BBC Sports Personality

[Beatrix Kiddo]

A bad year for our sport, but two athletes (Radcliffe and Holmes) still played prominent parts on the BBC on Sunday night. Harry A-A won the BBC young sportsperson award. And Coe and Daley stole the show at the end. Not a terrible night for athletes...

[roadrunner]

All the winners deserved thier awards. Flintoff obviously is very popular with the voters at the menet, but my votes went to Ellen macAuther.

[slowcoach]

If the award is for sporting achievement then Paula gets it by a mile; if it's just for personality, then give the bleedin' thing to Jose Mourinho or Alex Ferguson. (or some horse)

Why do they regularly give the thing to a team player? Does not compute...

[Max]

I think that there are far too many of these awards dished out in meaningless ceremonies which devalues the concept.
What next? The Oxfam sponsored Slimmer of the Year?

Regards,

Max.

[nevetssllim]

I was really hoping Paula would win and someone who puts that much dedication into their sport deserves to win. I have to admit, I was really p***** off when someone said cricket gives you a very good workout. I hate cricket and they won too many awards for my liking but a BIG well done to Harry for winning his award. Well done!!!!!!!!!!!

[Feet in the Cowclaps]

Harry who?
What does he do?

(I'm serious BTW)

[slowcoach]

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey! (Shame on you)

[roadrunner]

Harry who?
What does he do?

(I'm serious BTW)

Think its time for you to return to the FRA forum!!!!!

[welsh track star]

Harry who?
What does he do?

(I'm serious BTW)

U obvisoly dont follow track and field do you?? He is the next big thing behind Craig Pickering, Emily Pidgeon etc

Well done to Harry tho, we deserved. I was starlted by the fact he is born about 27th/28//29th August so if he was 4 days younger he would of been stil u17 last year

[Javelin Sam]

If the award is for sporting achievement then Paula gets it by a mile; if it's just for personality, then give the bleedin' thing to Jose Mourinho or Alex Ferguson. (or some horse)

Why do they regularly give the thing to a team player? Does not compute...

The thing that a lot of people forget about the awards is that it is about the Personality of the year taken from all the sports that go on..

It is not necessarily about achievement although the media prominence of a "Personality" usually comes with the achievement.

Andrew "Freddy" Flintoff was plastered all over the media this summer one for his great individual achievements while competing as an intergral part of a well oiled machine and then as in all the celebrations that followed...appearing bleary eyed after celebrating a historic achievement.

If the award was for sporting achievement then it would ahve to have been a split decision between Paula Radcliffe and Ellen MacArthur..both of whom achieved huge things in the world of individual endurance events..

Sam

[Feet in the Cowclaps]

Harry who?
What does he do?

(I'm serious BTW)

Think its time for you to return to the FRA forum!!!!!

You know I think you're right! You remember all the fuss about Mark Lewis Francis?....or was it Trevor Francis? ..or Huey Lewis?..

[Paul A]

Well they call it personality but I don't think that is right.

It is Sportsperson of the year.

I was OK with Flintoff winning. If he didn't win it this year then a cricketer never would.

Was amazed that Paula wasn't short-listed though.

What really winds me up though is the coach award.

Thought this was a brilliant idea when the BBC introduced it but then they missed their own point.

It shouldn't go to somebody like Mourinho who is already well-paid and recognised for his work and in any case only wins domestic competitions BUT to a real coach of say an athlete or a swimmer who stand for hours at a track or a pool for little relative compensation and enable the sports people to achieve their potential.

A Wilf Paish, Alex Stanton, John Trower is the sort of person who should get it.

Seb's special award was well deserved and well done BBC for that.

[Lanky Lad]

Paul, The fact that Mourinho is well paid is irrelevant. As for him only winning domestic competitions, I suggest you check your facts on that one mate.

[james montgomery]

Well they call it personality but I don't think that is right.

It is Sportsperson of the year.

I was OK with Flintoff winning. If he didn't win it this year then a cricketer never would.

Was amazed that Paula wasn't short-listed though.

What really winds me up though is the coach award.

Thought this was a brilliant idea when the BBC introduced it but then they missed their own point.

