Andy Murray

[Hacker Khan]

I think he's roughly the same odds as we were to stay in Europe on the day of the vote. About 9 to 2 on.

 

[Foxholer]

Fantastic result and well deserved!

From the talented but skinny little runt whose legs couldn't last of a few years ago, he's now become the player everyone fears in a final set! Djokovic's form seems to have slipped slightly and Murray was there to grab the #1!

Surely favourite for SPOTY!

 

[User62651]

Scotland's greatest? I would think so, quite comfortably.
Britain's greatest? For me he'd be a very distant second.

Dont leave us hanging then, who's no.1 in your view?

Never thought too hard about that question myself, not too sure but seeing who quickly comes to mind, apart from Murray being a contender in tennis, for my time late 70's - present:

footballer.....nah
jockey...nah
Olympians - Hoy, Wiggins, Redgrave, Coe, Farah, Thomson - all possibles as have won gold at more than one games
winter sports...nah
motor sports - Moss, Hamilton, Hunt, Sheene, Fogerty all possibles
Boxing.....nah
cricket....Botham (but England only so can't include for UK)
rugby both codes....nah
golf - Faldo
other sports....nah

Someone help me, must be a good few contenders I'm missing.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Greatest British Sportsman/Woman

My nominations would be

Hoy
Redgrave
Pinsent
Thompson
McCoy
Farah
Wiggins
Murray

 

[richy]

People will obviously lean toward a man/woman in a sport they like.

You're not going to pick a boxer if you don't like boxing. I'd never pick a jockey or cricketer as I don't like either sports.

 

[User62651]

People will obviously lean toward a man/woman in a sport they like.

You're not going to pick a boxer if you don't like boxing. I'd never pick a jockey or cricketer as I don't like either sports.

I wouldn't agree with that, I like football more than any other sport but have not included any footballers as George Best apart I dont think UK has had any truly world class players.
I dont care for motor sport either but I put Hamilton in there as a 3x world champ.
Dont follow boxing but would put Muhammed Ali as worlds greatest sportsperson ever.

 

[richy]

I wouldn't agree with that, I like football more than any other sport but have not included any footballers as George Best apart I dont think UK has had any truly world class players.
I dont care for motor sport either but I put Hamilton in there as a 3x world champ.
Dont follow boxing but would put Muhammed Ali as worlds greatest sportsperson ever.

I'd say Bale is world class but wouldn't have him in the list.

Hamilton? Hard to choose him when his car is far superior to others.

Ali is most people's greatest but a lot of that is down to the personality he was and what he did outside the ring. Would you pick him on boxing resume alone?

 

[User62651]

Ali is most people's greatest but a lot of that is down to the personality he was and what he did outside the ring. Would you pick him on boxing resume alone?

think so yes as a boxer was a master tactician and brave, rope a dope was incredibly courageous tactic v Foreman. Sugar Ray Leonard is up there too but Ali edges it. Tyson was my favourite (when I used to watch boxing) as he was so exciting to watch but he was a brawler more than a boxer.

 

[Kellfire]

the bookies gave him no chance. Djoko was 1/2 favourite at that point.

So by "no chance" the bookies gave him a one in three chance...?

 

[HowlingGale]

So by "no chance" the bookies gave him a one in three chance...?

Don't look at betting in that way but if you're saying he had a one in three chance it must have been.

At those odds if they played 100 times Djoko would win twice as many as Murray. That's pretty much no chance in my view.

 

[Foxholer]

Murray was the pre-tourney favourite but after the semis the bookies gave him no chance. Djoko was 1/2 favourite at that point.

Was looking to put an 'insurance policy' on Djoko winning but wasn't worth it at that point.

Those odds were probably more to do with Djokovic's destruction of Nishikora - compared with Murray's extremely tight match with Raonic - than anything else!

Remember that it's not 'the bookies' that are giving him no chance - it's the punters! The Bookies are only reacting to punters and keeping a balanced book!

 

[2blue]

Scotland's greatest? I would think so, quite comfortably.
Britain's greatest? For me he'd be a very distant second.[/QUOTE]
To who??
Is there a greater athlete??
It can't be Chris Hoy as much of his acheivements, admirable as they are, are simply a 'quick dash' using machinery & training methods that unavailable/undeveloped by other nations, as you can see from the way many other cyclists have benifited.
Murray's achievments are in a different class altogether..... no one else in Britain is close to him in tennis wereas there are loads of cyclists knocking on the door due to the advanced development team behind them.

