SPOTY 2023

[Nearly Sane]

Not a vintage year with 2 long service retiring out of 6

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/sports-personality/67623729

[jeremyp]

The short list is very underwhelming.

[Outrider]

From that list it surely has to be Alfie Hewett - two singles grand slam wins and three doubles grand slam wins, finalist in two of the other three tournaments, 3 other singles titles and world #1.

O.

[ProfessorDavey]

From that list it surely has to be Alfie Hewett - two singles grand slam wins and three doubles grand slam wins, finalist in two of the other three tournaments, 3 other singles titles and world #1.

O.

His problem will be that most people won't have even heard of him - difficult to amass votes if the people voting need to be told who you are and then what you have done as part of the SPOTY process before they'd vote for you.

All of the others have significant name recognition, which, let's be honest, is an absolute pre-requisite for a potential winner.

I agree that there isn't a clear front runner and it is a little bit B-list, with a couple of folk on the shortlist on the basis of career achievements rather than in-year achievements.

I have no issue with SPOTY going with career achievements particularly in a year when there isn't a really compelling stand-out in-year achievement. I'm biased, but I'd go for Stuart Broad - second highest test wickets by a fast bowler of all time (and that's of all test playing nations, not just England) plus finishing his batting career by hitting a 6 and his bowling career by taking the final wicket in the final test of an ashes series against Australia to win the match.

[Nearly Sane]

Looking at the betting, Mary Earps is 8/1 on.

[ProfessorDavey]

Looking at the betting, Mary Earps is 8/1 on.

Doesn't surprise me - brits love a plucky loser

I see that her goalkeeping shirt - the one the manufacturers didn't make available to buy before the tournament, has now sold out!

[ProfessorDavey]

Looking at the betting, Mary Earps is 8/1 on.

Broad second in the betting and ... err ... Hewett last. Probably not fair, but understandable as most people won't have even heard of him.

[Nearly Sane]

Doesn't surprise me - brits love a plucky loser

I see that her goalkeeping shirt - the one the manufacturers didn't make available to buy before the tournament, has now sold out!

For the second time. There was a batch made available in October which sold out as well. I suspect her stand about the lack of a replica shirt is a big part of the reason she's favourite. 8/1 on though is quite exceptional.

[Nearly Sane]

Think that Josh Kerr might feel a little unlucky not to be on short list


https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/66595349

[Nearly Sane]

Why, it's Earps!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/sports-personality/67764684

[Nearly Sane]

So Turkish football resumes but then a Club President removes team because of a refereeing decision

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67767410

[ProfessorDavey]

Why, it's Earps!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/sports-personality/67764684

Didn't SPOTY used to be prime time on a Sunday evening? Was somewhat surprised to see it early on a Tuesday evening. Has this been its slot for a while or just this year?

Going the same way as Question of Sport in a year or two?

[Nearly Sane]

Didn't SPOTY used to be prime time on a Sunday evening? Was somewhat surprised to see it early on a Tuesday evening. Has this been its slot for a while or just this year?

Going the same way as Question of Sport in a year or two?

First time I think, certainly for many years.

ETA - i have vague memories of it not being on weekend during the 70s but wouldn't swear to it

[ProfessorDavey]

First time I think, certainly for many years.

Thought for a few years that it was a format well past its sell-by date. Sounds as if BBC may be thinking the same way too.

[Nearly Sane]

Thought for a few years that it was a format well past its sell-by date. Sounds as if BBC may be thinking the same way too.

Well it's annoyed Piers Morgan so still keeping some traditions.


https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/other/piers-morgan-claims-mary-earps-did-not-deserve-spoty-award-over-rory-mcilroy-frankie-dettori-and-ronnie-o-sullivan/ar-AA1lMGWJ

[ProfessorDavey]

Well it's annoyed Piers Morgan so still keeping some traditions.


https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/other/piers-morgan-claims-mary-earps-did-not-deserve-spoty-award-over-rory-mcilroy-frankie-dettori-and-ronnie-o-sullivan/ar-AA1lMGWJ

Sure, anything that annoys Morgan cannot be all bad.

But there has been a tension for some while between genuine 'in-year' achievement and 'career' achievement for the award, where the year in question may have been one where career records were attained but without necessarily a single stand-out 'in-year' achievement.

But there are two other elements that may ultimately prove fatal for the format.

First - once upon a time the BBC had most major sporting events on its broadcast roster, so SPOTY was a kind of celebration of the best sport on the BBC that year. But of course that isn't true any more and hasn't been for a long while. So the notion that the BBC host this seems somewhat incongruous when the actual sport coverage is on Sky, BT etc, etc.

But perhaps the most significant issue is that sport has become increasingly international and it feels really parochial to have a major award which is just for brits (or brit based, but realistically they never get a look in). Once upon a time if you asked a football fan in England who their favourite footballer is, they'd almost certainly reply with an English (or at most a British) footballer. Now they'd be just as likely to mention Haaland or Salah or deBruijn than Kane or Foden or Bellingham. Same with tennis and golf, F1 and many other sports. So to exclude all those key sporting 'personalities' from the top award seems increasingly really odd.