, Bobby, the O-line, so there were no MGA eligible players there. By the time the game was out of reach, Holms called it so conservatively, not to show up his good friend Andy Reid, that AVIS, Weaver and MoMo didn't get a chance to pick up some MGA love either.
The game was put out of reach by two Andre Dyson TDs, one Lofa Tatupu TD, and a Michael Boulware INT that was returned inside the 5, setting up an each TD for Shaun Alexander. Even though Lofa is a rookie, and this was definitely a breakout game for Dyson as a Seahawk, these guys are all household names, at least to the Seahawk faithful, so they didn't fit the MGA requirements.
NO, this week's MGA award goes to a guy who really won it before the game really got going, as he announced his name, position, and college on the MNF player self-introductions. This award goes to a guy claimed off waivers who was described as the "Seahawks' summer boy on the bubble" in training camp, and to someone who nearly gave up on his NFL dreams as he bounced from team to team trying to make a roster.
"It's disheartening to get a call and then get your hopes up and then nothing. You don't get a call back from anybody. While everybody was playing the games, I was just working out, trying to be ready for that one call I hoped would be the right one. But there was nothing I could do about it."
In true MGA fashion though, this player did NOT give up, and hung in there until the RIGHT TEAM did make that call.
"He's not going to be the guy that runs the fastest, or does all the jumps," Ruskell said. "But when you watched him at the University of Arizona what struck you was just the effort at everything that he does. That's the only way he knows. He can't choke it down. He can't only go half. He's one of those high-motor guys."
So, when he got his first NFL START, on Monday Night Football, and said these fateful words, "Joe Tafoya, Defensive End, University of Arizona", he stepped out of obscurity and into the MGA Limelight. Then he proceeded to go out and pick up 2 Tackles, 1 Assist, a Sack and a Forced Fumble, cementing his selection as the Week 12 Moonlight Graham Award winner.
Congratulations, to the "average Joe". Much like the Seattle football franchise, and all of their long-suffering, faithful fans, your patience, persistence and never-say-die attitude has finally paid off!
BONUS: click the picture of Joe Tafoya to hear his post game comments.
