Sports Personality of the Year

korriban · Challenger level

Sports Personality of the Year

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Just seen that Kyle Edmund has been nominated as one of the 10 contenders for Junior Sports Personality of the Year.

Sadly, the winner is decided by a panel of "experts" and so we can't vote for him.

Wouldn't it be great to see Muzza and Kyle do the double. Tough year to win though !!

indiana · Tennis legend

The main award is interesting, so many candidates, especially Murray, Wiggins and Farah. I know folk have different takes on Ennis and her overall competition, but winning like that as the "face of the games" ( whether she liked it or not ), with the 5th greatest Heptathon score ever, was quite an achievement. But the winner will very probably come from these first 3.

Interesting the first ever Brit to win the Tour de France vs First GB Slam Winner in 70 odd years ( apart from their other achievements ). Such timescales may be some factor and are a headline, but i attach much much more importance to the feat in itself, what it was and who they beat, eg. there are no doubt many fairly insignificant competitions played by relatively few players that if GB suddenly won for the first time, its winner would not be a contendor. Now the TDF is not such a competition, but just saying...

I guess I've had a bit of a bugbear about first since ( or ever ) ever since in 2005 the whole of the England cricket team won at least MBEs for being the first England team to win the Ashes in 18 years. So, because of that continued failure of others, they got MBEs ( even Paul Collingwood playing in just the final match ) for effectively winning a biannual closed competition between two nations. It dishonoured the honours system such as it is, and as I say always brings that to my mind whenever we look at first since... To me, mainly look not at what first since...but look at what.

So my main interest is which on a global scale is the bigger, Wiggins' TDF, Olympic Time Trial gold and other Classic Triumphs or Murray's US Open Triumph, Olympic singles gold ( and err mixed doubles silver ) and Wimbledon final appearance. To me personally, if there was one tennis Slam, then the tennis Slam in today's era over TDF, but there are four tennis Slams in the year. Then look at the other achievements, and basically they are two great competors, both worthy winners.

I lean to Murray ( but then I consider that his was the triumph that I personally wanted above anything so am I being biased... ), lean to Wiggins ( but then I question the top pro cycling world with all the relevations of recent years, not Sky and Wiggins, but...) then I think that is harsh on Wiggins' stilll great triumph. I am decided this year that I am very undecided ! And then there is Mo Farah, first GB track long distance Olympic triumph and then makes it a double ! But then how important is first, oh that's where we came in....But were those not the moments that really got folk off their seats almost above all others, maybe, but then how important is that..

I think the winner this year should be .... I'll get back to you smile

( I think I shall give two votes this year, one to Andy. because he is Andy, and the other to him if I finally convince myself he most deserves it or to whoever else I decide most deserves it )

indiana · Tennis legend

By the way, pat on the back for me ( even if I says it myself ) for going for 11 of the 12 finally shortlisted.

Aghast at the one difference ( not so much that it was Nicola Adam thats got in, but Laura Trott was left out disbelief ) Can only imagine that they felt there should be a cycling limit and she then lost out arguably to the Old Man of Hoy anf Sarah Storey. All being equal though, personally I'd have had Laura in ahead of not just Adams, but also Simmonds and Grainger ( and Kath winning, yes with her partner Anna Watkins, as every sports PC person yells, was just about my moment of the games )

Tennis Nut · Social player

You do realise that Kyle's nomination is for the Junior SPOTY. Don't think a win or even last 3 for Kyle would change his attitude in any way

indiana · Tennis legend

I too very much doubt that Andy will win, although I think more chance than Phil ( genuinely, it's not me arguing re the zero absolute smile ). As I've said before I was really genuinely surprised by Andy's votes in finishing 5th last year, OK in hardly such a stellar Olympic field and Cavendish won it by a mile. But the consistent year Andy had had resonated quite a lot more than I had rather expected it to. Unfortunately his clearly greatest year to date has coincided with London Olympic year, even if to balance that a bit his US Open title and Wimby final did get added to by his own Olympic expolits, and of course Bradley's greatest triumph was also away from the Olympics.

But it will very likely be Bradley or Mo, and either would be worthy winners. I did say it will come from 3, but I must admit these two are far more likely than Andy. Although there is just a chance, to an extent depending on presentation of his year, and presentation of Andy ( and by Andy ) from wherever he is beamed in from...

One thing is that though I think I am pretty good at predicting such things, if i was going to be far out re anyone it would be Andy, eg like in such as Battle of the Boards am I going too much for him or actually too little for him, just because it's him.

