The new Comeback Player of the Year guidelines may frustrate some bettors

The Associated Press, after years of providing no guidance whatsoever on what “Comeback Player of the Year” means, has finally given voters something more than “comeback.”

“The spirit of the AP Comeback Player of the Year Award is to honor a player who has demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity due to overcoming illness, physical injury or other circumstances causing him to miss playing time last season,” the AP told voters on Tuesday.

In other words, “Coming Back from Sucking” is no longer a thing. Likewise, “Coming Back from Being a Backup” apparently doesn’t qualify the player for the prize. (That said, being benched would arguably count as “other circumstances that caused him to miss playing time last season.”)

Considering the change was sparked by Geno Smith winning the award in 2022 and undoubtedly exacerbated by Damar Hamlin not winning it in 2023, the “Coming Back from Being a Backup” subcategory is presumably dead.

If that’s the case (as it seems to be), anyone who dropped some money on, say, Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson at 12-1 (or so) might be a little upset right now.

Of course, the AP may allow Wilson to be considered because he arguably had “other circumstances” (contractual complications) that led to his benching. But even if he had finished the season as a starter, he would not have had a shot at the award before the change in standards.

Another player people may have placed bets on is Steelers quarterback Justin Fields (perhaps “other circumstances” apply to him). Or how about Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, at 30-1?

He didn’t play last year, but he wasn’t injured or sick. He was simply number 2 behind Brock Purdy in San Francisco. So if Darnold wins the starting job in Minnesota and has a career year under coach Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings go to the playoffs, will Darnold be eligible? Apparently not.

That’s the risk of betting on sportsbooks that are the result of a vote. In addition to the inherently subjective nature of the process, the standard may change after you place the bet.

It will be interesting to see if any of the sportsbooks will offer to refund bets placed on players who have not missed any time due to illness or injury in 2023, and who simply return from sucking and/or not in the match to sit. Starting position. It will also be interesting to see if any players are removed from the board.

The purpose of this change was undoubtedly to solve a very specific problem. Like many similar, well-intentioned efforts, this can lead to several unintended consequences.