Rory McIlroy

[Milltown Row2]

Yeah in MR2s world if you don't worship McIlroy you are a bigot

I dont even follow golf lol. Though the amount of ill thrown towards a world number one on this board because he's a lapsed catholic is a tad unfair don't you think? But hey I'm not bothered, I've a thousand other things in life more important than Rory. I may debate it but reality is I don't actually give a shit in the grand scheme of things.

I just find it strange we've so many haters

[Orior]

McIlroy should have won as his sporting achivements in 2014 far outweighed his rivals. If an English golfer had won 2 majors it would have been a no contest........i am sure he will be able to console himself and realise what a joke this SPOTY is and will never darken its door again! Lets hope he leads Ireland to an Olympic Gold.
I just dont get Formula 1.........there is far more skill in rally driving.......am i missing something or is there a lot of skill to driving round and round a track? If any of the other drivers had been driving the Mercedes would they have won? If Hamilton was driving for a different team would his driving skills give them a chance of winning???

Most of us probably wouldn't get it to the first corner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGUZJVY-sHo

If you haven't time for the lot jump to 5:35.

Nice touch at 9:30 for the west brits

[muppet]

McIlroy should have won as his sporting achivements in 2014 far outweighed his rivals. If an English golfer had won 2 majors it would have been a no contest........i am sure he will be able to console himself and realise what a joke this SPOTY is and will never darken its door again! Lets hope he leads Ireland to an Olympic Gold.
I just dont get Formula 1.........there is far more skill in rally driving.......am i missing something or is there a lot of skill to driving round and round a track? If any of the other drivers had been driving the Mercedes would they have won? If Hamilton was driving for a different team would his driving skills give them a chance of winning???

Most of us probably wouldn't get it to the first corner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGUZJVY-sHo

If you haven't time for the lot jump to 5:35.

Nice touch at 9:30 for the west brits

First time I've heard it sung by someone sober!

[deiseach]

There are lots of formats in motor racing, but the only one who can claim with a straight face to be the World Champion is the one in F1. Given the idiosyncrasies of the Sports Personality of the Year award - bias towards English winners and achievements towards the end of the year - it was a good show for McIlroy.

A few very good F1 drivers (one ex world Champion) have tried and failed in the WRC. Rallying is a much more demanding sport but does not have the ££$$$ and circus that F1 has.  Seb Loeb has more talent in his big toe that any F1 Driver.

I've seen much the same argument deployed in terms of rugby union v league. You can argue all you like about the superior technical ability of league players, but for all kinds of historic reasons - the ££$$$ and circus are a reflection of that - union is more significant than league. If you are a driver and you want to test yourself against the very best, F1 is the place to be.

[GJL]

There are lots of formats in motor racing, but the only one who can claim with a straight face to be the World Champion is the one in F1. Given the idiosyncrasies of the Sports Personality of the Year award - bias towards English winners and achievements towards the end of the year - it was a good show for McIlroy.

A few very good F1 drivers (one ex world Champion) have tried and failed in the WRC. Rallying is a much more demanding sport but does not have the ££$$$ and circus that F1 has.  Seb Loeb has more talent in his big toe that any F1 Driver.

I've seen much the same argument deployed in terms of rugby union v league. You can argue all you like about the superior technical ability of league players, but for all kinds of historic reasons - the ££$$$ and circus are a reflection of that - union is more significant than league. If you are a driver and you want to test yourself against the very best, F1 is the place to be.

I'm sorry but that is just wrong.

There is nothing glamorous about standing in the middle of a forest in the UK in November. Rallying may not be as sexy as F1 but the skill levels are way higher.

Kimi Raikkonen would be regarded as on of the best in F1 over the last 10 years. He jumped ship to WRC for a couple of years and got himself in the best machinery available at the time. Got his ass kicked and scampered back to the F1 track.

[laoislad]

I was a legend at Colin Mcrae on the PS1.

[deiseach]

I'm sorry but that is just wrong.

There is nothing glamorous about standing in the middle of a forest in the UK in November. Rallying may not be as sexy as F1 but the skill levels are way higher.

Kimi Raikkonen would be regarded as on of the best in F1 over the last 10 years. He jumped ship to WRC for a couple of years and got himself in the best machinery available at the time. Got his ass kicked and scampered back to the F1 track.

