OT: Spoty 2017

[Wedgie_pie]

This award would make a lot more sense if it was called the Sports Person of the year, then we could have another award and give it to a sports person with a decent personality should we ever find one.

Delroy I like it that idea, which would by definition remove Andy Murray from the race....

[upthemaggies]

Having a big personality can be a hindrance to making it to the very top. I think that was the reason McEnroe didn't win anything like as many titles as Sampras, Borg and Federer, who were all quite bland. In football, it was definitely the reason Clough didn't land the England job and found it difficult to manage a proper big club when he went to Leeds. Shankly never won the European Cup, Klopp is now struggling to take Liverpool to the next level. I think you need a degree of focus and discipline to be a true great which big personalities tend not to have.

[Wedgie_pie]

You disappoint me, Wedgie. What's so great about being born in the UK? Farah has more than shown his loyalty to Britain and the Queen has knighted him.
The only cheating available to distance athletes is blood doping and although it can be hard to detect, there is usually a clear paper trail to its source. Despite all the scrutiny Farah has been subject to, no one has ever proved a thing.
Salizar took him on after he had proved his potential. What turned Farah round was discipline. His early coaches told him that if he stopped p*ssing about, he could be really good. That training discipline and work at altitude made the difference.
Both Farah and Joshua have bags of character and personality. Hamilton's comes in microscopic amounts. Like I say, Joshua has years yet, Farah is at the end of his career.

Sorry I disappointed you Sidn not my intention I can assure you...Didn't say that it was great to be born in UK so don't think I need to respond to the question to be honest...Maybe I should have put one of those eoji things after the Froome and Farah sentence, one like this just to indicate a little bit of sarcasm...

On a lighter note my son and grandsons are coming down from Grimsby to watch the match on Saturday, so please feel free to have your normal pop at the town of Grimsby and all it's shortcomings when I mention the place on here....

[legs77]

Having a big personality can be a hindrance to making it to the very top. I think that was the reason McEnroe didn't win anything like as many titles as Sampras, Borg and Federer, who were all quite bland. In football, it was definitely the reason Clough didn't land the England job and found it difficult to manage a proper big club when he went to Leeds. Shankly never won the European Cup, Klopp is now struggling to take Liverpool to the next level. I think you need a degree of focus and discipline to be a true great which big personalities tend not to have.

I'd say there is some truth to this, in some sports defence they are all media trained now so have to be careful to make sure they are saying the "right" things that is why most footballers interviews are boring as hell.

Look at Gary Neville as an example he was one boring man as a player put him on Sky Sports as a pundit and he has got a personality.

Agree on Clough England don't like people who rock the boat and Clough although before my time he should have got or at least have been offered the England job with his record.

Klopp is doing all he can really same as Wenger & Pochettino you can't compete if City & United have far far bigger resources Pep has spent £100m on two full backs that is crazy money, you can argue Leicester but that is very much a one off & it was great for football but it looks like its back to normal now sadly....I mean the Premier League is pretty much over at Christmas.

[jackal2]

Having a big personality can be a hindrance to making it to the very top. I think that was the reason McEnroe didn't win anything like as many titles as Sampras, Borg and Federer, who were all quite bland. In football, it was definitely the reason Clough didn't land the England job and found it difficult to manage a proper big club when he went to Leeds. Shankly never won the European Cup, Klopp is now struggling to take Liverpool to the next level. I think you need a degree of focus and discipline to be a true great which big personalities tend not to have.

Muhammad Ali was an example of someone who managed to combine huge personality with huge success, but generally I thinks there's some truth in what you say. People with big personalities can win things, but the sportsmen who win multiple titles on a consistent basis tend not to show a huge amount of personality while they are competing, such is the degree of focus required to achieve that level of dominance. That's not to say they don't have personalities away from the competitive arena though. Steve 'Interesting' Davis was almost robotic as a snooker player, but has a relaxed persona and a dry wit away from the table.

[upthemaggies]

Muhammad Ali was an example of someone who managed to combine huge personality with huge success, but generally I thinks there's some truth in what you say. People with big personalities can win things, but the sportsmen who win multiple titles on a consistent basis tend not to show a huge amount of personality while they are competing, such is the degree of focus required to achieve that level of dominance. That's not to say they don't have personalities away from the competitive arena though. Steve 'Interesting' Davis was almost robotic as a snooker player, but has a relaxed persona and a dry wit away from the table.

He's the only one that springs to mind, which is probably why he is almost unanimously considered to be THE greatest sportsman of all time. How can you compare a boxer to a tennis player? It's at that point it comes down to personality. Who else is there that could be so larger than life and at the same time be the all conquering machine in their chosen field?

George Best had something about him other than just being a great footballer but again that proved to be his downfall. Rodney Marsh and Stan Bowles are other examples of gifted footballers with character who massively underachieved. You don't have to look further than our own club to see how it works. Jimmy Sirrel was a character alright, but needed the robotic-like Howard Wilkinson to help him complete the journey to the top flight and of course it was Wilkinson who ultimately went on to manage a title winning side.
Don Masson was apparently not well-liked as a person among teammates because all he cared about was playing to the best of his ability and expecting the same from those around him, he's the one that truly makes it out of that legendary 70s side, I think it was little Dave Smith who was the character in that dressing room and he ends up at Torquay.

[kill_the_drum]

It would be nice to see Jermaine Defoe get a mention for everything he did for the Lowery family.
I never understand people that criticise sportsmen that don’t have ‘personality.’
Top sports professionals in most cases have dedicated there lives to becoming the best. Particularly in non team sports they’ve had to be ultra competitive, tunnel visioned and shut every distraction out long before they have become a household name.
So it’s hardly a surprise a lot of them aren’t a laugh a minute.
Also, just because someone is a top sportsman doesn’t make them an extrovert who is comfortable with the world watching them.

[Pies4u]

This is certainly not a 1 horse race! Sidn may be right, Farah is a great sportsman, but this trophy seems to elude him. He may win it this time but somehow there is a question mark about him - the tv adverts don't do him any favours either!

Like others I'd like to see Joshua win it & he think he might well do so. Peaty, Peacock and Kane deserve to be in the running.

I go with the view that Hamilton is a boring tw@tbin an engineering competition not a sport and Froome, like his spirit, is just way too "sus". We can only hope they both come nowhere tbh. The rest are a bunch of "no hopers" and/or folks from minority sports who have no genuine chance of winning.

Joshua, Peaty, Kane, Peacock & Farah will all be in the top 6 in my view. See what happens.

[Pies4u]

This is certainly not a 1 horse race! Sidn may be right, Farah is a great sportsman, but this trophy seems to elude him. He may win it this time but somehow there is a question mark about him - the tv adverts don't do him any favours either!

Like others I'd like to see Joshua win it & he think he might well do so. Peaty, Peacock and Kane deserve to be in the running.

I go with the view that Hamilton is a boring tw@tbin an engineering competition not a sport and Froome, like his spirit, is just way too "sus". We can only hope they both come nowhere tbh. The rest are a bunch of "no hopers" and/or folks from minority sports who have no genuine chance of winning.

Joshua, Peaty, Kane, Peacock & Farah will all be in the top 6 in my view. See what happens.

Sorry, "sport" not spirit - big fingers, small keyboard. The 5 above "should" be in the top 6, not necessarily "will" be.
I wouldn't be surprised if Hamilton or Farah win it but I hope Joshua, or failing that, Peaty do.

[Elite_Pie]

Done and dusted. Joshua wins, Hamilton second.