Who do you want to win BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2011?

[Brovion]

Like others I haven't heard of two names on that list (Mark Cavendish and Dai Greene) and I haven't got a clue what sports they represent but I'm guessing darts, hence Cavendish's popularity. The name Mo Farah rings a vague bell, is he a weightlifter? No I can't be arsed to google it.

EDIT: From reading other posts on this thread it seems that Cavendish is a cyclist. Well you learn something every day.

EDIT 2: And Mo Farrah's a distance runner! D'oh! I knew I'd heard the name! Genuinely never heard of Mark Cavendish until today. That just leaves Dai Greene. HE must be a darts player surely?

 

[Stat Brother]

I feel for Cavendish, but unfortunately cycling is a minor sport in this country and is more to do with endurance and fitness that actual skill.

Blimey there's a statement.
I guess there's no skill in riding your bike at 50mph through 198 other cyclists, looking for a momentary gap, all the while timing your effort so the last full power revolution of the cranks coincides with the finish line, to win by a fraction of a second, shows a complete lack of actual skill.

 

[Bad Ash]

England are top of the tree in a MAJORITY sport.

What defines a majority sport?

 

[hitony]

OK, here we go:
Mark Cavendish. Never heard of him
Darren Clarke. Never heard of him.
Luke Donald. Never heard of him.
Mo Farah. Never heard of him/her.
Dai Greene. Never heard of him.

So that's five out of ten I don't know.

Admittedly I have no interest in any sports beyond football and cricket, but if those names have done anything worth winning this dubious award surely I should have heard their names?

I think you need to get out a bit more

 

[Common as Mook]

What defines a majority sport?

Football. Rugby. Cricket.

 

[Common as Mook]

Blimey there's a statement.
I guess there's no skill in riding your bike at 50mph through 198 other cyclists, looking for a momentary gap, all the while timing your effort so the last full power revolution of the cranks coincides with the finish line, to win by a fraction of a second, shows a complete lack of actual skill.

Perhaps that's a bit OTT on my part.

I consider cycling to be chiefly about endurance whereas sports like cricket involve high levels of natural talent to compliment mental and physical strength.

 

[Bad Ash]

Football. Rugby. Cricket.

Right, so a sport played/watched by a lot of people in the UK?

Being the number 1 cricket playing nation in the world isn't really much of an achievement is it, there's what, around 5 serious competitors...

 

[Common as Mook]

Right, so a sport played/watched by a lot of people in the UK?

Being the number 1 cricket playing nation in the world isn't really much of an achievement is it, there's what, around 5 serious competitors...

England
Australia
India
Pakistan
New Zealand
Sri Lanka
West Indies
South Africa
Bangladesh
Zimbabwe

You need to take into account the population of these countries too.

Bearing in mind it's a UK competition as well, I think cricket more than qualifies as a majority sport.

 

[Stat Brother]

Perhaps that's a bit OTT on my part.

I consider cycling to be chiefly about endurance whereas sports like cricket involve high levels of natural talent to compliment mental and physical strength.

Yeah but!, I would have to say to reach the very top of ANY sport, you need all of that and more, in abundance.

Mo Farah doesn't JUST run faster than other, as Cav doesn't JUST cycle faster, Cook doesn't JUST bat longer.

 

[Common as Mook]

Yeah but!, I would have to say to reach the very top of ANY sport, you need all of that and more, in abundance.

Mo Farah doesn't JUST run faster than other, as Cav doesn't JUST cycle faster, Cook doesn't JUST bat longer.

Agree. However, batting longer requires more skill than running and cycling which are inherently natural to almost everyone.

 

[fly high]

Voted for Cav as in my view best of bunch however were is Chrissie Wellington, four times Ironman world champion. Total respect, would have voted for her.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Does the BBC SPOTY have to be somebody currently engaged in Sprt as a player?

If not, I'd seriously suggest Gary Speed be nominated. He'd walk it. Would be a fitting tribute.

 

[Medwayseagull]

For someone who likes to go to lengths to educate the ignorant on the achievements of the cyclists, that's a pretty stunning post.

How exactly is the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS '2nd tier'? In just over 12 months Farah won the 5k and 10k double at the Europeans, then very narrowly missed repeating that at the World's (gold and silver).

Farah for me as well. What is outstanding about his Gold and Silver medals at the World Championship is that he won in a long distance event and nearly won in a second long distance event a few days earlier both of which have been dominated by African runners for years.

 

[Stat Brother]

Championship is that he won in a long distance event and nearly won in a second long distance event a few days earlier both of which have been dominated by African runners for years.

Er I've been thinking about how to phrase this, as it's a can of worms I have no intention of opening.
But, he's not exactly raced AGAINST sub Saharan genetics.

Luckily for me though, I'm not on a Croydon tram, he's British, running for Britain, end of.

 

[Stat Brother]

Is it wrong for a 41 year old chap, wanting to do the ultimate pre teen thing, and call a TV phone vote.

 

[Derbyshire Seagull]

Bob Champion - absolute class

 

[Notters' Dad]

Cav, a real talent and nice guy. The only one in the list I've seen in the flesh. First ever British green jersey winner in the TdF and first british road race world champion since 1965. And both of those in 2011. Get voting!!

 

[chucky1973]

Cav
Cook
Farah / Rory

in that order

 

[Stat Brother]

Nice to see Pierced Organ singing Cook's praises.

That's another out of the running

 

[Badger]

Surely once you win an Unsung Heroes award you are no longer an unsung hero and so no longer qualify for it.