SPOTY 2015 & 2016

Julia Carrot · All-time great

RE: SPOTY 2015 & 2016

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Julia Carrot wrote:
Priesty wrote:
Well done Andy, not that I expected anything less.

Was that Willbomb I saw sat next to Judy in the audience?
Well I thought I saw his girlfriend/wife, Jenny I think, so you are probably right !

Just watched the playback of the presentation at the end. Definitely Willbomb.

The Optimist · ATP qualifying

Yes, he got a mention during the Wimbledon piece, (...'the first week belonged to Marcus Willis' and a quick shot of him on court with Fed) and the camera flicked on them in the audience at the end

indiana · Tennis legend

christ wrote:
I assume that he is the early favourite for next year too.

Actually not quite according to Ladbrokes.

Anthony Joshua 3/1

Andy Murray 4/1

Mo Farah 8/1

Lewis Hamilton 10/1

Ben Ainslie 12/1

Chris Froome 16/1

Clearly that's thinking if Joshua thumps Klitschko at Wembley plus maybe another World Champion winning fight. Was maybe a surprise he wasn't on the shortlist this year but there were all the Olympians.

Farah just doesn't seem to get the votes ( 4th this time but long way behind Skelton ) so doubt even yet another double at the worlds in London get him there. Chris Froome a no too, though he probably should have been on this year's shortlist. And Hamilton would probably need not just a championship year but pretty spectacular. Farah and Froome in particular would need very quiet years beyond themselves since they keep doing doubles and winning Tour de Frances and it's not got them close so far.

I reckon Ben Ainslie might be in with a shout if he skippers a British America Cup winning boat and Andy isn't winning a couple of Slams.

The Optimist · ATP qualifying

I was surprised at Farah's total but a mate suggested it's because all the question marks over his coach have coloured his achievements in the eyes of the general public. Likewise suggested Froome left off due to the publicity of Sky and Wiggins and his TUE jabs / mysterious parcel as Beeb not wanting a rerun of all the negative press relating to Fury. I think I might buy the theory in relation to Mo Farah but I'm not sure in regards to Froome, but the negative press about Team Sky may well have resulted in him getting a very low number of votes had he been included.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Your mate sounds clued in, I would encourage him to post!

David Millars autobiography is a great read. Unless there is a dip in the performance levels in the tour when compared with Lance et al I do not think I could find it in myself to vote for an athlete in a sport where a historical precedent exists as a performance enhanced gold standard and the basis for success is purely physiological.

I used to love athletics and cycling but that bubble is well and truely burst for me.

Call me naive but although Andy's athleticism is impressive he is not going to knock out a 26sec off the back of a 10k, I could however see him trailing in last pale as a sheet and vomiting after crossing the line! He's got my vote until Kyle takes over!!

-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Tuesday 20th of December 2016 05:39:47 PM

indiana · Tennis legend

Very reasonable points re Farah and Froome and issues that could effect voting, though I'd say both have failed to capture public voting in line with their apparent sporting achievements going back before the big Salazar allegations and when Team Sky were more universally thought off as particularly 'clean' ( if never really seen so by many in France ).

But yes, fairly or not, it has probably become even harder for these two to win public votes with these particular allegations and many people's general thoughts about their sports.

philwrig · Hall of fame

I saw Willbomb twice, once sitting beside Roy Keane and Martin O'Neill and then with Judy towards the end, he looked very happy to be there.

Spectator · All-time great

GB honours are wonderful, but somewhat to be anticipated. What I've really enjoyed watching is the plaudits from people from other countries. So Roger Federer talking about AM's second half as extraordinary; Jon Wertheim (Sports Illustrated, US) naming AM as player of the year; Lucas Pouille in an interview for the UAE papers saying: "I was not surprised at all that Andy became No1. When I played him in Rome, I was thinking 90 per cent he will finish the year as No1 ... All of my matches against him were quite similar ... They were interesting matches. Its very good to see how good he is and what I have to do to win grand slams and to be No1 one day. (full article: sport360.com/article/tennis/international-tennis/206348/interview-dubai-resident-lucas-pouille-on-his-breakthrough-2016-shattering-the-french-stereotype-and-training-with-roger-federer/)

It's the kind of respect that he's always just been on the edge of - and now it's his. Super.

indiana · Tennis legend

Great to hear and read, thanks Spectator. Outside plaudits, especially from fellow competitors, are special.

Lucas, in such a good year himself, certainly felt the Murray force and was undoubtably impressed, though back in May, after his defeat then to Andy "I was thinking 90% per cent he will finish the year as No1", would have been good odds !!

-- Edited by indiana on Monday 26th of December 2016 03:51:49 PM