BBC Sports Personality Of The Year

[paul_e]

Going back nearly 6 years Farah has won 17 out of 20 major events he's contested and 1 of those he didn't win was a half marathon which is like Murray entering a doubles competition, it's not really his event so you wouldn't expect him to be as good as the specialists.  Of those 17 9 are considered world titles making him the most decorated distance runner in history (Kenenisa Bakele was in the lead on 8 before Rio).  He is the greatest distance runner of all time.  The only thing you can use against Mo is that he doesn't hold a world record but I think that's misunderstanding the sport and his brilliance. The whole point of why he's so good is that he controls races better than anyone else ever has and that control stops him from going for world record times but does make him pretty much unbeatable.

I don't agree on the idea that he's only number one in a discipline or 2 rather than a sport.  I'd say that sprinting and distance running are as different as tennis and squash so if you lump 'running' in 1 sports then you should lump 'racketball' into 1 as well.  I say that because it's is impossible to be the best 100m sprinter and 10000m runner at the same, the requirements are just too different (down to the the physical shape of muscle tissues, so as fundamental as it gets).  A good tennis player training to become a world class squash player as well is actually probably easier because the physical requirements don't alter all that much.

The truth is Mo has utterly dominated for years and was a class above the entire fields in both of his events at the olympics, there really is very little more he could do to improve his chances.  Murray has had a fantastic season and is a brilliant player but he has only got 3 of the 6 major titles that were available this season.  I freely admit that I'm nit-picking in the extreme but I think you have to differentiate between 2 genuine world class performers.  All that said if Murray hadn't won it last year (when I don't think he deserved it) I wouldn't begrudge him of it but I really struggle with him getting a 3rd win and the retaining the award when the 2 previous ones were both fairly 'cheap' in my opinion.

[Jon Crofts]

Team of the year will be close between England rugby, Leicester City & Team GB, the public don't get to vote on this one do they?

[cdbearsfan]

How were Murray's previous awards "cheap"?

He became the first British male Wimbledon winner for about eighty years for his first award and, more or less single-handedly, won our first Davis Cup for the first time in about the same duration for his second one. You can maybe argue against the latter if you say he was part of a team but on that basis none of England's World Cup Winners in 1966 or 2003 would've been eligible which seems an odd assertion.

It does show how much we have improved in the last few years when someone is suggesting that someone winning Wimbledon was a "cheap" recipient of the SPOTY Award.

[paul_e]

I put 'cheap' in single quotes because I knew it would get taken the wrong way.  What I mean by that is that Murray got the first one for winning Wimbledon despite having had a better season the year before, but the year before he was blown away by Wiggo getting the tdf and olympic gold.

More specifically on Wimbledon - does Britain having been shit at Tennis for a long time make winning it a bigger achievement for him as an individual? I'm not taking away from winning Wimbledon, it's a fantastic achievement I just don't see why it is elevated so high because of the wait.

Does that mean that Danny Willett getting the first British win at the masters in 20 years gives him a chance at winning even though he's had a 'meh' season otherwise or is that too short a wait or do different rules apply for golf?

Britain had NEVER won an olympic gold in 10k or 5k before Mo came along and he won both, twice, Surely on the "we've waited a while for that" he trumps 80years with a wimbledon title?  How about Whitlock, getting our first ever medal in the all-around and then getting our first 2 olympic gymnastics golds in 2 hours.

Moving on, the Davis cup based win last year - my issue is nothing to do with it being a team event and everything to do with the fact that it's a pretty shit event that the British public didn't give a fuck about until we had a chance of winning it.  When we came close to being relegated to the bottom tier in 2010 did anyone really care outside the inner circle of British Tennis?  This ties to the fact that fundamentally my issue with Murray winning it again is that once he retires the country will quickly go back to only giving a shit about the sport for 2 weeks of the year.  I don't mind Tennis but a tennis player being crowned as Britains greatest ever sportsman (which is what retaining this would signify) is just plain wrong.  It's not even about him, I like the guy and think he's a phenomenal talent, I just don't like 1 person getting it 3 years in 4 when 1 of those years is very possibly the most successful year ever in British sport.

I want Mo to win it because his achievement this year is stunning and really shouldn't be dismissed as easily as some people have but if you take him out of it I'd much rather see Whitlock or Peaty get recognition in events where there's little publicity, little money and that could do with a potential boost in participation.

For the team reward I think 'team GB' will win it but I think that's too broad.  I'd personally give the award to the cycling team who were absolutely brilliant and dominated the velodrome to an extent that no other team in any sport at the olympics could compare to.

[peter w]

although I agree with the overall point paul I think saying tennis players could be squash players is stretching it a bit. Hockey players wouldn't be able to be cricketers and vice versa just because they both hit a ball with stick. Swimmers wouldn't be water polo players, or darts players proficient with a javelin. Mo Farah is, as you say, probably the greatest distance runner of all time. Murray cannot argue the same and although his achievements have been laudable, getting to number one is as much to with Djokovic falling away than Murray being the best out there.

If we want to celebrate the best and not just the best now then it should be Farah.

[paul_e]

although I agree with the overall point paul I think saying tennis players could be squash players is stretching it a bit. Hockey players wouldn't be able to be cricketers and vice versa just because they both hit a ball with stick. Swimmers wouldn't be water polo players, or darts players proficient with a javelin. Mo Farah is, as you say, probably the greatest distance runner of all time. Murray cannot argue the same and although his achievements have been laudable, getting to number one is as much to with Djokovic falling away than Murray being the best out there.

If we want to celebrate the best and not just the best now then it should be Farah.

What I mean is converting a tennis player to a squash player is physically possible because the same muscle groups are being used in the same ways.  Converting a distance runner to a sprinter or vice versa involves fundamental changes to shape and function of muscle fibers, it's pretty much impossible to do.  You often hear of people who reach a crossroads as a teenager and have to pick which sport to follow with a belief they can make a career in a few different choices, you will never hear of someone having to choose between 100m or 10km with the hopes of being olympic standard.

[wittonwarrior]

Andy Murray probably doesn't give a fig  about this  award so to me in Olympic  year, and yes I know that the competitors are now fairly well funded but it would mean  a great deal more to the likes of Laura Trott.

[cdbearsfan]

It would mean even more if you could get her name right. 😉

[wittonwarrior]

It would mean even more if you could get her name right. 😉

Forgot she is married out now!

[SteveN]

Give the award to Laura Kenny now and we can save ourselves listening to three hours of clapping.

[AV82EC]

Farah
Murray
Kenny (L)

[four fornicholl]

Wont be watching but rooting for Farah

[wittonwarrior]

Got to go to someone fresh - Adam Peaty would be ideal  but has no chance, please no to Andy Murray who probably  finds it so routine to turn up at award nights like this, Laura Kenny too popular - I just don't know.

[ACVilla]

Murray
Farah
Vardy

[olaftab]

That Gabby is a big girl.

Almost as big as our Gabby.