Sports Personality shortlist announced

forget the main award. i'm sure a swimmer or cyclist will win it and then be forgotten for the next 4 years.

this year is all about a massive achievement that everyone had written off a few years back and that'll stand for much longer than any olympic medal:

Team of the Year : Manchester United
Coach of the Year: Sir SIR Alex Ferguson
Overseas Personality: Mr C Ronaldo

(should add:
Lifetime Achievement: A. Wenger -he'll be off soon!)

Wiggins & Romero and no Mark Cavendish?
So many to choose from - perhaps you don't want a cyclist to win?
It'll have to be Nicole Cooke.

It should be between Calzaghe and Hamilton. They have actually achieved ultilate victory in tough sports. Cycling? give me a break

Only one winner for me and that is Rebecca Adlington, in a sport we don't normally excel at. Lewis and Andy have a lot of money and years at the top. Swimmers sporting life is relatively short, olympics only come every four years, and all Rebecca has is lottery funding. It was a phenominal achievement

It is quite simply a disgrace that Victoria Pendleton isnt in the final 10. She should not turn up as a protest.

Although I now Hamilton will win, I wouldnt put it past Calzaghe winning it again, he's had 2 good wins this year.

It has got to Chris Hoy. He has done something no other Brit has done for over 100 years.

Oh please not Lewis Hamilton, he doesn't have a personality, and i'd be pushing for world champion if my car was that much better than anybody elses. Got to be Rebecca Adlington or Chris Hoy, they trained for 4 years and competed on a level playing field with the rest

Is the running order for the SPOTY available yet? When it is, look to see which out of Hamilton, Hoy and Adlington is featured first. They will win because they will have more time to get votes in.

Even the X-Factor has cottoned on to the fact that if you have the voting lines open while performances (or for SPOTY, features) are still being broadcast, you give a massive advantage to those up first, so the lines don't open until after performances have finished. Would it be too much to hope that the BBC might follow suit and ensure a fair award?

Joe Calzaghe had an even better year in 2008 than he did in 2007. British boxers have so often fallen short in American superfights, but Calzaghe showed guts to clinch a win against the wily Bernard Hopkins in Las Vegas and then put on a spectacular display against Roy Jones Jr in New York to silence all but the most ardent of his detractors.

I do wonder exactly what Victoria Pendleton has to do. It is so unjust to leave her off the list. She is a world champion many times, a wonderful ambassador for her sport, someone with a charming personality (unlike many of the other personality-free contenders), and she's quite beautiful.
What qualities do any of the other contenders have that she hasn't got more of.
Very unfair.

Is it possible you could exclude, for ever, the 5 publications that included one C. Ronaldo? Did they not read the rules? Are they unaware of the OVERSEAS award? A Travesty. Thankfully the final 10 hold up.

its lewis hamilton then

why bother ...

So Shane Williams is IRB world player of the year, yet he fails to pick up even a nomination for an awards show in his homeland?? Can't imagine that one going down too well in Wales.

And speaking of Welsh sportsmen, I'm aware that football is a swear-word at such a ceremony (as you'd expect from the national sport) but Ryan Giggs missing out having just marked surely the crowning moment of his glittering career is astonishing.

In an Olympic year, such omissions may have been understandable had the shortlist been dominated by those Olympians of the 'faster, higher, stronger' calibre. As a Scot, I'm in awe of a multi-medallist like Chris Hoy, but is the dominance of track cyclists not opening the competition to accusations of bias towards machine over man?

I'd be interested to know the reasoning for missing Simmonds off the list. Is a 13 year old taking on and beating the world twice really less impressive than just another cog in the Great British Cycling Machine (who by all rights should sweep the board, incidentally) winning gold? Plus if you take personality to mean character I think you'd be hard pressed to deny her on that basis.

Joe Calzaghe the greatest boxer this country has produced since the war should be the winner of the BBC Sports Personality of the year for the second year running, Lewis Hamilton in 2nd place and Chris Hoy in 3rd

Does anyone agree that the BBC has blown the importance of this award out of all proportion now that it has hardly any decent sport left?

