Another year - year 16 in our annuls - has passed, a champion has been crowned, and the cool ones look forward to the most wonderful time of the year - draft weekend in Vegas. In the meantime, we look back at 2011 with our Year End Awards.

Most Valuable Player
We've had several years where the MVP was a difficult choice, with no player standing head and shoulders above the others (e.g. 2010), and we've had several years where the choice was blindingly obvious - LaDanian Tomlinson in 2006, Tom Brady in 2007. This year falls into the latter category. Aaron Rodgers lived up to his number one overall pick by scoring 198 points, second highest season in JIT history for a QB, and only 6 points behind the aforementioned Mr. Brady's 2007. The fact that he played for the championship winner and highest scoring team, the Yeah Dudes, doesn't hurt his case.

Least Valuable Player
As usual, there's a lot of candidates for this one. Skipping the injurious ones - Peyton Manning, Jamal Charles, Andre Johnson - and the one(s) that were just stupid picks - Marcedes Lewis at number 38 pick overall anyone? - we have to look that those that we reasonably healthy but simply did not live up to their preseason hype, fantasy predictions and their draft position. Given this criteria, we have a tie for the 2011 LVP Award: Chris Johnson, RB, TEN, and Michael Vick, QB, PHI. Mr. Johnson, despite a new contract and promises of a huge year, only scored 4 TDs all season, most late when playoff positions were already set. He just seemed to be running in molasses most of the year. Time will tell if he's ever the same back again. Mr. Vick was hugely disappointing on one of the two most disappointing teams (San Diego being the other), scoring only 66 points all season when he went for 139 last year and was looking to match or better that mark with a high-powered offense.

Team the Fates Were Cruelest Towards
The fates really weren't too cruel this year, as chalk held for much of the season. In this regard, this is an easy award to give - the Irvine Swingers were 4th in total points but failed to make the playoffs, missing out by a mere 2.5 rank points. The other simple thing to see is that they had the highest points against average, something else that had nothing to do with strategy and everything to do with luck (or lack thereof).

Luckiest Team
In looking over previous year's selections, it's readily apparent that someday this will be called the Bishko Award. As usual, the Hadley Hoodlums somehow fall far back in the total points race but make the playoffs anyway. The also were outscored for the season but didn't have a losing record. In related news, we may just skip his pick in the first 3 rounds of the draft. It won't affect who he picks or who will be available for him when he picks.

Best Late Round Draft Pick
But wait, maybe there's a method to the madness... nah, who are we kidding. We will give the this award to Hadley Hoodlums for choosing Cam Newton with the 134th pick overall. Mr. Newton was a rookie sensation, putting up 166 fantasy points and scoring seemingly every rushing TD for his team. Consider that Colt McCoy was taking 6 picks ahead of Mr. Newton, and it will put this award in perspective. Rest assured he will be taken more than 100 spots higher in 2012.

Best Transaction
Hadley Hoodlums might not have won any money this year, but they are racking up the year end awards. In late September, they atoned for one of their ridiculous draft picks by trading Ricky Williams, RB, BAL for Victor Cruz, WR, NYG. Mr. Williams scored a meaningless 2 TDs for the season, while Mr. Cruz was one of the breakout players of 2011, with 8 TDs, tying him for 4th among all WRs.

Most Meaningless Transaction
This could go to so many, it's really just a random choice. Let's get a monkey to do it. Come on Koko... jumping up and down, scrolling down the list, eating a banana, picking its nose...and there it is! Koko has selected Jed Collins, RB, NO for John Kuhn, RB, GB. The Snatch were desperate for a healthy RB who might actually touch the end zone in a game, and this is pungent with desperation. Neither RB was on a roster for more than 2 weeks, and neither scored while on a roster, so the Snatch might as well have kept the transaction and started a used puck bag for a couple of weeks.

All JIT Team
QB: Aaron Rodgers, GB (Yeah Dudes) - 198 points
RB: LeSean McCoy, PHI (Hellraiser) - 120 points
RB: Marshawn Lynch, SEA (Destroyers) - 78 points
WR: Calvin Johnson, DET (Blowsticks) - 90 points
WR: Jordy Nelson, GB (Goombas) - 72 points
TE: Rob Gronkowski, NE (Destroyers) - 96 points
K: David Akers, SF (Yeah Dudes) - 156 points
DST: Bears, CHI (Hoodlums) - 50 points

All "less than 10 Points For the Season" Team
QB: Peyton Manning, IND (Free Agent) - 0 points
RB: Jamal Charles, KC (Free Agent) - 6 points
RB: Felix Jones, DAL (Swingers) - 6 points
WR: T.J. Houshmandzadeh, OAK (Free Agent) - 6 points
WR: Roy E. Williams, CHI (Free Agent) - 6 points
TE: Zach Miller, JAX (Krazies) - 6 points
K: Nate Kaeding, SD (Free Agent) - 0 points
DST: Cowboys, DAL (Free Agent) - 6 points

Combined you come up with a total of 36 points, which is tied with Joel Dreesen, TE, HOU.