While surfing the ‘net for interesting reads on Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne, I came across a post by Jeff Matthews, whose blog is “Jeff Matthews Is Not Making This Up.” Jeff came up with the “Patrick Awards.”

The awards are given to those corporate executives who make the strangest comments on earnings conference calls. They’re done in honor of Patrick Byrne, who has been known to say some bizarre things on conference calls. (And the word “bizarre” is being very polite.)

Jeff says:

Lest you think I am making that up, Byrne.s commentaries have involved dead cows on the highway conspiring to delay his company’s projects, dead Popes conspiring to slow his company’s sales growth, and even unidentified .Sith Lords. conspiring to ruin his company.s credibility among investors.as if Byrne needed help in that regard.

Jeff gives the following awards (but you’ll have to go to his blog to see who the winners are):

* The Did He Really Ask That? Award
* The Most Cringe-Making Analyst Question Award