This year may be a slight exception given Olympic successes but most years the BBC is a sporting desert that has as its highlight an award show

I for one won't be watching and couldn't careless who wins - in the scheme of sporting achievement the whole thing is an irrelavance

Knew the Olympics would dominate. Hopefully next year, UFC star Michael Bisping will get recognition.

The problem with the list is that most of the people on it have no personality worth speaking of. The award generally goes to the most successful person rather than the most interesting.

Again WHAT DOES Victoria Pendelton NEED ot do to get listed?
What has Murray done to get onto the list??
He DID NOT win a Grand Slam and winning 5 Tour titles DOES NOT warrant a selection.
Again SPOTY is flawed by clueless sports editors of the Papers.

I think I would have to go with Chris Hoy. Purely because he is so reverred by his peers in cycling. Although I can see the merits in Rebecca Adlington and Lewis Hamilton-both did something exceptional in their own sports! It is genuinely a strong year for this award-all the nominee's are champions.

Should be Chris McHoy he's by far acheived the most impressive feat.

No quarrel whatsoever with the shortlist, but even though I think at my advanced age that Rooney is the most talented English footballer I've ever seen in 50 years, how on earth can anyone nominate him as some have done. He had the most unfulfilling season with injury and the selfish presence of Senor Ronaldo restricting his opportunities.

It can be argued that for cycling to have produced so many golds, coaching or machinery or a combo of both must have had a big impact; similarly in the case of Hamilton, though massive credit to all of them.

I'd give it to either Adlington simply for starting off the gold rush, and to recognise a great amateur performance in a professional world, or (though tennis leaves me cold) Andy Murray, because to be 3rd or 4th best in the world at tennis - one of the few individual sports most countries in the world play, from a country which has produced NO players of his level in the modern era is a fantastic personal achievement.

It's unfortunate that the most outstanding British sporting performer of 2008 won't win. Nicole Cooke won Olympic gold against a huge field of the world best who were hell bent on marking her out of the race and repeated the feat with an even better ride in the World Championship where she produced the best ever cycling performance by a British rider - Man or woman. Yes Lewis Hamilton will win but he has neither the personality or the sporting performance to justify victory where Nicole has.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

Definitely a Briton who contributes to the wealth of this country,so that would have to exclude any tax dodgers like Hamilton.

For me, it would have to be between Calzaghe and Chris Hoy. Probably Chris Hoy.

Why is Murray on the list? His personality is awful! It should be renamed to sports popularity of the year, hamilton will win easily.

Gotta be Hamilton.

I just hope someone wins who actually lives in Britain, rather than scooting off to a tax haven the first time he sniffed any decent money.

I saw that some of the editors nominations were for Cristiano Ronaldo. Not elegable surely? (and a complete &$%#.)
Strange that no Manchester United or Chelsea players are nominated when they played in a memorable Euro final and great title race. Rio Ferdinand surely should be there.
Theo Walcot got nominated by several papers. I mean seriously one hatrick.
But It will be a three way fight to the death between "The real McHoy", Hamilton, and Addlington.
My vote is for Chris Hoy. Amazing.
Honorable mention for Ainslie who already in the British elite but should join his place with Sir Steve, Pinsent, Hoy and Thomson in 2012 as Britain's very greatest Olympians.

A big shame that Shane Williams has been snubbed, but go on Chris Hoy!

Do all the contenders get equal time in the show?

I wonder if the cyclists will split the cycling vote?

Mind you in all the polls I've seen Chris Hoy is getting more of the support than anyone else and beating Lewis Hamilton too. (Despite lots of the people backing Hoy but saying they expect Hamilton to win).

Will viewers vote for who they think should win or not bother cos they think Lewis has it sewn up.

What a year of contenders though? Hamilton's world title is a brilliant achievement. Rebecca Adlington's won 2 golds and still might miss out. And I'm not sure a third gold medal will even get Ben Ainslie a place in the top three.

But I'm voting for Chris Hoy. The Real McHoy

Who's everyone else going to vote for?

