SPOTY 2018

[jimwinn]

Ali Carter?

Great win yesterday putting Ronnie away & recovering from illness - that's how to celebrate

Snooker is one of the few sports on the BEEB and if England mess up in the football ...

[unc.si.]

I hear a tiny fraction of excitement nearly broke out in that match when one of them told the other it was his turn to play in a slightly aggressive tone.
Not sure how the crowd managed to contain themselves to be honest. They're not used to that level of stimulation.

(I don't actually know what happened, just heard that there was nearly a bit of a rumble. What was all that about - my cue's bigger than your cue or over-enthusiastic ball polishing?)

[unc.si.]

Harry Kane's already booked his front row seat at SPOTY......

[forestfan]

Snooker still generates decent enough audiences but doesn’t have either the mass public profile, or the passionate niche following that has produced contenders from the likes of rugby league, motorcycling and horse racing.

It’s one of those strange years to predict though, it’s unlikely to be an England footballer, there’s no global athletics event, no Ashes/Lions/cricket or rugby world cup. Andy Murray looks a long way from returning to major title contention.

So we’re probably down to boxing (Joshua if he wins another big one?), golf (major winner or Ryder Cup star), or Hamilton if he takes the F1 title (but looks second favourite so far). Or possibly opening the door for a campaign/minor sport fanbase driven candidate as mentioned above.

[blahblah]

Ali Carter?

Great win yesterday putting Ronnie away & recovering from illness - that's how to celebrate

Snooker is one of the few sports on the BEEB and if England mess up in the football ...

Absolutely NO CHANCE, and what do you mean by "if"?

[murf]

Don't forget there has been the Commonwealth Games. Big coverage and who can forget the performance of, umm, errr, who was it again? Somebody?Anybody? Someone must have done well shirley.....

[blahblah]

Shirley Crabtree?

[forestfan]

Don't forget there has been the Commonwealth Games. Big coverage and who can forget the performance of, umm, errr, who was it again? Somebody?Anybody? Someone must have done well shirley.....

Exactly, there’s too many to remember (and it’s early in the year, like Winter Olympics). We were pretty crap in the athletics (even losing to the Aussies). And most of these sports it’s only true global success at the Olympics that will count for anything. The netball team might be in the running for Team of the Year though...

[jimwinn]

Latest odds

https://www.oddschecker.com/awards/spor ... ear/winner

[murf]

Latest odds

https://www.oddschecker.com/awards/spor ... ear/winner

Looking at that list.....

What are the odds on it being cancelled because nobody achieves anything worth celebrating?

[jimwinn]

Mark Williams now he has won

20-1 @ Hills sounds reasonable

[forestfan]

Latest odds

https://www.oddschecker.com/awards/spor ... ear/winner

Looking at that list.....

What are the odds on it being cancelled because nobody achieves anything worth celebrating?

There used to be plenty of years like that, when someone won by finishing a brave second in something, or being royalty who won something riding a horse etc...

[unc.si.]

Geraint must be one of the favourites now. Popular amongst cyclists and the public (in a way that Froome can only dream of). Will get a lot of votes from Wales and the whole of the 'cycling vote' if there is such a thing.

Dina Asher Smith must be in with a shot of the top 3 after the Europeans - possibly helped by the fact that the multisport format this year has increased the overall media coverage compared to a 'normal' European championships.

They're probably the only two that look like they might upset the Kane / Hamilton / Joshua Big 3.

[murf]

Geraint must be one of the favourites now. Popular amongst cyclists and the public (in a way that Froome can only dream of). Will get a lot of votes from Wales and the whole of the 'cycling vote' if there is such a thing.

Dina Asher Smith must be in with a shot of the top 3 after the Europeans - possibly helped by the fact that the multisport format this year has increased the overall media coverage compared to a 'normal' European championships.

They're probably the only two that look like they might upset the Kane / Hamilton / Joshua Big 3.

I looked at G about 3 days from the end of the Tour (pre time trial) and he was down to about 3/1 - a bit too short otherwise I would have lumped on expecting the mass voting of the trampie masses.

Best you can get now is 5/2, typically 9/4. Kane 7/4 favourite (really???)

[footy666]

I expect Geraint Thomas to win. Welsh will vote in numbers.....

but.... I did get Lewis Hamilton at 20-1 a couple of weeks back, which I think was value.....

and also, I have noticed this Jonathan Rea guy won a world title again, I don't know much about him, was surprised to see him finish in 2nd place last year with just 3000 less votes than Mo Farah....

He's 50-1 with some bookies......are they crazy.......or am I missing something.......as I said - this dude almost won it last year, and this year he's made himself even more of a legend for winning yet another title to add to his many others. Will get the Northern Irish vote. Definitely a value bet.

You could place a nice chunk of cash on Jonathan Rea and have a covering bet on Geraint Thomas to cover your Jonathan Rea bet.....as IMO.....it's between these 2.

[footy666]

"Fewer names will be in the running for the main award and, as always, the public will decide who is set to emulate 2017 winner Sir Mo Farah and walk away with the trophy."

Not sure if they have announced the exact number they will pick? I will assume 10, as I think it used to be 10, but since 2012 I think they have added more.

