ESPN's Page 2 recently put together a thought-provoking list of the 25 best seasons in individual sports history, with Wilt Chamberlain's 1961-62 campaign rated the best ever. Whether or not I agree with the particular order is moot. What I found most interesting is that Jerry Rice's 1987 season -- when the "Dancing with the Stars" winner caught a then-record 22 touchdown passes in 12 games in the strike-shortened season -- was rated the 11th best performance overall and the second-best in NFL history, only trailing Tom Brady's 2007 season, which was rated 5th overall. Yet Rice, for all the recognition he receives now, didn't even win the NFL MVP in 1987. The award that year went to John Elway, who is often credited with being the only great player on those many good Bronco teams of the late 80s and early 90s. Elway's stats in '87? He had 19 TDs and 12 INTs, an Eli-like completion percentage of 54.6 (which was below his own career average) and a QB rating of 83.4. Yeah, I know, statistics don't tell the true story. After all, what stat can account for the homoerotic man crash that sportswriters had on John Elway back then? Some geek ought to have devised this particular statistic by know, because it applies as equally to Brett Favre.

In its 51-year history, the Associated Press NFL has never been awarded to a wide receiver. Jerry Rice didn't get it in 1987 (even though the Page 2 scribes now consider it the second-greatest individual season in NFL history) and Randy Moss didn't receive it this year, even though he broke Rice's 20-year-old record for touchdown catches in a season. What's more, Moss didn't even receive a single vote! Of the 50 sportswriters who supposedly cover the NFL on a regular basis, 49 of them voted for Brady. Who'd the lone holdout vote for? John Elway, of course.

I'm kidding. He voted for Favre, using the old Elway logic that Favre was more valuable to his team than Brady was, because Favre has less talent to work with. Not to point out the obvious, but whose team set loads of NFL scoring records this season? And whose team didn't have that player last year, when he was playing in Oakland? That's right, the Patriots and Randy Moss, who should have at least received a single vote for NFL MVP this year.

I know, I know: A receiver is only as good as his quarterback. It's an old line, and frankly, a steaming pile of manure. Randy Moss is the difference-maker on the New England Patriots. His presence catapulted them from very good team to historic team. Sure, Tom Brady played a huge part in that too. But Brady doesn't spread the field. He doesn't draw safety coverage, allowing Wes Welker to squat down on 112 catches. He simply gets to sit back in his rocking chair, find out which options the defense has given him, then go to work. And all of that -- ALL OF IT -- is predicated on what Randy Moss is doing and where he is on the field. Take Moss off the field and Brady is back doing his dink-and-dunk routine to guys like Reche Caldwell and Troy Brown.

Should Randy Moss have won the NFL MVP? If I had a vote, I'd have certainly given it to him. That said, everyone is entitled to their own definition of "most valuable," which usually involves quarterbacks and running backs to the exclusion of everyone else. One of these centuries, however, it'd be nice if sportswriters actually included wide receivers in the discussion. A linebacker (Lawrence Taylor), a defensive end (Alan Page), and a freaking place kicker (Mark Moseley) have won the Associated Press Most Valuable Player, but Randy Moss can't even get a single vote from among 50 guys, and this after setting the all-time record for touchdown receptions? Way to be lemmings, sportswriters. If they didn't give it to Brady or Favre, they'd probably have given it to Stephen Gostkowski. After all, kickers account for points, and the Patriots scored more points than any team in history, and Gostkowski....Just shut it.

If Jerry Rice couldn't win in 1987, and Moss wasn't even worthy of a single vote this year, when will a wide receiver possibly win the NFL MVP Award from the Associated Press?