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There's no /best/ Linux distribution, it all comes down to your taste and the structure/design/purpose of the distribution. A staff member on Linux.org has written an article on 'the best distro,' I would suggest you to read it. If you want to try and find out which distro suits you, I'd suggest that you download an installation image of each distribution, download/install Oracle VirtualBox and mount the installation image onto VirtualBox. Install the distro and mess around with it.

For newcomers to Linux, I would suggest to start using Ubuntu and then gradually shift to Debian for server usage. There's not much of a difference in terms of core functionality so you won't be having a hard time to adjust yourself.

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Originally Posted by Vince I've found CentOS to have a confusing package manager and the SELinux (security thing) that is enabled by default is really a show-stopper.

Tbh, SELinux is a complex security system that requires a sysadmin's time and dedication when configuring it. Once you know how to manage SELinux, it will largely benefit you when you are running your SA:MP server (alongside with other processes like Apache/Nginx, MySQL/MariaDB, etc). Think of it like a maximum security prison where you are confining important processes within it, while preventing third party programs from tampering with the confined process. Disabling all the security within the prison would potentially allow other programs to tamper with said confined processes without your knowledge.

Plus, it will be a piece of cake when you get around with using SELinux. Don't disable something unless it is quite useless, unnecessary or has a very capable replacement. SELinux is a very powerful tool that can be utilized to the max if used properly.

The CentOS HowTos (Wiki) has an in-depth tutorial on the basics of SELinux, you can check it out if you want to.