If an Olympian doesn't win preferably Chris Hoy then it will be a very disappointing turn of events.

No Shane Williams?

How on earth could Shane Williams not be shortlisted. The star of a grand-slam team and IRB world player of the year. Who is the "Steve Williams" nominated by one of the editors ? Was that a typo and was that crucial in the voting ?

It's good that Ellie is in with a chance of the Young Sports Personality award, but utterly shameful that no other Paralympians are in the shortlist for the main award.

Sorry, but it should not be called Sports personality of the year. Ricky Hatton has not been nominated but yet has the best personality going.

It should be called something like Outstanding Sportsperson of the Year.

Lewis Hamilton should win it for being the youngest F1 Champion and for the last race last corner win of the world championship.

Personally I think it's disgraceful Shane Williams isn't on the short list but four cyclists are. Jason Robinson and Johnny Wilkinson made last year's list for accomplishing nothing, apart from being English.

Shane is part of the Grand Slam winning and Australia beating Wales team and world rugby player of the year, and doesn't make it in past Andy Murray (accomplished nothing) and six olympians (Hoy yes, Adlington yes, but six is too many). Putting in six olympians, four from the SAME SPORT is excessive and strangles the entire event. OK Wales will win team of the year (if they don't I'll riot) but Shane deserves individual honour.

Now, Hamilton or Calzaghe have to win. To be honest if it isn't Hamilton I'll be outraged, because he's single handedly put more money on the table for the BBC and revolutionised F1 more than anyone else in recent memory. But Shane Williams deserves to be on that list. Williams in, Murray and half of the olympians out.

I am saddened Andy Murray is in the list as all the rest of the nominations have won major championships and he has not won a Grand Slam. The BBC bias towards tennis once again shines through.

Surely AP McCoy deserves to be there having broken his neck and made a successful comeback in the toughest of all sports!

SPOTY should go to... well I have no idea because it is so close. Being a Formula 1 man I'd have to go for Hamilton but it is too close to call.

Team of the Year goes to Man United in my opinion. British Cycling Team comes a very, very close second.

Coach of the Year. Fergie.

As for Overseas SPOTY then it's between Phelps and Bolt.

This must be the closest SPOTY for a while.

With it being a public vote on the night, it will depend wholly, on how the BBC decide to edit the contenders biographies and sell each individual, to sway the voting public.

1. Hamilton
2. Calzaghe
3. Ainsley

Team: GB Cycling
Overseas: Usain Bolt

Not Hoy, Wiggins, Romero or Cooke because GB cycling win the team award hands down.
Not Ohuruogu because her achievement doesn't quite match the others (impressive as it is) and her personality I know nothing about.
Murray is close but I think he may need more than 1 grand slam final and 3 masters titles to win it.
Not Adlington because personality is more than just loving shoes.

No Mark Cavendish on the shortlist. I'm sorry, but that's ridiculous.

it has to be chris hoy.three golds in one olympics is unbelievable

"I don't think one individual sport has ever had so many nominees on the shortlist in the 55-year history of Sports Personality of the Year."

Has the shortlist been around that long? I thought it was a farily recent invention; introduced in the last few years to allow a phone in vote, rather than the write in vote that preceded it and didn't restrict who could be voted for.

how can Cristiano Ronaldo not be on this list??!! is this more BBC xenophobia or is the more base BBC Liverpool bias? shocking decision! of course we should have olympic heroes etc but surely there is room for the world footballer of the year, european champion and english champion. hard to imagine what else he had to do to qualify in the top ten

It has to be Lewis Hamilton without question. What he has achieved at such a young age is remarkable and only his 2nd season in formula one.

I think the winner is a foregone conclusion.

For all the heroics of the gold medal winning olympic heros, the award is destined for Lewis Hamilton, purely and simply because of the high profile of formula one in comparison to olympic sports.

This doesn't make the efforts and achievements of the others any less worthy of the accolade, any more than my comment is supposed to belittle in any way the superb performance from Lewis Hamilton; it's just that more people are going to have heard of him than the others.

