Sports Personality of the Year
Discussion
The right bloke won it, he's had another storming year - heres hoping that 2012 is as good for him as 2011.
Wasn't sure he would do though as cycling gets so much less exposure in the media considering how good ( and respected elsewhere in the world ) the likes of himself, Thomas, Wiggins etc are.
Top bombing Cav!!
Wasn't sure he would do though as cycling gets so much less exposure in the media considering how good ( and respected elsewhere in the world ) the likes of himself, Thomas, Wiggins etc are.
Top bombing Cav!!
Yes! My three votes were counted then!
I just realised what he actually meant to say was half a century, not half a decade, since Britain last had the World Champion's jersey. Public speaking on the hoof might not be his strong point but he's certainly got a refreshing dose of humility and it's nice to see him so happy about his first child.
Bring on 2012.
I just realised what he actually meant to say was half a century, not half a decade, since Britain last had the World Champion's jersey. Public speaking on the hoof might not be his strong point but he's certainly got a refreshing dose of humility and it's nice to see him so happy about his first child.
Bring on 2012.
shalmaneser said:
Genuinely surprised he got it, excellent effort. Surprised Strauss didn't get higher though.
thats some majority!....Mark Cavendish 169,152 (49.47%)
Darren Clarke 42,188 (12.34%)
Mo Farah 29,780 (8.71%)
Luke Donald 23,854 (6.98%)
Andy Murray 18,754 (5.48%)
Andrew Strauss 17,994 (5.26%)
Alastair Cook 13,038 (3.81%)
Rory McIlroy 11,915 (3.48%)
Dai Greene 9,022 (2.64%)
Amir Khan 6,262 (1.83%)
pablo said:
thats some majority!....
Mark Cavendish 169,152 (49.47%)
Darren Clarke 42,188 (12.34%)
Mo Farah 29,780 (8.71%)
Luke Donald 23,854 (6.98%)
Andy Murray 18,754 (5.48%)
Andrew Strauss 17,994 (5.26%)
Alastair Cook 13,038 (3.81%)
Rory McIlroy 11,915 (3.48%)
Dai Greene 9,022 (2.64%)
Amir Khan 6,262 (1.83%)
Cav was always going to win from that shortlist. His win, as he stated in his acceptance 'speach' was an acknowledgement by the British public, not only of how tough pro cycling is and how committed you have to be to succeed at it, but also a huge nod to all the other team members involved in producing the opportunity to win at bike racing. Mark Cavendish 169,152 (49.47%)
Darren Clarke 42,188 (12.34%)
Mo Farah 29,780 (8.71%)
Luke Donald 23,854 (6.98%)
Andy Murray 18,754 (5.48%)
Andrew Strauss 17,994 (5.26%)
Alastair Cook 13,038 (3.81%)
Rory McIlroy 11,915 (3.48%)
Dai Greene 9,022 (2.64%)
Amir Khan 6,262 (1.83%)
No offence to anyone who plays or watches, but Golf and Cricket are no great physical endeavours, nor do they demand the greatest sacrifices to train and to compete. Fans of these sports cannot even point to a 'split vote' to explain the figures, as between them, all of the glofers and cricketists combined still only managed c32% of the votes.
As far as Andy Murray goes, despite the whole Wimbledon circus every year, Tennis is still a minority sport when it comes to participation, and is still regarded as elitist due to the 'Tennis Club' mentality (same can be said for Golf). It's bizarre in a way, because a Tennis racquet and a couple of hours on a council court aren't as expensive as a bike. Maybe it's the freedom a bike gives you to take part alone or in a group, with friends or as part of a club, and at any time of the day or night without having to book a partner and a court or a tee time, and the fact that the use of the roads is free at the point of using them.
Mo Farrah and Dai Greene are great athletes, with a lot of success over their careers and particularly this last year, but much as we cyclists like to bleat at the lack of coverage in the media for our sport in a 'non-Olympic' year, track athletes don't get that much better a deal, whereas Tennis, Golf, and Cricket have had a great deal of airtime this year (and most years).
Last, but by no means least, was Amir Kahn. No threat to Cav, for a couple of reasons. Firstly Boxing is no longer the draw that it once was, what with all the debate about safety of the fighters and the ethics of watching opponents being extremely violent toward one another, and also his recent defeat and the appeal over the deducted points 'scandal' have unfortunately overshadowed any chance he had to garner votes in the contest.
In truth, there are not many mere mortals among our ranks who are genetically lucky and mentally committed enough to succeed on anywhere near the level of even the domestiques of the also-ran pro cycling teams, but we can, any one of us, don our lycra and climb aboard a bicycle that looks pretty much the same as those the top pros ride, and we can go out and emulate the climbers and sprinters on our own terms, 'racing' only ourselves or our mates, battling to be quicker than the last commute or to beat that almost mythical personal best. Whether you are a 'lycra lout', a committed commuter, or just gently enjoying a canalside ride to the pub, the bike you ride follows the same basic design, and because cyclists tend to care about cycling, we will support any cause that gets our sport/hobby/transport a bigger exposure to the wider public.
Since his success in both the TdF and the World Championship, Mark Cavendish has been interviewed many times on many TV shows, and always comes across as a humble man, who is appreciative of the fact that he achieves his success as a part of a whole team effort, as well as seeming like an ordinary guy who is surprised by the attention he's getting. For me at least, he was the strongest 'Personality' in the contest and is a worthy winner. Congratulations Cav!
pablo said:
thats some majority!....
