The Importance of Alphonso Davies

[Stryker911]

Quick question. Has Davies done enough to win the Lou Marsh award? He will likely win the u19 Bundesliga player of the year, be in the Bundesliga team of the year, win the league title, dfb Pokal, and possibly Champions league. It also helps having the Olympics canceled and every other major sport shortened, so there will be less contenders to choose from.

David would probably be a candidate as well, but I feel like he isn't mainstream enough yet.

[Bison44]

Of course.  He has risen to the top of his field, best CDN soccer player in years, the whole world is sitting up and taking notice.  

[canadasoccer20]

2 hours ago, Stryker911 said:

Quick question. Has Davies done enough to win the Lou Marsh award? He will likely win the u19 Bundesliga player of the year, be in the Bundesliga team of the year, win the league title, dfb Pokal, and possibly Champions league. It also helps having the Olympics canceled and every other major sport shortened, so there will be less contenders to choose from.

David would probably be a candidate as well, but I feel like he isn't mainstream enough yet.

100% a front runner, I would say the favourite especially based on circumstances. The 2 leading goal scorers in NHL were both non- Canadians and the leading points guy was German. I honestly don't know who would have a chance even with a great playoff run by a basketball or hockey player. You can argue he has been the best bundelisga player in 2020. 

[Blackdude]

I can only come with one name and that's if she wins on Saturday and defends her title at least once in Felcia Spencer. And even then, is she bigger than Davies? I know I'm out of the MMA bubble, so don't know how known she is compared to Davies in Canada. 

As for other sports, well it's a wait and see on when they start.

[An Observer]

McDavid finished second in scoring and if led the Oilers deep into the stanley cup playoffs, he is definitely a possibility.  But Davies definitely has as good a chance as any at present

[TGAA_Star]

9 hours ago, Bison44 said:

Of course.  He has risen to the top of his field, best CDN soccer player in years, the whole world is sitting up and taking notice.  

That is true and even at Vancouver in his time with the Whitecaps he was destined for stardom. Now with Bayern, he has basically blossomed and matured right before our very eyes.

[JuicyHam]

6 hours ago, Blackdude said:

I can only come with one name and that's if she wins on Saturday and defends her title at least once in Felcia Spencer. And even then, is she bigger than Davies? I know I'm out of the MMA bubble, so don't know how known she is compared to Davies in Canada. 

As for other sports, well it's a wait and see on when they start.

If she wins on Saturday she will be big news in the mma world because not a single person is giving her a chance at all 

[Obinna]

For those hoping Jonathan David signs with Leverkusen, this Saturday is a good chance to check them out and watch Davies at the same time.

[Strait Red]

1 hour ago, Obinna said:

For those hoping Jonathan David signs with Leverkusen, this Saturday is a good chance to check them out and watch Davies at the same time.

I’ve watched them a few times since the restart (thanks for the coverage Sportsnet!) very good team, Kai Havertz is class! Can play multiple position similar to David. Havertz is the subject of many transfer rumours as well.

[Bison44]

9 hours ago, Blackdude said:

I can only come with one name and that's if she wins on Saturday and defends her title at least once in Felcia Spencer. And even then, is she bigger than Davies? I know I'm out of the MMA bubble, so don't know how known she is compared to Davies in Canada. 

As for other sports, well it's a wait and see on when they start.

If GSP didnt win a Marsh trophy and he was on top of the mens MMA for many years I doubt Spencer will get alot of support.  But stranger things have happened.  We've never had a mens soccer player win it, so it would be big if he did...

[johnyb]

17 hours ago, Stryker911 said:

Quick question. Has Davies done enough to win the Lou Marsh award? He will likely win the u19 Bundesliga player of the year, be in the Bundesliga team of the year, win the league title, dfb Pokal, and possibly Champions league. It also helps having the Olympics canceled and every other major sport shortened, so there will be less contenders to choose from.

David would probably be a candidate as well, but I feel like he isn't mainstream enough yet.

He is my pick, but It may take Bayern winning CL for it to happen.

[gigi riva]

if Davies keeps this form up I think he can win the Lou Marsh. Of course It will annoy the Puck Heads but oh well

[Strait Red]

18 minutes ago, gigi riva said:

if Davies keeps this form up I think he can win the Lou Marsh. Of course It will annoy the Puck Heads but oh well

Hockey players don’t win it very often. Only 4 times since 1990. It’s spread around pretty well.

[Unnamed Trialist]

1 hour ago, Bison44 said:

If GSP didnt win a Marsh trophy and he was on top of the mens MMA for many years I doubt Spencer will get alot of support.  But stranger things have happened.  We've never had a mens soccer player win it, so it would be big if he did...

The problem with MMA is it is a business first, and the sporting part of it (fair competition, fairly applied rules, decisions as to who fights who based on objective criteria, ranking) is pretty well a joke. Don't get me wrong, I have watched for years, I'm a boxing fan since my teens as well and have been lucky to have known people related to the sport. Many MMA fights are of great quality, and some women are just amazing. But that is not the point. You can be damn sure there are great talents out there not getting a chance because it is basically a trust, a closed monopoly where decisions are made for financial reasons first. 

I would never give any shared public award to a fighter from MMA, though of course if Montreal wants to name a street or sports centre after GSP he'd be deserving.

[BearcatSA]

17 hours ago, An Observer said:

McDavid finished second in scoring and if led the Oilers deep into the stanley cup playoffs, he is definitely a possibility.  But Davies definitely has as good a chance as any at present

McDavid would have to be a Conn Smythe winner in leading the Oilers to the Stanley Cup crown in a playoff that will be even more of a lottery than it usually is.  I don't see it happening.  Not enough WTA plus an injured Andreescu, not enough LPGA for Henderson, no Olympics to consider those athletes.

