SPOTY Who will it be
Discussion
Kermit power said:
If Andy Murray wins it ahead of Rachel Atherton, it will be the perfect demonstration of the fact that in sport, money talks.
In tennis, Murray has won 1 out of 4 Grand Slams and I believe it's actually 8 APT titles, but that's out of over 60 events. He has also won the Olympic singles, which you forgot. Yes, it's a very impressive performance, and yes, it means he has ended the year as Britain's first number one ranked player, but it's not exactly crushing everyone at his feet.
Atherton, on the other hand, has completely and utterly destroyed everyone in her event. OK, Downhill Mountain Biking doesn't have the same exposure and marketing budget as tennis, and you need to go to Red Bull TV on the web to watch it, but even so, she's the current reigning Britsh and World Champion, she won every single one of this year's six round World Cup, and adding that to the four she won at the end of last season, she now has ten back to back victories, and nobody else is anywhere near touching her at the moment.
On top of that, unlike Mr Murray, she actually has a massive personality as well and does a vast amount to help develop the sport at grass roots level over and above just being seen as an inspiration by being good at the sport itself.
If she doesn't win, it will be a travesty of justice, and proof that "Sports Personality" is irrelevant in winning the award.
90% of the electorate won't have heard of her because the sport she dominates only has a very low profile. In tennis, Murray has won 1 out of 4 Grand Slams and I believe it's actually 8 APT titles, but that's out of over 60 events. He has also won the Olympic singles, which you forgot. Yes, it's a very impressive performance, and yes, it means he has ended the year as Britain's first number one ranked player, but it's not exactly crushing everyone at his feet.
Atherton, on the other hand, has completely and utterly destroyed everyone in her event. OK, Downhill Mountain Biking doesn't have the same exposure and marketing budget as tennis, and you need to go to Red Bull TV on the web to watch it, but even so, she's the current reigning Britsh and World Champion, she won every single one of this year's six round World Cup, and adding that to the four she won at the end of last season, she now has ten back to back victories, and nobody else is anywhere near touching her at the moment.
On top of that, unlike Mr Murray, she actually has a massive personality as well and does a vast amount to help develop the sport at grass roots level over and above just being seen as an inspiration by being good at the sport itself.
If she doesn't win, it will be a travesty of justice, and proof that "Sports Personality" is irrelevant in winning the award.
That's not her fault, and it's not the fault of the voters either. Just the way it goes in a popularity contest.
Kermit power said:
Both of whom, I'm sure, would be quick to mock you for that sort of ignorant comment.
The sister line was clearly tongue in cheek, the fact you think someone in a sport so niche as MTB, let alone women's MTB (I couldn't name 2, and I like cycling of most kinds)is going to win something like SPOTY is hilarious. okgo said:
Kermit power said:
Both of whom, I'm sure, would be quick to mock you for that sort of ignorant comment.
The sister line was clearly tongue in cheek, the fact you think someone in a sport so niche as MTB, let alone women's MTB (I couldn't name 2, and I like cycling of most kinds)is going to win something like SPOTY is hilarious. Someone who has completely dominated their sport won't get a look in because of marketing budgets.
Someone who has just about made it to number one in their sport in a year when their major competitors have had a fair chunk of injuries will probably win because of marketing budgets.
That's the travesty.
Kermit power said:
Where did I say she was going to win it?
Someone who has completely dominated their sport won't get a look in because of marketing budgets.
Someone who has just about made it to number one in their sport in a year when their major competitors have had a fair chunk of injuries will probably win because of marketing budgets.
That's the travesty.
Marketing budgets? Is that really the reason tennis is more popular than mountain biking?Someone who has completely dominated their sport won't get a look in because of marketing budgets.
Someone who has just about made it to number one in their sport in a year when their major competitors have had a fair chunk of injuries will probably win because of marketing budgets.
That's the travesty.
okgo said:
Marketing budgets? Is that really the reason tennis is more popular than mountain biking?
No it isn't. Marketing budgets are driven by popularity, not the other way round. Without popularity there's no money to power a budget.Mountain-biking isn't a good spectator sport, and it's hard to televise.
SpeckledJim said:
okgo said:
Marketing budgets? Is that really the reason tennis is more popular than mountain biking?
No it isn't. Marketing budgets are driven by popularity, not the other way round. Without popularity there's no money to power a budget.Mountain-biking isn't a good spectator sport, and it's hard to televise.
There are, however, a host of differences between tennis and mountain biking that make it hard to say how much of the difference might be down to marketing budgets, and I have said I recognised that there are plenty of other minority sports out there which also fall prey to lack of marketing money in the same way, so how about an example which is much, much easier to compare directly to tennis?
Squash is arguably equally good as a spectator sport, and it's certainly just as easy to televise as tennis, yet what look in did English player Nick Matthew get at SPOTY when he won the World Championship in 2010, 2011 or 2013, Commonwealth Golds in 2010 (twice) and 2014, and Team World golds in 2005, 2007 & 2013? Whilst we're at it, whoopy-do, Murray has topped the World rankings for tennis! Matthew managed that for squash in 2010, and he wasn't immediately made SPOTY for it, was he?