-- Edited by indiana on Monday 3rd of December 2012 04:14:58 PM

korriban · Challenger level

I thought forums were all about heated exchanges, but I'm agreeing with everything that Phil and Indy are saying! Top 3 at SPOTY sorted, now just the order is up for grabs. Mo is impossible not to like, and when your 14 year old sport-detesting daughter is seen screaming at the TV during his races, and bursts into tears when he we won - hard not to see the wider emotional impact. He gives so much back to the viewer, Andy can't compete on that score. But I'd still plump for Bradley - I was lucky enough to get to the route of the timetrial and there was huge passion from the enormous crowds - like a "polite" football derby, but 5 times the crowd. 1. BW 2. MF 3. AM

-- Edited by korriban on Monday 3rd of December 2012 04:12:36 PM

philwrig · Hall of fame

I've said it before and I'll say it again sadly Andy has zero chance of winning this, its even possible he'll be outside the top 3, but my best guess is probably third. Yes initially its a sporting achievement award, and Andy wins that for me. Wiggins for me winning the TDF was incredible but and its a big but for me, he is a product of an amazing system, Chris Froome was second and he gets little or no media coverage. Mo Farah for me winning two golds is not quite as great an achievement as Andy's but not far behind, and because he's has such an engaging personality will probably garner more votes than Andy.
We shall see, hopefully Andy will do better than I think, but his lack of standout personality is going to hurt him in this competition.

indiana · Tennis legend

Oh, yes, i am sure there are various other forums that would give anyone all the heated debate they wanted and more... smile

This one is much more tranquil, rather lacking folk just disageeing for the sake of disagreeing.

Gee, I end up thinking I'm as confrontational as anyone on here, which honestly is saying something !

Spectator · All-time great

Not sure whether the Junior SPOTY thread belongs here or in ... well ... juniors. But took a look at the nominees and would have to say that I think Mr Edmund did well to get nominated and would be fairly unlikely to win. Some very impressive young people there -- and some very well-grounded ones, on the basis of thei interviews. Particularly impressed by the young swimmer who made TeamGB in swimming ... while battling an undiagnosed case of colitis. But all of them are rather astounding.

philwrig · Hall of fame

Andy is out to 20/1 and fourth favourite with the bookies, anyone fancy a bet.

Also link to quite a funny if also a completely over the top impersonation of Andy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1zSZvpAzto

steven · Tennis legend

I see Laureus (the thing Federer used to always win) have Muzz down as a nominee, but it turns out he is nominated for 'Breakthrough of the year" whereas his three main rivals for SPotY (Wiggins, Farah and Ennis) are all up for the two main awards, along with Bolt, Messi, Phelps and Vettel / Felix, Franklin, Fraser-Pryce, Vonn & Serena.

http://www.laureus.com/news/olympic-stars-among-nominees-2013-laureus-world-sports-awards

-- Edited by steven on Thursday 13th of December 2012 01:44:46 PM

Miriambee · Futures level

lines now open, I got through 2nd go, using the short number.

open for 30 mins only

-- Edited by Miriambee on Sunday 16th of December 2012 09:33:51 PM

steven · Tennis legend

BBC are reporting the exact totals as:

Bradley Wiggins 492,094 (30.25%)
Jess Ennis 372,765 (22.92%)
Andy Murray 230,444 (14.17%)
Mo Farah 131,327 (8.07%)
David Weir 114,633 (7.05%)
Ellie Simmonds 102,894 (6.33%)
Chris Hoy 42,961 (2.64%)
Nicola Adams 35,560 (2.19%)
Ben Ainslie 35,373 (2.17%)
Rory McIlroy 29,729 (1.83%)
Kath Grainger 28,626 (1.76%)
Sarah Storey 10,342 (0.64%)

It's worth bearing in mind that Mark Cavendish won in 2011 with 169,152 votes and Andy's vote has gone up to about 12x what it was last year. So I don't think Andy would have any trouble winning if he won a slam in a non-Olympic year. Not that it really matters anyway, but still ...

He is already the fav with the bookies for next year, which seems a bit premature of them! LOL

-- Edited by steven on Monday 17th of December 2012 12:29:01 AM

indiana · Tennis legend

RJA wrote:
IMO it was never in doubt that Wiggins would win and I don't have a problem with that. His Tour de France victory probably was the stand out achievement of the year from a British sporting perspective.

As for Andy, I seriously doubt that he cares about this award.

Yes, I doubt he cares that much though he did seem pretty happy to have made the top 3 ( most folk like some appreciation and the sense folk in general quite like them ) when he err presented the trophy to himself smile

-- Edited by indiana on Monday 17th of December 2012 02:04:10 AM