Davies has had a meteoric rise in the world's most competitive and highest profile team sport.  Right now, he's a slam dunk for the award, and we're only at the beginning of June.  it would take something extraordinary to supplant in 2020.

[Ed_S]

17 hours ago, An Observer said:

McDavid finished second in scoring and if led the Oilers deep into the stanley cup playoffs, he is definitely a possibility.  But Davies definitely has as good a chance as any at present

Being a Flames fan, thanks for the humour. Davies will be the best known Cdn athlete on the planet by end of this year.

 

[Trois Reds]

It's too bad Fonzie won't be the best known Canadian athlete in Canada, thanks to hockey and it's oversize and overhyped media, but at least we will know here.  🙂  I think Davies should get the Lou Marsh, maybe outside of Andreescu there isn't anyone else who really should be looked at this year.

[SpursFlu]

47 minutes ago, Trois Reds said:

It's too bad Fonzie won't be the best known Canadian athlete in Canada, thanks to hockey and it's oversize and overhyped media, but at least we will know here.  🙂  I think Davies should get the Lou Marsh, maybe outside of Andreescu there isn't anyone else who really should be looked at this year.

Dont speak too soon. I think before you know it Alphonso Davies will be the biggest athlete in Canada 

When it happens I dont want to hear the obvious.. wow nobody saw it coming. Nobody would have thought.. blah blah blah

Mark it down. I said it. It will happen

[SthMelbRed]

I'm curious...

I live outside Canada, so genuinely don't know. How prevalent is Alphonso Davies in Canadian media? Is he promoting major products? Is he on TV? Radio? Billboards? How are my friends and relatives who aren't the least bit interested in football going to know what he's doing in the world?

I have long thought that the original whore underestimated the economic value of being the first Canadian football superstar. Alphonso needs to make a mint in Canadian endorsements in order to retrospectively justify my decades-old position. Tim Horton's, Canadian Tire, Lulu Lemon, Scotiabank, etc...why aren't they plastering Phonz's smiling face on every available surface in the country?

[gigi riva]

14 hours ago, Strait Red said:

Hockey players don’t win it very often. Only 4 times since 1990. It’s spread around pretty well.

I know but whenever a non hockey player wins it . all these puck heads tend to freak out

[gigi riva]

I can remember when  Canadian athletes like Donavan Bailey , Gilles Villenueve, and in my opinion the most underated athlete in Canadian history The bike Racer Steve Bauer were bigger names in Europe then they were in  Canada. Hopefully that will not happen to Davies

[Bertuzzi44]

Why do soccer fans tend to not like hockey? I love both sports! I love me some Davies just like I love me some Crosby! Hockey is one of the fastest, skillful and physically demanding sports around, and a lot of Canadians are world class hockey players. We should be proud of that! If anything, having only 4 hockey players winning the Canadian athlete of the year over the last 30 years shows a deliberate intent to "spread it around".

And yes, Davies could very well win the Lou Marsh award this year and that would be awesome! McDavid would probably be the most likely hockey player to win it and he would be deserving as well. Some people think he's the best in the world. Canada has some amazing athletes, let's embrace that.

[TGAA_Star]

5 hours ago, SpursFlu said:

Dont speak too soon. I think before you know it Alphonso Davies will be the biggest athlete in Canada 

When it happens I dont want to hear the obvious.. wow nobody saw it coming. Nobody would have thought.. blah blah blah

Mark it down. I said it. It will happen

More or less he will be the biggest athlete especially if he wins CL with Bayern but also wins the Bundesliga title and he completes that treble. But even then he would have to win a Gold Cup in 2021 with Canada in order for his stardom to grow even further.

[Bdog]

9 hours ago, Bertuzzi44 said:

Why do soccer fans tend to not like hockey? I love both sports! 

You’d think they would share a lot of the same fans since they’re both similar sports (put ball/puck in net). 

A lot of the best hockey players I knew played both when they were younger. One former soccer teammate is an NHLer and one played his last year in the OHL a month after our men’s league season ended. 

[Obinna]

9 hours ago, Bertuzzi44 said:

Why do soccer fans tend to not like hockey? I love both sports! I love me some Davies just like I love me some Crosby! Hockey is one of the fastest, skillful and physically demanding sports around, and a lot of Canadians are world class hockey players. We should be proud of that! If anything, having only 4 hockey players winning the Canadian athlete of the year over the last 30 years shows a deliberate intent to "spread it around".

And yes, Davies could very well win the Lou Marsh award this year and that would be awesome! McDavid would probably be the most likely hockey player to win it and he would be deserving as well. Some people think he's the best in the world. Canada has some amazing athletes, let's embrace that.

I can only speak for myself, but what turns me off from hockey is not the sport itself, but the hockey people who scoff at soccer. The same is often seen with some football people. I am talking about regular people, not public figures. I am sure everyone here has that friend who is big into hockey (or football) but are quick to tell you soccer is a "sissy sport".

So the more I heard such things, the more I drifted away from hockey. I still enjoy it somewhat and even picked it up again by joining a rec league a few winters ago. I played as a kid up until pee-wee and was a huge Habs fan and my 13 year old self had a very, very hard time picking between soccer and hockey when my parents made me choose (hockey is sadly very expensive). In the end I chose soccer and that, along with the other stuff I mentioned, is probably why I am not really into it anymore like I once was.

Edited June 4, 2020 by Obinna