Cav or Wiggo for SPOTY?
rob_spedding
Posts: 442
It's about this time of year that the highly prestigious/completely irrelevant* BBC Sports Personality of the Year ball starts rolling. So...last year a cyclist - Sir Christopher Hoy – won. This year Cav and Wiggo were brilliant, neither are hot favourites to win – that'll be Jenson button at the mo' – but if you had to choose one of our TdF heroes who would it be?
*Delete as applicable
*Delete as applicable
Rob Spedding, Editor, Cycling Plus
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Blimey, that's a tough call. Choice between umpteen stage wins and breaking Barry Hoban's record in the process or the best GC performance in 25 years. I'd have to get back to you on that one after much head-scratching!
Button will probably get it if he clinches the world title tomorrow, though.
Having regained the Ashes, our cricketers will presumably bag the team award even if the victory was a bit lower-key this time around (mainly due to the lack of well-publicised boozing marathons?).
David"It is not enough merely to win; others must lose." - Gore Vidal0 -
i'd say cav, what he did at milan san remo clinches it for me, if wiggo podiums next year he should deffo win it0
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I've plumped for Wiggo, and I have to say I am genuinely shocked to see Cav so far in the lead, already :shock:Start with a budget, finish with a mortgage!0
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I went for Cav for the stage wins tbh. Though Wiggo is definately way up there. I admire them both for different reasons.. I suppose you'd have to.
Jensen comes across as a bit of a c*ck. :? Saw an inteview with him years back (on the Patrick Keilty chatshow) and when asked about his girlfriend being away on a tv show and how he was coping he said "lots of porn" The audience just went silent.0 -
doesnt look like button will win the championship tomorrow, anyone see the mammoth quali session?
Was that the sound of bottle crashing?
anyway Wiggo would be my pick but the gen. public wont have heard of him so cav will be ranked higher0 -
I voted Wiggo of course - after all, he's adopted Wigan as his home town
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Wiggo,
His performance was the highlight of this years TDF for me. Although Cavs stage win salutes were quality.0 -
Isn't sports personality about whose personality you like the best, rather than the level of achievments? Or am I taking it too literally?
I'm not keen on either in that respect (at least, from what I've gleaned from interviews, which of course gives you a 100% accurate take on their personalities....)Note: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.0 -
downfader wrote:I went for Cav for the stage wins tbh. Though Wiggo is definately way up there. I admire them both for different reasons.. I suppose you'd have to.
Jensen comes across as a bit of a c*ck. :? Saw an inteview with him years back (on the Patrick Keilty chatshow) and when asked about his girlfriend being away on a tv show and how he was coping he said "lots of porn" The audience just went silent.
I actually suspect that without the canned laughter this would be par for the course on anything to do with Patrick Kielty.
A agree with your vote, but I've controversially gone for Cav on the basis of- wait for it - his personality!
He might be a bit prickly, but I think he gets a much harder time than he deserves - i always enjoy hearing what he has to say. His "who said that, internet forum people?" was the quote of the year for me. (some guy on these boards has that as his sig!!!)0 -
What about Steve Peat? Is he nominated?0
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PBo wrote:downfader wrote:I went for Cav for the stage wins tbh. Though Wiggo is definately way up there. I admire them both for different reasons.. I suppose you'd have to.
Jensen comes across as a bit of a c*ck. :? Saw an inteview with him years back (on the Patrick Keilty chatshow) and when asked about his girlfriend being away on a tv show and how he was coping he said "lots of porn" The audience just went silent.
I actually suspect that without the canned laughter this would be par for the course on anything to do with Patrick Kielty.
A agree with your vote, but I've controversially gone for Cav on the basis of- wait for it - his personality!
He might be a bit prickly, but I think he gets a much harder time than he deserves - i always enjoy hearing what he has to say. His "who said that, internet forum people?" was the quote of the year for me. (some guy on these boards has that as his sig!!!)
This was a live audience and they were generally laughing at the Irishman's jokes i seem to remember.
Anyway, that Cav quote is legendary, how how very true.0 -
I follow quite a few sports very closely, the main ones being Football, Rugby Union, Cricket and Cycling obviously and I have to say this award has never really grabbed my attention in anyway as a sports fan..I find it a bit naff to be honest and well past its sell by date. Like teagear says the very title of it causes confusion.
