The Sam Awards: Here they are!

By: Sam | January 12th, 2007

The wait, the suspense, is over. Due to your numerous clamoring comments about needing to know the winners of the immensely sought-after Sam Awards, I’ve decided that today was the day when the winners would be announced, the eve of the start to the second half of the season. Let’s get started shall we?

The Excellence Award, of course, no question, duh, obviously, I mean come on what do you think, goes to Olympique Lyonnais, who’ve proven their dominance once again and don’t look for a second like they’re done.

The Nutmeg Award, going to the most exciting club, goes to… Olympique de Marseille! Yes I know, they’re not Lyon in terms of points, but anyone in France will tell you that after watching Lyon exterminate everyone for the past few years, they’ve changed the dials on their televisions. OM on the other hand, have Ribéry, Cissé, Nasri, and have the right mix of unpredictability to give anyone a heart attack.

The Whoa. What? Award, that goes to the team that provided the biggest surprise, I’m happy to say, is awarded to FC Sochaux-Montbéliard! You’ve never heard of them, yet they’re in third place, synonymous of a third round qualifing tie for the UEFA Champions League. Watch out!

The Tsk Tsk Award, obvious once again, goes to the underachieving Paris Saint-Germain, who are 16th at the break, two points out of the relegation zone, as well as being the second-richest club in the country. Pair that up with the dreadful goings-on in the stands and oustide the stadium, and you’ve got a ruined season.

The Dude, You Rock Award, for the best all-around footballer in Ligue 1, in a close race, goes to Juninho Percambucano of Lyon! Perhaps the best free-kick artist in the world, he has been The Stalwart on the Lyon side, providing all-around fantastic play and hopes for European glory for his club.

The Keeping it Clean Award, for the best goalkeeper, sure enough goes to Grégory Coupet of Lyon. Not as flashy as some, and with a few injuries in hand, he’s still had by far the least goals against in the league, and has handled the pressure after last year’s World Cup somewhat admirably. But he can sure thank his defense for this award.

The I Can’t Hear You Award, for the best stadium atmosphere, goes to Stade Vélodrome in Marseille. 60,000 strong and renovating soon, OM’s fortress is feared all around Europe, and has the extreme fan support to go along. As much as some hate to say it, this is a unanimous choice.