BBC Sports Personality of the year 2008

Jetfire · Post by **Jetfire** » Sat Dec 06, 2008 3:19 pm

The final 10:

Rebecca Adlington
Ben Ainslie
Joe Calzaghe
Nicole Cooke
Lewis Hamilton
Chris Hoy
Andy Murray
Christine Ohuruogu
Rebecca Romero
Bradley Wiggins

Honestly it's a list that makes many of the winners in the mid 90's to the early 2000's look like terrible choices.

I'm not to greatly bothered who wins as long as Murray doesn't and Calzaghe doesn't need to.

I'll be soft for Hoy, Adlington, Cooke Romero and Ohuruogu though.

Computron · Post by **Computron** » Sat Dec 06, 2008 4:20 pm

To be honest none of them deserve sports personality of the year.

95 - Jonathan Edwards
96 - Damon Hill
97 - Greg Ruzedski
98 - Michael Owen
99 - Lenox Lewis
00 - Steve Redgrave
01 - David Beckham
02 - Paula Radcliffe
03 - Jonny Wilkinson

All of these winners were well known prior to winning. They were actual winners who had been performing for numerous years at the top and actually significantly generated interest in what they did. Ok some are not great choices but for most of them there was a clear buzz from the entire country prior to winning.

Now compare that to your list:

Rebecca Adlington - she won the swimming but pre-Olympics no one knew who she was and I doubt too many people will be paying much interest in her swimming until London 2012
Ben Ainslie - No idea who he is, probably cyclist
Joe Calzaghe - 3rd year in a row he's been in nominations. Not a great personality but probably the only competitor who has been at the top for a long time
Nicole Cooke - Not sure who she is, Posibly a sailor from Olympics?
Lewis Hamilton - Won the F1 title by winning less races that the fella who came second in a sport which is more about tactics and the car than about the driver these days. Also only his second year
Chris Hoy - Is he the cyclist? Doubt too many people are going to be that interested in him till London 2012, possibly Commonwealth games just as its a gold and we in the UK can pretend we all love cycling
Andy Murray - Had a superb year, well known in the Tennis circuit, Probably the best choice to win it simply as he is actually generating interest in Tennis
Christine Ohuruogu - Failed a drug test but allowed to compete. Would send so many bad signals if she won.
Rebecca Romero - No idea who she is, probably Olympian
Bradley Wiggins - No idea who he is, probably Olympian

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Sat Dec 06, 2008 6:31 pm

Yeh, it'd be nice if the sport was more of a reward for continued excellence than a note for whatever fad sport Britain's success has stirred up public interest in. Someone with a personality would be nice as well.

The only way I can see the Hamiltron not winning is when everyone realises he'll be up for nomination again - theoretically he might well win the title for a reason other than Timo Glock chancing things, and the same with Murray, who's got the talent to have better years than the one he's just had - whereas most of the Olympians will be forgotten about soon, so why not give one of them something?

That said, the award does seem to be a sort of kiss of death - Hill, Wilkinson, Ratcliffe, Lewis, Rusedski, Owen, Beckham were all arguably on the downswing from the rough point they got the award...

Sixswitch · Post by **Sixswitch** » Sat Dec 06, 2008 7:45 pm

Cliffjumper wrote:Yeh, it'd be nice if the sport was more of a reward for continued excellence than a note for whatever fad sport Britain's success has stirred up public interest in. Someone with a personality would be nice as well.

Agreed. I reckon Addlington will win it, due to middle aged women up and down the country going 'oh but she's so nice'.

-Ss

Jetfire · Post by **Jetfire** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 11:32 pm

Compy, your arguement falls a bit flat on some points. Chris Hoy has been a success for years. Broken records, Olympic gold at the last Olympics and medals at the previous ones. World champion year after year, it was well documented for a few years at how amazing he has been to have to switch cycling events to reenter the olympics etc. Likewise Bradley Wiggins won 3 medals in the 2004 Olympics and Nicole Cooke has been up for the award before.

On another note, Paula Radcliffe wasn't a name before 2002. 2002 was the first year she won a marathon and made her name, so how exactly was she well known before?

I'm also quite sure the general public had very little idea who Jonny Wilkinson was before the 2003 world Cup. I'm quote sure Lawrence Dallaglio and Martin Johnson were better know players to the public at that time.

Also it's poor form to claim Andy Murray has generated interest in tennis. Chris Hoy and Rebecca Romero have increased interest in cycling far more than Murray has in tennis which has always been a popular sport.

So yes many have finally bene recognised this year but that doesn't make them unworthy or undeserved winners if they do. If fact the term sports personality of the year implies somebody whose name has become household name big that year due to their sportiing success certainly is worthy.

Also on the final point, Christine Ohuruogu has never failed a drugs test. As it's been argued in places she missed a random drugs test for events out of her control and had passed a schedualed one the week before and took and passed one the next day making it pretty impossible for her to have taken drugs in that period. Even the most outspoken athletes on drugs, like Kelly Sotherton, have shown public support for her saying she is clearly innocent of any drug taking and deserves to compete.

