Diego Pavia reacted to his second-place Heisman Trophy finish as only he would. After Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza won the award, things quickly got turnt.
‘F all the voters,’ Pavia, Vanderbilt’s quarterback, wrote on social media.
Hey, he’s talking about us! We’re the voters.
On this edition of ‘SEC Football Unfiltered,’ a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams reveal their Heisman Trophy ballots and sound off on Pavia’s response to placing second.
Diego Pavia: ‘F all the voters.’ How do we feel about that?
Adams: I’ve heard worse. When you’ve worked in the business as long as I have, you’ve heard it all. Pavia’s social media post barely registers, and I take no offense to Pavia’s barb directed at voters. Anyway, who says sportswriters should be absolved from criticism? Not me.
Pavia’s reaction, though, took some of the spotlight away from Mendoza. That’s where Pavia erred. It’s not that he came at media members who vote for the Heisman. We dish out criticism. We can take it, too, but Pavia inappropriately hijacked the attention from Mendoza and the other finalists with his outburst. Some might say Pavia’s reaction won’t impress NFL evaluators. Well, neither will his height. This social media outburst is in line with his career arc. He’ll be the perfect WWE heel.
Adams’ Heisman ballot:
Pavia
Mendoza
Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
Toppmeyer: Pavia didn’t come at the Pope or Mother Teresa. He came at sportswriters. Big whoop.
Some pearl-clutchers in our profession think this is some noble calling above reproach, but I see it differently. We’re not curing cancer, splitting the atom or addressing world hunger. We’re sports hacks. My job calls on me to report on, analyze, opine and criticize the goings on in college football. I like to think I do it pretty well, but if I can’t handle a little criticism in my direction, well, that’s pretty hypocritical.
So, I take no offense to Pavia’s zinger directed at voters, most of whom are sports media members. And, I don’t regret voting for Pavia. I knew who I was voting for. Pavia had an excellent season, and this isn’t a Boy Scout contest. So, he got my vote. However, I agree with Adams that Pavia’s sore-loser reaction diverted attention away from Mendoza, the winner. That’s where Pavia fell short of the standard. He owes voters no apology. He owes Mendoza one.
Toppmeyer’s Heisman ballot:
Pavia
Mendoza
Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
Also in this episode
∎ A discussion of whether Kalen DeBoer is making the right move pledging allegiance to Alabama, while the Michigan job sits open.
CFP first round picks against the spread!
Toppmeyer’s CFP picks (picks in bold):
James Madison at Oregon (-21.5)
Tulane at Mississippi (-17.5)
Miami at Texas A&M (-3*Alabama (-1.5) at Oklahoma
Season record: 37-38 (3-2 last week)
—-
Adams’ CFP picks (picks in bold):
James Madison at Oregon (-21.5)
Tulane at Mississippi (-17.5)
Miami at Texas A&M (-3)
Alabama (-1.5) at Oklahoma
Season record: 41-34 (4-1 last week)
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Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. John Adams is the senior sports columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel. Subscribe to the SEC Football Unfiltered podcast, and check out the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.