SPOTY - That time of year again!

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

MattF should 100% be on the shortlist. But I am guessing that he isn’t (as golfers fail, even McIroy failed) because few outside of the golfing community would have a clue as to who he is or the slightest interest in golf, and as a result in practice they lose one of six candidates…becomes a choice of five…and they want every one of the last six to have a good chance.

The others (inc. gymnastics and athletics) have had a good amount of ‘terrestrial‘ TV and mainstream media exposure through the past year…Matt who?

 

[fundy]

MattF should 100% be on the shortlist. But I am guessing that he isn’t (as golfers fail, even McIroy failed) because few outside of the golfing community would have a clue as to who he is or the slightest interest in golf, and as a result in practice they lose one of six candidates…becomes a choice of five…and they want every one of the last six to have a good chance.

The others (inc. gymnastics and athletics) have had a good amount of ‘terrestrial‘ TV and mainstream media exposure through the past year…Matt who?

This year its a choice of 2, 4 of the list each have less than 1% chance of winning (and 2 of them less than 0.1%)

 

[sweaty sock]

It stopped being relevant, or interesting, many years ago. The avoidance of sports or moments not shown on the channel was the start of the death knell. Thankfully we now have streaming channels to watch when this type of stuff is on.

Totally correct, its now just a tax payer funded evening out for the old boys club.

 

[Vikingman]

I'd only heard of two of them and one of them plays something I wouldn't class as a sport.

 

[Billysboots]

MattF should 100% be on the shortlist. But I am guessing that he isn’t (as golfers fail, even McIroy failed) because few outside of the golfing community would have a clue as to who he is or the slightest interest in golf, and as a result in practice they lose one of six candidates…becomes a choice of five…and they want every one of the last six to have a good chance.

The others (inc. gymnastics and athletics) have had a good amount of ‘terrestrial‘ TV and mainstream media exposure through the past year…Matt who?

The same could certainly be said of the athlete and gymnast, neither of whom I have ever heard of despite my wife watching both sports religiously.

Some would argue the BBC is trying to look beyond the same sports year after year. I think they are simply scraping the bottom of the barrel. That may sound harsh to the supporters of those sports, but the list becomes more underwhelming every year.

 

[Beezerk]

Does anyone actually care who wins this?

Put it this way.
Pub quiz the other week, who won SPOTY in 2021, we got it wrong ??

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Is it not a case of people not looking beyond main stream sports

Look at each of the nominees

Wightman - 1500m world champion , the blue riband middle distance event , the one that some of the greatest middle distance runners in the past have won - he was our first World Champion at the distance since 1983

Gadirova - the UK first ever all round medalist , only the 5th ever World Champion for the UK and she also won another medal taking 3 in total

Mead - first ever major Women’s National tournament win , and the countries first major tournament won since 1966 - it came home , with the ladies

O Sullivan - his 7th world title and also become the oldest champion ever

Muirhead - how often do we win gold medals in the Winter Olympics, 6 million people watched them win at midnight - 6 million ,

Stokes - has had a stunning Cricket year and helping them win the World T20

They all excelled at the highest level of their sport , just because a golfer isn’t there doesn’t mean their achievements are any less

And it’s also worth noting that the nominees are decided by a range of Sport journalists, and ex sports stars

Any one of them is worthy of being the winner for their achievements.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Totally correct, its now just a tax payer funded evening out for the old boys club.

The BBC gets the licence fee to use on whatever it wants…and you pay the licence whether you are a tax payer or not…so nothing to do with tax payer funded.

Anyway…truth is that though for me back in the late 60s and 70s it was the TV highlight of the year, bar nothing - I don’t really bother with it these days - though I’ll watch if I get the ‘feeling’ - and I often do.

 

[Billysboots]

You’re fighting a losing battle, Phil.

Curling? Really? I’ve certainly heard of Eve Muirhead because of the Winter Olympics, but I’m not even convinced curling is big enough to drag itself across the threshold into minority sport status. Is she really one of the six most deserving sportspersons of 2022?

However you seek to justify the achievements of the nominees, this programme is a sad shadow of what it used to be.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

You’re fighting a losing battle, Phil.

Curling? Really? I’ve certainly heard of Eve Muirhead because of the Winter Olympics, but I’m not even convinced curling is big enough to drag itself across the threshold into minority sport status. Is she really one of the six most deserving sportspersons of 2022?

However you seek to justify the achievements of the nominees, this programme is a sad shadow of what it used to be.

Sorry but just because you aren’t convinced by curling it appears millions are when you look at how many people stayed up to watch the final when she won

Got to look past just the mainstream sports

She reached the pinnacle in her sport so yes she does deserve to be there by winning in one of the biggest sporting events of the year

All those nominations have reached their equivalent sporting peaks - world champions - is that not a worthy sporting achievement now ?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Pretty sure the main protgonists were arguing the exact same thing last year, and probably the year before. Same old tired cliches about the value of SPOTY when people try and justify it. Think Poulter is spot on

https://twitter.com/x/status/1605209341954596866

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

You’re fighting a losing battle, Phil.