Who cares..!? After Zara Phillips won on the back of her name when the vast majority of the people who voted blatantly wouldn't ever have seen her compete, it made a mockery of the award. Calzaghe deserves every plaudit on offer, but I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be particularly bothered if he didn't win, altho there are a few worthwhile winners in there. If the Welsh rugby team don't win team of the year it will be a sham also. The Sports Personality of the Year award is pretty meaningless anyway tho.

So many needing pre-mod?

Lewis Hamilton is obviously very talented but I hope hope hope the award will go to a more worthy winner, though I suspect the public will be seduced by the glamour of motor sport despite the fact that victory is more down to the equipment than the athlete. Would Lewis have won in a Honda or Toyota? - I doubt it...would Adlington still have won if she had worn a different swimsuit? - I suspect she would still have torn the field apart.
When did Britain last produce a Formula One World Champion? - 12 years ago. When was the last time a Brit won 3 gold medals at a single Olympics? - 100 years ago.

#46 ... it may have escaped your blinkered pre-conceptions of the world, but a pre-requisite for this award is that they be BRITISH.

That's why they have an OVERSEAS award as well.

Its got to be Chris HOY. Cycling is not a major sport in this country but he deserves to win the award. 3 Olympic gold medles in three diffrent events takes some doing!! The cycling team was by far the best set of athletes ever seen in a modern olympic games representing Team GB.

Hm I think it should go to Chris Hoy. complete dedication for limited v financial rewards and on an even playing field (I think!) beat Lewis Hamilton hands down.
A

ronaldosawinker wrote:

how can Cristiano Ronaldo not be on this list??!! is this more BBC xenophobia or is the more base BBC Liverpool bias?

Um, because it's an award for a British sports person perhaps? Last time I checked he was Portuguese

Really tough choice this year. Has to be Addlington, Hoy or Hamilton. Calzaghe won it last year, Murray hasn't won a Grand Slam yet, and none of the cyclists match Hoy. Ainslie doesn't have the profile unfortunately, his laudible achievements span too long a time frame. Ohuruogu won gold, but only because her main rival choked.

For me, it would be Hoy.

Every year - well, at least for the last three years - it's the same...

The BBC do a great job, the editors make selections, the BBC post the editors' nominations, some people don't make the final ten and then viewers claim that it's the BBC's fault that certain people didn't make the final ten. Pay attention, people. The BBC have done nothing wrong, other than not making it clearer that some of those were very close, with the specific mentions of Pendleton and Simmonds noted. Perhaps official publication of numbers eleven to twenty, at the same time as the shortlisted ten, should be considered for the future, to head some of the moaners off at the pass.

(Almost?) all the sports stars whose absences people have been whinged about have been considered by the sports editors and are near misses - mostly top twenty rather than top ten. Top twenty is still highly impressive. Anyone who moans about their favourite not making the top ten, when they have made the top twenty, is just being grumpy because people don't agree with them.

Victoria Pendleton got 8 nominations and came eleventh. That's not top ten, but it's as close as you can get, and still a great achievement. Mark Cavendish got 5 nominations and came joint thirteenth. (Six cyclists in the top fifteen is extremely impressive, but justly so.) Shane Williams got 3 nominations and came joint sixteenth, as did Ellie Simmonds. Even Michael Bisping did get one nomination.

Do your research; the BBC publish which newspaper nominated which star, so you shouldn't be moaning at the BBC, you should be moaning at the newspapers...

It's a bit of a disgrace not to have the IRB player of the year, Shane Williams, on the list - how often has a British rugby player enjoyed the accolade of the world's best player?

Ronaldosawinker... Christiano Ronaldo is not British so cannot be considered! Sure he'll be in the running for overseas, though I'd split it between Phelps and Bolts.

As for the rest of the shortlist no huge complaints. Yes its a shame that Cav and Pendleton missed out, but with so many cyclists in the running someone always would. Cav has his whole career ahead of him and am sure when he wins the green jersey at the tour he'll get some mainstream recognition then.

