Bjerg gets MVP

OHminus·Sep 2, 2017·8 votes·816 views

...but why? There were 2 guys that arguably deserved it over him (Olleh and Jensen), not to mention Bjerg has won an MVP every season (season 4, season 5 spring splits, season 6 summer). His performance this split was arguably weaker than that of his other MVP splits, especially during his first split in season 4. Olleh has hard carried IMT to multiple victories as the support while Jensen has posted mind blowing statistics this split. Heck, I would even include Flame in the MVP convo.

With so many choices, the casters choose ... Bjerg again? Does Riot have a thing where the NA LCS MVP goes to Bjerg every other split?

Disclaimer: I don't hate Bjerg and I acknowledge he's a great mid laner, the best in NA and possibly top 5 in the world. But he only performed, imo, at an MVP level during the last 5-6 series, while players like Olleh and Jensen have been playing at that form all split long.

21 Comments

III BAKURYU III Sep 2, 20173 votes

Jensen/Olleh/Ssumday/Bjergsen/Xmithie

Ssumday is eliminated first off mainly because another player post the same kind of stats and even carries his team in the early game better than him and he wasn't even named with 1st-3rd team top(Darshan).

Jensen, honestly his numbers are impressive but at the same time, his team really fell off whenever he was impressive. It's hard to explain but looking at the games where he would get so many gold leads, kill leads, cs leads within 15 mins and do nothing with those leads, is kinda the same that everyone tells people in solo Q( Get good and carry), Bjergsen is in the Finals, while Jensen is already eliminated in the first round.......again.
Said this in like week 3, Jensen really just seemed to have had his own personal vendetta to be the best mid within Stats, while another mid won while being very similar within those stats for his team. Mind blowing stats are nice but it's not the end all be all.

In my opinion to somewhat agree, I do think either Olleh or my pick for MVP(Xmithie) should have won, it's hard enough to play the jungle or support role but to carry from those roles is something else.

Overall, anyone upset with the Bjergsen MVP just watch Worlds when C9/IMT will most likely get further than TSM does within Groups anyways.

WhiperSnapersSep 3, 20171 votes

Overall, anyone upset with the Bjergsen MVP just watch Worlds when C9/IMT will most likely get further than TSM does within Groups anyways.

I like the points you made, but honestly this^ not really a fair thing to say...

Last worlds they were in the toughest group and Doublelift had to be the sole shotcaller (Bjergsen lost his voice due to illness) in a meta (jhin/ashe) that didnt fit his playstyle all while sharing a lane with a visibly nervous rookie (with the least experience of any NA player at the tournament). Even though C9 managed to make it further, they still did better than other two NA teams given the circumstances:

---CLG went (3-3) in group, taking a game off of ROX (who went 2-3 against SKT in the semifinals but also lost to a wildcard team) but couldnt get out of the easiest of the three groups.

---TSM went (3-3) in group, taking a game off of SSG (whose only other losses came from SKT in the finals where they nearly reverse swept the tournament favorite).

---C9 went (3-3) in group, but couldnt take a single game off of SKT... They made it out of group stage because SKT was finally able to break their curse, ending their losing streak to FW. Once in groupstage C9 went (0-3) against SSG.

III BAKURYU III Sep 3, 20171 votes

Indeed, last year was honestly NA's best Worlds performance, I don't care about 2014 C9/TSM making it out of groups when both teams were in "easy" groups. It really comes to down execution and how the teams stack up, 2016 TSM was by far 10X stronger than the 2014 and same goes for C9 present to past at the time. Overall, here's what bothers me about NA, hard, easy, whatever group.

They/we always have leads in groups.
2014 LMQ 2-0 - finshed 2-4 TSM 3-1 - finished 4-2 C9 2-0 - finished 4-3

2015 CLG 2-0 - finshed 2-4 C9 3-0 - finished 3-4 TSM 1-1 - finished 1-5

2016 C9, CLG and TSM all 2-1 before the second half - all finished 3-3

You would think after starting off so well NA could actually close out a group stage, instead of fumbling against a team that was by far weaker like in 2014 against SK Gaming, losing a tie-breaker not once(2014 NJS) but also in 2015( AHQ), losing multiple times in groups to IWC teams ( Pain Gaming 2x, Albus Nox 2x) having another team pretty much help you get out of groups(2016 SKT).

Sagan ForeverSep 2, 20173 votes

In NA MVP is very mid lane and jungle focused. Just like how in Korea it is either midlaners or top laners. So it was likely to be Berjsen, Jensen, or Xsmithy. If you look at the MVP votes Jensen and Berj were tied, but Berj had 4 more MVP of the series awards giving him the win. I personally wanted Olleh to win, but Berj played well enough that I am content with him getting MVP. Ps with the Immortal coach getting MVP it may be they they credited the success of immortals to the coach.

Somebody Love MeSep 2, 20173 votes

Don't the players and the staff vote on MVP?

Bjergsen got the win, but it was actually pretty close.

IncrediPhiLLSep 2, 20172 votes

RIOT is one big TSM circle jerk. Don't be so surprised. These awards don't mean anything because RIOT simply throws it all at TSM anyway. Bjergson doesn't get all NA mid laner? Don't worry Reginald, we gotchu from here. BTW, here is another NA championship. We had it made 3 years ago in anticipation fort his moment.

