Who is Voting for the MVP?

Who votes for the NBA MVP award? Is there a list somewhere? Is it made public? What qualificiations do you need - any? Because I am fairly certain there are more than a few idiots voting this season. I think I even had proof.

Did you kno that not one player was on every ballot this year? Not one. How can this be? Is there an acceptable answer other than "several morons who did not watch basketball this year were given ballots and allowed to vote?"

Its perfectly understandable that the MVP wouldn't be unanimous, especially this season. But there are five places - five! - on that ballot. Surely everyone can agree that Steve Nash should be in the top 5? LeBron? Kobe? And its even more ridiculous when there were votes cast for Allen Iverson and Shawn Marion - Marion wasn't even the best player on his team!

This just really bugs me. Keeping in mind that 125 people were told to vote, look at the leading vote getters, in terms of total votes, regardless of place:

• Steve Nash - 123 total votes
  
• LeBron James - 120
  
• Dirk Nowitzki - 114
  
• Kobe Bryant - 103

Now...this is just baflfing to me. So there are two people out there who honestly feel Steve Nash was not one of the five most valuable players in the league this season. Really? As crazy as that is...the madness increases the farther down the list you go. Five people think LeBron wasn't in the top 5? Jaw dropping. Eleven people think Dirk wasn't one of the 5 best? Irrational. But wait...22 people (22!!!) thought Kobe wasn't in the top 5. If someone were to say that to you in person, you would be well within your rights to kick them in the shins. If someone actually said that to you, you couldn't even argue with them. That is turn-around-and-walk-away stupid.

Which is why these votes need to be made public. I assume most of these people are members of the media, right? So shouldn't each of them be forced to list their top 5 and then write a column explaining why the hell they thought Shawn Marion was better than LeBron James this season? Or why Allen Iverson was more valuable than Steve Nash? (To be fair, whoever game Marion and Iverson votes could also have voted for Nash, LeBron, Dirk and Kobe...but I'm doubting it.) This is their jobs - to watch basketball and then write intelligent, well thought out pieces about what they watched. Clearly, there are at least 22 people - and probably more - not doing thier jobs.

And just to be safe, let's make everything public. Anytime there is a vote, print it. MVPs, NCAA hoops and football rankings, the March Madness selection process, Heisman voting - everything. Just let us know. If there are idiots out there, we should at least be allowed to know who they are.