Curling? Really? I’ve certainly heard of Eve Muirhead because of the Winter Olympics, but I’m not even convinced curling is big enough to drag itself across the threshold into minority sport status. Is she really one of the six most deserving sportspersons of 2022?

However you seek to justify the achievements of the nominees, this programme is a sad shadow of what it used to be.

Being a keen golfer I suspect EM could agree that MattF should have had her place in the final six…maybe.

 

[Imurg]

My only input into this thread is that last year's winner won the US Open...........

 

[Deleted member 15344]

My only input into this thread is that last year's winner won the US Open...........

She did indeed - outstanding achievement to be the first British Women to ever win the the US Open

 

[Billysboots]

Sorry but just because you aren’t convinced by curling it appears millions are when you look at how many people stayed up to watch the final when she won

Got to look past just the mainstream sports

She reached the pinnacle in her sport so yes she does deserve to be there by winning in one of the biggest sporting events of the year

All those nominations have reached their equivalent sporting peaks - world champions - is that not a worthy sporting achievement now ?

I’m not saying being a champion in your sport is not a worthy achievement, but some of them are akin to baseball - only the Americans could have a “World Series” in a sport barely anyone plays outside the USA. Curling is not exactly widespread on these shores outside Scotland, so whilst her achievements are doubtless exceptional within her own sport, beyond that sport and, therefore, Scotland, I’m willing to bet not too many in the UK bat an eyelid at her exploits. As a consequence I genuinely question how she made the final six.

If she wins SPOTY I’ll show my backside naked outside Buckingham Palace.

 

[theoneandonly]

She did indeed - outstanding achievement to be the first British Women to ever win the the US Open

Not done much since, seems like a one hit wonder

 

[Swango1980]

Honestly, not really. The short list is a bit of a joke - Stokes I get, Beth Mead sort of (though what she did to be picked ahead of the others in her side I have no idea) but thereafter its a tad odd. What did Matt Fitzpatrick, Jonny Bairstow, Cameron Norrie do to offend them?

Moreover, it feels a bit too woke. How does the lass who won the Floor Gold get nominated, but the bloke who won it does not?

Ho hum.

She won player of the tournament, so she must have done something that stood out.

Had England won the World Cup and Bellingham won player of the tournament, I doubt many would question his inclusion in the BBC shortlist?

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I’m not saying being a champion in your sport is not a worthy achievement, but some of them are akin to baseball - only the Americans could have a “World Series” in a sport barely anyone plays outside the USA. Curling is not exactly widespread on these shores outside Scotland, so whilst her achievements are doubtless exceptional within her own sport, beyond that sport and, therefore, Scotland, I’m willing to bet not too many in the UK bat an eyelid at her exploits. As a consequence I genuinely question how she made the final six.

If she wins SPOTY I’ll show my backside naked outside Buckingham Palace.

Are Scotland not part of the UK now ?‍

Believe there was 12 teams in total going for the gold in Curling , the Winter Olympics was one of the biggest sporting events of 2022 behind the World Cup - in the Winter Olympics we won two medals , both in Curling , so in a sport historically dominated by other countries is a stand out achievement

As i said 6 million people tuned in at midnight to watch the final - that’s prob a significant amount more than watch the US Open Golf , The Open and most golf events on Sky

But then SPOTY is about achieving the highest accolade in that sport that someone can achieve.

She may not win it - I suspect she won’t , but she certainly deserves her nomination

Not done much since, seems like a one hit wonder

Not sure how it’s relevant ?‍ doesn’t take away from what she achieved

I’m not sure why people always look to downplay sporting achievements all because they are in a sport that’s not “mainstream”

 

[Imurg]

She did indeed - outstanding achievement to be the first British Women to ever win the the US Open

And that's the problem..
Winning a US Open one year is enough to win SPOTY..
Winning a US Open the next year doesn't even merit a nomination...
One has to ask what Fitz needed to do to even get nominated let alone win...that's the problem with SPOTY...

 

[Deleted member 15344]

And that's the problem..
Winning a US Open one year is enough to win SPOTY..
Winning a US Open the next year doesn't even merit a nomination...
One has to ask what Fitz needed to do to even get nominated let alone win...that's the problem with SPOTY...

I guess the panel don’t see the achievements on the same historic level

Fitzpatrick won an event that in recent years 3 other UK golfers have won , was it a standout achievement in UK sport or standout achievement in Golf ?

Radacanu did something no other British Female Tennis player had ever done in the modern era - it was unprecedented her achievements

The UK have had many golf majors winners over the last 50 years - think it’s one other Female Tennis Grand Slam winner

Fitzpatrick achievement was superb - it seems the panel thought there was 6 other achievements that were above him during 2022