Well done, Andy. Gee, you didn't really need my 1,000 votes.
I do think if Andy hadn't been in contention the other placings would have been quite different.
I am guessing that there was a core rugby union / Welsh vote for Halfpenny and racing vote for McCoy. But if Andy had not been in contention his probably largely more general sports followers votes would have much more split for Farah ( also probably losing votes for not being there ), Ainslie ( I rather doubt that there is a sailing core vote, but Ben and co's comeback win in a thrilling Americas Cup was an expected draw for many folk ) and Froome.
Good, justified, and impressively emphatic in a year where there were a number of people who would also have been worthy winners. I'm not a sailing person, but even I thought that what happened in the America's Cup was extraordinary. Mr Farah continues to astound. And poor Mr Froome - the first Brit to win the TdF rings the Olympic bell, is knighted, wins SPOTY, etc. And the second? That's so last year ....
A two-way trip and jet-lag in the middle of his training? I don't think so! Anybody who knows how much he puts into his training would never expect it - and it seems not to have bothered the general public who voted either.
A two-way trip and jet-lag in the middle of his training? I don't think so! Anybody who knows how much he puts into his training would never expect it - and it seems not to have bothered the general public who voted either.
Personally I thought it was typical of his personality
I would agree: he is a dedicated and pragmatic person, aware of what he needs to do and what it will take to do it. It was lovely to hear the emotion in his voice as he accepted the award; no one could have been in any doubt how much it meant to him.
Sitting at a big dinner yesterday of a lot of Joe-Public nice people, the fair-weather tennis fans, there was unanimous disappointment/disgust that Andy hadn't come back to collect it.
Like people here, I thought there was no chance he ever would and it was no surprise but the reaction of the others was pretty strong. . . .
I'm surprised by that CD, I hope you put them to rights?!
Seriously though, it's not like Andy was the only one to be missing, I could be remembering wrong but I think it was 4 or 5 in total so half of the contenders. Anyway, the public voting knew Andy was in Miami and 56% of them were obviously not bothered by it enough to vote for someone else/not vote. I'm glad he won and so emphatically, and I love the adidas picture released straight afterwards (twitter.com/adidasUK/status/412341746765271040/photo/1 for those who haven't seen it)
__________________
To look at a thing is quite different from seeing a thing and one does not see anything until one sees its beauty
Why on earth would he have collected it in person? Getting more grand slams is his focus. There is plenty of time for trinkets and ass-kissing when he is retired.