Button misses out on BBC Sports Personality of the Year
- Thread starter fat jez
- Start date
Man U won the Premier League last season, I'm sure in no small part to Gigg's efforts. Oh, and the other 30 odd players than make up the Man U squad...
I'm not convinced anyone who takes part in sport as part of team should even me allowed to be nominated for SPOTY but then it's not my show. I'm sure Jenson can console himself with a CBE in the New Year's Honours list.
I'm not convinced anyone who takes part in sport as part of team should even me allowed to be nominated for SPOTY but then it's not my show. I'm sure Jenson can console himself with a CBE in the New Year's Honours list.
fedupwithuserids
Rookie
Oops, are they forum rules? 
Just out of interest here is a list of previous F1 winners.
(in order of most decorated)
1st - Nigel Mansell - Winner in 1986 and 1992 (Plus 3rd in 1993 when in CART)
2nd - Damon Hill - Winner in 1994 and 1996
3rd - Stirling Moss - Winner in 1961
3rd - Jackie Stewart - Winner in 1973
5th - Lewis Hamilton - Second in 2007 and 2008
6th - Jim Clark - Second in 1965 and Third in 1963
7th - Graham Hill - Second in 1968
7th - James Hunt - Second in 1976
7th - Jenson Button - Second in 2009
John Surtees won SPOTY in 1959 but that was on two wheels not four.
Interestingly F1 is the second most decorated BBC SPOTY Sport behind Athletics.
There has only been one F1 overseas SPOTY and that was Niki Lauda in 1977.
(in order of most decorated)
1st - Nigel Mansell - Winner in 1986 and 1992 (Plus 3rd in 1993 when in CART)
2nd - Damon Hill - Winner in 1994 and 1996
3rd - Stirling Moss - Winner in 1961
3rd - Jackie Stewart - Winner in 1973
5th - Lewis Hamilton - Second in 2007 and 2008
6th - Jim Clark - Second in 1965 and Third in 1963
7th - Graham Hill - Second in 1968
7th - James Hunt - Second in 1976
7th - Jenson Button - Second in 2009
John Surtees won SPOTY in 1959 but that was on two wheels not four.
Interestingly F1 is the second most decorated BBC SPOTY Sport behind Athletics.
There has only been one F1 overseas SPOTY and that was Niki Lauda in 1977.
I think Giggs should have been SPOTY in about 1998, and its more of a lifetime achievement award. I'd have voted Cavendish because of the utmost respect I have for anyone who achieved finishing the Tour de France; and with a deal of success.
Giggs has broken every English League record worth having, so deserves some recognition. Don't know what Andy Murray did to be nominated...
EL_NANDO, it is for British people!
Giggs has broken every English League record worth having, so deserves some recognition. Don't know what Andy Murray did to be nominated...
EL_NANDO, it is for British people!
Brogan said:
Faith in human race, declining...
Never mix sport and music otherwise this sort of thing happens
FB said:
Surely it was the Brawn team who gave Jenson the car to win the title though. A lot of critics of F1 say the driver is only as good as the car. This is, in part true, but we know it is not as simple as that. At first, I didn't think he deserved it and thought it more of a sentimental award. But Giggs has broken every record in the book this season, he is still in the first team at one of the best teams in the world after almost 20 years and he is a shining example of sportsmanship who deserves all the accolades that come to him.
To be honest, the SPOTY was very hard to choose from this year and all the candidates had achieved something very special this year in their respective sports.
Perhaps I didn't make my argument clear, I agree that Button was as much part of a team as Giggs and therefore shouldn't have been up for the nomination. Perhaps the BBC needs a "Best individual in a team" award. Button couldn't have won without Brawn, no matter how well he drove, Giggs couldn't have won anything without the hundreds of players he has stood on the pitch with at Man U, Strauss couldn't have won the Ashes without the rest of the England and Wales cricket team (and a few South Africans).
The remainder of the nominees (although Mark Cavendish was also in a team) won as individuals, with no one to help them on the court, pitch, track, ring, road etc, etc. and therefore, to my mind, are more deserving. That said, I agree with your comments about Giggs Boyle, as he has been an outstanding player over the years and a great example to young footballers about how it should be done.
