SPotY

[Wendigo7]

Jason Kenny

[earl the beaver]

The Jackal not even on the shortlist

Ali Brownlee's achievements are the most impressive mind.

[alliswell]

Tough on Chris Froome; guess the Kenyan accent and the suspicions around Team Sky don't really help, but he's increasingly in rarified company in TdF history.

Didn't hurt Farah. The suspicions around training setup that is, not the accent. Although....

[BlackMac]

Some initial thoughts: It seems slightly ridiculous to have 16 nominiees. As much as I admire them, I genuinely can't say the para-athletes are really as elite as the fully abled. A lot of te nominations are politics though, Kate Richardson-Walsh is a fine Captain, but one of the most mistake prone players and gave away the lead in the Olympic final. How Maddie hinch didn't get the nimonation is ridiculous given her heroics. Nicola Adams proably shouldn't be there given the number of other multiple gold medalists, it can't be denied her tournament was weak looking. Charlotte Dujardin who has basically re-set what the boundaries in her sport are should probably be nominated. The New Yorker did a great piece on her prior to the Rio Olympics. A shame the Glover-Stanning combo can't be nominated in the mass of golds, both undefeated since London 2012 and world record holders. One of the greatest all time rowing teams in the sport.

Though I'd crack up if the Olympic vote was split and football fans all pushed for Vardy

Have to agree with a lot of this. The political correctness of including the paralympians has meant that soemone like Froome has been disgracefully overlooked. Adams has twice won an incredibly weak event, and the hockey players inclusion is disgraceful.

[henry]

I'm curious - who actually has the most 'personality' out of that bunch?

[AND-y]

I don't know about anyone else but I am just on tenterhooks waiting to lecture someone about the different definitions of 'personality'.

[henry]

I don't know about anyone else but I am just on tenterhooks waiting to lecture someone about the different definitions of 'personality'.

[Selim The Sot]

I question a few of the choices for example Nicola Adams, Willet and a few of the disability athletes. Though great achievements in their respective sports this year!

It just seems a hell of a big list when there's only three or four who would be justified winners.

You think a double olympic champion isn't a deserving choice.

Fuckwit, I wish you'd never escaped from CP.

I agree with the fuckwit, as does the Times' sportswriter who argues that Adams (in a sport with a pretty limited number of competitors to begin with) won her medal with three bouts which nobody realistically expected her to lose. He compares her inclusion to the omission of Anthony Joshua and Chris Froome who both won events that sit at relatively higher altitudes of sporting achievement.

He thinks that if they had to pick anyone from the women's hockey team (debatable in itself) it should have been the goalie rather than the captain. Was this, in any case, a greater achievement than the unbeatable Stanning and Glover retaining their Olympic title? He also feels that Sophie Christiansen and Kadeena Cox, though having laudable achievements, had negligible impact on the national sporting consciousness. In the case of the former, I think that it's not unfair to point out that she won a competition that probably had the tiniest sporting base of any Olympic event. Compare this to Froome, whose achievement of winning a third TDF - rare on an historic scale - (and an Olympic bronze) sits him at the apex of a very large sporting pyramid.

[TheDocForgotHisLogon]

Although how one of Owen Farrell/Billy V/Itoje isn't shortlisted in beyond me.

You're joking? They might achieve greatness in the years to come but England's done nothing yet compared with a Murray, Farah, Bale, etc. Or even Froome who's not even nominated.

[Lorthern Nights]

Murray by a country mile.

Feck off with your parochialism.

Farah for me.

I'm not claiming it by a country mile.

Farah would win if it was raced over a country mile

As it goes, I agree anyway I think Mo would be a deserving victor, but Andy will prevail probably

Strong list again, agree on Mo would probably go with him. Andy has won it twice already and with so many other strong contenders they could share it out a bit, even though he is GB's greatest sportsperson

[P in VG]

I question a few of the choices for example Nicola Adams, Willet and a few of the disability athletes. Though great achievements in their respective sports this year!

It just seems a hell of a big list when there's only three or four who would be justified winners.