What has Murray done which is so impressive compared to so many other people that he deserves this accolade, other than happening to play in a sport with a huge marketing budget which ensures it gets mainstream TV coverage?
whoami said:
Kermit power said:
If Andy Murray wins it ahead of Rachel Atherton, it will be the perfect demonstration of the fact that in sport, money talks.
If it was as simple as you suggest, a footballer would win every year.They don't.
Kermit power said:
whoami said:
Kermit power said:
If Andy Murray wins it ahead of Rachel Atherton, it will be the perfect demonstration of the fact that in sport, money talks.
If it was as simple as you suggest, a footballer would win every year.They don't.
Kermit power said:
SpeckledJim said:
okgo said:
Marketing budgets? Is that really the reason tennis is more popular than mountain biking?
No it isn't. Marketing budgets are driven by popularity, not the other way round. Without popularity there's no money to power a budget.Mountain-biking isn't a good spectator sport, and it's hard to televise.
There are, however, a host of differences between tennis and mountain biking that make it hard to say how much of the difference might be down to marketing budgets, and I have said I recognised that there are plenty of other minority sports out there which also fall prey to lack of marketing money in the same way, so how about an example which is much, much easier to compare directly to tennis?
Squash is arguably equally good as a spectator sport, and it's certainly just as easy to televise as tennis, yet what look in did English player Nick Matthew get at SPOTY when he won the World Championship in 2010, 2011 or 2013, Commonwealth Golds in 2010 (twice) and 2014, and Team World golds in 2005, 2007 & 2013? Whilst we're at it, whoopy-do, Murray has topped the World rankings for tennis! Matthew managed that for squash in 2010, and he wasn't immediately made SPOTY for it, was he?
What has Murray done which is so impressive compared to so many other people that he deserves this accolade, other than happening to play in a sport with a huge marketing budget which ensures it gets mainstream TV coverage?
Head-to-head racing is much more exciting, generally, but still less spectator-oriented than more free-form sports like tennis and football, which vary a great deal from minute to minute, rather than being repetitive attempts towards a single perfection.
SPOTY is a joke though. Meaningless. As you have pointed out, only reps of certain popular sports stand a chance.
Kermit power said:
whoami said:
Well, I'm no lover of football but, at a guess, massively more than tune in to women's downhill mountain biking. 
Which brings us back to Most Marketed Sports Personality Of The Year.Tennis doesn't do much marketing, per se, but lots of people like (and crucially are in the habit of)watching it once a year on telly.
Downhill mountain biking is arguably slightly less interesting than skiing. Because it is slower and less elegant, and the crashes are less spectacular. And skiing is almost dead in the UK as a TV sport.
Kermit power said:
Which brings us back to Most Marketed Sports Personality Of The Year.
Really peculiar viewpoint you've got really.Look at previous winners, Plenty of people in there doing fairly niche sports, fewer people watch the Tour De France than Wimbledon yet, Brad Wiggins and Mark Cavendish have won it in recent years, as has a boxer, horse rider, and its been since 2009 when Ryan Giggs won that we've had someone from surely the countries most popular sport by a mile (football).
Hard to see past Murray isn't it?
He's done more than anyone could ever have expected of a British Tennis player, winning Wimbledon and the Olympics and reaching world number 1...
Sure there are loads of people doing great things in other sports (Rea's World Superbike title was achieved in impressive form, for example), but Tennis is a 'mainstream sport' that even ladies who lunch have an interest in and Murray's on top of the world, literally!
M
He's done more than anyone could ever have expected of a British Tennis player, winning Wimbledon and the Olympics and reaching world number 1...
Sure there are loads of people doing great things in other sports (Rea's World Superbike title was achieved in impressive form, for example), but Tennis is a 'mainstream sport' that even ladies who lunch have an interest in and Murray's on top of the world, literally!
M
Keep dreaming if you think a DH biker will ever win Sports Personality.
Steve Peat deserved to be in the nominations the year he won his World Championship in Australia (09?), because that, along with all his other accolades was truly amazing.
I remember there being talk when Danny Hart won his first Champs in the wet, but he wasn't included. He's more of a wet towel than Murray though
Whilst Rachel has done exceptionally well, the competition just isn't quite there for her at this stage. Not that the others are slow, she's just another level and makes it look too easy imo. Compared to the mens competition when there are multiple people who could definitely win it each weekend, for the ladies...you expect Rachel to be top of the box.
Steve Peat deserved to be in the nominations the year he won his World Championship in Australia (09?), because that, along with all his other accolades was truly amazing.
I remember there being talk when Danny Hart won his first Champs in the wet, but he wasn't included. He's more of a wet towel than Murray though
Whilst Rachel has done exceptionally well, the competition just isn't quite there for her at this stage. Not that the others are slow, she's just another level and makes it look too easy imo. Compared to the mens competition when there are multiple people who could definitely win it each weekend, for the ladies...you expect Rachel to be top of the box.
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