Spoty

[Geoff Parkstone]

Hmm - shortlist of 3 women I've never heard of, a darts player a car driver and Rory McIlroy. I shan't be voting but would hope McIlroy gets it after a Masters and an away Ryder Cup.

Not denigrating the female nominees but I genuinely don't know what they have achieved.

[Andy_Faber]

Hmm - shortlist of 3 women I've never heard of, a darts player a car driver and Rory McIlroy. I shan't be voting but would hope McIlroy gets it after a Masters and an away Ryder Cup.

Not denigrating the female nominees but I genuinely don't know what they have achieved.

My thoughts are as yours, I've gotta be careful with all this agreeing business, I'm upsetting someone

Of those, if the decision is based on personality I'd go for Lando, who wears his heart on his sleeve and comes over as a real person, closely followed by Luke who again is fairly unfiltered. Interesting to me that these two nominated come from one of the easiest to access sports and one of the most difficult to access

Ignoring those six, and if charity running is a sport, I'd give it Kevin Sinfield (again)

[SithHappens]

A lot depends on your interest in said sport. I don't have much idea, without the aid of Google, what the 3 female contenders have won/achieved, but i could say the same with mcilroy and littler not being a fan of either of their sports.

I think Norris will win it. F1 has a good history of producing spoty when a British driver has achieved something.

I've seen more complaints online about the fact the 3 hosts are female. Im sure Joey Barton won't be tuning in.

[Geoff Parkstone]

The last 4 winners have been women - in the interests of DEI the 2025 one should be male!

Youre right much depends on what sports you follow - but women's team sports such as football, rugby and cricket still have relatively small followings (albeit increasing) when compared to male equivalent. Then of course there is the old chestnut about the word "personality". I would suggest this infers something more than just professional competence - which is why I was always surprised at Andy Murrays repeated victories. To have personality you surely need to have visibility to the public and so for none of us to know who any of the 3 female contenders are (without google) it suggests are lack of "presence"

[Ram Pant]

Seems I'm in a minority, sports lovers. Obviously, just about everybody will know of Lando, the Nuke and Rory. I am really surprised that y'all don't seem to know the 2 Lionesses and the Red Rose.

Kildunne has been a top, top rugby player for quite some time. Chloe Kelly has excelled in each of the last 2 Euros, scoring important goals in both. Hampton is a keeper who has a congenital eye condition (strabismus), which affects depth perception but she manages through skill and hard work to be an excellent keeper and a Euros winner. Of the 3 women, Chloe has the larger personality, Hannah H has her overcoming of Strabismus and Kildunne is, unfortunately for her in the spoty vote, bubbly on field but somewaht quieter off it.

My vote would go to Hannah. If Lando doesn't win it, then the Nuke will.

[SithHappens]

I know mcilroy and littler of course, couldn't tell you what they have won this year tho

[Andy_Faber]

Seems I'm in a minority, sports lovers. Obviously, just about everybody will know of Lando, the Nuke and Rory. I am really surprised that y'all don't seem to know the 2 Lionesses and the Red Rose.

Kildunne has been a top, top rugby player for quite some time. Chloe Kelly has excelled in each of the last 2 Euros, scoring important goals in both. Hampton is a keeper who has a congenital eye condition (strabismus), which affects depth perception but she manages through skill and hard work to be an excellent keeper and a Euros winner. Of the 3 women, Chloe has the larger personality, Hannah H has her overcoming of Strabismus and Kildunne is, unfortunately for her in the spoty vote, bubbly on field but somewaht quieter off it.

My vote would go to Hannah. If Lando doesn't win it, then the Nuke will.

From my POV women's football and women's rugby come waaay down on my list of sports I take an interest in and the massive tail-off of interest beyond the world cup/euros both on TV and in person suggests there's a lot with a similar view. And in my case that's not being anti-womens' sport, I follow female athletics, netball, cricket etc. Not even sure the popular on-line criticism of BBC wokeness/tokenism applies, they may just be pushing the few sports they still have rights to.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Do the BBC have any live sports apart from Wimbledon and some of the 6 Nations rugby internationals. Oh and the boat race / Grand National combo that everyone used to watch? Sadly they seem to have been priced out of most everything else apart for the odd joint converage of quadrennial football tournaments, hence the almost total absence of free to air stuff.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Seems I'm in a minority, sports lovers. Obviously, just about everybody will know of Lando, the Nuke and Rory. I am really surprised that y'all don't seem to know the 2 Lionesses and the Red Rose.

