Listen, I don't try to live my life as a contrarian. That's not true -- I kind of do. I spend a lot of time in public houses and taverns, and I have a two-hour commute that allows me to hear a lot of the sports world's most popular opinions. Sometimes, I think it's best to take a look at the other side.
In this space, I articulate positions that are the opposite of what most people think -- unpopular opinions, if you will -- and explain why, well, my unpopular opinions are right and everyone else is wrong. Here is my take on a very valuable second-year phenom.
The drama surrounding embattled Steelers running back (and LA Fitness basketball maven) Le'Veon Bell has been one of the dominant NFL storylines this season. The kind of "will he or won't he" trope that you might see on some cheesy CW soap opera. No, not "Riverdale." I said cheesy soap, not the greatest non-WWE show on television. But here's the truth: While Bell has dominated the news, James Conner has stolen the show.
Conner, who rushed for 144 total yards in 14 games as a rookie third-round pick in 2017, was a feel-good sensation during the first week of this season. He had a pair of touchdowns and 192 scrimmage yards as the Steelers were able to escape Cleveland with a tie. I know, a tie, right? Conner wasn't really taken that seriously as a threat to keep it up, though. He was given dismissive, "isn't that nice" accolades. The kind of thing you give to a toddler the first time they learn how to ring the doorbell on Halloween.
Conner was like the dude on those soaps who hangs out with his best friend's girlfriend while he's away for the summer. And you know that stuff never works. Because that guy (Bell, in this case) comes back to school in the fall and he's just shocked and flummoxed to learn that his (former) best friend and his (now former) girlfriend are a couple. Like, Conner didn't mean to fall in love with the Steelers' starting running back spot. It just kind of happened.
And he didn't just take the starting job from Bell and run with it. He might snag the MVP award, too. Well, probably not. Patrick Mahomes is going to win this thing, isn't he? Or Todd Gurley? Conner is at least going to be in the conversation. Let me phrase that a little bit better: He should be in the conversation.
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This article was before the Panthers games.