I'll put my viewpoint this way. Jerry Kiernan was asked when Sonia O'Sullivan retired about her place in the pantheon of Irish athletics. His first comment was that a shortage of competitiveness in the women's side of the sport meant that she couldn't be mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Ronnie Delany, John Treacy or Eamonn Coghlan. All other things being equal, more men around the world set out to be top middle/long distance runners than women. They had to fight their way past more competitors to get to the top of their respective trees. I could be wrong, but I think the same would be true of the F1 world champions as opposed to the rally world champion. It's not a critique of their respective talents, any more than you could say that Usain Bolt was a superior athlete to David Rudisha.

[mouview]

There are lots of formats in motor racing, but the only one who can claim with a straight face to be the World Champion is the one in F1. Given the idiosyncrasies of the Sports Personality of the Year award - bias towards English winners and achievements towards the end of the year - it was a good show for McIlroy.

A few very good F1 drivers (one ex world Champion) have tried and failed in the WRC. Rallying is a much more demanding sport but does not have the ££$$$ and circus that F1 has.  Seb Loeb has more talent in his big toe that any F1 Driver.

I've seen much the same argument deployed in terms of rugby union v league. You can argue all you like about the superior technical ability of league players, but for all kinds of historic reasons - the ££$$$ and circus are a reflection of that - union is more significant than league. If you are a driver and you want to test yourself against the very best, F1 is the place to be.

I'm sorry but that is just wrong.

There is nothing glamorous about standing in the middle of a forest in the UK in November. Rallying may not be as sexy as F1 but the skill levels are way higher.

Kimi Raikkonen would be regarded as on of the best in F1 over the last 10 years. He jumped ship to WRC for a couple of years and got himself in the best machinery available at the time. Got his ass kicked and scampered back to the F1 track.

Would agree with that. Rally drivers usually have much more changeable and challenging driving conditions to contend with, on all surfaces. Their skills are more real-world driving which is why I generally rate them as superior drivers to F1. GB/BBC loves it's F1 champs though, even 'Nige' was chosen as SPOTY one year despite only coming second in the C'ship. Don't think the voters can quite make up their mind as to whether Rory is British or Irish.

[muppet]

There are lots of formats in motor racing, but the only one who can claim with a straight face to be the World Champion is the one in F1. Given the idiosyncrasies of the Sports Personality of the Year award - bias towards English winners and achievements towards the end of the year - it was a good show for McIlroy.

A few very good F1 drivers (one ex world Champion) have tried and failed in the WRC. Rallying is a much more demanding sport but does not have the ££$$$ and circus that F1 has.  Seb Loeb has more talent in his big toe that any F1 Driver.

I've seen much the same argument deployed in terms of rugby union v league. You can argue all you like about the superior technical ability of league players, but for all kinds of historic reasons - the ££$$$ and circus are a reflection of that - union is more significant than league. If you are a driver and you want to test yourself against the very best, F1 is the place to be.

I'm sorry but that is just wrong.

There is nothing glamorous about standing in the middle of a forest in the UK in November. Rallying may not be as sexy as F1 but the skill levels are way higher.

Kimi Raikkonen would be regarded as on of the best in F1 over the last 10 years. He jumped ship to WRC for a couple of years and got himself in the best machinery available at the time. Got his ass kicked and scampered back to the F1 track.

Would agree with that. Rally drivers usually have much more changeable and challenging driving conditions to contend with, on all surfaces. Their skills are more real-world driving which is why I generally rate them as superior drivers to F1. GB/BBC loves it's F1 champs though, even 'Nige' was chosen as SPOTY one year despite only coming second in the C'ship. Don't think the voters can quite make up their mind as to whether Rory is British or Irish.

Paul McGinley won coach of the year so it doesn't seem to be that.

[Bensars]

I'm sorry but that is just wrong.

There is nothing glamorous about standing in the middle of a forest in the UK in November. Rallying may not be as sexy as F1 but the skill levels are way higher.

Kimi Raikkonen would be regarded as on of the best in F1 over the last 10 years. He jumped ship to WRC for a couple of years and got himself in the best machinery available at the time. Got his ass kicked and scampered back to the F1 track.

