BBC 2014 Sports Personality of the year,The Ten.

[JOLovegrove]

No one thinking the most expensive footballer in the world who also won the Champions League last season?

 

[Tooting Gull]

Not that fussed, should be a straight head to head between McIlroy and Hamilton - but if that Dujardin horse dancer wins (and nothing would surprise me with that voting audience after Zara Phillips) I'll never watch the bloody thing again.

Probably my main interest this year is to see if snooker player Ali Carter is given the Helen Rollason award. I would never say 'he should get it', for an award like that there will be any number of very worthy candidates. But he should be in the conversation, as it is given for coping with adversity. The bloke has had half his guts cut out from Crohn's disease, testicular cancer last year, and then a far worse lung cancer this year. Yet he has still won three big titles and got to two Crucible finals, and recently won a comeback event in Hong Kong after six months out of the game having chemotherapy. Throughout this year he has been unfailingly positive at least in public and genuinely inspiring for those who have come into contact with him.

 

[stripeyshark]

After choosing to represent Ireland in the next Olympics, I won't be voting for McIlroy, despite his achievements. Good luck to Jo Pavey.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Not that fussed, should be a straight head to head between McIlroy and Hamilton - but if that Dujardin horse dancer wins (and nothing would surprise me with that voting audience after Zara Phillips) I'll never watch the bloody thing again.

Probably my main interest this year is to see if snooker player Ali Carter is given the Helen Rollason award. I would never say 'he should get it', for an award like that there will be any number of very worthy candidates. But he should be in the conversation, as it is given for coping with adversity. The bloke has had half his guts cut out from Crohn's disease, testicular cancer last year, and then a far worse lung cancer this year. Yet he has still won three big titles and got to two Crucible finals, and recently won a comeback event in Hong Kong after six months out of the game having chemotherapy. Throughout this year he has been unfailingly positive at least in public and genuinely inspiring for those who have come into contact with him.

I've switched my vote to Carter...

 

[goldstone]

This. An outrageous misuse and abuse of the word 'personality'

I'm with you on this. It's nowt about their personality (and we already know that many athletes don't even have one), it's just about their assumed prowess in their chosen sport.

For a start Lewis Hamilton should be disqualified. Sitting in a car is not a "sport".

 

[Deleted member 18477]

Hamilton for me.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Just shows how out of touch I am with sport in general, as I've embarrassingly only heard of McIlroy, Bale and Hamilton.

Lewis for me overall.

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

After choosing to represent Ireland in the next Olympics, I won't be voting for McIlroy, despite his achievements. Good luck to Jo Pavey.

He's already represented Ireland internationally.

He'll get my vote. Hamilton's is a tremendous achievement but it wasn't the most competitive of F1 seasons.

Winning back to back majors is phenomenal and add to that a big contribution to winning the Ryder Cup.

Pavey is a good shout and a great story, but the actual achievements don't come to Rory or Lewis.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

After choosing to represent Ireland in the next Olympics, I won't be voting for McIlroy, despite his achievements.

He's already represented Ireland internationally.

He'll get my vote.

McIlroy represented Ireland in the Eisenhower Trophy, when the options were to represent Ireland, Scotland, England or Wales.

 

[goldstone]

Just shows how out of touch I am with sport in general, as I've embarrassingly only heard of McIlroy, Bale and Hamilton.

Like you, those are the only three I've heard of ... but I'm not embarrassed. The others really are minority sports.

 

[Badger]

Golfer Rory McIlroy, footballer Gareth Bale, gymnast Max Whitlock, F1's Lewis Hamilton and swimmer Adam Peaty are on the list with Lizzy Yarnold (skeleton).

Boxer Carl Froch, Charlotte Dujardin (dressage), athlete Jo Pavey, plus Paralympic skier Kelly Gallagher and guide Charlotte Evans are nominated.

The public vote for their favourite by phone and online on the night.

With an array of candidates to choose from, an expert 12-member panel faced some difficult choices finalising the shortlist.

I think this is the first time the ten has featured someone I've NEVER heard of, catering for posh toffs I can only assume.

Hamilton is probably the most likely winner with McIlroy second.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Like you, those are the only three I've heard of ... but I'm not embarrassed. The others really are minority sports.

F1 isn't a minority sport? In my opinion, it struggles to be a sport. More of a televised engineering indulgence of Bernie Ecclestone and his close chums.

 

[8ace]

No Stevie G then

 

[Hastings gull]

Golfer Rory McIlroy, footballer Gareth Bale, gymnast Max Whitlock, F1's Lewis Hamilton and swimmer Adam Peaty are on the list with Lizzy Yarnold (skeleton).

Boxer Carl Froch, Charlotte Dujardin (dressage), athlete Jo Pavey, plus Paralympic skier Kelly Gallagher and guide Charlotte Evans are nominated.

The public vote for their favourite by phone and online on the night.

With an array of candidates to choose from, an expert 12-member panel faced some difficult choices finalising the shortlist.

Thanks for this, and below is no way a criticism of your article as such. With these sort of votes I tend to take the view that BBC sport in this instance takes itself rather too seriously. A panel of "experts" decides who the final 12 will be and then -and only then -does the public get to be involved. I suspect that the public might have come up with most if not all of these anyway, and also a few others who may be equally deserving. I suppose there has to be a starting point, though presumably the first vote from a member of the public could be such. Perhaps it is done to stop spurious votes from, say, a very well supported football club, or an organisation with a political agenda, if that sports person was well known for supporting a particular cause. Be interested to see others' views on this -happy to accept it is I who is over-reacting. . .

 

[Hastings gull]

I think this is the first time the ten has featured someone I've NEVER heard of, catering for posh toffs I can only assume.

Hamilton is probably the most likely winner with McIlroy second.

Do you not think that we have had enough of sneering comments after last week? It could well be that the person (I have never heard of her either, by the way) might have excelled in her sport, just like the others. My wife is keen on dressage, and we are not posh toffs by a long way, unless you count a school secretary as such.

 

[Badger]

Do you not think that we have had enough of sneering comments after last week? It could well be that the person (I have never heard of her either, by the way) might have excelled in her sport, just like the others. My wife is keen on dressage, and we are not posh toffs by a long way, unless you count a school secretary as such.

I was only kidding with the posh toffs comment. However it is quite hard to justify someone as "sports personality" when hardly anyone has heard of them, even if she is the best at her sport.

 

[father_and_son]

Pretty poor line up in my opinion.

I hope Kelly Gallagher wins.

 

[Hastings gull]

I was only kidding with the posh toffs comment. However it is quite hard to justify someone as "sports personality" when hardly anyone has heard of them, even if she is the best at her sport.

Thanks for this. Yes, I can understand that and those who excel at "minority sports" are certainly at a disadvantage.

 

[Normal Rob]

I'd love for there to be a popular vote for Jo Pavey. Having a baby, returning to running after turning 40 and then winning the European 10k gold (in a great race) was a real achievement, and would be one in the eye for the overpaid small ball hitters and car drivers. Don't think it'll happen though.

Can anyone paste the odds up? can't look from work. Thanks.

 

[Postman Pat]

I was only kidding with the posh toffs comment. However it is quite hard to justify someone as "sports personality" when hardly anyone has heard of them, even if she is the best at her sport.

I only remember her for winning double gold at the 2012 olympics. Wouldn't have the foggiest what she has achieved this year.

I'm surprised one of the women footballers doesn't make the list.