It shouldn't go to somebody like Mourinho who is already well-paid and recognised for his work and in any case only wins domestic competitions BUT to a real coach of say an athlete or a swimmer who stand for hours at a track or a pool for little relative compensation and enable the sports people to achieve their potential.

A Wilf Paish, Alex Stanton, John Trower is the sort of person who should get it.

Seb's special award was well deserved and well done BBC for that.

Err....John Trower, coach award!!! I don't think so. His only claim to fame is that he was coach to Steve backley AFTER he broke the world record. His dad got him there not Trower. Just tell us all what Trower did for javelin in the last 10 years. Take a look at the lists. See who he brought on????? Can't find anyone? No, neither can I. Now he's in charge of Speed and I don't think even he knows what he's supposed to do, which raises serious doubts over Collins's ability in appointing him.

[Fleeter]

for achievement it shouldn't be paula it should be ricky hatton who is such a great man or ellan mcarthur as roadrunner rightly put

[Lanky Lad]

for achievement it shouldn't be paula it should be ricky hatton who is such a great man or ellan mcarthur as roadrunner rightly put

Ricky Hatton will get more respect when he finally fights someone away from the comfort zone of his own back yard. As for Ellen MacArthur, what she does is a pastime not a sport.

[roadrunner]

for achievement it shouldn't be paula it should be ricky hatton who is such a great man or ellan mcarthur as roadrunner rightly put

Ricky Hatton will get more respect when he finally fights someone away from the comfort zone of his own back yard. As for Ellen MacArthur, what she does is a pastime not a sport.

crap LL, read the book and tell me its a past time. She should have won hands down. The others dont get anywhere near her compared to what she did this year.

[Lanky Lad]

I don't doubt that she went through a lot to achieve what she did but so does someone who climbs Everest and that ain't a sport either.

[james montgomery]

I don't doubt that she went through a lot to achieve what she did but so does someone who climbs Everest and that ain't a sport either.

This raises some interesting issues. So what is a sport and what is a pastime? Howabout darts, bowls, snooker, all sailing, horse riding, ski-ing, archery....... (during the 72 Olympics, Ian Stewart who won a bronze medal in the 5000mts was sitting next to an American who was showing his girlfriend his gold medal. Stewart leaned across and asked him what he won it for? "Archery" said the bloke at which Stewart stood up and said, "call that a f***ing sport!" and walked off in disgust......takes all sorts!) Sport is any organised activity, with recognised rules where one or more competes against one or more. Pastimes can be all of those things listed but do not involve competing with anyone and that includes running, jumping and throwing (anything!) swimming, dance, foxhunting (now there's one to stir the blood!) making it with the opposite sex (can that be defined as a sport if you compete with your mates?) curling!!! (now if you want to become an Olympic champion get in to that. Must be the easiest "sport" on earth and ranked only 2nd to train spotting as a highly questionable activity.

[WALDORF]

This is a great subject to evaluate and debate on, I tend to side with history and tradition, and would only have running, jumping, throwing,
boxing, wrestling, archery, sword fencing ( free style), martial arts (free style) swimming (free style for speed or distance), in my Olympics, no animal or team events. For the rest of them I would have a 4 yearly world modern sports championships.

I do not think it to be right to drag the Olympics down a few levels to suit
anyone for any reason, or we will end up with Politically correct Olympics
where everyone gets a Gold medal?

Happy new year to all!

Broadsword

[Lanky Lad]

Bloody hell, An intelligent debate. You don't get much of that on the FRA forum.

Don't suppose you would be too popular in your homeland James slagging off curling but I agree that's not a sport in my book along with snowboarding, darts, snooker, fishing, bowls, any equestrian sport, sailing, windsurfing, archery, shooting and don't get me started on bmx racing. That's not even an adults pastime it's a kids hobby.

I would definitely keep beach volleyball in the Olympics though

[XCrunner]

I would definitely keep beach volleyball in the Olympics though

Women's beach volleyball is definitely a spectator sport.

[alf tupper]

Anything that requires subjective scoring, ie figure skating, diving, synchronised swimming... gets dumped out of my ideal Olympics.

[roadrunner]

synchronised swimming...

This has to stay. Its quality. It helps me get to sleep.

BMX riding, ok, people like it and Tony Hawks is seen as a god by most 10 year olds, but come on.