 

[drewster]

Scotland's greatest? I would think so, quite comfortably.
Britain's greatest? For me he'd be a very distant second.[/QUOTE]
To who??
Is there a greater athlete??
It can't be Chris Hoy as much of his acheivements, admirable as they are, are simply a 'quick dash' using machinery & training methods that unavailable/undeveloped by other nations, as you can see from the way many other cyclists have benifited.
Murray's achievments are in a different class altogether..... no one else in Britain is close to him in tennis wereas there are loads of cyclists knocking on the door due to the advanced development team behind them.

Can't help but agree Dave. In my lifetime Daley Thompson, Ben Ainslie maybe and Steve Redgrave are in the conversation but i can't see past Andy Murray as the greatest British sportsperson.

 

[Kellfire]

At those odds if they played 100 times Djoko would win twice as many as Murray. That's pretty much no chance in my view.

Yes, so that's a one in three chance...

For easier maths think of it as 99 games to keep the maths easier, Murray would win 33 and Djokovic would win 66.

 

[Papas1982]

Scotland's greatest? I would think so, quite comfortably.
Britain's greatest? For me he'd be a very distant second.[/QUOTE]
To who??
Is there a greater athlete??
It can't be Chris Hoy as much of his acheivements, admirable as they are, are simply a 'quick dash' using machinery & training methods that unavailable/undeveloped by other nations, as you can see from the way many other cyclists have benifited.
Murray's achievments are in a different class altogether..... no one else in Britain is close to him in tennis wereas there are loads of cyclists knocking on the door due to the advanced development team behind them.

Didn't Murray move to Spain to get further training as a youngster? Something not up and coming players can do?

Maybe if he'd stayed in Britain he wouldn't be where he is now?

so who has the greater advantage? Him or the cyclists?

i find golf a good comparison to tennis, what with the limited Olympic coverage and four majors.

Id say that Mcilroy and Faldo are just as impressive as both have more majors and longer spells as best in the world in the sport.

 

[Slime]

Scotland's greatest? I would think so, quite comfortably.
Britain's greatest? For me he'd be a very distant second.

Dont leave us hanging then, who's no.1 in your view?

Never thought too hard about that question myself, not too sure but seeing who quickly comes to mind, apart from Murray being a contender in tennis, for my time late 70's - present:

footballer.....nah
jockey...nah
Olympians - Hoy, Wiggins, Redgrave, Coe, Farah, Thomson - all possibles as have won gold at more than one games
winter sports...nah
motor sports - Moss, Hamilton, Hunt, Sheene, Fogerty all possibles
Boxing.....nah
cricket....Botham (but England only so can't include for UK)
rugby both codes....nah
golf - Faldo
other sports....nah

Someone help me, must be a good few contenders I'm missing.

Is there a greater athlete??
It can't be Chris Hoy as much of his acheivements, admirable as they are, are simply a 'quick dash' using machinery & training methods that unavailable/undeveloped by other nations, as you can see from the way many other cyclists have benifited.
Murray's achievments are in a different class altogether..... no one else in Britain is close to him in tennis wereas there are loads of cyclists knocking on the door due to the advanced development team behind them.

Ever heard of the great Max Woosnam?

Scratch golfer,
A 147 in snooker,
A century against the MCC at Lords.
International footballer for England,
Played for Chelsea & Man City,
Davis Cup captain,
Olympic Gold and Silver medalist (Tennis),
Wimbledon Champion,
Once beat Charlie Chaplin at table tennis whilst using a butter knife as a bat!

......................................... any good?

 

[2blue]

Can't help but agree Dave. In my lifetime Daley Thompson, Ben Ainslie maybe and Steve Redgrave are in the conversation but i can't see past Andy Murray as the greatest British sportsperson.

Yes in deed, Ben Ainslie has never had the recognition other than, like Ellen MacArthur (a legend in France), gets a pat on the head from Queenie.... I think BA will take the Americas Cup for GB (already done it for the USA) but will still get little recognition for it.
However with Andy its not just 'Sportsperson'..... its 'athlete'....... high skill levels & decision making in very gruelling & high pressure situations playing in a style that ensures a measure of longevity..... unlike the 'ugly' & injurious tennis style of of Nadal who is now 'spent'.... thro playing Table-tennis on a tennis court... athletic but knacked!!

 

[Fish]

I note that Scottish tennis player has been knocked out 😜 I preferred the British version of him that won Wimbledon 😉

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I note that Scottish tennis player has been knocked out 😜 I preferred the British version of him that won Wimbledon 😉

Bit of a shock given that Djokovic had already gone out. Not sure he'll get a better chance

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I bet he is steaming. May never get a better chance. I wonder if Djokovic going just relaxed him a little and he got caught out. He has been in such good form as well.