Kildunne has been a top, top rugby player for quite some time. Chloe Kelly has excelled in each of the last 2 Euros, scoring important goals in both. Hampton is a keeper who has a congenital eye condition (strabismus), which affects depth perception but she manages through skill and hard work to be an excellent keeper and a Euros winner. Of the 3 women, Chloe has the larger personality, Hannah H has her overcoming of Strabismus and Kildunne is, unfortunately for her in the spoty vote, bubbly on field but somewaht quieter off it.

My vote would go to Hannah. If Lando doesn't win it, then the Nuke will.

So I suggest you put your money where your mouth is. In a six horse race Hannah is 66-1to win on Paddy Power! Second most outside bet is 40-1 on Kildunne. These are I believe extraordinary odds in such a small field, suggesting that both are no hopers. in contrast Starmer is odds on not to survive 2026 as PM

[ramAnag]

So I suggest you put your money where your mouth is. In a six horse race Hannah is 66-1to win on Paddy Power! Second most outside bet is 40-1 on Kildunne. These are I believe extraordinary odds in such a small field, suggesting that both are no hopers. in contrast Starmer is odds on not to survive 2026 as PM

On the basis of the England Women’s Rugby team being WORLD as opposed to European Champions or beating Australia (British Lions) I’d suggest they SHOULD win the team award, but probably won’t because football is better supported than rugby.
On the basis of darts being a pub game and not a sport, that rules any darts player out for me and on the basis of the relative popularity of Motor Racing and Golf I suspect the winner will be either Norris or McIlroy, but then I don’t really care as I’m not interested in either of those sports, don’t bet and I think it’s all become too much of a popularity contest rather than an acknowledgment of real achievement. Bah humbug!

[Ram Pant]

On the basis of the England Women’s Rugby team being WORLD as opposed to European Champions or beating Australia (British Lions) I’d suggest they SHOULD win the team award, but probably won’t because football is better supported than rugby.
On the basis of darts being a pub game and not a sport, that rules any darts player out for me and on the basis of the relative popularity of Motor Racing and Golf I suspect the winner will be either Norris or McIlroy, but then I don’t really care as I’m not interested in either of those sports, don’t bet and I think it’s all become too much of a popularity contest rather than an acknowledgment of real achievement. Bah humbug!

Well, it has always been known as the Sports PERSONALITY of the year. Look at this year's nominations. 2 European Champions, 3 World Champions and the #2 ranked golfer in the world who won 5 tournaments, incl the Masters, this year as well as the Ryder Cup with Europe. Real achievements? I think they are. Littler? Lost in the World final at 16, won it at 17, favourite to retain it at 18, is seen as the catalyst for a boom in darts since he burst on the scene with many new "dart academies" opening up to get kids into the game. Schools are also running after school dart clubs which are helping kids with arithmetic "in their head" rather than using a calculator.

I respectfully disagree rA.

[ramAnag]

Well, it has always been known as the Sports PERSONALITY of the year. Look at this year's nominations. 2 European Champions, 3 World Champions and the #2 ranked golfer in the world who won 5 tournaments, incl the Masters, this year as well as the Ryder Cup with Europe. Real achievements? I think they are. Littler? Lost in the World final at 16, won it at 17, favourite to retain it at 18, is seen as the catalyst for a boom in darts since he burst on the scene with many new "dart academies" opening up to get kids into the game. Schools are also running after school dart clubs which are helping kids with arithmetic "in their head" rather than using a calculator.

I respectfully disagree rA.

POPULARITY and PERSONALITY are different things, but no complaints from me. Thought they got it about right and that the Helen Rollason Award was the most touching thing I’ve ever seen on Spoty. Well thought through and true bravery from the two dads.

As regards darts. I’m not knocking it, it’s a great pub game and I used to use it - and dominoes - in the same way at school too, but, for me, it’s no more a ‘sport’ than pool, hoopla or horseshoes. Just my opinion.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Headline on BBC Sports website: "Agyemang is Young Sports Personality of the Year"

Well done Pat I thought, something of a surprise. Then I read on to discover there is a woman of the same name...

[Ram Pant]

POPULARITY and PERSONALITY are different things, but no complaints from me. Thought they got it about right and that the Helen Rollason Award was the most touching thing I’ve ever seen on Spoty. Well thought through and true bravery from the two dads.

As regards darts. I’m not knocking it, it’s a great pub game and I used to use it - and dominoes - in the same way at school too, but, for me, it’s no more a ‘sport’ than pool, hoopla or horseshoes. Just my opinion.

Pool. Snooker made easy for Americans

[ramAnag]

Pool. Snooker made easy for Americans

Exactly. Darts…javelin made easy for unathletic boozers.