[Ads-l] Problematic Definition of "M.V.P."

Barretts Mail mail.barretts at GMAIL.COM
Sun May 1 19:37:07 UTC 2022


Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Most_valuable_player <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Most_valuable_player>) says that an MVP award is given to a player in a league overall, in a particular competition, or on a specific team. I have a vague recollection that the Mariner’s had an MVP award given at each baseball game for the most valuable player in that game. The decision was made by spectator voting that took place during the game (due in the seventh inning?). 

The MLB (https://www.mlb.com/awards/most-valuable-player <https://www.mlb.com/awards/most-valuable-player>) says, "Since 1931, the Baseball Writers' Association of America has voted for the Most Valuable Player in each league."

The term is certainly used outside of sports as well. The OED has an example of a missile being an MVP.

https://roofingalliance.net/programs/mvp/ <https://roofingalliance.net/programs/mvp/>
The Roofing Alliance’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards program celebrates workers who are outstanding employees within their companies and recognizes them for their outstanding performance outside the workplace—their charitable deeds, community involvement, challenges they’ve overcome, dedication and commitment to helping others.

https://www.blackenterprise.com/push-it-to-the-limit-how-to-become-the-mvp-of-your-company/ <https://www.blackenterprise.com/push-it-to-the-limit-how-to-become-the-mvp-of-your-company/>
The first step in becoming extraordinary is relinquishing the “I’m only going to do just enough to survive” mindset and replacing it with a “I’m going to go over and beyond to stand out” mindset so that the likelihood of you moving from being just a team player to the company’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) will greatly increase.

https://www.breachsecurenow.com/2022/03/28/mvp-most-valuable-player/ <https://www.breachsecurenow.com/2022/03/28/mvp-most-valuable-player/>
Each and every time, human security training and awareness will be the MVP – Most Valuable Player (and product!) – in your client’s business, and overlooking that component will leave you scrambling to close the gaps no matter what solution is thrown at a problem. 

Microsoft has Most Valuable Professional, and Most Valuable Person (http://vietnam.renesas.com/community/mvp-award/ <http://vietnam.renesas.com/community/mvp-award/>) is also seen.

Benjamin Barrett (he/his/him)
Formerly of Seattle, WA

> On 1 May 2022, at 05:43, Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU> wrote:
> 
> The OED's definition of "M.V.P." is somewhat off-base. The definition is: "MVP n. U.S. Sport (originally Baseball) most valuable player, (an award given to) the best player in a team (also in extended use)."
> 
> If this definition was correct, there would be 30 M.V.P. awards given in baseball every year.  A better definition would be something like "an award given to the player in a league who was most valuable to his or her team's success."  (I realize that that definition is not entirely satisfactory either, since it ignores the complexities stemming from different criteria used by different sportswriters.)
> 


------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



More information about the Ads-l mailing list