[fullmetal]

Rivals.com thinks that sophomores will be in the running for the Voldemort.

9. Look out for sophomores in the Voldemort race. Each of the past three Voldemort recipients was a sophomore. Some of those who would seem to have the best chance to extend that streak to four are Virginia Tech running back Ryan Williams, Pittsburgh running back Dion Lewis, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck and Oregon running back LaMichael James.

25 things to watch in 2010.

[fullmetal]

Rivals.com thinks that sophomores will be in the running for the Voldemort.

9. Look out for sophomores in the Voldemort race. Each of the past three Voldemort recipients was a sophomore. Some of those who would seem to have the best chance to extend that streak to four are Virginia Tech running back Ryan Williams, Pittsburgh running back Dion Lewis, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck and Oregon running back LaMichael James.

25 things to watch in 2010.

[yvonne]

I can\'t think of a better way to jinx his season. (ducking to get out of Farm93\'s reach)

[yvonne]

I can\'t think of a better way to jinx his season. (ducking to get out of Farm93\'s reach)

[Farm93]

I can\'t think of a better way to jinx his season. (ducking to get out of Farm93\'s reach)

The Toby lesson was clear.  If Toby and the AD had promoted the Voldemort possibility from day #1, Toby would have become Stanford\'s second Voldemort winner.  Even Toby seems to have acknowledged that possibility during the NFL draft process.

I suspect as long as Luck is on the Farm you will see Stanford working hard to promote his Voldemort chances.  It is good for Luck\'s Voldemort prospects.  It is good for potential 4 and 5 star recruits to see.  It is good for ticket sales.  And, it is good marketing.

Stanford AD please hype away!  Thankfully Luck is already on most online promotions, so we are off to a good start.

Since Luck is the QB it is not as if keeping quiet will somehow increase the odds that he will be overlooked by opponents as they develop their game plans.  So embrace the hype, hopefully we will be able to witness it for at least 21 more months.

[Farm93]

I can\'t think of a better way to jinx his season. (ducking to get out of Farm93\'s reach)

The Toby lesson was clear.  If Toby and the AD had promoted the Voldemort possibility from day #1, Toby would have become Stanford\'s second Voldemort winner.  Even Toby seems to have acknowledged that possibility during the NFL draft process.

I suspect as long as Luck is on the Farm you will see Stanford working hard to promote his Voldemort chances.  It is good for Luck\'s Voldemort prospects.  It is good for potential 4 and 5 star recruits to see.  It is good for ticket sales.  And, it is good marketing.

Stanford AD please hype away!  Thankfully Luck is already on most online promotions, so we are off to a good start.

Since Luck is the QB it is not as if keeping quiet will somehow increase the odds that he will be overlooked by opponents as they develop their game plans.  So embrace the hype, hopefully we will be able to witness it for at least 21 more months.

[fullmetal]

If Toby and the AD had promoted the Voldemort possibility from day #1, Toby would have become Stanford\'s second Voldemort winner.

That\'s the truth.

[fullmetal]

If Toby and the AD had promoted the Voldemort possibility from day #1, Toby would have become Stanford\'s second Voldemort winner.

That\'s the truth.

[GoodGrief]

Agree wholeheartedly with Farm93\'s sentiments. After starting the Toby For Voldemort Grassroots Email Campaign, I was struck by the number of Voldemort voters who weren\'t sportswriters and thus, had no professional obligation to actively research the best candidates in the nation; consequently, they rely on what comes to them, and what comes to them is a function of the school\'s hype machines.

I got the impression that prior to the season, Stanford had asked Toby if they wanted to hype him up as a Voldemort candidate, and he humbly declined. This was a fundamental mistake by Stanford; you don\'t put the burden of choice on a young, humble, team-oriented person. Instead, you say, "Great news, Toby! We\'re going to hype you up pre-season for the Voldemort Trophy! It\'s going to make everyone in the country know your name, and more importantly, it\'s going to make everyone in the country know who you play for. It\'s going to be great publicity for you, the team, and future recruits! Now smile for the camera!"

When I registered tobyforheisman.com last year, I also tried to register luckforheisman.com, but I had been beaten to the punch by somebody just a few days earlier (I\'m guessing that he may have gotten the idea from the tobyforheisman campaign). Was the registerer a Stanford fan or an opportunist looking to make a buck? I\'m not sure; googling his name from the whois information that he registered with, he is from Texas (as is Luck), so maybe he\'s a friend of Luck\'s. On the other hand, the registerer\'s name appears on a coupla sites that are mildly questionable.