You think a double olympic champion isn't a deserving choice.

Fuckwit, I wish you'd never escaped from CP.

I agree with the f**k, as does the Times' sportswriter who argues that Adams (in a sport with a pretty limited number of competitors to begin with) won her medal with three bouts which nobody realistically expected her to lose. He compares her inclusion to the omission of Anthony Joshua and Chris Froome who both won events that sit at relatively higher altitudes of sporting achievement.

He thinks that if they had to pick anyone from the women's hockey team (debatable in itself) it should have been the goalie rather than the captain. Was this, in any case, a greater achievement than the unbeatable Stanning and Glover retaining their Olympic title? He also feels that Sophie Christiansen and Kadeena Cox, though having laudable achievements, had negligible impact on the national sporting consciousness. In the case of the former, I think that it's not unfair to point out that she won a competition that probably had the tiniest sporting base of any Olympic event. Compare this to Froome, whose achievement of winning a third TDF - rare on an historic scale - (and an Olympic bronze) sits him at the apex of a very large sporting pyramid.

The full list is far to PC - Nicola Adams & some of the para-athletes are only there to put ticks in boxes

[zt1903]

A worthy list. Will be Murray again though.

[zt1903]

I question a few of the choices for example Nicola Adams, Willet and a few of the disability athletes. Though great achievements in their respective sports this year!

It just seems a hell of a big list when there's only three or four who would be justified winners.

You think a double olympic champion isn't a deserving choice.

Fuckwit, I wish you'd never escaped from CP.

I agree with the f**k, as does the Times' sportswriter who argues that Adams (in a sport with a pretty limited number of competitors to begin with) won her medal with three bouts which nobody realistically expected her to lose. He compares her inclusion to the omission of Anthony Joshua and Chris Froome who both won events that sit at relatively higher altitudes of sporting achievement.

He thinks that if they had to pick anyone from the women's hockey team (debatable in itself) it should have been the goalie rather than the captain. Was this, in any case, a greater achievement than the unbeatable Stanning and Glover retaining their Olympic title? He also feels that Sophie Christiansen and Kadeena Cox, though having laudable achievements, had negligible impact on the national sporting consciousness. In the case of the former, I think that it's not unfair to point out that she won a competition that probably had the tiniest sporting base of any Olympic event. Compare this to Froome, whose achievement of winning a third TDF - rare on an historic scale - (and an Olympic bronze) sits him at the apex of a very large sporting pyramid.

The full list is far to PC - Nicola Adams & some of the para-athletes are only there to put ticks in boxes

Who cares? Any list will have makeweights with no realistic chance of winning, they may as well cover a range of sports recognising that it was an Olympic year where we did rather well. There's half a dozen good candidates there and that's fine. Vardy is as unworthy as anyone on the list and that f all to do with being PC, it's just making sure football is represented.

[Azlan Roar]

What no SPotY page yet?

What no poll on the fred?

[Selim The Sot]

I question a few of the choices for example Nicola Adams, Willet and a few of the disability athletes. Though great achievements in their respective sports this year!

It just seems a hell of a big list when there's only three or four who would be justified winners.

You think a double olympic champion isn't a deserving choice.

Fuckwit, I wish you'd never escaped from CP.

I agree with the f**k, as does the Times' sportswriter who argues that Adams (in a sport with a pretty limited number of competitors to begin with) won her medal with three bouts which nobody realistically expected her to lose. He compares her inclusion to the omission of Anthony Joshua and Chris Froome who both won events that sit at relatively higher altitudes of sporting achievement.

He thinks that if they had to pick anyone from the women's hockey team (debatable in itself) it should have been the goalie rather than the captain. Was this, in any case, a greater achievement than the unbeatable Stanning and Glover retaining their Olympic title? He also feels that Sophie Christiansen and Kadeena Cox, though having laudable achievements, had negligible impact on the national sporting consciousness. In the case of the former, I think that it's not unfair to point out that she won a competition that probably had the tiniest sporting base of any Olympic event. Compare this to Froome, whose achievement of winning a third TDF - rare on an historic scale - (and an Olympic bronze) sits him at the apex of a very large sporting pyramid.

