So ESPN's Top 50 Players of the World Cup list came out Monday. Awesome, right? Because... lists? Everybody likes lists, right? Looks great on Digg, doesn't it?
The main problem I have with this list is the sheer meaninglessness of it. ESPN thinks Leo Messi(1) is a better player than Cristiano Ronaldo(2)? Stop the flipping presses. Wayne Rooney(3) is the best striker in the Premiership? Thanks for that, but I was kinda clued in by the twenty-three goals he's scored so far this season.
Although I would like to meet the person who decided that eight-goals-in-twenty-one-matches Sammy Eto'o (13) is better than the nine goals in fourteen matches of Luis Fabiano (14). Or how both are somehow better than Carlos Tevez (24) and Cesc Fabregas (16). Michael Essien (10) is a great player, but if he's "better" than David Villa (11), something is seriously wrong. Villa won the Golden Boot at Euro 2008, and is sitting on top of the La Liga scorers table. John Terry (37) is a central defender and has scored more goals this season than striker Miroslav Klose (34), but is ranked below the German. And why is Miroslav Klose, who has just a single league goal this season, even mentioned?
Is it because this list is nothing more than World Cup flavored filler requiring almost no research whatsoever but guaranteed to light up the footballing twittersphere and bring in the pageviews? Surely not...
And where the hell is Xabi Alonso? Go ask Liverpool fans how important he is.
And nice cop-out on ranking Landon Donovan #50, ESPN. By putting him last, you've been able to claim that an American is one of the 50 best players in the World Cup without actually saying he's better than anyone. Except, you know, the players not on the list. Like Xabi Alonso. Or Ronaldinho. Or Antonio Di Natale. Or Sergio Ramos. Or Robinho. Hell, ESPN should be damn happy that qualification kept Andrei Arshavin, Edin Dzeko, and Zlatan Ibrahimovich out of the tournament, or they'd have some serious shoehorning to do.
What's that? Too many Spaniards and Brazilians in the list? Not enough of a worldwide mixing bowl? Well too bad, they've earned those places. Don't change the science to fit the results, ESPN. You're one of the few outlets with the resources and the clout to do serious, interesting reporting. Leave the pointless lists to us bloggers. You can afford to do better.
