S.P.O.T.Y 2011 - Anyone give a **** this year ?

[Doogie Browser]

Westwood has no chance and if he wins it will be nearly as big a farce as Gigss winning it, I really want McCoy to win it, in fairness McDowell would be a worthy winner too.

[bennydorano]

McDole has what - three or four wins this year? AP has 134. So far.

McCoy has been on a horse that has won 134 races this year.

A Horse? Good figures, wish I'd been following him.

I reckon Westwood will win just by force of numbers - being English when English people number 80odd% of the UK population.  McCoy is obviously the superior candidate, closely followed by Phil Taylor (then Cavendish), but the Golfing media mafia will also have their say.   

I agree that it really is a joke of an award but I'll vote for the first time ever in it and hope McCoy wins it.

I don't think voting for your own is anywhere near as important to the English as it is to the rest of us.

I'd like to see you or anyone else prove that point. I take it you've read the Sun before, watched commentary on an England football game, read the Times coverage of cricket or golf?  Shouldn't underestimate base instincts and the English are as base as anyone else. 

[Louth Exile]

If they don't give it to AP this year they never will!! The truth is that there are other years when he was far more deserving off it, however, its all about public perception and although the lottery that is the national is far from the clasiest race on the calendar, it is the one that grabs the publics attention and even the unwashed and illinformed would have an idea that he has missed out on it so many times before. G Mac had a superb year, but holing the winning putt in the ryder cup should be more than enough additional reward for him. I really hope that people can see just what a driven talent that AP is and give him his just reward.

[bennydorano]

His ride on Witchita Lineman at Cheltenham in March is worthy of the award by itself.

[Donnellys Hollow]

His ride on Witchita Lineman at Cheltenham in March is worthy of the award by itself.

That was 2009. WL died at Fairyhouse that April.

The ride on Drill Sergeant at Haydock back in October was pretty decent!:

http://horses.sportinglife.com/Video/Racing/0,27770,403084,00.html

[Hardy]

If McCoy doesn't win it this year he never will. He's won it all and been at the top of his game for 15 years on the bounce, G Mac has had a great season but it feels very like a flash in the pan year to me! Plus if you had to listen to an acceptance speech McCoy should win on that basis alone!

For that reason he deserves to win. It's sports personality of the year not a life time achievement award.

McCoy rode the winner of the Champion Hurdle, the Aintree National, the Midlands National, the Melling Chase, the Tote Gold Trophy, the Swordlestown Chase and the Galway Plate this year as well as being Champion Jockey for the fifteenth consecutive season. This shouldn't even be a contest.

And the Ryanair. There's at least two majors in there, so he trumps Graham here too.

[nrico2006]

AP.

He is arguably the greatest jockey we've ever seen.

McDowell isn't even the best golfer in Britain this year.

How many titles has Westwood won this year in comparison to McDowell?

The rankings say Westwood is a better golfer.

I don't think there's any point in focusing on the "Personality" aspect. Its always been considered to go to the most deserving Sports Person in each year.

Do rankings in any sport really carry that much weight? 

Are England the 6th best national team in world football?  Is Caroline Wozniacki the best ladies Tennis player in the world because she is ranked Number 1? 'NP' to both.  Is Westwood the best Golfer in the world - 'no'.  He has been rewarded for finishing respectively in alot of tournaments this year, McDowell has won more and what he has won has been pretty prestigious too.

[muppet]

If McCoy doesn't win it this year he never will. He's won it all and been at the top of his game for 15 years on the bounce, G Mac has had a great season but it feels very like a flash in the pan year to me! Plus if you had to listen to an acceptance speech McCoy should win on that basis alone!

For that reason he deserves to win. It's sports personality of the year not a life time achievement award.

McCoy rode the winner of the Champion Hurdle, the Aintree National, the Midlands National, the Melling Chase, the Tote Gold Trophy, the Swordlestown Chase and the Galway Plate this year as well as being Champion Jockey for the fifteenth consecutive season. This shouldn't even be a contest.

Surely he should have won it last year and the year before and so on then? Why this year?

[AFS]

McDole has what - three or four wins this year? AP has 134. So far.

McCoy has been on a horse that has won 134 races this year.

A Horse? Good figures, wish I'd been following him.

I reckon Westwood will win just by force of numbers - being English when English people number 80odd% of the UK population.  McCoy is obviously the superior candidate, closely followed by Phil Taylor (then Cavendish), but the Golfing media mafia will also have their say.   

I agree that it really is a joke of an award but I'll vote for the first time ever in it and hope McCoy wins it.

I don't think voting for your own is anywhere near as important to the English as it is to the rest of us.

I'd like to see you or anyone else prove that point. I take it you've read the Sun before, watched commentary on an England football game, read the Times coverage of cricket or golf?  Shouldn't underestimate base instincts and the English are as base as anyone else.

Yeah but I don't think the English make the distinction between themselves and the Scots, Welsh, etc to anywhere near the same extent as the Celts. We're all British as far as they might be concerned.

If Westwood were up for an award against some German or Australian you could expect that some jingoism might come into play, but against another Brit, another one of their own, I don't think it'll be an issue.

[Geoff Tipps]

If McCoy doesn't win it this year he never will. He's won it all and been at the top of his game for 15 years on the bounce, G Mac has had a great season but it feels very like a flash in the pan year to me! Plus if you had to listen to an acceptance speech McCoy should win on that basis alone!

For that reason he deserves to win. It's sports personality of the year not a life time achievement award.

