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Posted by: Bill1 Dec 14 2009, 01:43 PM

As a Chelsea fan I would just like to say what a legend and credit to his profession last night's Sports Personality Of The Year winner is.

Fellow footballers could learn a lot from him.

Posted by: TallDarkAndHandsome Dec 14 2009, 01:48 PM

Would you not have said that Tiger Woods was a credit to his profession until recently?
If you don't know the man you cannot make such a judgement.

Posted by: Bill1 Dec 14 2009, 01:54 PM

How cynical

Posted by: TallDarkAndHandsome Dec 14 2009, 01:57 PM

Just being a bit of a devil!

My reasoning is fair though.

Posted by: Gumbo Dec 14 2009, 02:12 PM

Possibly true but from what countless others who do know him have said about him it would appear for once it is true in this case.

Bill can make a judgement on Giggs' sporting character by what he sees on the telly and stats. If there was ever a player you wanted to point out to your son as a footballing role model then Giggs would be it. 1 Club, almost 20 years at the top, multiple medals won but desire to keep winning more and never sent off for his club.

Luckily I have had the pleasure of seeing Ryan Giggs play live a few times, so in the future when people reminisce like they currently do about past players such as Bobby More, Bobby Charlton, George Best, Stanley Matthews etc etc I will be able to do so about Giggsy.

Because commentators often alluded to Mickleson and Woods never getting on I always had a feeling he was not quite as perfect as his, probably quite substansial, PR company tried to make out. I don't think you will find Giggs having such a team working for him.

Posted by: Iommi Dec 14 2009, 02:14 PM

I think the Sports Personality of the Year is a joke.

Posted by: TallDarkAndHandsome Dec 14 2009, 02:17 PM

I agree. An excuse for an all expenses paid beano funded by the license payer.

Posted by: Iommi Dec 14 2009, 02:20 PM

Well put!

Posted by: Bill1 Dec 14 2009, 02:37 PM

Its very good entertainment, if you like sport, my son and I love reliving the sporting year and I find it much more enjoyable than the majority of programmes like "talent" contests and "reality" gumph!

I really am finding the attitude of some people quite depressing.

Lighten up and celebrate life a bit!

Posted by: Gumbo Dec 14 2009, 02:43 PM

Agreed Bill, as a fan of sports I always love watching this programme. As this event was held at the Sheffield Arena and a large percentage of the 13500 who attended were the paying public I would imagine a lot of the costs would have been recouped.

Posted by: Iommi Dec 14 2009, 02:52 PM

The program is fine, for those that like sport, it's just the award. I think footballers should be disqualified from the awards - especially anyone from the big four teams. Ryan Giggs might have a lower profile than others, but he is just as gobby to refs as any other. Lets face it, he won due to the massive Man Utd support, anyone who can find the personality in Ryan Giggs should be sent to Afghanistan; finding Bin Ladin would be a synch.

Posted by: Bill1 Dec 14 2009, 03:02 PM

Really?

Actually it is quite rare for a footballer to win it.

Off the top of my head the only others in the last two decades, and I am willing to be corrected on this are Beckham, in around 2001, and Gazza after Italia 90, and yes I am aware of how his life went downhill and I am not saying either of these did or didn't deserve it.

Giggs, like Bullard, Zola, Moore, Charlton or Linekar, for example, are the type of player respected by other team's supporters almost as much as they are loved by the supporters of the teams they play for.

Posted by: Iommi Dec 14 2009, 03:10 PM

Michael Owen won it in 1998. Gascoine in 1990 and Beckham in 2001. He had second a few times as well. I just don't think football players are good examples of sportsmen. Besides, it is a team game.

Posted by: Bill1 Dec 14 2009, 03:20 PM

Forgot Owen, tut tut.

Still not bad recollection without googling it eh?

How do you feel about Flintoff or Wilkinson winning it then? Surely sometimes a player can shine even if within a team environment.

Posted by: Iommi Dec 14 2009, 03:35 PM

I don't think Flintoff is a shining example, but Wilkinson was key to England's success. Giggs without doubt would qualify for a life time achievement award, but he would have never been on the tip of my tongue in the world of sport.

I'd have voted for the horse, 'Sea the Stars'. In 2009, he become the only horse to have won the 2,000 Guineas, Epsom Derby, and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in the same year.

Posted by: Bill1 Dec 14 2009, 03:47 PM

I know who Sea The Stars is mate, would have made for an interesting acceptance speech

Posted by: Roost Dec 14 2009, 05:06 PM

Nay.

Posted by: Bill1 Dec 14 2009, 05:16 PM

Was going to suggest that but thought it was too obvious.

Posted by: Iommi Dec 14 2009, 05:32 PM

I whinny thought he would have had much to say!

Posted by: Bill1 Dec 14 2009, 05:43 PM

Yeah yeah done that one too

Would probably be asked "why the long face after such an achievement" too no doubt.

Posted by: spartacus Dec 14 2009, 11:00 PM

There was a time when it was just called 'Sports Review of the Year' Since it became 'Sports Personality OTY' there have been some VERY dubious winners of said title. Famous yes, but some have had hardly an ounce of 'personality' about them.

The years when the likes of Steve Davis (1988) and Nick Faldo (1989) won it, I thought people were just being ironic (Nigel Mansell won it TWICE ffs !!(1986 & 1992) and how boring was he!!)

But this tradition has continued with Michael Owen (boring) and now Giggsy....

(At least Paula Radcliffe made herself more 'street' by actually weeing on street live on TV )

Posted by: Iommi Dec 14 2009, 11:08 PM

This is my view, the sports personality should go to someone with outstanding skill, achievement and notoriety in the media (good or bad).

Posted by: Sarah Dec 15 2009, 12:13 AM

In other words Tiger Woods.

Posted by: Strafin Dec 15 2009, 03:08 PM

In the case of this particular competition I think personality refers to the person and not their actions. ie Nigel Mansell is a sports personality. Not Nigel Mansell has a great personality. And anyway, he was exciting on the track, far more interesting to watch than some of them today. I still love F1 though.

Posted by: Alfred Einstein Dec 15 2009, 08:58 PM

THe whole thing's a set up to prevent Bob Nudd winning anyway.

Posted by: Sarah Dec 15 2009, 09:37 PM

Not to mention Conor Murphy who has been world champion two years running.

Posted by: Strafin Dec 15 2009, 09:59 PM

The MP?

Posted by: Sarah Dec 15 2009, 10:19 PM

Goodness me, a bog snorkling champion and an MP, a definite 'should have' for the title.