Wrong forum, i expect this to be shuffled off to the "other sports" or another equally suitable forum within 2 minutes.
so what has Panesar and Clarke done single handidly this year (2005-2006) , at least she has won something , i know Clarke has won the ryder cup as part of a team and he was looking after his sick wife , but Zara got to the last 10 based on the public votes . What did Monty do ???????? , cant even call him as has been , cause he aint won anything woth mentioning
Did she win something or did the team behind her with it's associated funds and influence win something? Equestrian sports are elitist - what about our first ever gold in gymnastics, or Taylor's YEARS of domination, Hatton and Calzaghe's continued success? How many of the average sports fans have even noticed Zara Phillips until the media clamour over the past week or so?
if you were awake you would have notcied that i only questioned you about Clarke and Monty , I did not refer to to the other three that you mentioned ,probably cause i think they did something single handidly on their own , Yes Zara did win the team evernt , but also the individual event , using her own horse . I know that she would have paid more money for the horse , buit if you have ever tried ridding a horse in comp you would know that it's not about sitting on it.
I don't think he really wanted to as it was seen as a 'sympathy vote' This year was always going to cause debate whoever won whereas there have been outstanding candidates in the past like Freddy Flintoff,Kelly Holmes and even years ago with Faldo and Mansall.
I think it shows that the great British public is rather better informed that many of the posters on here. They at least had some awareness of her achievements under difficult circumstances.
More difficult than Beth Tweddle? No resources in a sport generally derided in this country that has never won a major medal before? It's not awareness, it's hype - which girl is more glamorous?
from BBC "Phillips won the individual gold in the three-day eventing competition at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen in Germany. Performing over three different events over three days or a 90 second routine on one piece of equipment? The Queen's granddaughter produced a near faultless display over the three days of dressage, cross country and show jumping. She also helped Great Britain claim the team silver and has become only the third rider to hold the European and World titles at the same time. Beth's performance didn't have the same amount of pressure and expectation riding (!) on it as Zara did in here final event knowing she could not only win gold for herself but get her team into the silver medal position. Phillips, whose partner is England rugby star Mike Tindall, won the world title in the aftermath of the death of her close friend Sherelle Duke at a horse trials in Brockenhurst a few days earlier. It took a lot of courage and determination to get on her horse and compete to gold medal standard when her friend had just been killed doing the same thing. Finally, a lot of people will hold the same prejudices you do, so to win the public vote is quite an achievement.
We'll agree to differ - you obviously follow closely the sport, I just don't feel the great British public are the same as you. Which event garnered the more viewers, Horse Jumping or the Ryder Cup? Which girl has had her image thown around in the run up to the event last night, Queen's Grandaughter or Beth Tweedle?
To be honest I don't really care who won. It was a crap Sports Personality show thingy last night. As had already been mentioned on here there were no outstanding candidates like there have been in the past. If I had to go for anybody it would have been Calzaghe or Taylor. Commendations go to Twiddle or Twaddle and Phillips (only because she has my surname and is not unattractive ).
I don't follow the sport at all and have no interest in it. I don't watch a lot of television so I haven't seen either girl having their image thrown around. I just think that any event where you leave Australia, USA and Germany in your wake has to be worth some kudos. I think the public also liked the idea of her winning as her Mum had won it before. I think they expected the Ryder Cup team to win the team award (as I did) and that's the reason Darren Clarke didn't get more votes. For me the shocking result of the night was that the golfers didn't get it. People in St Helens must have been voting early and often!
Funny how yesterday was the day Land Rover launched there new ad campaign featuring you guessed it Zara.
is it also right to mention that most of the other nominees' sports were not in the Beeb's collection?
Nothing funny about it. If you were launching an advertising campaign for a product featuring any of the final ten isn't that the day you would pick for the launch? That's what advertising is about. I'm only surprised some manufacturer of hair care products for men didn't snap up Darren Clarke and launch the same day!