Sports Personality award

[muttleee]

So Darren didn't win the Sports Personality of the Year after all. At least no one can say he only got it because of the sympathy vote!

I hope he fulfils his potential next year. He's got the talent so if he can just put 4 good rounds together more consistently, he should be in the winner's circle a bit more often.

 

[peter_constant]

not sure how I feel about him not winning - what he did by playing was a great testament to his strength of character but as you say it might have seemed like a bit of a sympathy vote is he'd have won

I thought Zara Phillips might have made a better winner's speech - she should have paid tribute the achievements DC and the gymnast who came 3rd - but instead she just said amazing about 40 times

she made wayne rooney seem eloquent

 

[swingstar1]

Ryder Cup team

I must admit to not really being up on my rugby league so can't really benchmark st helens but surprised Woosie's boys didn't win the team award - thought it was the ultimate team display and they all played with such a high regard for the spirit of the competition

 

[PaulOHagan]

haha-All that top education-they obviously didn't teach her public speaking. In her defense i think she was pretty shocked.

From what Darren had been saying he didn't really want to win based on a sympathy vote.

 

[Shooter_McGavin]

I didn't see the awards but listened to a very entertaining commentary on 5 live- they were saying that the Ryder Cup guys weren't really a team-just a group of individuals brought together for one week. While St Helens had been awesome as a team for a long period of time.

 

[Topper_Harley]

It was a good show and full of surprises. I was shocked about Zara Phillips and shocked also that Calzaghe was not in the top three. I'd never even heard of Beth Tweddle, but fair play to her anyway for finishing third.

St Helens won the rugby league treble, I think it's the first time that it's happened. It's all McGinley's fault for conceding that putt after the streaker ran on to the 18th. If Europe's win could have been described as a 'record victory' then they might have got the nod.

Aside from that - what about Darren Clarke's outfit ?! And Monty's video speech from Barbados ?!!?

 

[MacMachattie]

I am not that impressed about Zara Phillips winning the award. It seems the British public are less interested in picking someone for true sporting achievement and more concerned about how many times they've appeared in Hello.

I don't think Darren should have won on a sympathy vote but his sporting accomplishment this year was massive. To come out just after his wife had died and secure three points in the most intense golf competition in the world was a phenomenal achievement. Considerably more impressive than tootling around a field on a pony.

 

[MikeH]

I'm still undecided as to whether I feel he should have won it or not...

Certainly for Darren to have played in the Ryder Cup showed enormous strength of character and but for me his greatest moment came at another event in Ireland.

After a rain delay at the Irish Open when he retuned to the place his ball was the day before (in thick rough where he could only hack a wedge back on to the fairway) and despite the overnight rain and spectators having trampled the grass down to a level where he could have gone for the green with a 3 wood he still chipped out on to the fairway. Rightly so DC won the RBS shot of the month for that.

In my opinion that sort of sportsmanship and integrity is something few if any other professional sports could hope to witness

 

[FergusB]

Well said Mike. I'm certainly struggling to think of any other sports where sportsmanship is so central - maybe snooker?

 

[Topper_Harley]

I suppose cricket to a certain extent, when batsmen walk instead of making the umpires make decisions

It's becoming more and more of a rarity though

 

[swingstar1]

I suppose cricket to a certain extent, when batsmen walk instead of making the umpires make decisions

when did you last see that?

even WG Grace never used to walk!

 

[Topper_Harley]

Andrew Strauss has walked twice in England matches during 2006. I'm sure there are other examples from around the world too, even if it is dying out.

Cricket can't match golf anymore though in a sporting sense. The phrase "it's just not cricket" should be applied to golf instead as it's more appropriate.

Interesting that you can remember seeing that WG Grace didn't walk though swingstar. What did Old Tom Morris look like in the flesh ?

 

[swingstar1]

gorgeous, especially the beard

 

[Trueblue]

Football has, deservedly, such a bad rep for sportsmanship but this has done real disservice to some great "sportsmen" in the recent game - GianFranco Zola was one of the greatest examples of gentleman in sport, while Ruud Guilt had a similar approach to the game... think it's about time these guys got some credit!


(in fact most players who have graced the blue shirt of west london are real gentlemen....ish!)

 

[swingstar1]

(in fact most players who have graced the blue shirt of west london are real gentlemen....ish!)

I'm sure you're just winding us with that statement trueblue becuase what about ashley cole - surely the most odious little man ever to ply his trade in the so called 'beautiful game'

 

[golfdonkey]

Football's not a "sport" any more. Anyway - I don't think Darren Clarke deserved the award for his playing achievements. If the award is about "personality" then he should have won hands down for the reasons stated by other posters. The public and the BBC need to work out what the award is for – sportsmanship and personality OR outstanding sporting achievement.
On a separate point - should equestrianism, which, let's face it, is really only accessible by a small, elite percentage of the population, receive such a large amount of coverage? I don't remember that clay pigeon shooter, Richard Faulds, getting quite as much exposure when he won an Olympic gold medal.

 

[muttleee]

I thought the SPOTY was a fix anyway because the huge angling community always votes for Bob Nudd in droves but he still never gets a look-in...

 

[chipin1]

I was glad that Darren Clarke didn't win. Don't get me wrong, what's happened to him is tragic but he doesn't seem like a great bloke to me. He's always got a nasty glare on.