I think you have the 1st and 2nd spot on together with the overseas and team of the year. However even though I love Bolt the most deserving and I really hope he gets it is Del Potro. To see where he has come from after being out so long and having three operations on his wrist and being down to 1045 in the rankings but climbing his way back and reaching the Olympic final beating Djokovic and Nadal on the way, beating Warwinka at Wimbledon and to top it all beating Murray in that epic 5 hour match in Glasgow in this years Davis Cup and winning the Davis Cup for Argentina after losing four finals and breaking his finger in his match in the final. As a passionate fan of a number of sports my highlight of the year was the Olympic final between Murray and Del Porto and although I was rooting for Murray I couldn't have been happier had Del Porto had won.

He's a gentle giant off the court but a giant of any sporting arena.

You need to ask Santa for a new shovel for Christmas Batdude

Help you to dig yourself out of these many holes you get into on DS

Thank you GD, DC and celesti for helping me prove my point.

You need to have a good look at yourself before you start having pops at other people.

Your point wasn't proven, as much as you want it to be so.

He's right, let it go.

In his own mind he is right, which I guess we all can be, so let's move on then.

2012

Andy Murray won Olympic Gold ( and a silver come to that )

Andy Murray didn't win Wimbledon, didn't get to World Number 1, didn't win SPOTY. He did win the US Open though. This just shows how much emphasis is put on winning at SW19 and reaching number 1, the fact he is such an overwhelming favourite.

And the people who agreed, and also the sheer obviousness that olympic gold is far from the pinnacle of tennis.

To be fair that was yet again another unbelievablely crowded year, again it is the overall package as to why he is nominated, not just because of one or the despite your insistence that the medal doesn't help his chances as much as the other tournament wins.

If it was done on twitter someone like Michael Bisping could probably win, but I'm not sure the BBC or the wider public are accepting yet of UFC.

That's not just his insistence though, it's basic common sense and knowledge.

While I do have some sympathy for your viewpoint, you have to remember the show was very different back then. At that point it was Sports Review of the Year and it was primarily about reviewing that sporting year, with a small bit at the end being the awarding of SPOTY based on the vote.

Over a period of time this gradually evolved in to the show we have now, entitled Sports Personality of the Year which is based primarily on the candidates for SPOTY and a raft of other awards with a much lesser focus on reviewing the sporting year. This has a lot to do with sporting rights that the BBC no longer hold and are not likely to ever do again. Since the show is now, essentially, structured around the shortlist then there is no option to remove the shortlist as without it there is no show.

There is certainly a debate to be had about the pros and cons of how the system now works vs then, but it's not feasible to go back to doing things the way they used to be done.

What are the pros and cons though Muttley ? If somebody is left out who would trouble the podium then fair enough but leaving it open to anybody would make it messy and open to abuse. Plus would it alter the results ? I don't think it would

I suppose in the sense that by having a shortlist you are reducing the rights of people to vote for candidates that they want to and that the panel are kind of deciding who the public would want on the list (and maybe at times fail to do so).

I think the list can be a bit problematic, because its impossible to avoid controversies via who is omitted. I mean even with 16 names there are plenty of grumbles.

But on the other hand, having a list gives a shape to the show.

I'm just saying I can understand why some people might have had a preference for how it was done before.

Would Connor be eligible for oversees personality?

As he certainly has the credentials, being the first ever two weight simultaneous champion.

Shame that this might go unrecognised on this show.


Okay let's agree to disagree here, as it seems that we are going round in circles somewhat.

Agree with Murray and Bolt.

Wouldn't have Jamie Vardy in there. That was essentially a team success. And Laura Kenny won less golds than her husband.

I'd go Mo Farah and Max Whitlock as 2nd and 3rd or maybe Alistair Brownlee.

Team award is probably the most competitive. Leicester obviously, but also Wales at the Euros, and all the Olympic teams - Cycling, Rowing, Women's hockey, Gymnastics - or even Team GB as a whole? All great team performances.

A lot of people are saying people who compete in team sports shouldn't be nominated but I don't think any sport star should be excluded. I do have a question though for those saying Vardy out and Froome in for that reason. It's a genuine question as I don't really follow cycling. But would Froome have won the TdF without help of his team ?

Maddie Hinch deserved to be nominated more than Kate Walsh. She saved so many shots, especially in the final and was the player of the tournament.

I agree with you there, but in terms of name recognition, then I think Kate is ahead of her (although with Sam being on ITV at the moment, she has probably overtaken the pair of them), which might be why she is on the shortlist representing that team.

No, he wouldn't.

TdF is all about the team aiding the 'best' rider to win the individual title, whilst EPL is all about the players becoming the 'best' team to win the title.

It could be argued, however, that Vardy was not even the best player in the team that won the Premier League...

He did win the FWA Player of the year award though so they obviously thought he did well. I don't have an issue with a Leicester player being in the final 16, it is a nice reward for what they achieved. I just don't get people using the team excuse for Vardy and Bale yet not for Kate. And as you have pointed out, a few sports rely on teams to help the individual.

This is correct.

Yep, Its all dependent on the sport. A gold medal in Judo is going to be way more important to that athlete than anything else. A gold medal in tennis is something nice but ultimately nowhere near a grand slam win. Same with football, win the gold and its a nice thing to have but not one single footballer in the world would have that over a proper tournament or world cup win.

It is different in football (presumably you are talking about males here), as the tournament structure is such that only certain people are allowed to partake.

Do you think any footballer, (and yes im talking about males here but thanks for the patronising comment when you clearly know what was meant), would prefer to win a world cup or an olympic medal?

If you dare say anything other than the world cup then you are either trolling for the sake of it or have an indescribably poor knowledge of sport and not worth bothering with anymore.