After Bradley Wiggins SMASHES the field to win gold today..

[Lokki 7]

pleased as i am , you're goint to be even more of a smug know-it-all now !

Moi?

 

[User removed 4]

Moi?

oui.

 

[John Bumlick]

Like allot of the events at the olympics there is absolutely no skill involved in riding a push bike most people can do it unaided from a very early age.

you've been called a miserable sod in this thread and, frankly, that was polite. you are a f***ing idiot. i was able to run, cycle and play football from a very early age. i am now a computer programmer. do you see my point or are really as stupid as you appear?

 

[Arthur]

you've been called a miserable sod in this thread and, frankly, that was polite. you are a f***ing idiot. i was able to run, cycle and play football from a very early age. i am now a computer programmer. do you see my point or are really as stupid as you appear?

I see your point, but you appear to have missed mine. Had you, I or anyone had the determination to do so we all could have been olympians in some of these daft "sports".

 

[Woodchip]

Wiggins is a great time trialist, but I still think it will be Cancellara, then Martin, then Wiggo. Froome 4th.

However, if there is a technical for any of them then it blows the tables completely open.

My little caveat saved me.

 

[Frutos]

Hardly any point in holding a vote for SPOTY, shirley?

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Hardly any point in holding a vote for SPOTY, shirley?

If everyone has that attitude, Mr F....

I might vote for someone else twice, might just be enough! No question that Wiggins is easily the most deserving candidate. Unless someone maoes themselves an absolute hero in the next couple of weeks.

 

[Stat Brother]

If everyone has that attitude, Mr F....

I might vote for someone else twice, might just be enough! No question that Wiggins is easily the most deserving candidate. Unless someone maoes themselves an absolute hero in the next couple of weeks.

In fairness Carlton Cole might get a couple of goals at the start of the season.

 

[teaboy]

Chris Froome could win the Vuelta. Imagine - a Grand Tour win and an Olympic medal in the same year, and nobody notices! He'd hate Brad more than Cav does! ;-)

 

[tweenster]

Odd that we haven't taken cycling medals yet.

Stat, I seem to remember we had a heated debate about Team GB last time round and you said our cycling bods were not entered unless they were going to win a medal.

So the silver last Saturday in the ladies road race didn't count?

 

[Billy the Fish]

Taking everything into account, Beckham is our greatest ever sportsman without a doubt. Ask any one of the billions of people in Asia or Africawho Wiggins, Thompson or Redgrave are and they wouldn't have a clue. Everyone loves Beckham though, that's got to count for something

 

[Triggaaar]

According to the news, after winning gold today, Wiggins has joined that elite group of Redgrave, Hoy, Coe and Thompson

Seriously, with 3 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze medals, and the only British cyclist to win the TDF, was he not already above the likes of Sebastian Coe

 

[Stat Brother]

Taking everything into account, Beckham is our greatest ever sportsman without a doubt. Ask any one of the billions of people in Asia or Africawho Wiggins, Thompson or Redgrave are and they wouldn't have a clue. Everyone loves Beckham though, that's got to count for something

It all depends if it's a popularity contest - Beckham. A medal wave - Redgrave. Or performance - (arguably) Wiggins.

Steve R makes a strong case, as acknowledged by Brad.
But in my biased opinion it has to be Wiggo, because of the massive variations in the disciplines he's won.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

In fairness Carlton Cole might get a couple of goals at the start of the season.

A footballer? Oh come on, Brother! Has there ever been a black winner of SPOTY? Can't think of one. Lewis Hamilton maybe?

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Hardly any point in holding a vote for SPOTY, shirley?

I would also like to apologise for completely missing the Shirley to close your post.

What I said previously, and don't call me Shirley.

 

[Cosmic Joker]

A footballer? Oh come on, Brother! Has there ever been a black winner of SPOTY? Can't think of one. Lewis Hamilton maybe?

I trust you were joking:
Daley Thompson 1982
Fatima Whitbread 1987
Linford Christie 1993
Lennox Lewis 1999
Kelly Holmes 2004

 

[Stat Brother]

A footballer? Oh come on, Brother! Has there ever been a black winner of SPOTY? Can't think of one. Lewis Hamilton maybe?

Ryan Giggs won it for schlonging his sister-in-law.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I see your point, but you appear to have missed mine. Had you, I or anyone had the determination to do so we all could have been olympians in some of these daft "sports".

Given there are only 5 places in the GB men's road cycling team we cannot ALL be Olympians can we?

 

[DJ Leon]

I see your point, but you appear to have missed mine. Had you, I or anyone had the determination to do so we all could have been olympians in some of these daft "sports".

By your logic isn't that most sports? Athletics? Just running, jumping and throwing innit? I started that aged 1. Swimming? I could do that age 5, it ain't difficult. Rowing is just a simple movement any 5 year old could be taught.

Yours is a dumb argument and shows a certain ignorance about about the technical, tactical and strategic elements of sport as well.

 

[vegster]

Taking everything into account, Beckham is our greatest ever sportsman without a doubt. Ask any one of the billions of people in Asia or Africawho Wiggins, Thompson or Redgrave are and they wouldn't have a clue. Everyone loves Beckham though, that's got to count for something

More to do with clever marketing and publicity rather than ability. Beckham was the first footballer to really transcend sport just by turning up at the right places, having a constantly changing image/style and thus moving off the back pages and onto the front page.
As a footballer he has had his highs and lows but his abilities never matched his hype. He has won us games but, equally, he has lost us games too by playing when unfit,and by being the only man on the pitch who was allowed to take free kicks and corners to the detriment of variation and the development of other England players.

Bradley Wiggins is at the very pinnacle of his sport by the simple virtue of hard work and keeping focused on the job in hand. Photo opportunities with Nelson Mandella or royalty are not what he is about and that is why he is an almost unknown in Asia or Africa. Besides, it was the push from Manchester United to market themselves as a brand using Beckham that made them so well known in the far flung corners of the world.

I still feel that Steve Redgrave is our greatest Olympian due to the fact that he had one event and one chance each time and yet each time he made gold.

Wiggo is right up there as possibly our greatest ever sportsman for the diversity of the races he has won and the way he has done it. Beckham must have had 50 odd " different " hair and beard combinations over the years in order to please his sponsors and Wiggo ? just the sideburns !