One big snoozefest. Reginald gonna get his trophy and then go embarrass the entire country at worlds the way only Reginald can do. He's a detriment to the sport and the sooner he leaves it altogether, the better it will be. He is the most important person of the RIOT organization and the LOL Esport scene in the entire world... he dictates the popularity of the sport and RIOT will do anything to please him instead of the fans. Bjergson gets beat out in every single stat by another mid laner, then loses to said mid laner for the all NA team... but somehow steal beats that same mid laner for MVP? Yeah... doesn't add up. This is Reginald getting his way again. He'll get his way again tomorrow.

TSM wins all the NA tournaments. That's what it's all about anymore. Nothing to do with skill. Just trying to save a dying breed by making the biggest fan base as happy as possible, even though it makes no sense and RIOT can find now way to justify it. I called it in week 1 and here we are. They keep doing this, people are going to continue to turn away.

We'll get a "good" finals B05 tomorrow, but you just watch, it will be TSM standing there with the trophy and the smug looks on their faces while Reginald gets patted on the back by RIOT. I just wonder how many times Immortals will forget to push R or forget that blast cones shoot them back into a fight before Reginald gets the win. I hope they don't make it as obvious as C9 did last year.

Virgin RaySep 2, 20172 votes

It doesn't matter if he won MVP awards before, giving someone else a chance because they never had it is not the way to determine the MVP.

OHminusSep 2, 20173 votes

Yes, but my point here is that Bjerg's performance this season was not like any of the seasons he won MVP. Looking back to the early part of the season, he was a big part for TSM's losses, as he didn't quite understand the Galio pick back then. Even later in the split, his play just didn't look that impressive. Sure, he won lane, did his job, but was he an MVP? Probably not.

Just based on this one split, Olleh, Xmithie, Flame, Jensen and maybe even DLift imo seemed like better players.

ChompyWulfSep 2, 20171 votes

DLift was forgettable and at best top five the first half of the split, he should be further from MVP than Bjerg. I would even say Dardoch is more worthy of consideration than Flame.

Virgin RaySep 3, 20171 votes

that's just pushing it way too hard xd.

ChompyWulfSep 4, 20171 votes

Pushing what? I won't deny how effective DLift has been on the second half of the split and playoffs, but first half he was no better or distinguishable from Turtle. Meanwhile the meta shift has done the opposite to Flame. He started out great bullying with fighters like J4 or Renek, but fades hard in the tank meta after winning lane.

Virgin RaySep 4, 20171 votes

I would even say Dardoch is more worthy of consideration than Flame.

that is pushing too hard

BigBellBruteSep 3, 20171 votes

{quoted}

It doesn't matter if he won MVP awards before, giving someone else a chance because they never had it is not the way to determine the MVP.

Nor is giving it to him because he won them before.

ChompyWulfSep 2, 20172 votes

I think some players were getting votes based on habits of them being called best and not from performance. Contractz getting second team jungle over LirA, DLift getting First team when he was being carried the first half of the split, Smoothie getting second team when he was shaky all split...

Bjerg was one of the best mids, but far from the most influential and valuable player. It's a shame Olleh didn't even break top three in voting.

BigBellBruteSep 3, 20171 votes

{quoted}

I think some players were getting votes based on habits of them being called best and not from performance. Contractz getting second team jungle over LirA, DLift getting First team when he was being carried the first half of the split, Smoothie getting second team when he was shaky all split...

Bjerg was one of the best mids, but far from the most influential and valuable player. It's a shame Olleh didn't even break top three in voting.

I think Xmithie was hurt because there was another legit MVP candidate on his own team and two others on his team got votes. Really it hurt Olleh too.

KinjishiSep 3, 20172 votes

MVP is more of a popularity vote than a true and meaningful most valuable player award. Haven't ever put any stock in it. The results on the rift speak for themselves - and Bjerg with TSM suck at Worlds repeatedly. Win domestically all you want, but having Doublelift didn't help them last year either (probably a repeat this year, too).

Miror BSep 3, 20171 votes

I personally upvoted this, and am sorta glad that the people who do the MVP voting for this aren't in charge of actual sports like football or hockey:

NFL Rep: "Ok, so the finalists for MVP are Tom Brady, JJ Watt, and Derek Carr" LCS MVP Voter: "The Patriots won the championship, right?" NFL Rep: "Yes." LCS MVP Voter: "My vote is for Brady then!" NFL Rep: "But JJ Watt was responsible for 60% of his team's defensive stats while Brady's team did better despite him doing 20% less." LCS MVP Voter: "Brady! Oh, and give Belichick coach of the year and give one of their random rookies that award as well."

Just because teams do well doesn't mean they should get ALL of the trophies.

MysterQSep 3, 20171 votes

The NBA MVP this season between RW and JH (and others).

Miror BSep 3, 20171 votes

Neither of which got close to the championship, as they basically hard-carried their teams and prevented them from being complete garbage (OKC being notable as many people expected that team to miss the playoffs due to all the post-KD roster shifts).

MysterQSep 3, 20171 votes

Yea my point. But even so, RW was getting A LOT of hate (or debate) saying that OKC not being a top3/6 team means he does not deserve MVP despite carrying such a weak roster.

Miror BSep 3, 20171 votes

Sorta. Many people saw what he did this season and thought "hey, that team isn't top-3 in the west so they're shite, so he doesn't deserve MVP". The fact they barely dropped off despite losing a guy who would go on to be the finals MVP, and did so despite having a roster who barring him had a wAR factor of -2.7 (wAR being wins above replacement, or how many wins the average player at their respective position would contribute to the team based on stats), and you could argue that him winning it was indeed the correct call even if many of the commoners didn't agree.