Sports Personality of the Year 2009

[Rockaldo]

Fair point although they did manage to fit in a couple of lifetime acheivment awards to Bobbys Robson and Charlton to make up for this glaring lack of consideration for the football mad viewing public!

That's funny i thought the general public voted for the sports personality of the year award. In all its years the football mad viewing public have only managed to force through two footballers to win it. George Best came second and he was the greatest footballer that ever lived.

[mharky]

George Best came second and he was the greatest footballer that ever lived.

I'm sorry, you seem to be confusing George Best and Emile Heskey...

The Olympic gold medalists and F1 world champions seem to have a bit of history.

2008: 1) Hoy, 2) Hamilton
1996: 1) Hill, 2) Regrave
1992: 1) Mansel, 2) Christie

But Mansel and Hill have also won it with 2nd places in F1 championships...

So, to beat a F1 world champs then 1 world title just aint enough. Cav would need the green and rainbow jersey to beat Button this year. F1 is just too popular.

[andypat]

Despite his popularity on here, I'll be suprised if Cavendish makes the podium on the night.

[Stodgetta]

Ryan Giggs
I guess it's the football fans voting.

[Homer]

Gutted!
Lisa says she's never going to watch again...

[mappingmum]

Wow - what a complete shock!

[Mrs H]

I felt quite sorry for him - he obviously wasnt expecting it himself (I was still crying over Seve at the time)

[rebbid]

I suppose a big club like Manchester United is going to get all their fans voting.

At least the Mancunians voted for someone else.

[J.Tullster]

Plenty of good contenders but I enjoyed seeing Giggsy win. The guy's a legend and a great sportsman.

[ba-ba]

main thing that irritated me was James bleeding Cordon being in (what appeared to be) every other shot of the night.
When will people realise that he's not funny, worthy of public exposure and palling up with a world champ is incredibly sociopathetic.

On the actual result, if any footballer was to win it, Giggs'd be the only one near to worth it. (although I do wish City hadn't released him as a junior/he got on with his dad so he'd played for England/both).

In my opinion, it was pointless ever since Wiggins was overlooked for the shortlist.

[madmike]

City didn't released him - he was poached

[Rockaldo]

Its a shame that people can't realise what a great sportsman this guy is just because he is a footballer they think he is undeserving of the accolade.

I don't think that the British isles have produced a much better sportsman or woman ever. The guy is unreal. He is 38 and still one of the best players in the world, what he has achieved in the most played sport in the world is staggering.

Don't forget all you people out there "outraged" at the result that Jenson Button came second. Now that is the definition of outrage. If it wasn't for giggs he would have won it.

[andypat]

Thinks he's only 36 mind you.

Theres always the danger in a public vote of the Bob Nudd/John Seargent factor creeping in but i think its hard to argue that Giggs is any less dererving than anyone else.

MY theory on Button (and to a lesser extent Cavendish) is that both their sports are considered tainted by recent controversies and have yet to fully convinve the public that they are clean and offer a level playing field to fair cometition. I'd certainly not be prepared to stake my house on road cycling being clean despite its efforts and F1 with its Max Mosely/Berie eccleston comedy double act makes our own Scottish Football Association look professional!

[geomorph]

Giggs deserves this level of recognition simply because he is the ultimate team player who has achieved the highest level of success in his sport, consistently and with flair.

That does not mean that the SPotY way of doing things is right.
What Giggs got was recognition for a lifetime's achievement, capped by the last 3 years clearly at the top of English football. He also benefited from the bias that any major sport gets in a popular vote. But his 2009 achievements were on the same plateau as (many) previous years.

Had there been an award for lifetime achievement then he should have been entered there.

There does need to be a way to bring recognition to world class achievers in minority sport. For them it can be, if they choose, an opportunity to join the gravy train for a short while.

[Homer]

I agree that Giggs is probably worthy.

However, looking at the program through the eyes of my 11 year old cricket-mad daughter, I can see why she was so disaffected.
Apart from the difficulty of distinguishing the achievements of sportsmen/women in individual and team sports, what is the justification for the England men's cricket team winning the team prize over the women's team?
What more could the women have done to deserve the award?