2017: Award Nominees Part 2

For most of us, the season is over, and the lucky few are pressing on with their playoff dreams. We still have the forfeit playoffs, but our chances of winning the title are zilch. But, you can still win something, as we have the annual LOC awards!!

Awards and Nominees

Coach of the Year: The coach that was astounding in a variety of areas throughout the season. A master at picking the right players, managing the roster, and above all winning games

1. Dave Stubbs: Now it might surprise you to see Coach Stubbs Sr nominated for this, but it's easy to forget how good his team was at the start of the season. Yeah, they lost Rodgers in the middle which scuppered things, but they also had more injuries and recovered from it all to nearly sneak a playoff spot. A fine coaching effort. 

2. Pat Allen: What can you say about Coach Allen? Well, for the second year in the row his side has been one of the best in the league. They've been pretty good at picking the right side all year long, and have had a number of great performances. 

3. Ben Sherwood: Everything I said about Coach Allen, applies here as well. Except Coach Sherwood has staved off a Corona Bowl hangover to have another strong season. What's more, they've scarcely made a waiver move all year, making team selection that much more important. 

4. Chris Leach: Two years ago if we told Chris he was in contention for Coach of the Year he'd probably say we were dreaming, but here we are. And it's a thoroughly deserved nomination. They've arguably been the best team this year, posting great scores week in week out, and achieved double digit wins. Hats off to Chris. 

General Manager of the Year: The GM that had a great draft, executed good trades, and was consistently playing the waiver wire and free agents to field a team

1. Naithan Stubbs: An award Coach Stubbs Jr is no stranger to winning, and this has been another fine season. They came out of the draft with a very strong team, but suffered countless injuries in the first month of the season, including losing 5 players to IR. Through a series of short term trades and expert waiver adds, the team had enough talent to achieve a winning season. 

2. Ollie Burdett: Much like Bear Necessities, it's easy to forget just how good Burdettinators were early in the seasons. They didn't get the wins, but this was a combo of leaving points on the bench and being outscored - not the GMs fault. The team has definitely been better than the record indicates. 

3. Phil Merritt: We said it early on, and it held true. This is probably the best team Coach Merritt has ever drafted. The lineup is just filled with studs, and they've been able to add a few pieces along the way to bolster this. They've been scored on a ton this year which has hit them in the win column, but the team itself has been strong.
4. Chris Leach: A deserving coach, but also a deserving GM. Coach Leach has had his fair share of gaffes in years past (Toby Gerhart anyone?), but they silenced the critics this year with a great draft, highlighted by 3 RB1s. They've picked up a number of contributors along the way as well, leading to a very deep roster.  

League Commissioner's Award: The Commissioner's personal award to individuals who show great sportsmanship, good efforts outside of the league, and provide contribution to the league off the field

1. Chris Leach: The co-host himself, we've grown accustomed to Chris's colour commentary on the podcast for many years, and this year was no different. Giving up many of his Thursday evenings to host the podcast, his contribution to the show has been invaluable and makes it a lot more watchable. 

2. Tom Barnes: No season in the LOC is without it's controversies and challenges, and while the commissioner is the face of the league, make no mistake the EDOTLOCCA does a lot behind the scenes to help. Not only this, we had a record number of articles this season.

3. Viv Nathwani: When no one else would, Viv put his hand up for the League Ombudsman role and was elected unanimously. While we haven't seen any articles, he has provided support to the league office with various challenges and decisions over the season. 

4. Ollie Burdett: Ollie has stepped in on the podcast a number of times this season when the co-host couldn't make it. What Ollie brings to the podcast is a less colourful style, but definitely a more analytical one, and his insights on the show make it a good change up from the colour commentary of the co-host.