I can see the cycling vote on the night being split, but if any justice is done then either Hoy or Cooke will gain enough votes to win it, with Hamilton or Addlington in third. As much as I respect Cazalghe his 'headline year' was 2007, Murray's been amazing at the tail end of the season but wasn't great pre-Wimledon. Plus like Cav, if he continues his form then next year he'll stand a great chance.

Ben Ainslie deserves some form of special recognition (lifetime achievement-type award - perhaps named the Sir Steven Redgrave Award after continued excellence over a career) as he has excelled for such a long-time but won't ever win the 'big one'.

The award should go to Chris Hoy, 4 Olympic golds at 2 different games and at the peak of his sport. His bike might have been specifically designed for him but he didn't have a team behind him the size of Hamilton's at McLaren Mercedes.

The real issue here is that with so many Olympians in the final 10, I think they will split the vote leaving it wide open for the tax exile to walk away with the main prize.

Team of the Year is a no contest - GB Cycling all the way. Take away their medals from the Olympic haul and it puts quite a different perspective on our success.

Overseas - Toss up between Rafael Nadal and Usain Bolt

Young Personality - Laura Robson will probably get this

Lifetime Achievement - Ryan Giggs should get this at some stage and why not now considering the success of Man Utd last season

I can't belive there is no Paula Radcliffe on the list.
If you watched the olympic coverage on BBC you would have thought she was are only competitor.

If there is any common sense in this country then Lewis Hamilton should win Sports Personality hands down.

For me, the FIA did everything they could to prevent Hamilton from winning this years title (penalties, more penalties, stripped of a race win and handing points to his nearest rival), yet he still won.

Hamilton's achievement is equivalent of Hoy winning his three golds with a puncture or Adlington winning her two golds with a weight tied to her arms and feet.

Hamilton deserves to win and anyone who thinks otherwise is an idiot.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

Bit confused about this Sports Personality. Is this about the best sporting achievement or about the best personality? If it's the latter, Andy Murray shouldn't be on this list as he is unpleasant and grumpy. Lewis Hamilton is beyond boring.
Now take Eleanor Simmonds, she has personality! Maybe not the greatest sporting achievement of the year, but more personality then all those big heads together. If she was on the list, she would win it.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

Andy Murray's achievements since Wimbledon have been treated with contempt by BBC News.

His first Masters Series win against Novak Djokovic in Cincinnati wasn't mentioned on the News at Six next day; it was only mentioned in the News Hour at around four minutes to seven! (Compare the coverage given to Lewis Hamilton's first Grand Prix win last year.)

His qualification for the Tennis Masters Cup, at the end of the US Open, was also ignored by BBC News, as were all the three group matches in Shanghai, including the third where he put Roger Federer out of the tournament.

Murray finished in fourth place with 744 points in the ATP Race; Tim Henman's highest score was 493 in 2004. That sums up what Murray achieved in 2008.

SPOTY:
1. Lewis Hamilton
2. Chris Hoy
3. Becky Adlington

with Calzaghe and Murray in close contention.

A bit dissappointed at the non-inclusion of IRB player of the year Shane Williams.

Team:
1. Wales Rugby
2. Manchester United FC
3. Team GB Olympians

Coach:
1. Warren Gatland
2. Sir Alex Ferguson
3. GB Cycling Coach

Overseas:
1. Usain Bolt
2. Felipe Massa
3. Rafael Nadal

Lifetime Acheivement:
Ron Dennis

1st place - Chris Hoy
2nd place - Rebecca Adlington
3rd place - Lewis Hamilton
Team - GB Cycling
Overseas - Usain Bolt
Coach - Sir Alex Ferguson

Michael Phelps very close for overseas personality...but Usain Bolt's personality and status is soo much bigger than Phelps'.

Tough to seperate SPOTY but 3 Golds in one olympics is fantastic and is unprecedented in our lifetime.

The team event is close as well with Man U and the Welsh rugby team but the dom,ination shown by the cycling was obscenel good!

