sports personality of the year

oldwelshman

Well who would you choose?
1) A british sportsman who just lost the world grand prix championship and has jsut left "britain" who will probably win the title a few times in the future.

or:
2) Joe Calzaghe who is undefeated world champion, has held all belts and has not lost since he was a junior about 14 years I think.

andyp

Neither.

Max_Man

James Toseland... :roll:

Eat My Dust

If Joe Calzaghe can hold onto his world titles for another few months, he'll be the longest running world champion boxer in the history of boxing EVER. Will he get sportman of the year, probably not, boxing is soooo unfashionable!!! :evil:

andyp

Eat My Dust wrote:

If Joe Calzaghe can hold onto his world titles for another few months, he'll be the longest running world champion boxer in the history of boxing EVER. Will he get sportman of the year, probably not, boxing is soooo unfashionable!!! :evil:

It's also morally questionable which I why some would object to Calzaghe winning it.

Anyway, given that this is to all intents and purpose a cycling forum why don't we encourage our own and push for Mark Cavendish or Victoria Pendleton to be nominated?

Just a thought.

heavymental

When is the big night exactly? If Hatton beats Mayweather in the days before its on I'd back him to win it because everyone in Manchester at least will vote for him!

I doubt Calazaghe will win despite being more than deserving of it. As long as they do him, and everyone else justice in the footage and interviews I don't really mind who wins. If they ask him if it hurts getting punched in the face and manage to make us all squirm in embarrassment during the interview I'll be gutted!

jpembroke

Paula Radcliffe. I know that she's won it before in 2002 but coming back to win the NY marathon 10 months after giving birth is amazing. Sporting highlight of the year for me, easily.

DaveyL

Or Chrissie Wellington - her first two ironman-distance tri races were Korea and Hawaii and she won them both. Amazing achievement to win Hawaii at the first attempt. Plus she has won a ton of other races this year at various distances.

heavymental

Wow. That is good. We don't trumpet these successes enough. But when the media do its always in the style of "you've probably never even heard of this sport but...." Why not just say, Chrissie Wellington has won the Hawaii Ironman on her first attempt. Bit of background to what she had to do in acknowledgement of its minority status, then a big pat on the back. Rather than carrying on the trend by making it sound obscure.

People always moan about lack of success but it seems the media are too embarrassed to shout about it when it does come along.

andystorey

Paula Radcliffe in the NY marathon was pretty impressive. Looked like she went through a pretty tough time too.

nick hanson

I'm a bit puzzled why they call it sports personality?
Sporting achievement I could understand,but personality?

ivancarlos

Zara Phillips anyone?

redvee

ivancarlos wrote:

Zara Phillips anyone?

She won it last year, meeting her mum next week.

DaveyL

Oh yeah, I'm not cheerleader for the Chrissie Wellington fan club or anything, but she does have a personality too, and seems to be deeply committed to overseas development issues and promoting sport in less-developed countries. A great choice, but as has been pointed out, she's in a minority sport and will probably only receive 30 seconds of patronising crap from Adrian Chiles, a la Nicole Cook last year.

ademort

There is only one winner and thats Lewis Hamilton, and why because thats where the money is. In all honesty Joe Calzaghe does deserve it and twenty years ago when the world championship bouts were screened on the BBC and ITV he would certainly have won it. You only have to look at the media coverage that Hamilton has received this year compared to Calzaghe, boxing has sadly become a minority sport and all because of pay per view.

popette

Heavymental wrote:

When is the big night exactly? If Hatton beats Mayweather in the days before its on I'd back him to win it because everyone in Manchester at least will vote for him!

I doubt Calazaghe will win despite being more than deserving of it. As long as they do him, and everyone else justice in the footage and interviews I don't really mind who wins. If they ask him if it hurts getting punched in the face and manage to make us all squirm in embarrassment during the interview I'll be gutted!

I think the fight is a few days before the sports personality show - I heard it on five live

ivancarlos

If its a choice between the two in the OP I would choose the boxer every time because driving is hardly a sport IMO.

Mark Alexander

Calzaghie? maybe but I'm an underdog/Lewis fan.
Zara Phillips, she may be cute but... no

GERAINT THOMAS!!!!! Barloworld/Wales' hero
ok Nichole Cooke

oldwelshman

A few people have rightly pointed out that it is a lot more to do with sponsors, tv exposure and on previous occasions, coming second in your sport !!
I do beleive Lewis Hamilton will win the world title and then he may be deserving of the award.
There are also several others worthy of mentions who will probably get no coverage on the show and even if they did, will probably get asked embarrasing question like Nicole last year.
I am not a huge boxing fan myself and | would like to have seen some one from cycling this year but Cavendish? Come on no way.
I just think after all he has achieved over such a long period JC would be a worthy winner, unlike last year, Zara Philips? What a joke
Maybe next year it will be one of us lot?

jimmythecuckoo

Its a farce now anyway.

Mog Uk

Lewis Hamilton..! Yes if he had won the title, but he didn't, he lost

James Toseland would get my vote...

ivancarlos

A posthumous award to Jane Tomlinson would be nice.

kmahony

I swore I'd never watch again after giving it to the horsey princess last year.

However, Hatton should win if he beats Mayweather.

IMHO, motorsport should not count. Nothing against Hamilton (other than not being honest about his tax dodge), but how many people actually get the chance to compete in motorsport/F1??

Hope Pendelton (and GB cycling) gets a mention.

Salsiccia

ivancarlos wrote:

A posthumous award to Jane Tomlinson would be nice.

It would be, but her husband has specifically stated he wouldn't want that to happen.

The winner is bound to be Lewis Hamilton, but my choice would be Vicky Pendleton. How many triple world champions have we had this year?

And to the boxing fans, I know we have had some guys do OK at what they do, but I can't get along with it as a sport, so I wouldn't want any of them to win it. Sorry.

fnb1

Wish I could lose like Hamiton did,....... in his first year,...... in the premeir series of his chosen sport!,,, he should be flogged for his poor performance really!

jimmythecuckoo

Salsiccia wrote:

ivancarlos wrote:

A posthumous award to Jane Tomlinson would be nice.

It would be, but her husband has specifically stated he wouldn't want that to happen.

The winner is bound to be Lewis Hamilton, but my choice would be Vicky Pendleton. How many triple world champions have we had this year?

And to the boxing fans, I know we have had some guys do OK at what they do, but I can't get along with it as a sport, so I wouldn't want any of them to win it. Sorry.

he spoke a lot of sense and with a lot of dignity on five live the other day. It was moving stuff.

Salsiccia

jimmythecuckoo wrote:

he spoke a lot of sense and with a lot of dignity on five live the other day. It was moving stuff.

I'd like to have heard that. My respect for them both is immense; Sports Personality award would never do them both justice.

Smokin Joe

David Beckham of course.

Darren T

Another James To52land vote here - without a doubt.

Ghost Donkey

If JC and Hatton are both nominated again this year it will split the boxing fan's vote. However, if Hatton beats Mayweather he should be in the top ten 100%, as should Calzaghe. I think the only boxer with a real chance will be Amir Khan in a few years, if he becomes world champion and gets nominated.

As for the moral stance on boxing it's down to personnal preference. In my view you have two highly trained athletes who have worked hard every day for many years of their lives to get to where they are by choice. This is the same level of dedication with most if not all sports. If they want to fight let them. The sport is legal and governed. No one forces them to box. Most boxers start as amateurs for the love of the sport and pay for the privilidge of training. Very few make it to the pro ranks.

flattythehurdler

May I ask who james tosland is?