I'll put my viewpoint this way. Jerry Kiernan  was asked when Sonia O'Sullivan retired about her place in the pantheon of Irish athletics. His first comment was that a shortage of competitiveness in the women's side of the sport meant that she couldn't be mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Ronnie Delany, John Treacy or Eamonn Coghlan. All other things being equal, more men around the world set out to be top middle/long distance runners than women. They had to fight their way past more competitors to get to the top of their respective trees. I could be wrong, but I think the same would be true of the F1 world champions as opposed to the rally world champion. It's not a critique of their respective talents, any more than you could say that Usain Bolt was a superior athlete to David Rudisha.

.........Stopped reading at Jerry Kiernan.

[give her dixie]

Thisw is a good video of Colin McRae driving the Jordan F1 car at Silverstone, and Martin Brundle driving Mcrae's WRC Subaru

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL6QySEfK0Q

On topic, the SPOTY awards has turned into an X Factor type show. McIlroy was miles ahead of Hamilton, but it was
down to Hamiltons recent success that clinched it. Good entertainment for a couple of hours on a Sunday night.

[Franko]

I'm sorry but that is just wrong.

There is nothing glamorous about standing in the middle of a forest in the UK in November. Rallying may not be as sexy as F1 but the skill levels are way higher.

Kimi Raikkonen would be regarded as on of the best in F1 over the last 10 years. He jumped ship to WRC for a couple of years and got himself in the best machinery available at the time. Got his ass kicked and scampered back to the F1 track.

I'll put my viewpoint this way. Jerry Kiernan was asked when Sonia O'Sullivan retired about her place in the pantheon of Irish athletics. His first comment was that a shortage of competitiveness in the women's side of the sport meant that she couldn't be mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Ronnie Delany, John Treacy or Eamonn Coghlan. All other things being equal, more men around the world set out to be top middle/long distance runners than women. They had to fight their way past more competitors to get to the top of their respective trees. I could be wrong, but I think the same would be true of the F1 world champions as opposed to the rally world champion. It's not a critique of their respective talents, any more than you could say that Usain Bolt was a superior athlete to David Rudisha.

You are - I used to race karts in my younger days and would do a bit of low-level rallying nowadays.  There's no comparison to the range of skill sets required.

The only reason these drivers aren't the superstars is money.

It isn't as easy for the TV guys to follow 40/50 rally cars round 20 odd different 25 mile stages in all sorts of terrain therefore the multi-million pound sponsorship deals aren't as cost effective.

[gallsman]

There are lots of formats in motor racing, but the only one who can claim with a straight face to be the World Champion is the one in F1. Given the idiosyncrasies of the Sports Personality of the Year award - bias towards English winners and achievements towards the end of the year - it was a good show for McIlroy.

A few very good F1 drivers (one ex world Champion) have tried and failed in the WRC. Rallying is a much more demanding sport but does not have the ££$$$ and circus that F1 has.  Seb Loeb has more talent in his big toe that any F1 Driver.

I've seen much the same argument deployed in terms of rugby union v league. You can argue all you like about the superior technical ability of league players, but for all kinds of historic reasons - the ££$$$ and circus are a reflection of that - union is more significant than league. If you are a driver and you want to test yourself against the very best, F1 is the place to be.

That comes from an Irish perspective. Stand in Australia and League is far more significant.

[gallsman]

There are lots of formats in motor racing, but the only one who can claim with a straight face to be the World Champion is the one in F1. Given the idiosyncrasies of the Sports Personality of the Year award - bias towards English winners and achievements towards the end of the year - it was a good show for McIlroy.

A few very good F1 drivers (one ex world Champion) have tried and failed in the WRC. Rallying is a much more demanding sport but does not have the ££$$$ and circus that F1 has.  Seb Loeb has more talent in his big toe that any F1 Driver.

I've seen much the same argument deployed in terms of rugby union v league. You can argue all you like about the superior technical ability of league players, but for all kinds of historic reasons - the ££$$$ and circus are a reflection of that - union is more significant than league. If you are a driver and you want to test yourself against the very best, F1 is the place to be.

I'm sorry but that is just wrong.

There is nothing glamorous about standing in the middle of a forest in the UK in November. Rallying may not be as sexy as F1 but the skill levels are way higher.

Kimi Raikkonen would be regarded as on of the best in F1 over the last 10 years. He jumped ship to WRC for a couple of years and got himself in the best machinery available at the time. Got his ass kicked and scampered back to the F1 track.

How have the corresponding rally drivers done in F1? Or Indy car? Or NASCAR?

[deiseach]

.........Stopped reading at Jerry Kiernan.

Wait, come back! It's worth rea....actually, no. I'm sure you're right.