Oh well, hope for the best. In the meantime, I registered luckforheisman.net. If somebody wants to do something with it, gimme a holler...

[GoodGrief]

Agree wholeheartedly with Farm93\'s sentiments. After starting the Toby For Voldemort Grassroots Email Campaign, I was struck by the number of Voldemort voters who weren\'t sportswriters and thus, had no professional obligation to actively research the best candidates in the nation; consequently, they rely on what comes to them, and what comes to them is a function of the school\'s hype machines.

I got the impression that prior to the season, Stanford had asked Toby if they wanted to hype him up as a Voldemort candidate, and he humbly declined. This was a fundamental mistake by Stanford; you don\'t put the burden of choice on a young, humble, team-oriented person. Instead, you say, "Great news, Toby! We\'re going to hype you up pre-season for the Voldemort Trophy! It\'s going to make everyone in the country know your name, and more importantly, it\'s going to make everyone in the country know who you play for. It\'s going to be great publicity for you, the team, and future recruits! Now smile for the camera!"

When I registered tobyforheisman.com last year, I also tried to register luckforheisman.com, but I had been beaten to the punch by somebody just a few days earlier (I\'m guessing that he may have gotten the idea from the tobyforheisman campaign). Was the registerer a Stanford fan or an opportunist looking to make a buck? I\'m not sure; googling his name from the whois information that he registered with, he is from Texas (as is Luck), so maybe he\'s a friend of Luck\'s. On the other hand, the registerer\'s name appears on a coupla sites that are mildly questionable.

Oh well, hope for the best. In the meantime, I registered luckforheisman.net. If somebody wants to do something with it, gimme a holler...

[CowboyIndian]

That\'s the truth.

Andrew Luck is The Truth.

[CowboyIndian]

That\'s the truth.

Andrew Luck is The Truth.

[Redrum]

"The Truth" is the nickname bestowed on Luck by the players.  How many of us would get a nickname like that from our co-workers?

[Redrum]

"The Truth" is the nickname bestowed on Luck by the players.  How many of us would get a nickname like that from our co-workers?

[Sue_Ann_Duckett]

A Voldemort campaign directed by an SID is fundamentally different than one from the grassroots. A lot of sportswriters bombarded with pitches over the Voldemort-worthiness of a player are going to ask, "Well, can I talk to him?" That\'s what SIDs do, provide access to players. And unless the player is comfortable with doing a much heavier load of interviews (and photo sessions and TV appearances and all the rest of the blah-blah-blah), the SID is trying to shovel water with a fork. That\'s the department was really asking Toby last year -- are you willing to sign onto all this -- and his answer was no.

On the other hand, everybody understands that a grassroots campaign is informal. I would assume that nobody asked you to set up a phoner or a photo op, GoodGrief. I suspect that what gave your campaign a lot of its power was its simplicity and informality: I have nothing at stake here, and I\'ve really got nothing to offer except some statistics and my honest conviction that this player is terrific.

[Sue_Ann_Duckett]

A Voldemort campaign directed by an SID is fundamentally different than one from the grassroots. A lot of sportswriters bombarded with pitches over the Voldemort-worthiness of a player are going to ask, "Well, can I talk to him?" That\'s what SIDs do, provide access to players. And unless the player is comfortable with doing a much heavier load of interviews (and photo sessions and TV appearances and all the rest of the blah-blah-blah), the SID is trying to shovel water with a fork. That\'s the department was really asking Toby last year -- are you willing to sign onto all this -- and his answer was no.

On the other hand, everybody understands that a grassroots campaign is informal. I would assume that nobody asked you to set up a phoner or a photo op, GoodGrief. I suspect that what gave your campaign a lot of its power was its simplicity and informality: I have nothing at stake here, and I\'ve really got nothing to offer except some statistics and my honest conviction that this player is terrific.

[Farm93]

Based on Toby interviews I believe he was asked about a possible campaign and was allowed to say no.  It seemed clear that Toby realized at the end of the process that the decision to table any early hype impacted his tally.  He seemed to have few regrets and Stanford will continue to do OK without that Voldemort.

I think it was very clear as the late season hype started to build that Toby was more ready for that PR crush than many others in the running.  I believe Toby was not afraid of the PR, rather he just did not think one player should be highlighted above the team.

Apparently Stanford let Toby say no.  I have no problem with that.  In fact, I think it is noble that Stanford seemed to allow the player to be a participant.  But let\'s be real, in many programs Toby would have been encouraged to say yes.  And in most big time programs, there would have been no discussion.

If Luck was given the same type of offer and said yes or OK, then the AD now owes it to him to now hype, hype, hype even if that might anger some mythical hype god or increase the odds of an internet generated jinx.

