We now begin a tradition started by our esteemed founder, Martin Shatzer: the Benny Awards, which chronicle the best and the worst of D.C. United's season, giving permanent memory to each season in our own little way. And we begin the awards this year with an open call for nominations. We want you to give us any and all suggestions as to who should be nominated for each of the eight awards. I will make the final decisions as to the nominees, but your suggestions will weigh heavily in my deliberations. In case you have forgotten, here are the categories plus the winner from 2014:
The Richie Award: Presented to the most underrated player. (2014 winner: Taylor Kemp)
The Nelly Award: Presented to the best newcomer. (2014 winner: Fabian Espindola)
The Andy Award: Presented to United's rookie of the year. (2014 winner: Steve Birnbaum)
The Donnety Award: Presented to the team's biggest disappointment. (2014 winner: Eddie Johnson)
The Bobby Award: Presented to the most improved player. (2014 winner: Taylor Kemp)
The Esky Award: Presented to the fan favorite. (2014 winner: Chris Rolfe)
The Popie Award - Presented to the team's defender of the year. (2014 winner: Bobby Boswell)
The Etchy Award - Presented to the team's MVP. (2014 winner: Bill Hamid)
As you can tell, the awards tend to be given to people, rather than events or abstract concepts; however, some may be considered if there is a pressing need. So, dear readers, who would you nominate for the 2015 Benny Awards?