Computron · Post by **Computron** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 12:09 am

Jets you might be right that those people have done all those but considering I don't know I would guess is a fair indication that a large percentage of the british population don't know as I doubt too many people follow cyclng/ swimming that well.

One thing I generally expect from a winner/ nominee is that even if they are not in the most popular of sports they should at least generate interest for it from the mass public, former stars like Llinford Christie, Sally Gunnel and Colin Jackson all generated huge interest in Athletics despite the fact as a sport it had no chance of competing with Football but little kids would still know and recognise those stars. I bet most of those nomines wouldn't be recognised by many these days.

You mention wilkinson but he was voted IRB world player of he year and for most of England he was the reason you won the world Cup that year. Compare that to Shane Williams who won IRB world player of the year just a few weeks ago, has been on superb form for the last year and helped Wales win a Grand Slam and the only northern Hemisphere victory this autumn isn't even nominated.

And to Christine Ohuruogu - I have nothing but distain for her. She might be the golden girl for winning a gold but the fact she threatened that unless her ban was uplifted she would desert GB and run for Nigeria basically puts her in the "Go F**k yourself" catagory when it comes to giving out awards.

Personally I'd find the winner by giving 100 thousand people a piece of paper with all 10 nominees faces on and ask them to name them. The one with the most correct people guessing them wins on the basis he/ she is probably the best known and thus has a sporting chance of some kind of a) consistant success or b) personality.

Jetfire · Post by **Jetfire** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 12:58 am

Computron wrote:Jets you might be right that those people have done all those but considering I don't know I would guess is a fair indication that a large percentage of the british population don't know as I doubt too many people follow cyclng/ swimming that well.

One thing I generally expect from a winner/ nominee is that even if they are not in the most popular of sports they should at least generate interest for it from the mass public, former stars like Llinford Christie, Sally Gunnel and Colin Jackson all generated huge interest in Athletics despite the fact as a sport it had no chance of competing with Football but little kids would still know and recognise those stars. I bet most of those nomines wouldn't be recognised by many these days.

But the cyclists and Adlington have easily done that. Yes it's been very recently but Britsian's domination of the world championships last year in cycling has been pretty big news (Thanks in part to Pendleton's risque photoshoot last year) and obviously the Olympics has thrown them up higher than possibly imagined.

You mention wilkinson but he was voted IRB world player of he year and for most of England he was the reason you won the world Cup that year. Compare that to Shane Williams who won IRB world player of the year just a few weeks ago, has been on superb form for the last year and helped Wales win a Grand Slam and the only northern Hemisphere victory this autumn isn't even nominated.

Shane Williams is the big onmission in my opinion too. In my opinion his acomplishments have been greater than Murray's this year.

And to Christine Ohuruogu - I have nothing but distain for her. She might be the golden girl for winning a gold but the fact she threatened that unless her ban was uplifted she would desert GB and run for Nigeria basically puts her in the "Go F**k yourself" catagory when it comes to giving out awards.

It was the only way to continue her career. And she didn't actually say she would do it but considered it her option if all else failed. She clearly didn't want to do it but felt harshly treated for not failing a drugs test and not missing it through no fault of her own and still proving she couldn't possibly have drugged up.

Besides Andy Murray has made it perfectly clear in the past he bloody hates the English and even wished they would fail in big sporting events.....until their support are required. Why is he more deserving of the British sports personality award in your eyes?

Personally I'd find the winner by giving 100 thousand people a piece of paper with all 10 nominees faces on and ask them to name them. The one with the most correct people guessing them wins on the basis he/ she is probably the best known and thus has a sporting chance of some kind of a) consistant success or b) personality.

Errrr. David Beckham won the award despte not ever even being the best footballer in the UK, or even the bets footballer at his club or having a personality. I actually think that was the wost winner I am aware of.

AndyTurnbull · Post by **AndyTurnbull** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 12:04 pm

You are aware that Andy Murray was making a joke about wanting England to fail, in response to being asked if he would be supporting Scotland in the world cup after they had already failed to qualify.

Andy

Jetfire · Post by **Jetfire** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 8:40 pm

It is a joke which makes no sense in the context of the discussion and casually only said to be a joke after a heck of a lot of hatemail and media attention.

It could be true but is highly unlikely. however I feel Andy Murray has greatly grown up, I mearly highlighted it to show fault with Computrons "I'll find any reason to hate on Christine" posts here

Jetfire · Post by **Jetfire** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 9:16 pm

On tomorrow. I'd love one of the Olympians especially Hoy or Romero to win but I would be stunned if it wasn't Hamilton considering F1's record with the award.

Jetfire · Post by **Jetfire** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 6:23 pm

This made me laugh:

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 6:38 pm

Alan Shearer wins for his cycling - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tv_and_ ... 782818.stm