BBC Sports personality: shortlist tonight!

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

They'd kept that quiet. The 10 are announced tonight on the One Show, apparently.

Every year it seems there has to be one person from each of the home countries, at least one woman, one footballer and at least one F1 driver, so I reckon among the 10 will be Wayne Rooney, Graeme McDowell (who I reckon deserves it anyway), some Welsh rugby player, Lewis Hamilton (again) and, I don't know, a Scottish women's curling player.

[brian potter]

BBC Sports personality: shortlist tonight!

list here

on the basis that jessica ennis is the only one i fancy. i'm going to be shallow and vote for jessica ennis.

[Brandenburger Toro]

BBC Sports personality: shortlist tonight!

Cav or McDowell, innit.

[Third rate Leszno]

BBC Sports personality: shortlist tonight!

No Carl Froch? Disappointing.

Last year it seemed strange that Ryan Giggs got the award for what seemed to amount to persistent excellence over a sustained period. This year I hope the same criteria apply, and that Phil Taylor or (my vote) AP McCoy wins. Wouldn't be too disappointed if it was Cav, but I think he'll have more chances in years to come.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

BBC Sports personality: shortlist tonight!

Ryan Giggs surely only got it last year because there was a concerted on-line voting campaign among Man United fans to corrupt it (the only other conclusion to be drawn is that no-one realy likes Jenson Button). I think it's no coincidence that there are no footballers even nominated this year (surely unprecedented), because if they had have had to nominate one it would probably have been Rooney and he too, improbably, would have won it.

It is tricky this year, among these nominees. If it's going to be another "recognition of career" votes, it's hard to see past AP McCoy (over Taylor) just because horse riding is surely a more competitive environment to have been a champion in for so long than darts, where really it's only been Taylor and five or six other properly full-time pros for twenty years. And AP did finally win the National this year, which will win him a lot of votes on the night because the Beeb can actually show highlights of it.

The golf vote's going to be torn in two by having two nominees, which is a shame as this has been probably Britain's greatest ever season in golf since the 1920s. We currently have 6 of the world's top twelve, FFS, unprecedented in that time. McDowell's won the big trophies, but Westwood is the world number one. I anticipate they'll give "team of the year" to the Ryder Cup side, in anticipation that someone else will win the individual award.

Cav won't win this award until he either wins the green jersey, the yellow one, or even better the World/Olympic Road Race, as I don't think the general public really "get" the significance of winning individual stages on a Tour.

Jessica Ennis possibly is a good bet.

[Gerontophile]

BBC Sports personality: shortlist tonight!

If Mr McCoy, or indeed Phil Taylor (who is English, but very much a Sky personality) doesnt win, there is no justice, and anyone who brings up the 'personality' aspect of this, I give you Ryan Giggs, and that minor royal the other year.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

BBC Sports personality: shortlist tonight!

Oh, we do the "personality" argument every year, and I always just used to cite Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill.

[Duncan Gardner]

BBC Sports personality: shortlist tonight!

I know nothing about horse racing and can't see the appeal of darts but McCoy or Taylor should do it.

The BBC news had a camera on Portrush beach (beside McDowell's home course, complete with plaque commemorating his major win earlier this year). Any similar plugs for the others on the shortlist?

[David Agnew]

BBC Sports personality: shortlist tonight!

Rogin the Armchair Fan wrote:

It is tricky this year, among these nominees. If it's going to be another "recognition of career" votes, it's hard to see past AP McCoy (over Taylor) just because horse riding is surely a more competitive environment to have been a champion in for so long than darts, where really it's only been Taylor and five or six other properly full-time pros for twenty years. And AP did finally win the National this year, which will win him a lot of votes on the night because the Beeb can actually show highlights of it.

In reality there are probably as many excellent professional dart players as there are professional jockeys, but both have been dominated by one man over the last decade or more.

That said, Taylor's had a weird year. He's been knocked out of four of the 10 PDC Premier Events (which is some sort of personal record), yet he recorded the highest three dart average in a match in Darts history (118.66 against Kevin Painter in the UK open), and also became the first man to hit two 9-dart finishes in the same match (against James wade in the Premier League). Despite those two highs, he's had better years.

For me, the odd man on the list is Tom Daley. He's barely competed all season due to injury, came second in the British Championship, ninth in the Youth Olympics, and has finished outside the top 3 in all the world events he took part in, only winning at at the Commonwealh games.

[Gerontophile]

BBC Sports personality: shortlist tonight!

I think Taylor 'hates' Painter, almost as much as he hates (is it Mardle? or the other guy who is just Mardy... cant remember his name, bit nondescript, but has a goatee, and got the hump in a match recently.)

Oh, and if anyone can link to the picture of Mardy Fish (THAT one), I would be indebted.

[Sean of the Shed]

BBC Sports personality: shortlist tonight!

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

BBC Sports personality: shortlist tonight!

David Agnew wrote:

In reality there are probably as many excellent professional dart players as there are professional jockeys,

You might be right, but I know there are dozens if not hundreds of professional jockeys each riding hundreds of races a year (many of whom who admittedly maybe earn their main living as stable lads or working in the saddlery shops) whereas many darts players seem to be semi-professional at best.

The PDC World Darts champion from only a few years ago was a Dutch postman, and the most recent major PDC championship event (the "Grand Slam") was won by by a bloke who is employed as a carpenter to repair council houses' kitchens in Calderdale. I don't get the sense that darts players (apart from Taylor) are full-time "professionals", and his success has to be viewed in that light, surely.

[Gerontophile]

BBC Sports personality: shortlist tonight!

Nice pic Sean, although not the one I was thinking of.

Rogin: I think you have to view Taylor's success in the light of he is easily the best person in his, or quite possibly, any sport/game, ever.