I think these 6 are guaranteed to be in the shortlist, the only slight doubt is Hamilton as he is yet to secure the title, but should do:

GERAINT THOMAS
LEWIS HAMILTON
ANTHONY JOSHUA
DINA ASHER SMITH
LIZZY YARNOLD
ADAM PEATY

These two are 2nd and 3rd favourites with the bookies, which is ridiculous to me. Cook would just be getting in because he retired, Kane would be getting in because he won the Golden Boot through scoring mostly penalties:

ALASTAIR COOK
HARRY KANE

So I think Jonathan Rea still has a decent shout of getting in the shortlist.

[blahblah]

If Yates (Vuelta win and put up the Giro) gets on the shortlist the cycling vote will be split, imho.

Oh and Woffenden should be World Champ and more deserving than the F1 tart.

[Judio]

BBC have announced that the shortlist for contenders for this award will now be announced on the Sunday night of the show
And not in advance
At last an end to the Internet Campaigns to vote for people

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/sports-personality/45712150

[forestfan]

It might weaken the case for people from “niche” sports who wouldn’t be recognised if they walked down the street... but the motorcycling community for example will still probably campaign for Rea for example, anticipating him getting on the shortlist.

I think SPOTY winners should always pass the “has your Mum heard of them” test... (or your Dad, if he’s not very into sport... not being sexist here!) It’s about who has had the biggest impact on the public, not necessarily whose achievement was the greatest. Tens of millions watched the World Cup, and a good England performance is a rarity, so Kane is probably a valid favourite (see Gascoigne, P. and Owen, M...)

[blahblah]

How many did Kane score, and how many were pens?

Pah to bikes with breaks

Apologies for Slow motion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ppk4Gr3GrrE

I was there https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRYM-qWMr6w

[forestfan]

Pah to bikes with breaks

So even road cycling's out?

[blahblah]

Pah to bikes with breaks

So even road cycling's out?

I doubt their is much cross over there tbh, although they seem to be using cycling as training\warm up, bit injuries are as common and serious, ie more than F1 and Motorbike GP stuff.

[footy666]

It might weaken the case for people from “niche” sports who wouldn’t be recognised if they walked down the street... but the motorcycling community for example will still probably campaign for Rea for example, anticipating him getting on the shortlist.

I think SPOTY winners should always pass the “has your Mum heard of them” test... (or your Dad, if he’s not very into sport... not being sexist here!) It’s about who has had the biggest impact on the public, not necessarily whose achievement was the greatest. Tens of millions watched the World Cup, and a good England performance is a rarity, so Kane is probably a valid favourite (see Gascoigne, P. and Owen, M...)

Rea is 40-1 with bookies...... this is huge value for someone who came 2nd last year and was 3000 votes from winning it.

I would just like to know the specific number the BBC is putting on the shortlist...... for all I know - it could be 5 people - which would rule Rea out, so risking money on him would be a waste. If it's 10 people - I think he'll be put in the list.

[footy666]

"Although voting has always been restricted to the night, the previous three-week gap between the shortlist being announced and the ceremony allowed for lobbying among the public in favour of particular contenders.

Last year saw world superbike champion Jonathan Rea finish an unexpected second, after a PR firm associated with the Northern Irish motorcyclist's sponsor launched an e-petition signed by more than 10,000 fans to get him shortlisted."


Maybe Rea isn't a good bet, then. Maybe worth a few quid, but the new format may not work for him.

[Judio]

They have announced only SIX people will be on the list

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2018/ ... shortlist/

[murf]

6:

Thomas
Kane
Hamilton
Asher-Smith
Joshua
Peaty/Yarnold = 7?

No room for Rea campaign or Cook lifetime achievement?

EDIT oddschecker says bookies have Cook in top 6 favourites not Peaty or Yarnold. Probably as he is most likely of them to go on and win IF he gets in the 6. I think Yarnold will get in so the PC balance is nearer and the BBC's Winter Olympics is covered.

[blahblah]

So 3 white, 3 non-white; 3 Male 3 Female; what about able bodied? (Hoping to avoid any wrong words.)

[murf]

So 3 white, 3 non-white; 3 Male 3 Female; what about able bodied? (Hoping to avoid any wrong words.)

Without Yarnold it would be 5-1 in favour of men so she should get in in (if the cynic in me is right). Don't think the PCness of SPOTY is so bad that they will need a token non able bodied athlete (also hoping to avoid wrong words....) but I honestly don't know if any deserve special recognition this year. Maybe merits a new category.

[blahblah]

I doubt there'll be a new category as they merged the male\female.

[footy666]

Guaranteed to be picked IMO:
GERAINT THOMAS
LEWIS HAMILTON
ANTHONY JOSHUA
DINA ASHER SMITH

The other 2 could be picked at the flip of a coin....they would likely want at least 2 Women in the 6.....
LIZZY YARNOLD
ADAM PEATY
LAURA MUIR
HARRY KANE

I know nothing about this Jonathan Rea guy..... first I heard of him was at SPOTY last year and he doesn't get mentioned on TV...... I had put £100 on him, but now, with only 6 contenders being picked - I am not sure he will get picked, so will cash out my bet.....

At least my bet on Hamilton at 20-1, now 8-1, has a better chance with just 6 contenders.