Sunday 9 December 2007

Sports personality?

I used to be a fan of the BBC Sports Personality. It always seemed to be given to someone that embodied sportsmanship, excellence, endeavour and commitment. Now I'm sure that recent winners and placeholders do indeed exhibit these characteristics. And who am I to criticise a royal, a local boy racer done good or two blokes from Wales/Manchester that could definitely lay me out with one punch?

What bothers me is that under my, admittedly very strict, personal definition of 'sport' developed during my teenage years, neither an activity that involves an equine quadruped doing the majority of the work nor a savage display of pugilistic brutality qualify. So under my rules, neither a horse rider nor a boxer can ever rightfully be the 'Sports' Personality of the Year.

This year's event ran particularly contrary to my rules, with all 3 of the trophy winners representing what I call 'pastimes' rather than sports -two savages and a man who relies on millions of pounds worth of technology...

I know they are all very dedicated. I know they are all very fit. I know they all do stuff that I can't. But that's not enough to make it sport. Not in my book.

Discuss. (Or doesn't anyone else care?)

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

The only sport I've ever watched is Ski Sunday...and I don't think that's on any more...

Arsenal...penalty in the first three minutes! Ha ha ha ha ha ha etc
love
hazel
x

Anonymous said...

Morning all,

I have to say that I have less of a problem with a boxer being rewarded for his efforts never mind how brutal the sport is. At least he plays within the rules of the sport and is man against man (unless you are downtown Newcastle town Saturday night). I find it generally a honest sport.

Man/woman on horse I have less sympathy for as surly it as much depends on the quality of the nag (not the one riding) more than the rider and the nag gets no more reward that a few extra carrots!

Next we will be discussing if pigeon racing is a sport or not! ;-))

La Love, if as you say the last time you watched sport it was Ski Sunday….. how would you know of a penalty against The Arsenal may I ask?

I hope this finds you all as well as we can hope for on this fine Monday morning!

Keep smiling

Keith the NotSoBigUn
xx

Anonymous said...

The Badger and I were at lunch with friends, and the owner of the restaurant came and told us the result...our friends were not happy, one, because they support Arsenal and two, because they were recording it to watch later...

That's how
love
hazel
x

JUST BECAUSE I CAN XXXXXXXXXX

Anonymous said...

Ski Sunday eh? That takes me back. I can't think of Ski Sunday without picturing the resident organist at a holiday camp I once had the misfortune to spend a summer season in - it was the only recognisable tune he could play. Everything else was incomprehensible.

Where on earth do you find jockeys small enough to ride pigeons???

Anonymous said...

I used to love watching Sports Personality of the Year but I've given up over the last two years, so I didn't even know who had won, when I read the blog this morning. I still like football though!

I just cannot believe it's 10th December. I have bought the Christmas cards, haven't written one yet! I will try to get into the swing of things, even if it's just for MsS, but I just don't feel "Christmassy". At all.

Apart from that, everything else is o.k! Hope you are all getting through Monday.

C xx

P.S. Thinking of you Lyndyloo x

Anonymous said...

Moose, I feel you are correct with regard to SPotYA, since my yoof the criteria seems to have changed from personality to most popular, but this year we seem to have different criteria again, who has been successful. Calzaghe I can totally accept winning the award for his record over the past 10 years, but in terms of a personality, hmmm? Would the result have been different if Ricky Hatton had beaten Buster Merryweather? I think so!

All in all it's been a year of glorious or ignominious failure for British sport. Cricket the Ashes, ahem! Football none of the home nations qualified for the Euro tournament, Rugby finished second (I agree better than we expected), Motor Racing, F1 oh dear, Moto GP - fair play to James Toseland, Athletics - Paula wins the NY marathon but failed to win in London (I accept the circumstances), Christine Ohour...go shouldn't even have been nominated. She was banned for a year for being stupid!

Overall not exactly a glowing year for British Sport was it!

DD out

lyndyloo said...

Hello everyone,

Thanks for thinking of me even though I've been otherwise engaged. I've come up to my office today to try to get a few bits of work sorted so things don't get totally out of hand. The funeral is now organised for this Thursday (which seems a very long way away) and we intend to bury Dad (& Roo) then go back to my old pub to celebrate his life. The reaction has been amazing with Mum getting so many cards of sympathy she's running out of places to put them. It seems for a man who could challenge Victor Meldrew for the moaning championship he was much loved by all those whose lives he touched. Little Boboo has been keeping Grandma company at night so that she's not completely on her own and though she has moments each day when the grief takes over she is coping as best she can. We're a strong family and I know that we'll get through this sad time but I want you all to know how special it is to have this place to come when I need to. Thank you all for everything.

Luv
Lyndyloo
& booboo
-x-x-

lyndyloo said...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14896947@N06/sets/72157603419883022

lyndyloo said...

57603419883022

Anonymous said...

What a very funny cheeky bottom!

Looks like a blast m'darlin'...

Glad you're doing ok and thinking of you all
love
hazel
x