That's EVER. I suspect that he gets bored with darts, because it is too easy for him, but as anyone who has ever thrown one, knows, it really isn't.

OK: Darts may not be the most physically challenging game, but Taylor can, and does, wipe the floor with anyone, when he can be bothered.

The only challengers he ever really had (Barney, Dennis Priestley) were very good, but cannot hold a torch to Taylor's consistency. The guy has been the world champion about 600 times.

(Dont forget that Barney was a postman.)

[David Agnew]

BBC Sports personality: shortlist tonight!

That's who he's referring to, Gero. Van Barneveld was a postman in the early 90s, in the same way that Ray Reardon was a coal miner in the late 40s, 50s and 60s, yet even though he hadn't been in a pit for over a decade, they still called him a coal miner on Pot Black. It's their original trade, and gives the commentators something extra to talk about - after all Darts is a very individual sport. In horse racing, you're generally working for a stable or two, and if you're not riding in races, you're still putting the horses through training and doing other stable jobs.

Barneveld was making over £60k a season in prize money in the 90s, as well as being well known and popular enough to do personal appearances both here and in the Netherlands, and considering he could earn more in a night doing a PA (keeping his eye in, in the process) than doing a job as demanding as a postman - do you think that as he was getting the £100k cheque for winning the PDC, he was telling them to hurry up, as he had to be up at four the following morning?

The winner of the "Grand Slam" (a PDC event in name only - it carries no worth in terms of PDC rankings) was an invited player from the BDO, by the name of Scott Waites - and because the BDO only has one tournament that pays any money these days (their World Championship, that he's never gone past the quarter final in), the most he's earned from a BDO tournament is £6k. He's only won £15k this year in BDO events, and if you took his earnings in BDO ranking events over the last two seasons (around £24k), and put it into the PDC Order of Merit, he wouldn't make the top 50 - compare that to a full time PDC player like Wayne Mardle, who isn't in the top 32, hasn't qualified for the forthcoming World Championship, yet has made £51k in ranking tournaments over the last two years - he's a full time professional, even if Scott Waites, a player for a smaller organisation (the PDC doesn't run 'The Oldham Open') isn't.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

BBC Sports personality: shortlist tonight!

Well my votes are in - yes, "votes", I chickened out in the end and voted twice. AP McCoy 09015 22 23 05, and Graeme McDowell, 09105 22 23 06.

If they have to call me for a tie-breaker I think I'd go for ... McDowell. He did after achieve something that no British sportsman has done in 40 years, including several players (Lyle, Faldo, Woosnam, Montgomerie and now Westwood)who've been world numbers one or two.

I'd be delighted for McCoy if he wins, as well, though. Delighted for Racing, really, I don't think a jockey has won this before (even though two coincidentally royal horsey jumpers have).

[Tony C]

BBC Sports personality: shortlist tonight!

I'd have given this award to Beth Tweddle - unfortunately she wasn't on the shortlist.

[Tony C]

BBC Sports personality: shortlist tonight!

Beckham's youngest didn't seem much interested in the old man's award, did he?

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

BBC Sports personality: shortlist tonight!

AP wins it - like I said, he was probably my second favourite, but I did vote for him, and jolly well deserved.

He's always liked the fact (being quite a shy fella) that he's not a "recognised in the street" kind of celebrity. I think that's just changed!

He'll be "you're that jockey that looks like Rob Brydon, aren't you!" from now on. Probably be on Strictly Come Dancing next year, too.

[Seven Saxon Kings]

BBC Sports personality: shortlist tonight!

James Corden did a good hatchet job to make sure Phil Taylor had no chance of winning.

[Duncan Gardner]

BBC Sports personality: shortlist tonight!

I fought Smiffy was Taylor (maybe with a cushion up his jumper).

Good result for Ultonia, almost 50% of the total vote.

Next year might be more problematic. Unless the Holywood Blockbuster wins a couple of majors, we're looking at a motocrosser or similar.

[Levin]

BBC Sports personality: shortlist tonight!

Given how good Cav is at what he does I was wondering who was the person nominated for SPOTY most times but never won it.

[Tubby Isaacs]

BBC Sports personality: shortlist tonight!

Taylor didn't win because lots of people don't regard darts as a sport.

[nuts n gum]

BBC Sports personality: shortlist tonight!

Reflected glory moment here, but you'll see my good self on the right from last night.

It was all a bit surreal!

[Seven Saxon Kings]

BBC Sports personality: shortlist tonight!

Taylor didn't win because lots of people don't regard darts as a sport

And while other nominees got a bit of harmless banter, Corden, perhaps the only person on TV who is a bigger twat than Tim Lovejoy, absolutely zeroed in on this weak spot in a way designed to cost Taylor a lot of votes. "Lots of people don't regard darts as a sport" yet they allow Corden to do everything he can to reinforce outdated stereotypes about it.

At least Taylor's success is down to his own skill - I don't regard something as much of a sport when a fucking horse does the vast majority of the work.

[Outside Agent]

BBC Sports personality: shortlist tonight!

Christ, the BBC have turned this occasion into one big pile of shite. I really should have turned off when Amy Williams achievements were explained by Jeremy Clarkson in the manner of one of those top 50/100 list shows. So we hear the bemusement with how a girl from Bath succeeds in a sport that takes part on ice. No account of how the achievements came about, not even an explanation from an expert in the sport. Just cheap and typical dumbed-down crap. And I say it again, but Jeremy Clarkson. Fucking hell.

I was delighted for McCoy, though he's had many better years - the Champion Hurdle & Gold Cup double in 1997 was one, and he's had many years since when he's ridden a ton of winners at Cheltenham. And Cheltenham is surely the only measure that counts for National Hunt jockeys.