Mark Cavendish 169,152 (49.47%)
Darren Clarke 42,188 (12.34%)
Mo Farah 29,780 (8.71%)
Luke Donald 23,854 (6.98%)
Andy Murray 18,754 (5.48%)
Andrew Strauss 17,994 (5.26%)
Alastair Cook 13,038 (3.81%)
Rory McIlroy 11,915 (3.48%)
Dai Greene 9,022 (2.64%)
Amir Khan 6,262 (1.83%)
I'm sure everyone else is just as good at doing the maths as me but not only did he win by some margin, he also beat the aggregate percentages of the 3 golfers together, the 2 cricketers and the 2 athletes. Excellent for the sport! Mark Cavendish 169,152 (49.47%)
Darren Clarke 42,188 (12.34%)
Mo Farah 29,780 (8.71%)
Luke Donald 23,854 (6.98%)
Andy Murray 18,754 (5.48%)
Andrew Strauss 17,994 (5.26%)
Alastair Cook 13,038 (3.81%)
Rory McIlroy 11,915 (3.48%)
Dai Greene 9,022 (2.64%)
Amir Khan 6,262 (1.83%)
Congrats to Cav, a superb year he's had.
Great result for a very deserving winner.
It pisses me off when people elsewhere say he's not a deserving rainbow jersey wearer and he won't do it justice, especially as I've just read in another thread that he rides 50,000km/31,000 miles a year. I bet that most of his 'haters' don't do a tenth of that yet they feel qualified to slag him off.
It pisses me off when people elsewhere say he's not a deserving rainbow jersey wearer and he won't do it justice, especially as I've just read in another thread that he rides 50,000km/31,000 miles a year. I bet that most of his 'haters' don't do a tenth of that yet they feel qualified to slag him off.
Rouleur said:
Great result for a very deserving winner.
It pisses me off when people elsewhere say he's not a deserving rainbow jersey wearer and he won't do it justice, especially as I've just read in another thread that he rides 50,000km/31,000 miles a year. I bet that most of his 'haters' don't do a tenth of that yet they feel qualified to slag him off.
absolutely, as much as i hate Murdoch, Sky TV et al, it will be ace to see the rainbow jersey with the Sky logo on it, worn by a Brit, surrounded by other Brits in the peloton... and winning stages...It pisses me off when people elsewhere say he's not a deserving rainbow jersey wearer and he won't do it justice, especially as I've just read in another thread that he rides 50,000km/31,000 miles a year. I bet that most of his 'haters' don't do a tenth of that yet they feel qualified to slag him off.
Great win, there was never any doubt he'd take it. What a s
t Amateurish tv production though! Don't remember if cav had any crashes but footage of a few sprint pile ups would have been a good way to demonstate that the sport is for the brave and not some fruity hobby where the worst that can happen is your ball goes into a pond.
Maybe next year all being well Sky could take the team prize...
Not unexpectedly no mention of the pro riders who list their lives in 2011 though nice to see Gary Mason being remembered.
t Amateurish tv production though! Don't remember if cav had any crashes but footage of a few sprint pile ups would have been a good way to demonstate that the sport is for the brave and not some fruity hobby where the worst that can happen is your ball goes into a pond. Maybe next year all being well Sky could take the team prize...
Not unexpectedly no mention of the pro riders who list their lives in 2011 though nice to see Gary Mason being remembered.
Well done Mark Cavendish but we had a britsh world champion in cycling and he's only 20. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqYgAX6D43Q I know who would get my vote.
Edited by Sam the Mut on Saturday 24th December 20:52
Danny Hart's season has been great and he deserved at least a mention, as did plenty of other other athletes that didn't get mentioned.
But there is no way that he deserved it more than Cavendish. Pro road cycling is another league above DH, winning the RR World Champs has to be considered as the ultimate UCI World Championship event.
Surprised to see Dai Greene so low down, he is a great athlete and I'm sure he will get the recognition next year when he wins an Olympic gold medal!
But there is no way that he deserved it more than Cavendish. Pro road cycling is another league above DH, winning the RR World Champs has to be considered as the ultimate UCI World Championship event.
Surprised to see Dai Greene so low down, he is a great athlete and I'm sure he will get the recognition next year when he wins an Olympic gold medal!
matt-ITR said:
Danny Hart's season has been great and he deserved at least a mention, as did plenty of other other athletes that didn't get mentioned.
But there is no way that he deserved it more than Cavendish. Pro road cycling is another league above DH, winning the RR World Champs has to be considered as the ultimate UCI World Championship event.
Surprised to see Dai Greene so low down, he is a great athlete and I'm sure he will get the recognition next year when he wins an Olympic gold medal!
Not trying to troll or anything but why is thr RR World Champs another level over DH? Is it like motorsport, Road Cycling is Formula 1, DH is WRC? Their both WC but formula one is far bigger, but another league above WRC I dont think so.But there is no way that he deserved it more than Cavendish. Pro road cycling is another league above DH, winning the RR World Champs has to be considered as the ultimate UCI World Championship event.
Surprised to see Dai Greene so low down, he is a great athlete and I'm sure he will get the recognition next year when he wins an Olympic gold medal!
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