Lamar Jackson Fanboys Hypocritically Call Josh Allen 'DEI MVP' | Bobby Burack

In a stunner to many, Bills quarterback Josh Allen was named NFL MVP on Thursday.

On the surface, Allen winning shouldn't be much of a surprise. He was the most valuable player in the NFL this season, considering where the Bills finished (second in the AFC) and the lack of talent around him. 

For context, three of Lamar Jackson's teammates made first-team All-Pro and none of Allen's did.

However, the media had pushed so hard for Jackson to win the award that the betting odds at the end of the season all but assured Jackson would claim his third MVP. The Lamar fanboys were convinced they had won the battle.

 So, seeing Allen up there on stage during the NFL Honors caused quite a shock.

Of course, there is a racial subplot to the upset. Any story involving Allen and Jackson is now inherently racial, as the sports media has spent years trying to incite a race war around the two-star quarterbacks. The screenwriters include Jemele Hill, Robert Griffin III, Bomani Jones, Domonique Foxworth, Kendrick Perkins, and Chris Canty, among many others.

Hence, "DEI MVP" is now trending on X.

The topic started with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson, who reacted live to the MVP announcement and repeatedly referenced how "good" one of their viewers was for calling Allen the "DEI MVP," suggesting he won the award because he is white. The title took on a life of its own after.

"Well if you know what the word ‘inclusion’ means, then Josh Allen is literally the definition of a DEI MVP," posted NFL PFWA voter Scott Kacsmar.

The founder of Black Sports Online also seemed to agree. ESPN writer David Dennis called Allen winning "another racial battlefield in sports." Even the popular NFL Memes account capitalized on the discussion:

Lamar Jackson Won Last Season's MVP

Were Allen and Jackson the same color, there would be no fuss around the award this year. There would've been widespread agreement that Josh Allen was the 2024 NFL MVP.

By the flawed standards of how the award is won, Allen was clearly the MVP. 

For over a decade, the MVP has gone to which of the four top-two seeded quarterbacks combining both conferences had the best individual season. This season, those candidates should have been Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Jared Goff, and Jalen Hurts. Allen had the best season of those four.

Last season, Jackson was the first quarterback to ever win MVP while ranking outside the top 10 in both passing yards and passing touchdowns. He only registered 29 total touchdowns in 2023, 15 fewer than Allen. Nonetheless, Jackson was the best of the four quarterbacks to earn a top two seed.

So be it.

This idea that Jackson deserved the MVP this year because he was the best statistical quarterback is inconsistent with past standards. Drew Brees never won an MVP award, despite often having better numbers than Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

The Ravens finished 3rd in the AFC with five losses. That, not race, is why Jackson was not the MVP.

The idea that racism lifted Allen over Jackson is also quite laughable, considering that Jackson has already won two MVPs. Patrick Mahomes has also won two.

As hard as it is for the sports media to stomach, sometimes white people deserve the award too – even in the "era of the black quarterback," as an ESPN editor recently declared this current era of the NFL.

Via Getty.

Media Calls Josh Allen ‘DEI MVP’

Further, there is only evidence of one actually DEI MVP. And many of the same commentators complaining about Allen winning the award helped enable it.

In 2023, Nikola Jokic had all be clinched the NBA MVP award. Then Kendrick Perkins appeared on ESPN and accused MVP voters of a racial bias against black players. 

There was no evidence to support Perkins' accusation. In fact, ESPN eventually apologized for Perkins falsely reporting that 80% of voters were white. Moreover, only five white players have ever won the award, compared to 29 different black players.

But the hell with the facts.

Perkins dared black voters to prove they were not "sellouts" and white voters to prove they were not "racists." And so they did. 

Embiid won the award, despite voters still struggling to make an actual case for him winning. Even ESPN's Bomani Jones laughed afterward at how Perkins cost Jokic the MVP by using the race card.

By definition, Joel Embiid is the real DEI MVP. 

But don't expect anyone to call him that. Racial double standards are real. Many sports commentators live in fear of them. So, expect Josh Allen to carry the "DEI MVP" moniker for years to come. 

Also, don't expect any white players to win the award in the near future.