Nor did the 2nd place either but Broad and Earps have much higher profile than a KJT or Alfie Hewitt who did win something .
In a poor year, she deservedly won the award for a terrific 2023 in which she did win something actually, the Golden Glove for the best goalkeeper at the biggest tournament in the game. Hardly her fault her team didn’t win the World Cup. The final was as good as lost the minute Wiegman made the nonsensical decision to substitute Russo at half-time. Earps kept us in it with the penalty save. It’s not been a vintage year of individual achievement sadly. As @wfc4ever rightly says, there were some winners but not in sports popular with voters. There was no Raducanu, Hamilton or Ronnie winning big titles this year (well Ronnie did but too late for the nominations).
Ronnie O’Sullivan maybe isn’t as popular as people think or expect as he had been nominated in the past and not even been in the top 3? Golfers don’t tend to do well either .
Maybe not been a vintage year but lots of sports now suffer from lack of TV exposure. Josh Kerr won 1500 gold at the Athletics World Championships, and Jake Jarman won mens vault final at the World Gymnastics championship, a sport which gets lots of exposure in Olympic yr but precious little in non Olympic yrs BBC Sports Personality of the Year used to be a massive highlight of the year, now like BBC sport coverage generally its gone right down the pan
Personally btw I’ve never got all the hype with SPOTY either, and felt pleased this year’s was demoted from its traditional prime time Sunday night slot. I’ve always seen it as little more than a tub-thumping chest puffing exercise for the BBC, who seem to show less and less live sport each year. They do have the rights to women’s football at least (and generally cover it well) so it’s little surprise the last two winners have come from there. Even the title of the award is nonsensical. What does sports personality mean? Are we meant to vote for a sports person on the basis of their personality rather than their achievements? If so, why was the award given last year to a person with all the personality of a wet fish?
The award went to one of the 2 nominees that I'd never heard of. No idea why Dettori was on the list, does he still ride ? Broad is a great personality but didn't do much this season other than retire. eg he wasn't even our best bowler in the ashes. Rory M - I don't follow golf, did he have a truly fab year ? It's just the BBC pretending it's important and this award matters.
Rory was a bizarre choice given he hasn't won a major in ages. Although he did play well in the Ryder Cup. And he does have a personality, at least. I think Broad deserved to be there solely on the basis of what he did, both with bat and ball, in his last ever match. As you know, I am with you on women's football.
Of course not. Hitting a six with his final ever ball, and the 'switching the bails' trick (x 2). The latter was the most memorable piece of sport all year, for me.
Probably picked McIlroy as Matt Fitzpatrick wasn’t selected last year after winning a major by the panel who decide the nominations. Even Gary Lineker said that was a poor omission .
KJT was the clear winner on the laughable list of nominees. However, I’m not in the least surprised at our supporter base throwing their weight behind backing the plucky losers over winners. It’s all they know.
Broad and Earps both have plenty of personality, but I was mildly disappointed that Broad didn't win after that sensational finale. I voted for him, but wasn't interested enough to watch the show.
As Mary Earps was voted the best individual in her position in the World Cup, in what way was she a plucky loser? Her team might have lost the final, but hers wasn’t a team award, it was an individual one based on her performances. Totally different imo from the likes of Rusedski winning it the year he lost the US Open final etc...
I probably say this every year but SPOTY has had it's day. Tbh like a large percentage of the BBC. The show used to be prime time at the weekend just before Xmas. It was a review of the sporting year, a chance to highlight achievements. Something I always used to look forward to. Now it's by and large a jolly for highly paid presenters, celebrities and a few sports people. Something I've avoided for nigh on a decade.
I think the memory cheats people of a certain age when it comes to SPOTY. It's always been rubbish. A lumbering, prosaic plod through the sporting year before allowing the public to dish out the award. It said so much about the demographic of the middle class Vauxhall Cavalier drivers that for a decade in the 1980s it was basically a contest between Nigel Mansell, Steve Davis and Nick Faldo. That made a mockery of the title. Fine achievers, yes, but with the charisma of a Pringle sweater between them. The show itself was Blue Peter for grown-ups. Acres of grey studio floor, bright lights and a desperate attempt to tease some personality out of the sports people. Then there'd be a terrible segment where they got Frank Bruno to play a boxing game on a Commodore 64 or got Ian Woosnam on a rowing machine or something. In the 2000s, it tried to go all Oscars-style glam with arena crowds but invariably the highlight for the production team was discovering that a Moto GP rider could play a half-decent version of the old Barry Norman Film programme theme music on the piano.
Rumoured to be very expensive. I'm not a fan of it personally, it looks like a cross between night wear on top with PJ bottoms on the waist with her kickers showing. She's a pretty woman though and it does suit her figure. As an event/expensive night out outfit it's not exactly very practical but then again I am sure the designers asked her to wear it to model it, so in that sense I can see why.
True although any nomination went out of the bag for any England cricketer if they were involved in the World Cup! What if the rugby team had got to the final though? And Wimbledon. Bit of snooker and athletics too.
Yep. That's what £159 a year will pay for now, especially when that money has to cover news, politics and current affairs, drama, light entertainment, documentary, comedy, music, children's programmes and a broad public service remit + one of the world's largest news websites + national and local radio + a whole bunch of TV and audio on-demand. Always puzzles me how a certain sector of the British public can't wait to scrap the BBC so they can pay much, much, much more for less. Netflix is great, for what it is, but a basic package is £98 a year already and although it develops some great stuff it also gives the illusion of choice. Same goes for Apple, Amazon and the other streaming services that people often say "Well, I just want to pay for what I watch", overlooking the 85% of Netflix content they don't watch. Sky is the model that will be followed when the BBC finally goes. Much more expensive + adverts and with a loss of anything that doesn't generate money. Therefore, a lot more common denominator stuff and a loss of much of the interesting, quality but niche programming that makes (or made) the BBC great.
Ok for going clubbing or a music awards night, but not appropriate for a national sports awards night.
All the Lionesses seem to dress in bad-taste sexiness. Probably to get the likes of us (i.e. men) interested in women's football.