The full list is far to PC - Nicola Adams & some of the para-athletes are only there to put ticks in boxes

Who cares? Any list will have makeweights with no realistic chance of winning, they may as well cover a range of sports recognising that it was an Olympic year where we did rather well. There's half a dozen good candidates there and that's fine. Vardy is as unworthy as anyone on the list and that f all to do with being PC, it's just making sure football is represented.

It's noteworthy that the panel now has an even gender split, which seems fair enough as previous judging panels have been overwhelmingly and unfairly male and sometimes had only a tangential relevance to sport (Zoo and Nuts magazines once had votes ). However, most of these women are notable campaigners for women's sport and their choices may well have been slanted unduly towards female performers, rather than being strictly gender neutral.

The inclusion of Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, a very persuasive advocate for disability sports, could also have influenced the final selection. It may be reasonable to assume that horse mad Victoria Pendleton would have backed the inclusion of the disabled dressage medallist, and may well have been keener on her old pals, the track cyclists, rather than the roadie Froome. Ryan Giggs probably assisted the inclusion of two footballers (one Welsh) with relatively limited credentials, and there is a suspicion that the BBC's four judges (out of twelve) placed an undue emphasis on sports that they covered. Indeed, there is a strong whiff of the Corporation's obsession with 'inclusion' about some of the list. I suspect a much more meritorious, true sporting list would have been produced if the judging had been handed over to the chief generalist sports writers of the major publications. These would have the perspective of observing a wide range of sports and would, on the whole, not have special interests to advocate.

[theo]

Mo Farah should walk this. By far the best achievement of the year and he is a fine person.

Won't though. The underlying racism will stop him.

Though I'd be happy with Brownlee won it.

Vardy

[pigsy]

Now with poll, only 10 options allowed.....

[Frodder]

The dour Scot will win for sure

[Seez]

Friend of mine got on Brownlee at 490-1 on Betfair this morning!

[TokenSarriesFan]

Maro Itoje.

But failing that Laura Trott. (Kenny)

Andy Murray will most likely win though

[iarmhiman]

On now.

[earl the beaver]

Some amount of cringe here

[bimboman]

Well the Kennys are nice enough, not a huge amount of personality.

[henry]

I do have a tremendous amount of respect for Mrs Logan.

She is marvellous.

[henry]

Btw, have they done the rugby season or golf yet?

[iarmhiman]

Btw, have they done the rugby season or golf yet?

Don't think so.

[Salanya]

The whole thing is rather nauseating

[terryfinch]

We are so fuc*ing good at sport!!!!

For me it should be Froomedog. Without him Brownlee or Farah. It will be Murray who is a worthy winner but has already got it twice.

[earl the beaver]

Btw, have they done the rugby season or golf yet?

Golf done, focused on the Olympics because of rights I imagine.

[henry]

Btw, have they done the rugby season or golf yet?

Don't think so.

Feck knows why I want to watch what will inevitably be an Inverdale-gloat-fest in total disproportion to the actual achievement.

[earl the beaver]

Can't believe the jackal didn't get nominated and some horse dancer did.

[fisgard792]

its a bit cheesey, but it was always going to be.

i dont care if its pc, everyone of them is deserving imo to be there

[henry]

Btw, have they done the rugby season or golf yet?

Golf done, focused on the Olympics because of rights I imagine.

And Rose winning. Amusing.

Oh well.


Used to love this programme. Now it is very much meh.

[henry]

I don't like Gabby's dress.

[BBC 2]

Can't believe Donald Trump is there.

[henry]

Andy projecting the enthusiasm that this popularity contest deserves.

[earl the beaver]

Fücking horse dancing

[BBC 2]

Fücking horse dancing

I find that a very nasty comment in so many ways

[henry]

<cringe>

[BBC 2]

Fair play to Ranieri for bothering to turn up to collect his award