What a farce...

It was well known racing fans were to an extent being pushed, how much "organised" I don't know, to make this the McCoy year.

But the reason for that was there was that many folk in racing had a feeling that his Grand National win after so many attempts, allied to his tremendously consistent success over so many years, really gave a story that might already have many of the general sporting public on his side and more that could be won over.

The general public who voted for him were not "organised",  they were just won over that McCoy deserved their vote this year.

If he had not won the Grand National this year and it was just some mass basically hugely racing fans vote that won it just by swamping everyone else by numbers then that I would not like.  Of course I can't prove that wasn't the case but my impression is that it is much more just the general voter has said yes, I see why he should get my vote this year and that is surely fair enough.

It cannot logically be a less valid win for McCoy because he has won it by much more than the vote is generally won by. If there was an organised racing element to the voting going on, McCoy winning quite narrowly would have been more of an issue with me, but the very big margin actually suggests he had much more general support and more reassures me that it was deserved.

I myself didn't vote for McCoy, though I considered it, seeing arguements for and against him winning.  And I am not saying 2010 should just suddenly have been his year because in this year he added the Grand National, but I do feel that many did feel that.  The long time champion in a sport but lacking a win in the sport's ultimate contest, wins it after so many years of trying. I can see why that wins votes, I can see why that wins many votes.

No, to me this was McCoy's year and the size of the win just makes this more clear. It is no mockery.

Re the question of what are sports, as far as I am concerned there is no established definition such that one can definitively say what does and does not constitute a sport.  There are personal thoughts and no doubt many things that there would be great consensus on as being or not being sports. I myself count horse racing but have a problem with darts.  But given that is more my personal thoughts rather than backed up by some nailed down definition I don't get into any arguements on that issue.

PS :  Reading the paper today, it is clear that the efforts to get the McCoy vote out within the racing public was much more organised then I realised.  My point though that the sheer size of McCoy's win much more validates it as a win than makes things a mockery I do feel stands.

-- Edited by indiana on Tuesday 21st of December 2010 07:36:30 PM