Sports Personality of the Year - less popular sports.

[Gritt23]

It always seems ridiculously difficult for our leading sportsmen to win this accolade despite World Titles or victories in prestigous events, unless they happen to be a footballer or cricketer, in which case they can probably win it for being an old bloke that is popular, or you score a goal in qualifying for a tournament that we reach the QF in.

This year, if there is any justice in the World : Mark Cavendish.

Let the internet campaign start here. The guy is utterly awesome.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

It's a "personality" vote, not a sporting one, so it's not surprising really.

 

[Ernest]

Clue is in the title. If nobody has a magoo who you are then you're not likely to win

 

[Garage_Doors]

Who is Mark Cavendish? what sport does he take part in?

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Plenty of boxers have won it, and there's usually some minority sport candidates (or non-sport: see Phil "the power" Taylor) candidates in the runner up positions.

Are there nominations yet? Guess Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke will be up there this year, as well as probably Jimmy Anderson or another of the England cricket team.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Farcical that Mo Farah didn't make it into the top ten last year. It's a load of bolleaux.

 

[Was not Was]

This may be a sign of changing times. Cav's (and the GB team's) amazing victory yesterday has to rank as one of the great British sporting performances of all time. Three years of planning and preparation, a concerted effort over the year to get good results from a large number of riders, to provide as many team members as possible and a brave, tactically brilliant performance over five hours on the day, capped by individual brilliance. And this comes on top of being a British rider winning the Tour de France green jersey. Unheard of.

Yet how much impact will it have? I hear Cav didn't feature on any front pages today - just the sports sections.

Yet when Tommy Simpson won the world title in San Sebastian in 1965, despite the much less media-saturated times, his achievement was recognised by the public. He became SPOTY. Will Cav? I'd love it, but I doubt it - buy maybe I'm just grumpy that we've failed to get the #Cav4SPOTY hashtag trending on Twitter today!

 

[Gritt23]

It's a "personality" vote, not a sporting one, so it's not surprising really.

No, it's nothing to do with "personality" really. Nigel Mansell has won it.

 

[matthew]

Kumar Sangakkara rightfully won peoples choice awards after his Cowdrey lecture - really is a must watch

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Cavendish would be worthy, but then again so would Farah.

 

[Ernest]

Plenty of boxers have won it, and there's usually some minority sport candidates (or non-sport: see Phil "the power" Taylor) candidates in the runner up positions.

Are there nominations yet? Guess Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke will be up there this year, as well as probably Jimmy Anderson or another of the England cricket team.

Boxers are well known and well publicised and thanks to SKY/Barry Hearn so are dartists these days

 

[Amexican]

Cavendish....no question

Team...England cricket

 

[countryman]

People are most likely to win it if they come from one of the bigger sports. I thought it was wrong that AP Mccoy had to win a grand national to get nominated, when he had been the top jump jockey in the country for 15 years. It has got to be Cavendish or McIlroy this year. Possibly someone from the England Cricket team.

 

[Storer 68]

the important bit of the title is "BBC".

and has Sky now has most of the popualR tv SPORRT 9football, cricket, etc).........................................

 

[Gully]

Had a discussion about this very subject today, one person made a very good case for Cavendish but the problem is that cycling can hardly be considered a mainstream sport, regardless of his remarkable achievements. My favourite is Farah, but I like athletics and can appreciate the dedication and effort put in by a long distance runner, also the quality of the field that he competes against. It is possible to make very good cases for those two Northern Irish golf players, whose names escape me but one is porking a tennis player...can you tell I'm not interested in golf?

It will probably go to someone like Ryan Giggs, mainstream sportsman, vote almost seems rigged when they announce it type of thing.

 

[Withdeano]

David Walliams anybody?

Plenty of personality and swimming through gallons of for charity gives him a big up in my book. Before anyone says but it's not sport, I'd point out that it was done for Sport Relief. A bit tenuous I know, but he gets my vote.

Perhaps Bubbles could join him when he gets his gong - now that's a speech worth hearing!!!

 

[Mendoza]

Michael Owen will win it, did you not see that first half against THE Leeds United?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

This may be a sign of changing times. Cav's (and the GB team's) amazing victory yesterday has to rank as one of the great British sporting performances of all time. Three years of planning and preparation, a concerted effort over the year to get good results from a large number of riders, to provide as many team members as possible and a brave, tactically brilliant performance over five hours on the day, capped by individual brilliance. And this comes on top of being a British rider winning the Tour de France green jersey. Unheard of.

Yet how much impact will it have? I hear Cav didn't feature on any front pages today - just the sports sections.

Yet when Tommy Simpson won the world title in San Sebastian in 1965, despite the much less media-saturated times, his achievement was recognised by the public. He became SPOTY. Will Cav? I'd love it, but I doubt it - buy maybe I'm just grumpy that we've failed to get the #Cav4SPOTY hashtag trending on Twitter today!

Totally agree. Awesome and historic result and the result of a lot of planning and effort.

Also, in today's paper Cav was quoted as saying "I can't win the yellow jersey in the Tour De France." Why's this?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Michael Owen will win it, did you not see that first half against THE Leeds United?

He's world class again. Or am I confusing him with the other one?

 

[Garage_Doors]

Who is Mark Cavendish? what sport does he take part in?