What exactly does Phil Taylor have to do to get any recognition whatsover as the greatest British sportman past, present and future. the past? How can anyone ignore this mans achievements over the last 20 years and this year alone. Simply the best by a country mile!

Hamilton will win without a doubt, but my support will go to Chris Hoy. What he has achieved is no mean feat, especially with the very little funding they get compared to F1. Its time we recognised these lesser sports.

Also, why are there no Para-Olympians in the running? Some of them have achieved far more then even our own able-bodied Olympians.

SPOTY - It has to be Chris Hoy for me, 3 golds in one Olympic Games is an awesome achievement!! Also, even after all his mammoth success, he came across as a really modest likable guy.

Team of the year - British cycling (or maybe the Welsh rugby team).

46 - it's quite simple what Ronaldo needs to do to get on the list - Be British.....

I know it was against a much weaker field, but people criticising Andy Murray's inclusion should remember that Greg Rusedski didn't just make the shortlist, but won the award in 1997 for a season comparable to Murray's - one Grand Slam final, and consistent performances throughout the rest of the year.

Having said that, Hoy has to win.

surely the public should decide who's in the final list either by phone-in or web voting. how pendelton yet romero and cooke are is beyond me, she's by far the best woman cyclist in the world. if her events were olympic events she would have been alongside hoy with 3 golds.

"Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton, boxer Joe Calzaghe and British tennis number one Andy Murray make up the 10."

Make up the 10?????

It's obvious that the BBC are just going to ahve two hours of nonsense about the Olympics with real sports barely getting a mention.

Listen! Addlington and Hoy were fantastic and amazing and we should celebrate them, BUT they should not be the winner.

BEN AINSLIE is our greatest Olympian since Steve Redgrave!

He has dominated his various sailing classes for years, not even competing in the Finn whilst working for America’s Cup, but still destroying the field in the World Champs and Olympics, he is a true genius who deserves some recognition and respect for his abilities, dedication, spirit and achievement over so many years in a very technically difficult and skillful sport.

As to the others, Calzaghe (great as he is) won it last year and has not done enough for 2 in a row.

Hamilton, contrary to popular opinion, deserves rewards and deserves to be second (in my book). This was one of the closest years in the history of F1 in car performance, actually overall the Ferrarri was better with the McLaren excelling at certain tracks. However, the performance of some of the other teams and drivers (Vettel, Kubica etc.) shows how close it is becoming. This championship win was far more significant than that of Damon Hill or Nigel Mansell who led a procession in by far the best car! (and I am a Mansell fan, he deserved that easy year for all his near misses in lesser cars).

PLEASE Recognise Ben Ainslie’s greatness! If Addlington and Hoy win in London then by all means give them the award, but until they have achieved the same as Ainslie, there is only one winnner!

still think this should be renamed as Television Sports Celebrity of the Year.

In this day and age when money dominates sport the last thing the competitors need is a personality. Luckily most of our successful sportsmen and women are devoid of personality.

For those writing C Ronaldo off for not being British. The BBC's published criteria are:

"Definition of who is eligible

Voted for by the public live during the TV show, this prestigious award will be given to the sportsman or woman whose actions have most captured the public's imagination in 2008. Non-playing coaches or management are not eligible.

People are eligible to win Sports Personality of the Year if:- They are British or all of the following criteria apply:

- They play a significant amount of their sport in the UK

- Their core achievements that year were achieved in the UK, and not with a non-UK based team (in which case they would more likely qualify for the Overseas award)

- They are residents in the UK "

By my reckoning Ronaldo qualifies on those three criteria (unless he is resident overseas and flies in for Man U games).

Not sure I'd want him to win it, but he is eligible.

There are only three real sports to choose from in that nomination list. For that reason it should be one of Hamilton, Murray or Calzaghe to win it.

What no everpaid prima donnas from footie, good grief how will the footie fans react!!

I think all of the names there are the correct choices...except one. When an athlete is banned, then THREATENS to leave the country and instead represent Nigeria unless the ban is overturned they should be expelled from British Athletics. Instead everyone conveniently forgets this because she won gold.