The remainder of the nominees (although Mark Cavendish was also in a team) won as individuals, with no one to help them on the court, pitch, track, ring, road etc, etc. and therefore, to my mind, are more deserving. That said, I agree with your comments about Giggs Boyle, as he has been an outstanding player over the years and a great example to young footballers about how it should be done.
FB said:
So the fact these individuals will have coaches, physios, etc makes them more deserving of winning the award than Button, or indeed Giggs? I think the only thing that's clear is that no sports person achieves the pinnacle of their sport without a supporting cast!
No, no sportsman achieves in modern sport without a back up team but the likes of David Haye, Jessica Eniss and Andy Murray only have themselves to reply on when performing their sport. Giggs and Strauss couldn't do what they do without the rest of the team; Button falls between two stools in this respect as only he can drive the car but he is reliant on the team for tactics and during the pit stops - hey, there's and idea, make the drivers perform their own pit-stops 
If I could chuck my in here, I think you guys are missing a point.
It's often overlooked and sometimes treated with some contempt but the word "Personality" is quite important in the award title. I don't tend to look at it in terms of "wow, what a great guy/girl. They're the kind of person that could make you laugh all night, great fun at parties etc etc". To me that word means the effect that their achievements have had on people.
Look at Zara Phillips when she won a few years back. Was it a great achievement? Well for her yes but in the overall annals of sporting history, perhaps not. On the other hand, her good friend had died just a week before and she'd missed out on the Olympics due to an injury to her horse. As a member of the Royal Family she had a pretty good profile and what she achieved caught the public imagination.
Looking at this year, I think despite what the bookies said, Button was always going to face stiff competition from the other candidates. F1 in the eyes of the non fan suffers from a "if it wasn't for the car" attitude and unless that person is really popular with the public then they aren't going to fair too well in these events. Button has never had as high a profile as say Damon Hill or Nigel Mansell. Ryan Giggs was for many a suprise choice to be in the final 10 but his achievements are perhaps far greater than Buttons and at this time have more ressanence with the public. Giggs has won almost as twice as many premiership titles than Button has won races which is some achievement.
For those in team sports it is a lot harder to stand out enough to win the SPOTY hence by far and away the biggest section of winners come from the world of Athletics where personal effort is always the most witnessed. It's interesting to note that after Athletics comes F1 with 6 winners.
And my final point, if it was only about individual success and not about effect and to some extent popularity then surely 7 times formula one world champion Michael Schumacher would have won the foreign personality of the year at least once. As it stands the only F1 receipiant of foreign sports personality of the year is Niki Lauda. Now there is a man who captured the public imagination.
It's often overlooked and sometimes treated with some contempt but the word "Personality" is quite important in the award title. I don't tend to look at it in terms of "wow, what a great guy/girl. They're the kind of person that could make you laugh all night, great fun at parties etc etc". To me that word means the effect that their achievements have had on people.
Look at Zara Phillips when she won a few years back. Was it a great achievement? Well for her yes but in the overall annals of sporting history, perhaps not. On the other hand, her good friend had died just a week before and she'd missed out on the Olympics due to an injury to her horse. As a member of the Royal Family she had a pretty good profile and what she achieved caught the public imagination.
Looking at this year, I think despite what the bookies said, Button was always going to face stiff competition from the other candidates. F1 in the eyes of the non fan suffers from a "if it wasn't for the car" attitude and unless that person is really popular with the public then they aren't going to fair too well in these events. Button has never had as high a profile as say Damon Hill or Nigel Mansell. Ryan Giggs was for many a suprise choice to be in the final 10 but his achievements are perhaps far greater than Buttons and at this time have more ressanence with the public. Giggs has won almost as twice as many premiership titles than Button has won races which is some achievement.
For those in team sports it is a lot harder to stand out enough to win the SPOTY hence by far and away the biggest section of winners come from the world of Athletics where personal effort is always the most witnessed. It's interesting to note that after Athletics comes F1 with 6 winners.
And my final point, if it was only about individual success and not about effect and to some extent popularity then surely 7 times formula one world champion Michael Schumacher would have won the foreign personality of the year at least once. As it stands the only F1 receipiant of foreign sports personality of the year is Niki Lauda. Now there is a man who captured the public imagination.
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