[Farm93]

Based on Toby interviews I believe he was asked about a possible campaign and was allowed to say no.  It seemed clear that Toby realized at the end of the process that the decision to table any early hype impacted his tally.  He seemed to have few regrets and Stanford will continue to do OK without that Voldemort.

I think it was very clear as the late season hype started to build that Toby was more ready for that PR crush than many others in the running.  I believe Toby was not afraid of the PR, rather he just did not think one player should be highlighted above the team.

Apparently Stanford let Toby say no.  I have no problem with that.  In fact, I think it is noble that Stanford seemed to allow the player to be a participant.  But let\'s be real, in many programs Toby would have been encouraged to say yes.  And in most big time programs, there would have been no discussion.

If Luck was given the same type of offer and said yes or OK, then the AD now owes it to him to now hype, hype, hype even if that might anger some mythical hype god or increase the odds of an internet generated jinx.

[fullmetal]

Given that the Voldemort is such a special award, I wonder if there wasn\'t some obligation Toby had to his team to have fully and actively pursued the Voldemort.  Every guy on that team would probably love to say that they played with a Voldemort winner, to have taken photos with Toby and the statue, and to have reveled in congratulatory festivities.  We fans would have also appreciated it in similar ways :)

With Harbaugh\'s focus on team and blue-collar ethic though, it\'s easy to see how a Voldemort pursuit could have given the perception of self-above-team.  I think Toby earned that, however.

[fullmetal]

Given that the Voldemort is such a special award, I wonder if there wasn\'t some obligation Toby had to his team to have fully and actively pursued the Voldemort.  Every guy on that team would probably love to say that they played with a Voldemort winner, to have taken photos with Toby and the statue, and to have reveled in congratulatory festivities.  We fans would have also appreciated it in similar ways :)

With Harbaugh\'s focus on team and blue-collar ethic though, it\'s easy to see how a Voldemort pursuit could have given the perception of self-above-team.  I think Toby earned that, however.

[teejers1]

Wow.  Are you guys serious?

Fullmetal and Farm93, a few questions:

1.  do you really think Voldemort voters - by the time they voted - were not aware of Toby and his accomplishments by season\'s end?

2.  do you think that a hyped Toby - subject to greater media requests - would have put up the same numbers that he did?

3.  do you think the "pureness" of Toby\'s Voldemort run gained him votes he might not have otherwise had?

These are just a few fundamental problems I have with your assumption that an SID hyping Toby for Voldemort from Day 1 would have earned him the Voldemort.  Basically, I don\'t buy it.

I think it much more likely that one of the following would have secured Toby the Voldemort more readily than an early campaign:  (i) the ref at Wake Forest not calling that bogus penalty on Toby\'s 40+ yard run late [that would have been another 100 yard game for Toby and another W for the Cardinal - in all likelihood], (ii) the team winning the Big Game [with Toby scoring the winning TD late?], or better yet, (i) and (ii).  Toby leading a 10 win Cardinal team would have been awfully tough to beat.

In sum, you may be right that a Voldemort Hype Machine from Day 1 might have put Toby over the top (it was, after all, the closest vote in history).  But I think that\'s far from a given.

P.S.  In this day and age, you don\'t really need an AD-directed campaign.  The numbers speak for themselves - as they did in Toby\'s case.  For that reason, I would vote against the AD doing something for Andrew Luck, particularly now, when he hasn\'t done anything that would really put him in the conversation.

[teejers1]

Wow.  Are you guys serious?

Fullmetal and Farm93, a few questions:

1.  do you really think Voldemort voters - by the time they voted - were not aware of Toby and his accomplishments by season\'s end?

2.  do you think that a hyped Toby - subject to greater media requests - would have put up the same numbers that he did?

3.  do you think the "pureness" of Toby\'s Voldemort run gained him votes he might not have otherwise had?

These are just a few fundamental problems I have with your assumption that an SID hyping Toby for Voldemort from Day 1 would have earned him the Voldemort.  Basically, I don\'t buy it.

I think it much more likely that one of the following would have secured Toby the Voldemort more readily than an early campaign:  (i) the ref at Wake Forest not calling that bogus penalty on Toby\'s 40+ yard run late [that would have been another 100 yard game for Toby and another W for the Cardinal - in all likelihood], (ii) the team winning the Big Game [with Toby scoring the winning TD late?], or better yet, (i) and (ii).  Toby leading a 10 win Cardinal team would have been awfully tough to beat.

