Sports Personality 2020

[Geoff Parkstone]

But those people are "greats" in their respective sports, and there are many other equally great people who haven't won it, presumably because they don't have the public profile. Mind you naming Andy Murray sports personality of the year is a misnomer!

Well have never watched more than a few minutes of it, not bothered who wins and I suspect it ranks pretty low on the winners aspirations in life!

Andy Murray is generally "sports figure of 2 weeks in June", not a year and certainly not personality! Often not even 2 weeks either

[Geoff Parkstone]

I've played a round of golf with our Enery, really nice guy but I couldn't keep pace in the bar later

[Andy_Faber]

Just a bit of an update on the age-old debate about whether the greats of F1 are REALLY such or whether they were just blessed with the fastest car (and why I've always been a fan of teams rather than drivers) - Lewis Hamilton's last minute replacement for this weekend's Grand Prix, George Russell, was fastest in first practise earlier today.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Yes I saw that. He looks likely to be top 5 not bottom 5 on the grid despite the vehicle likely not being fully personalised to him and his being unfamiliar with it.

75% car 25% driver maybe??

[Andy_Faber]

that 75% should be 'other' - chassis, engine, tactics (Red Bull won quite a few races back in the day just on knob-on tactics) and then yes, driver is a big extra 'component'. IMO the last time the World championship was won by a driver in a car that wasn't the 'best' was 1982 when Keke Rosberg won in the underpowered but nimble and reliable Williams but 1982 was an extraordinary year.

[MadAmster]

Russell was also fastest in the 2nd practice session as well...... not bad for a driver with "nul points"

[ramAnag]

Give it to Kevin Sinfield! Seven marathons in seven days in an attempt to raise £77,777 for the MNDA. Completed yesterday...raised in excess of £1m.
If Tyson Fury thinks he’s above it, sod him. Kevin Sinfield used his sporting background and personality to do some genuine good. Can’t think of a more worthy recipient.

[Geoff Parkstone]

I didn't think Sinfield had been nominated? Or do they allow "write ins?"

There is however a further difficulty in that, outside of the north, I suspect many people have no idea who he is or what he had done / is doing for charity. I watch the odd RL game but had never heard of him before you mentioned him here: and I dont know wnyone else who even watches it (aside from you!)

On the subject of Russell, there is a wonderful conspiracy theory that Mercedes pit crew deliberately ****ed up the tyre change to make sure the myth of Hamilton lives on - after all if a rookie with no career championship points can win in the car, what does that say about the wonders of Hamilton? Mercedes had already wrapped up constructers and individual titles so it might not seem as dumb as it sounds

Quite how they arranged the slow puncture after it started to seem likely he would still win, despite the tyre change fiasco, anyway is something of a mystery though.

[ramAnag]

I didn't think Sinfield had been nominated? Or do they allow "write ins?"

There is however a further difficulty in that, outside of the north, I suspect many people have no idea who he is or what he had done / is doing for charity. I watch the odd RL game but had never heard of him before you mentioned him here: and I dont know wnyone else who even watches it (aside from you!)

I was being flippant...anyway, who cares what happens ‘outside of the North’?

In all seriousness though...I know he hasn’t been nominated, but I can’t think of a sports figure who has used his personality more positively in this otherwise dismal year, least of all that arrogant boxer who thinks he’s above it all.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Agreed, the gyppo wouldn't have had my vote even if he hadn't withdrawn. But then, as I said many a post back, I don't think any of the nominees merit the award when compared to past winners, but I suppose its all relative. We have the token woman nominee, the token black nominee, the token "other" but we are missing a disabled athlete - perhaps there is one from that quarter that merits inclusion. I just don't know

Why such a strange amount as target of 77,777? Is he sponsored by State Express cigarettes, if they still exist