McCoy rode the winner of the Champion Hurdle, the Aintree National, the Midlands National, the Melling Chase, the Tote Gold Trophy, the Swordlestown Chase and the Galway Plate this year as well as being Champion Jockey for the fifteenth consecutive season. This shouldn't even be a contest.

McDowell won a major on American soil becoming the only Irish man to win the US Open.
Sank the winning putt in the Ryder Cup, the biggest sporting event this year outside the World Cup.
Went toe to toe with what many believe to be the greatest golfer ever and came out on top in the Chevron World Challenge.
Won the Welsh and Andalusian opens.
Shouldn't even be a contest.

[Pat Mustard]

If McCoy doesn't win it this year he never will. He's won it all and been at the top of his game for 15 years on the bounce, G Mac has had a great season but it feels very like a flash in the pan year to me! Plus if you had to listen to an acceptance speech McCoy should win on that basis alone!

For that reason he deserves to win. It's sports personality of the year not a life time achievement award.

McCoy rode the winner of the Champion Hurdle, the Aintree National, the Midlands National, the Melling Chase, the Tote Gold Trophy, the Swordlestown Chase and the Galway Plate this year as well as being Champion Jockey for the fifteenth consecutive season. This shouldn't even be a contest.

McDowell won a major on American soil becoming the only Irish man to win the US Open.
Sank the winning putt in the Ryder Cup, the biggest sporting event this year outside the World Cup.
Went toe to toe with what many believe to be the greatest golfer ever and came out on top in the Chevron World Challenge.
Won the Welsh and Andalusian opens.
Shouldn't even be a contest.

So he won a major. Padraig Harrington won 3 in 2 years, including 2 in a row. As for your only Irish man to win the US Open, without being pedantic I doubt that'll come in to play at the British SPOTY.
1 putt, all be it under a hell of a lot of pressure. Am I correct in saying he should have had that game sewn up long before the final hole? He wasn't the best player at the tournament, he was just in the right place at the right time to win it.
The greatest golfer ever, who last won a competition in...?

[bennydorano]

Ryder Cup biggest event this year out side the World Cup Holy f**k. 

[deiseach]

So he won a major. Padraig Harrington won 3 in 2 years, including 2 in a row. As for your only Irish man to win the US Open, without being pedantic I doubt that'll come in to play at the British SPOTY.
1 putt, all be it under a hell of a lot of pressure. Am I correct in saying he should have had that game sewn up long before the final hole? He wasn't the best player at the tournament, he was just in the right place at the right time to win it.
The greatest golfer ever, who last won a competition in...?

He played the 72 holes in the fewest shots. Therefore he was the best player at the tournament. It was a monumental achievement

[mackers]

If McCoy doesn't win it this year he never will. He's won it all and been at the top of his game for 15 years on the bounce, G Mac has had a great season but it feels very like a flash in the pan year to me! Plus if you had to listen to an acceptance speech McCoy should win on that basis alone!

For that reason he deserves to win. It's sports personality of the year not a life time achievement award.

McCoy rode the winner of the Champion Hurdle, the Aintree National, the Midlands National, the Melling Chase, the Tote Gold Trophy, the Swordlestown Chase and the Galway Plate this year as well as being Champion Jockey for the fifteenth consecutive season. This shouldn't even be a contest.

McDowell won a major on American soil becoming the only Irish man to win the US Open.
Sank the winning putt in the Ryder Cup, the biggest sporting event this year outside the World Cup.
Went toe to toe with what many believe to be the greatest golfer ever and came out on top in the Chevron World Challenge.
Won the Welsh and Andalusian opens.
Shouldn't even be a contest.

So he won a major. Padraig Harrington won 3 in 2 years, including 2 in a row. As for your only Irish man to win the US Open, without being pedantic I doubt that'll come in to play at the British SPOTY.
1 putt, all be it under a hell of a lot of pressure. Am I correct in saying he should have had that game sewn up long before the final hole? He wasn't the best player at the tournament, he was just in the right place at the right time to win it.
The greatest golfer ever, who last won a competition in...?

Harrington was subsquently voted the greatest Irish sportsman ever. It's a huge deal for a golfer to win a major in a truly worldwide sport.  You are incorrect in saying that he should've had the game sewn up before that, the guy he was playing had a two at a par four at the hole previous, Hunter Mahan was a tough competitor to put away.  I

[Geoff Tipps]

If McCoy doesn't win it this year he never will. He's won it all and been at the top of his game for 15 years on the bounce, G Mac has had a great season but it feels very like a flash in the pan year to me! Plus if you had to listen to an acceptance speech McCoy should win on that basis alone!

For that reason he deserves to win. It's sports personality of the year not a life time achievement award.

McCoy rode the winner of the Champion Hurdle, the Aintree National, the Midlands National, the Melling Chase, the Tote Gold Trophy, the Swordlestown Chase and the Galway Plate this year as well as being Champion Jockey for the fifteenth consecutive season. This shouldn't even be a contest.

McDowell won a major on American soil becoming the only Irish man to win the US Open.
Sank the winning putt in the Ryder Cup, the biggest sporting event this year outside the World Cup.
Went toe to toe with what many believe to be the greatest golfer ever and came out on top in the Chevron World Challenge.
Won the Welsh and Andalusian opens.
Shouldn't even be a contest.

So he won a major. Padraig Harrington won 3 in 2 years, including 2 in a row. As for your only Irish man to win the US Open, without being pedantic I doubt that'll come in to play at the British SPOTY.
1 putt, all be it under a hell of a lot of pressure. Am I correct in saying he should have had that game sewn up long before the final hole? He wasn't the best player at the tournament, he was just in the right place at the right time to win it.
The greatest golfer ever, who last won a competition in...?

Who would you vote for then?