It's a hard choice, but I'd expect Farah to be ahead of Ennis and Wiggins. David Weir could be nominated too. Edit: Actually, with TdF, prob Wiggins.
Wiggins winning both Olympic gold and the T de F, Murray winning Olympic gold and the American Open, Jessica Ennis winning Olympic gold for Heptathlon must all be among the favourites for sports personality, but my vote would go to Mo Farah. The thing that set him apart was that while the others won their individual disciplines he won two of the toughest Olympic events with minimal recovery time between. Many of the top runners in the 5000 mtrs were fresh because they hadn't even taken part in the 10000 mtrs, so it was a real sporting feat for Farah to win both races. Add to that his reactions after winning each race were the enduring images of those games that I'll remember. I also think winning other big events in addition to the Olympics (such as T de F and the American Open) shouldn't define the winner because top athletes win events throughout the calendar and have to train harder than most others. It's not their fault that their finals don't get as much media attention as the ones mentioned.
I'm not a great fan of Tennis, but this is a great moment for the country and for Murray. Congratulations. Although, i listened to it on the radio last night, until Djokovic had got back to 2 sets all and then turned off, thinking Murray had blown it. Well done on keeping your head, and what a great gold medal in the Olympics. I can't believe the amount of stick he's got from the comment he made about not supporting England in the WC, when he'd just started professionally. Shows how pathetic some people are.
So? James Chester isn't Franco Baresi yet; Jess Ennis isn't Jackie Joyner-Kersee yet (mainly because she doesn't take the steroids JJK did). Does that mean we can't praise or celebrate them?
I thinki you and correct, So OLM and myself are both right I guess, I did just hear on 5 live Nicky Campbell say that it does go to a public vote, and I would guess Andy Murray will be one of the picks by the Journalists.
Most years we are hard pushed to find anyone deserving the SPOTY title. This year we have several candidates competing who would be shoe-ins most years. I still think there is more to come. For example, if Rory McIlroy wins the Tour Championship and/or secures the winning point in the Ryder Cup where would that put him? I think that the Great British Public (tm) will be swayed by what they saw in the Olympics and for that reason someone like Farah or Ennis will get the winning vote. It will actually be interesting for once. Oh, and well done Andy Murray. Great achievement winning the US Open.
I would vote for Murray or Wiggins. Simple because what they have done hasn't been done or hasn't for a long time. Although what the likes of Ennis and Farah have done is amazing, its not first gold medal or double gold medal.
I'll just quote my FB status immediately after he won as I only got to sleep at around 5am after staying up watch it and then to listen to the reaction on 5 live after. So I don't feel like I can form sensible and informative sentences currently. 'I was mistaken there is in fact a God and evidently he is Scottish. All this pain has been worth it! Congrats Muzza.' I always knew he had the physical and technical abilities to do it and last night he proved he had the all important mental strength that sets apart champions from nearly men. I'm confident there's more to come and it would have been a real shame if a player of his quality and finesse were to never have won a slam.
What you mean is it hasn't been done ever or for a long time BY A BRIT. Someone wins the Tour every year; someone wins a grand slam event and the Olympic tennis every Olympic year. In terms of rarity of achievement on the global stage without taking into account prior UK underachievement, Farah's 10k/5k double would stand highest.
Andy Murray said he hates us all in an interview we were obviously going to hear, I think it's pretty reasonable to not like him. If he was a footballer, he'd be hated by everyone in the UK for less than that, like Terry. Fact is, it's cool to hate footballers for anything the red-tops want you to hate them for, but for some reason other sportsmen are immune.
It was actually off the record and the journo had just asked a really sarcastic question about Scotland and the 2006 world cup
Murray was royally stitched up - he was having some banter with the journo and Tim Henman and made the mistake of making a jokey comment in the presence of a tabloid hack. Henman has explained the context several times and defended Murray stoutly.
Bloody grow a pair, will you. Why would a Scot support England at football? Nor vice versa. It's like saying to some of you would you support Leeds Utd at anything. It's the Auld Enemy ffs. He came out and said he loved playing for GB at the Olympics and he has a lot of English fans. Saying what he said is bigger than John Terry's antics is a piss take.
but does Murray even have a personality ? he carries on like a depressed teenager whos had their phone taken from them !
I completely agree, although Farah won double gold in distance running, that's something that hasn't been done by a British Athlete (at least for a long time!). Everyone likes Ennis but her achievements are nowhere near that of Murray or Wiggins.