Personally I consider Adlington's golds the most valuable as they were in a discipline (swimming) that we have been consistently dreadful at and achieved a world record too! Hoy, although superb, was expected. Adlington was a shock and it was a great shock.

Personally I will be voting for Miss Adlington

There is only one person worthy to pick up the coveted trophy...the man...Chris Hoy!

To have his event removed from Athens'04 meant he had to have retrain for the Kirin and win gold is incredible.

G

Every pundit has Lewis Hamilton down as a candidate, but a strict observance of the BBC's own rules would actually bar him (and some of the others) from being a candidate.

The criteria for judging clearly states:

- They play a significant amount of their sport in the UK

- Their core achievements that year were achieved in the UK, and not with a non-UK based team (in which case they would more likely qualify for the Overseas award)

- They are residents in the UK


The above criteria were copied word for word from the BBC website.

Hamilton competes once a year in the UK, which neither constitutes a 'significant amount' of his sport, even if he were to win the British GP. The last few winners of the GP title have had to win at least 5 or 6 races, so a British GP win would at best constitute a fraction of 'core achievements' at best. Lastly, since he is now or shortly to be resident in Monaco (or is it Switzerland?), he technically fails on the last point as well.

My aim here is not to get at Lewis Hamilton who is a wonderful driver (but not the most exciting interviewee...) and I am sure I will receive hundreds of angry replies anyway. My points would apply to most of the candidates so why does the BBC not relax the rules to apply to British Passport Holders, and if they have done so, why do they retain the charade of the other criteria?

Since Boardeman, cycling has never really hit the heights it deserved.

If the trophy was given to Hoy it would for the whole British Cycling team, not just the riders.

Cycling needs the award! NOT the pre-madonnas in the overpaid, overhyped world of F1!

Despite Hamilton's greatness he does not deserve this award, he is too young. Let him win a few more world championships first.
G

Got to be Andy Murray, in my opinion, his rise this year has been meteoric.
He didn't just reach his first Grand Slam final, he won 2 Masters titles, beat the British record for most singles titles in a single year, has beaten all 3 of the players above him in the world rankings, including the demolition job of Rafa Nadal at the US Open... need I go on?

Has to be Lewis Hamilton. All the rest have been top of their game for years but Hamilton has is world champion in his second year and you cant say its the car as Heikki has more experience than Hamilton and look where he ended up.
After all the hate in the press and rasist comments he has suffered, i think the kids an inspiration to people of all sex and race.
If he dont win it then the only other alternative is Joe Calzaghe. simply because "Nobody does it better"

It has to be Hamilton. He has dominated his sport since arriving at the top last year. He has made the McLaren Mercedes look the best but where did his team mate finish who has the same equipment (7th for those interested). maybe if he was in a Honda he may not of won, but that is the same in all sport, but the swimmer have their special low friction suits and the cyclist have their carbon fibre bikes. This doesn't take away from their achievement as you still have to be able to use it, which Hamilton did.

Timo Glock!

I've said it before on 606 website and I will say it again. I wish the BBC would give up on the interactive aspect on the night.

It used to be the Sports Review of the Year and the votes were counted before the day

Why can't it be the same again? Too much time is spent focussed on the candidates - and 10 is too many - rather than the sports review IMHO

Regards

Ged

zalacain & il_pirata - i'm 100% with you in that Nicole Cooke is the supreme athlete on that shortlist, and as such deserves to win.

VOTE NICOLE!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A44366736

I'm loving post 46, by the way...they provide a determined arguement as to why Ronaldo should be shortlisted.

If he were British, I'd agree.

BBC - Formula 1 next season start the advertising now....

I was going to vote for Ellie Simmonds, she's done enough to be included in the nominations at least. In my opininon, she's done far more than Andy Murray, when he wins a grand slam I'll vote for him.

Here's me 10p's worth!

In my opinion it has to be an Olympian - we had such an unexpectedly good games and the main protagonists survive on a fraction of the money that Hamilton or Murray get, the dedication and commitment needed should not be ignored.

