SPOTY

[SeanC]

The darts player was on Chris Evans show this morning. He said that a few years ago some darts players went to House of Commons to get a definitive answer. You don't pay tax on pastime or hobby earnings/prizes, but you do on sports, therefore the darts player said it must be a sport as he'd paid over a million pounds in taxes.

Using this definition, Carlos Tevez is not a sportsman.

My PE teacher wife tells me that a sport must have physical exertion as well as rules/competition. i guess walking from the dart board and picking up the pint is exertion for some.

[Scott]

Graeme Swann is the only person I haven't even heard of before, and I read sports news!

No way of proving this, obviously, but I would be willing to bet that, of the ten people on that shortlist, Graeme Swann's name would be recognised by a greater number of people worldwide than any of the others'. Just sayin'.

[andy]

maybe I fall asleep whenever I read the cricket news then

[Becks]

I didn't pay tax on my winnings from the Geneva Marathon. So either I'm a tax dodger, or marathon runnings' not a sport...

[andy]

I didn't pay tax on my winnings from the Geneva Marathon. So either I'm a tax dodger, or marathon runnings' not a sport...

UK tax laws... and the reason a lot of golfers (as an example I read about recently) avoid tournaments in the uk

[denzil53]

No way of proving this, obviously, but I would be willing to bet that, of the ten people on that shortlist, Graeme Swann's name would be recognised by a greater number of people worldwide than any of the others. Just sayin'.

In commonwealth countries, that may be true - but in Europe it would be Jessica Ennis.
The bookies favourite is Tony McCoy. Most of the listed sportsmen and women would be unknown outside this country.

[Scott]

In commonwealth countries, that may be true - but in Europe it would be Jessica Ennis.

Aye, hence why I said "worldwide" - there are an awful lot of cricket fans in the Subcontinent.

(Edit: And in terms of European fame, I wouldn't be so sure that Jessica Ennis is more famous than Lee Westwood )

UK tax laws... and the reason a lot of golfers (as an example I read about recently) avoid tournaments in the uk

It's not quite the same issue, unless Becks has big overseas earnings from sponsorships and endorsements that she's not telling us about (for those who care, the landmark case is Agassi v HM Inspector of Taxes). But yes, if you were resident in the UK for tax purposes at the time then winnings in the Geneva marathon are technically taxable income.

[Becks]

Wowzer. Then I'm glad that didn't come up then! Although I guess being on a PhD grant I was still well below the tax threshold for the year...

[Scott]

Yeah, unless you were earning loads extra from teaching/demonstrating you were probably still below the threshold (about £6k), PhD grants not being taxable and all that

[mharky]

My PE teacher wife tells me that a sport must have physical exertion as well as rules/competition. i guess walking from the dart board and picking up the pint is exertion for some.

So is archery a sport?

[awk]

but I would be willing to bet that, of the ten people on that shortlist, Graeme Swann's name would be recognised by a greater number of people worldwide than any of the others'. Just sayin'.

I doubt it - cricket is only a major sport in a tiny number of countries. Not just Jessica Ennis - Cavendish will be much better known in a much wider range of countries (especially in Europe, where Swann is virtually unknown and Cavenish is a major sports media presence).

Overall though, this looks like the most uninteresting SPOTY I can remember for a long time (although last year wasn't exactly enthralling). I'd like to see one of Ennis, Cavendish or Williams win, but otherwise couldn't care less. And no Beth Tweddle - what were the short listers thinking about?? All in all SPOTY used to be required watching in our household. I find it really boring now. Sorry Mrs H!!

[HOCOLITE]

I follow cricket but think that Graeme Swann is part of a team not a sports personality. I vote Jess Ennis.
I know my logic will remove a few contenders and arguably that includes Cav. Surely AP McCoy is also in a number of teams and isn't it the horse that does the work

[SeanC]

So is archery a sport?

No http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Is_Archery_a_sport

But using that definition, Orienteering isn't a sport, but Nopesport is (since there are those that frequently cause offense, and others to defend themselves).

[awk]

Darts is a perennial on this one. It does, however, involve considerable physical and mental skill. The image may not be what some sportspeople want to be associated with, but then, for instance, knocking six bells out of each other isn't one I have a lot of time for, or creating pretty patterns in the water. And, a big plus in its favour, it has an objective way of obtaining a result.

I follow cricket but think that Graeme Swann is part of a team not a sports personality. I vote Jess Ennis. I know my logic will remove a few contenders and arguably that includes Cav. Surely AP McCoy is also in a number of teams and isn't it the horse that does the work.

On that basis, you probably remove the lot - Ennis doesn't get there all on her own - most top athletes have a fairly substantial support team nowadays, even if they're not out there competing alongside, and she was certainly competing in her medal performances as part of a GB team. I think you'll find, also, that the horse wouldn't get very far in a race without a hard working jockey on board.

Just because somebody is part of a team doesn't mean they are not an outstanding sporting personality in their own right.

[mappingmum]

Amy Williams

. . . .but Joe Public will vote for Lee Westward.