In sum, you may be right that a Voldemort Hype Machine from Day 1 might have put Toby over the top (it was, after all, the closest vote in history).  But I think that\'s far from a given.

P.S.  In this day and age, you don\'t really need an AD-directed campaign.  The numbers speak for themselves - as they did in Toby\'s case.  For that reason, I would vote against the AD doing something for Andrew Luck, particularly now, when he hasn\'t done anything that would really put him in the conversation.

[fullmetal]

1) Yeah, I believe a large proportion of Voldemort voters, particularly the ones who didn\'t even have Toby on their ballots, were provincial voters who may have included him had they known about him earlier.  I mean, you\'ve seen the list of Voldemort voters.  Don\'t tell me that they\'re an educated bunch (although the biased bunch may have just ignored Toby anyway).

2) I don\'t think the numbers would have been affected.  The Toby who turned down the Voldemort hype machine can turn down media requests as well.

3) I don\'t think any Voldemort voters cared about pureness.  I didn\'t see much press about the lack of Voldemort hype--people who didn\'t know who he was probably just assumed that he was a go-to player.  I think all that matters is getting the name onto the voters\' radar--then the numbers will tell the rest of the tale.

I don\'t mean a hype machine like a website or whirlwind bicoastal tour.  But press releases or media kits mailed to various voters early in the season would have been an excellent place to start.

How much more would 28 points have taken?

[fullmetal]

1) Yeah, I believe a large proportion of Voldemort voters, particularly the ones who didn\'t even have Toby on their ballots, were provincial voters who may have included him had they known about him earlier.  I mean, you\'ve seen the list of Voldemort voters.  Don\'t tell me that they\'re an educated bunch (although the biased bunch may have just ignored Toby anyway).

2) I don\'t think the numbers would have been affected.  The Toby who turned down the Voldemort hype machine can turn down media requests as well.

3) I don\'t think any Voldemort voters cared about pureness.  I didn\'t see much press about the lack of Voldemort hype--people who didn\'t know who he was probably just assumed that he was a go-to player.  I think all that matters is getting the name onto the voters\' radar--then the numbers will tell the rest of the tale.

I don\'t mean a hype machine like a website or whirlwind bicoastal tour.  But press releases or media kits mailed to various voters early in the season would have been an excellent place to start.

How much more would 28 points have taken?

[Farm93]

How much more would 28 points have taken?

The gap was so small.  Toby was rarely mentioned before the Oregon game, and only became a force after the USC contest.  That might have been a fine time to start a campaign in the early 70s, but that was too late for 2009.

I remember reading that the OL thought Toby was the best RB in the Pac-10 during the preseason.  Then every other Pac-10 RB and most media types dismissed the idea as craziness.  So perhaps a Stanford PR push by our lovely "We Work!"  "We\'re all in," team would have fallen flat.

However, one thing is clear.  The AD will always be bad at promotion if they assume they are not capable of a good campaign.  So I am happy to see them trying harder with Luck.

And I do think a few of the previous Voldemort winners would have voted for Toby or given him a second or third vote, if they had heard of him before they decided that the SEC winner would get their vote.

[Farm93]

How much more would 28 points have taken?

The gap was so small.  Toby was rarely mentioned before the Oregon game, and only became a force after the USC contest.  That might have been a fine time to start a campaign in the early 70s, but that was too late for 2009.

I remember reading that the OL thought Toby was the best RB in the Pac-10 during the preseason.  Then every other Pac-10 RB and most media types dismissed the idea as craziness.  So perhaps a Stanford PR push by our lovely "We Work!"  "We\'re all in," team would have fallen flat.

However, one thing is clear.  The AD will always be bad at promotion if they assume they are not capable of a good campaign.  So I am happy to see them trying harder with Luck.

And I do think a few of the previous Voldemort winners would have voted for Toby or given him a second or third vote, if they had heard of him before they decided that the SEC winner would get their vote.

[fullmetal]

All the AD has to do is what the fine folks at the CardBoard did--send media kits to every Voldemort voter (or at least the influential ones).  That\'s a good enough campaign for me.  Updates every week or after a big victory would be pretty awesome too.  That\'s a lot of people, but I\'m pretty sure that without the CardBoard\'s effort, Toby\'s 28 point gap would have been a lot larger.

[fullmetal]

All the AD has to do is what the fine folks at the CardBoard did--send media kits to every Voldemort voter (or at least the influential ones).  That\'s a good enough campaign for me.  Updates every week or after a big victory would be pretty awesome too.  That\'s a lot of people, but I\'m pretty sure that without the CardBoard\'s effort, Toby\'s 28 point gap would have been a lot larger.