SPOTYA 2023

[Jameshow]

I do know what you mean though Andy.
The world cup comment he made "anyone but England" was intended to be a joke but some English people didn't get it.
I know some people personally who have said to me "i don't want Murray to win Wimbledon" because of that comment.
It got a bit tiresome after a while.

Most people don't get his humour as he doesn't show any intonation and thus comes across as not at all funny and often very arrogant...

 

[AndyRM]

Most people don't get his humour as he doesn't show any intonation and thus comes across as not at all funny and often very arrogant...

Good job he's not a stand up comedian then. Though there are plenty who use the deadpan delivery.

 

[BrumJim]

JEH was always going to struggle to win it in 2012. Olympic year in London means whilst she would have been a worthy winner, there were lots of other suitable candidates.

She came second. Wiggins won it with TDF and Olympic gold. Your nemesis Murray came 3rd, despite winning two Olympic medals, the US open and made the final of Wimbledon. Which is probably more than he won in any of the years when he was SPOTY.

Another one of those bingo card squares. Plenty of people who "should" have won it. Personally I can't believe that Laura Trott / Kenny never won it, but then look at all her stand-out years, and realised that there was always, remarkably, a more worthy winner.

Really got wound up by the "Mark Cavendish should have won it" people this year. He did very little in 2024 other than win one stage of the TdF. OK, most cyclists (except Pog, of course) dream of winning a stage, even pros, but there was always going to be someone who did more this year.

Keely was a worthy winner. KInd of strange to see the longest run of female winners (4) immediately after the longest run of male winners (14). Trying not to think of it as a manifestation of the increasingly polarised nature of opinions fuelled by social media, but more a matter of chance.

 

[BrumJim]

Fascinating (not really) facts:

Beryl Burton, the forgotten person from cycling, came 2nd in 1967 to Henry Cooper.

Only one non-English woman has won the award (Liz McColgan).

 

[Beebo]

Only one non-English woman has won the award (Liz McColgan).

And she didn’t actually win the popular vote.
That was the year Bob Nudd won but was disqualified.