BBC Sports personality of the year 2007

[Spiros]

Based upon what they've achieved in their sport it should be either Calzaghe (my choice) or Hatton, but based upon the higher profile of F1 it will be Lewis Hamilton. Realistically this was probably the case since he finished on the podium for his first 6 or 7 races and it would have taken Andy Murray winning the US Open to change it.

 

[BensGrandad]

There is not a professional club in Sussex, but the amateur scene is not bad. Worthing is the strongest side.

I:

I was talking to the secretary of Esher Rugby Club, (best team in SCR area) about the attendances at rugby matches and he said, and I would assume that he knows, that rugby is a playing sport not a spectator sport and that the top teams gates compare with lower championship football gates in most cases. He also said the best team in Sussex is Haywards Heath.

 

[Gwylan]

Is Rugby played at any normal schools? I know it wasnt at ANY of the schools I went to. The only people I know that played Rugby at school were people that went to boarding school.

Total bollocks. I went to a state school and played rugby - and we played plenty of other state schools.

Try walking into a rugby club in south Wales and asking the players who many of them went to boarding school? I think you might get some rather rude answers.

As for the original question: Calzaghe should win it at a canter but we don't like winners in this country so it will be Hamilton by some way.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I was talking to the secretary of Esher Rugby Club, (best team in SCR area) about the attendances at rugby matches and he said, and I would assume that he knows, that rugby is a playing sport not a spectator sport and that the top teams gates compare with lower championship football gates in most cases. He also said the best team in Sussex is Haywards Heath.

Haywards Heath are in a lower division

I am not suggesting that Rugby is as popular as football, but pointing out that there are people that 'give a flying f***'. The gates are not massive, but they are enough to sustain a level of professionalism. International tickets are hard to get hold of and even a small fan base that turn up to watch Brighton (a small amateur club) equates to quite many supporters across the country as a whole. Of course, Amateur rugby is going to be a playing sport and not a spectator sport, but you can't tell me that the same applies to the clubs in the Premiership and various other teams.

I have been to see London Scottish and Rosslyn Park a fair few times. They manage to muster a couple of hundred fans for big games. That is not bad for an amateur sport that is not the national sport.

 

[Woodchip]

Calzaghe should win, but Lewis will clinch it.

I would say Hatton, but we'll wait for him to pound Mayweather into the floor first.

 

[chez]

Total bollocks. I went to a state school and played rugby - and we played plenty of other state schools.

Try walking into a rugby club in south Wales and asking the players who many of them went to boarding school? I think you might get some rather rude answers.

As for the original question: Calzaghe should win it at a canter but we don't like winners in this country so it will be Hamilton by some way.

No it's not total bollocks at all is it!!! I was speaking from MY experience and also posing questions, NOT stating facts about the whole of the country.

They DID NOT, while I was at Blatch Mill ever hold a P.E lesson involving rugby and the only people I know that have ever played rugby are 2 blokes I work with that went to boarding school.

 

[BensGrandad]

Haywards Heath are in a lower division

I am not suggesting that Rugby is as popular as football, but pointing out that there are people that 'give a flying f***'. The gates are not massive, but they are enough to sustain a level of professionalism. International tickets are hard to get hold of and even a small fan base that turn up to watch Brighton (a small amateur club) equates to quite many supporters across the country as a whole. Of course, Amateur rugby is going to be a playing sport and not a spectator sport, but you can't tell me that the same applies to the clubs in the Premiership and various other teams.

I have been to see London Scottish and Rosslyn Park a fair few times. They manage to muster a couple of hundred fans for big games. That is not bad for an amateur sport that is not the national sport.

I am not decrying you just pointing out the reply that was given to me when I suggested that, prior to planning permission, perhaps we should have joined with Brighton Rugby Club , whose President is Head of Planning at the council, I think and put up a joint proposal for 1 super stadium.

 

[supaseagull]

If Henman is there, where is Andy Murray...ok, may be a bit of a contradiction being sports "personality" but out of the lot of them, he's as entitled to a shout at it than the rest of them!

 

[Kukev31]

No it's not total bollocks at all is it!!! I was speaking from MY experience and also posing questions, NOT stating facts about the whole of the country.

They DID NOT, while I was at Blatch Mill ever hold a P.E lesson involving rugby and the only people I know that have ever played rugby are 2 blokes I work with that went to boarding school.

I think that's very much to do with location though, the south-east plays rugby a lot less, in general.

 

[chez]

I think that's very much to do with location though, the south-east plays rugby a lot less, in general.

Yeah I think you're right. While I was driving for a living a couple of times I had to deliver to Warrington Wolves ground. Up until then I thought all Rugby teams either played in parks or the biggest ones might ground share with a football team, this stadium was the mutts nuts, I couldnt believe it was used primarily for rugby but they assured me it was!!!!

 

[Yorkie]

Is Rugby played at any normal schools? I know it wasnt at ANY of the schools I went to. The only people I know that played Rugby at school were people that went to boarding school.

Funnily enough for a Yorkshire town, Rotherham is a hot bed of Rugby Union. Ned played it at school and was very good at it until he did his cruciate ligament in.
I think the Rugby team will get the Team award and Hamilton the individual award. Boxing is a minority sport.

 

[Gully]

I often get asked whether I am a rugby fan, given that I live close enough to the ground to hear the stadium announcer and crowd on match day, people are often amazed when I say that I have little interest at all in the game. I don't deny that it is an entertaining game, but I grew up in West Sussex at a time where it really was a minor sport outside the public school scene...played it once at intermediate school as a one off, for one games lesson only, the idea didn't catch on and we went back to playing football the following week.

I would love to see Ricky Hatton win, he really is a good ambassador for boxing and our country (despite the fact that he has spent most of his career knocking out foreign opponents), can't see much past Lewis Hamilton though...reckon he is a shoe in for the title.

 

[robbied69]

As an outside bet I'd do Justin Rose. Don't know how much they pay for places. Well worth a punt.

No footballer deserves it obviously.

Hatton and Calzaghe will be in the top 3 me thinks

Ratcliffe - not this year, only won 1 race.

Hamilton - don't think he's done enough to deserve it, after losing towards the end.

Would love to see Calzaghe win it though.

 

[BensGrandad]

I would say Hatton, but we'll wait for him to pound Mayweather into the floor first.

I think that you will have a very long wait.

My guess is that Mayweather will win on a stoppage about 8 /9/10 round due to cuts on Hattons eyes, having got up from a knock down in the 4th.

 

[Hannibal smith]

Hamilton will win by miles. Although he finished 2nd he still finished above the reigning double world Champion in the same machinery. People forget that Alonso was widely tipped to be as dominate as Scuhmacher before the season started. Besides which, Damon Hill won it when he finished 2nd one year and Hamilton's achievements far outmatch Hill's.

I'd disagree on one point though that people don't care much about boxing. They basically don't care when the fights are on PPV at 1:15 in the morning against someone they have never heard of. The Benn, Eubank, Watson trio on ITV in the early 90's showed how popular it can be. Now, Boxing caters for the American audience and the die hard fan. That’s why Calzaghe will never win.

 

[desprateseagull]

worth a quid on detorri.

 

[Normal Rob]

worth a quid on detorri.

no - it's not.

 

[desprateseagull]

havent you seen www.frankidetorriforpresident.com yet, then?? lol

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

can't see much past Lewis Hamilton though...reckon he is a shoe in for the title.

Untill he gets to the closing stages and chokes

 

[zefarelly]

That is actually bollocks

correct response