Look at the past winners list and it mainly someone who had one major moment during that year that's stuck in the public consciousness...eg Micheal Owen in '98 for his goal against Argentina, Beckham 2001 for his goal against Greece, Wilkinson for his drop goal in the RWC, Kelly Holmes for her olympic golds, Flintoff 05 for the Ashes, Zara Philips for..er.um..er yeah skip that one maybe. But I'm sure you get my point.0 -
Now that a brit has won a car race championship for the second year all bets are off methinks.0
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The choice between the two shouldn't even be close. Much as I think Wiggins is great and loved his performance, it is mainly remarkable when viewed from a British point of view (i.e best British GC performance). I challenge you to put forward the case for Brad without mentioning his nationality.
Cavendish on the other had has done something that no-one in cycling has done for 30 years (6 TdF stages), plus won a monument on his debut, three Giro stages, etc, etc.
Ask this question to continental cycling fans and Cav would have 100% of the vote.Twitter: @RichN950 -
RichN95 wrote:The choice between the two shouldn't even be close. Much as I think Wiggins is great and loved his performance, it is mainly remarkable when viewed from a British point of view (i.e best British GC performance). I challenge you to put forward the case for Brad without mentioning his nationality.
Cavendish on the other had has done something that no-one in cycling has done for 30 years (6 TdF stages), plus won a monument on his debut, three Giro stages, etc, etc.
Ask this question to continental cycling fans and Cav would have 100% of the vote.
Perfectly put. Cavendish should beat Wiggins purely on the MSR win alone, never mind the 6 Tour stage wins.0 -
Being objective:
Neither is a world champion, neither has won a gold medal this year. Both had a good Tour de France. But, even then:
Wiggins came fourth in the most iconic event in the sport, which is a bit like going out in the semis of a grand slam tennis event or of a world cup team sports tournament.
Cavendish came second in the sprint competition in the most iconic event in the sport, which, because it is subsidiary to the main prize, is perhaps a bit like losing in the doubles final at a grand slam tennis event. OK he hit some big winners, but he didn't beat Hushovd in the end.
Would they give SPOTY to Andy Murray on his record of achievement this year? In that case, why give it to either of these guys?0 -
If Brawn GP don't win the team prize my faith in justice will be in pieces...0
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pneumatic wrote:
Cavendish came second in the sprint competition in the most iconic event in the sport, which, because it is subsidiary to the main prize, is perhaps a bit like losing in the doubles final at a grand slam tennis event. OK he hit some big winners, but he didn't beat Hushovd in the end.
He did a little more than come second in the green jersey competition. The jersey's just a bonus, winning races is what matters most.Twitter: @RichN950 -
I wouldnt mind if Andy Murray was on the list. He's worked hard this year and showed his metal. :?0
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If I had to pick from those 2 it would be Cavendish. As great as Wiggins' achievement was it doesn't compare to winning 6 TDF stages and a major classic.
My vote however, would go to Steve Peat. Not just for winning the World Champs this year, but for being so bloody good for so bloody long!
I'd love it to be Peter Crouch though...... purely for one quote:
Interviewer: "What would you be if you weren't a footballer?"
Gangly one: "A virgin"0 -
Chrissy Wellington, after her performance in Kona!0
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Got to be Jenson Button. Fairy tail stuff.0
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Fairy tail? Get put in by far the best car for half a season, then when everyone else catches up drive OK but struggle for minor points places?0
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Stephen Hendry.
Sorry, thought it said SPOTTY? :oops:Det. Sgt. George Carter: Do you know what, Jack? You're full of sh!t.
Det. Insp. Jack Regan: I thought it was about time you made an intellectual contribution to this debate.
Det. Sgt. George Carter: Boll@cks.0 -
Tale,surely :?Gazzaputt wrote:Got to be Jenson Button. Fairy tail stuff.so many cols,so little time!0 -
As much as I'm sure we can all,as cycling fans,appreciate 4th place in the TDF.
The general public would find it easier to judge Cav's wins (TDF,MSR etc) as worthy of the award
If we all rally around Cav,& take the trouble to vote,then there's NO reason he can't win the award.
Remember last year when everyone assumed that Hamilton would win,but with enough cyclists phoning in,then the thoughts of the general public are largely immaterial.
The best plan,as last year,is to decide the most popular cyclist,then disregard any others,& vote for one candidate,& DO NOT split the vote.so many cols,so little time!0