My individual award winner would be Rebecca Adlington, especially for the 800m Gold and shattering Janet Evans' 19 year old record. If Hamilton had won the last race, then I think he might be more deserving, but in my eyes, although I was chuffed he won it, he had the best car and only just scraped it. Moving to Switzerland to escape "media intrusion" disappointed me, IF he didn't want all the exposure perhaps he should not have signed all those sponsorship deals. I am really glad he won the Drivers Championship for a semi-British team, but I think this year there are stronger claims. Calzaghe had another great year, McHoy was simply amazing, but I think it was the manner in which Adlington stormed to the 800m was simply incredible.

I think Chris Hoy will get a lifetime achievement award sometime, and I would not be upset if he did win it, but I think Adlington just shades it. The other cyclists also showed that we can be a nation of winners, all of whom showed class and dignity in victory. I felt sorry for Victoria Pendleton, who surely would have won more medals if they had put on more races for her to race in.

The overseas personality should go to Phelps, not only did he break all those records in winning all his races, but, again, he won with surprising humility and never once went on about how great he was! Unlike Bolt, who is an amazing athlete, but was a bit to brash for me - old fashioned chap that I am!

For the record the individual nominations were:

Chris Hoy 28
Lewis Hamilton 28
Rebecca Adlington 28
Andy Murray 26
Joe Calzaghe 24
Ben Ainslie 20
Bradley Wiggins 20
Christine Ohuruogu 19
Nicole Cooke 15
Rebecca Romero 11
Victoria Pendleton 8
Kevin Pietersen 7
Cristiano Ronaldo 5
Mark Cavendish 5
Theo Walcott 5
Ellie Simmonds 3
James DeGale 3
Wayne Rooney 3
Shane Williams 3
David Haye 2
Ryan Giggs 2

A few others with 1 nomination.

I am surprised Shane Williams didn't get more nominations as he has been electrifying over the last few years - this coming from an English Oswestrian (a matter of a couple of miles from the Welsh border) and so that hurts a bit! I think he is unlucky to have such a good year in Olympic year.

The team award must go to the Cyclists for their domination of the sport in both the Olympic and the World Championships. They could not do any more. Wales Rugby and Man U would give them a run, but I think that this year the cyclists just shade it.

I know we all have a difference of opinion over the final shortlist, but, as referred to by #30, if you want a good laugh follow the link to the sports editors' nominations. Astonishingly, 5 Sport Editors nominated Theo Walcott !! Interestingly, they all work on Sunday papers....do these guys have some strange view of the UK sporting world that noone else can see ?

I thought the whole point in Sports "Personality" was that the person needed charisma. There are plenty of other awards for sportsmen and women that achieve, so how Andy Murray and Lewis Hamilton made it to the list I have no idea! People like Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff should be up there!

Hmmm, who exactly are these people and what good do they do for people and the community?

SPOTY
1 Chris Hoy - it has to be!
2 Rebcca Adlington
3 Andy Murray

Team:
1 GB Olympic Cycling Team
2 Wales RU team

Coach:
1 GB Olympic Cycling Team

Overseas:
1 Usain Bolt

Fearful that Chris Hoy might win after claiming 3 Gold Medals the EBC big PR exercise has been promoting Rebecca Addlington for months now (just in case Hamilton should flop) So I think she has had way enough exposure to win the award. A good winner any most other years but a bit like Liverpool winning the Champions League despite finishing 4rth in their national league.

Whilst it would be nice to see on of the olympians win I think only Christine O will have a chance. I think Clazaghe should get it again but Andy Murray should run him close. I don't think Lewis Hamilton deserves it be he will probably be the popular vote.

my choices

Sports personality Calzaghe
Team Man Utd
Coach Sir Alex
Overseas Nadal

Chris Hoy should win it for his acheivements in the olympics but think that it will end up going to Hamilton. Shane Williams has been a victim of the olympics in not getting chosen it seems rugby only gets a mention in this award when its a world cup year or Jonny Wilkinson has a good season.