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| |  Thursday, 28 November, 2002, 14:07 GMT Choose your chump  Sports Personality of the Year showcases the achievements of the UK's biggest stars, but for some 2002 will be a year they wish to forget. Whose sporting calamities are worthy of special praise? World Cup 2002 was widely hailed as a great success, although former Ireland captain Roy Keane and England goalkeeper David Seaman may beg to differ. Seaman's blunder was eclipsed by Peter Enckelman, whose moment of madness in the Aston Villa goal cost his side dearly against Birmingham City. Boxers Mike Tyson and Naseem Hamed have seen their careers take a dive this year, while the controversial tactics of the Ferrari F1 team have provoked heavy criticism. Who gets your vote for the biggest chump of 2002? This debate is now closed. A selection of your e-mails appear below. My 'Chump of the Year' would be the mainstream media for constantly ignoring Ice Hockey in the UK. Hockey is the most watched indoor sport in the country, yet never receives any support or coverage from the media. Mick McCarthy - The best manager Ireland ever had but he still managed to end up hated by most fans. David Seamen should be 'Chump of the Year', because of his horrendous error against Brazil in the World Cup. I will say, though, that it was a wonderful free-kick from Ronaldinho and it was one of the happiest moments of my 14-year life to see that ball go in!
The biggest chumps of the year are all of us English football fans who thought that: A) We could win the World Cup B) David Beckham is one of the world's best football players C) Boring Eriksson brand football is fun to watch. Nice one. My biggest chumps of the year were Darren Campbell and Dwain Chambers. I travelled half way across the country and paid good money to see them complete in the 100 metres final at the Commonwealth Games, what an embarrassment! Dwain looked very suspicious, it is good to win races against people like Maurice Greene, but pulling up when you know you are beaten is just a little sad Dwain. People like Marlon Devonish who are consistently good demand more credit than these chumps. The FA for their persistence in failing with Wembley and also those who buy tickets for the fourth day of Test matches because invariably the match has ended, either with England winning (this Summer) or losing (now). It'd be nice to have a last day stormer. Chumps of the Year? It has to be anyone who thought that Alex Ferguson and Man United were a spent force less than a month ago. Ha, ha, ha! Jan Molby's managerial spell at Hull City, a shining example of how to disillusion a good team of footballers. His half-time team talks produced some of the poorest second-half performances that Boothferry Park has ever seen, no mean feat believe me!
My chump of the year goes to anyone who doesn't vote for Paula Radcliffe for Sports Personality of the Year. The woman is an inspiration to millions - hard work, determination, and sheer refusal to give in has led to the fulfilment of her, and many of our, dreams. Sorry, but David Beckham? He broke his foot and scored a penalty - not even in the same match - and nothing else at all! Charles Coppell of Franchise F.C. has to be the biggest chump of the year. Telling everyone that there is a better atmosphere at Wimbledon this season than last - what a joke! He is trying to take on the supporters of all football clubs, with his franchise idea and it cannot and must not work. If it did who would be the next chairman to up sticks if everything does not go their way. If horses are allowed I would say Hawk Wing who could only live up to the hype by beating a poor Eclipse field in a workmanlike manner. I've never known such an overrated horse...he goes hand in hand with the overrated England football team last summer. Rivaldo is the chump of the year because of his reaction to a ball hitting him in the stomach but acting as if he'd been hit in the face. If he's not a chump I don't know what is! The BBC get the chump award for giving George Best a lifetime achievement award. An award for staying alive maybe, but sport? He was good in his time but that's a long time ago.
David Batty is this year's chump, taking legal action against his chairman for expressing his opinion. What a plank!! Alan Baxter surely deserves a mention. Any world class competitive athlete should know exactly what drugs they are taking. Even though he obviously wasn't cheating, he has cheated himself out of a medal. The Board of West Ham for the decline of a great traditional football club and for refusing to re-sign one of the Premiership's best players. And let us not forget Corne Krige - GBH and jail if he did it on the street, but apparently okay on the turf at Twickers. Roy Keane is the greatest chump of this (and every other) year for petulantly throwing away the chance to play on the biggest footballing stage just because he didn't like Mick McCarthy. That act of selfishness was an insult to the whole of Ireland for which Keane should rot in footballing hell. Don't get me started on the book....
Jannes Labuschagne for the unsubtle charge at Jonny Wilkinson that got him rightfully sent off and destroyed his country's chance of staying with England. Or maybe the ignorant Springbok fan who "decked" the referee because the SA team was losing. Or even the South African newspaper that hailed this same idiot as a hero. It has to be Leeds for picking Terry Venables as manager. As if there weren't enough reasons for Leeds to do badly this season already. It has to be Alex Ferguson. He, like Roy Keane, believes his own hype. He finished trophlyless last season and will do so again this season. Sandy Clark - destroyed St Johnstone and has the audacity to sit on the BBC and pass comment on the performance of other managers. More of a chimp than a chump. Poor Peter Enckleman. It was a mistake that could happen to anyone, but not appealing that his foot didn't touch the ball is the biggest mistake. He held himself in the face of adversity though.
Dennis Wise is this year's chump, for appealing against his sacking for violent behaviour and then making it worse by sueing Leicester City. David Seaman for not knowing it is time to go. He has become a joke A close call between Roy Keane and Terry Venables. Keane for thinking that he could write a book and Venables for thinking that he could manage in the 21st Century. Nasser Hussain - for failing to understand the Aussie psyche at the very first hurdle - the pitch was an irrelevance. Roy Keane - Chumpus Maximus. World Cup, book, attitude...there is no contest.
Surely the Enlgish cricket selectors are the biggest chumps, sending a team of walking wounded to play the world's best ever cricket side, in their own back yard! Surely Nasser Hussain is in line for this award. Bat or bowl after winning the toss? Surely a no-brainer (the decision that is). Maybe the selectors should be joint winners too. Roy Keane must be the one. For someone with his wage to act like this is an affront for any hardworking Irish. If he would show some respect for the people that support him, I might give him the benefit of the doubt, but he had to play the sissy. Come on, the Irish are better than that! The IOC get my vote for chumps of the year for disgracefully stripping Baxter of his deserved bronze at Salt Lake City. Alain used an inhaler, not a performance-enhancing drug. The IOC's performance needs enhancing after their decision! Ordinary Harrison for what he didn't do; and fatso Bosnich for what he did.
Surely the BBC World Cup commentary team must be in contention. They had England down to win the trophy before a ball was kicked. When will they realise that putting pressure on a mediocre team will not be enough to win it. The English media and fans for always building their teams up (whether football, cricket, rugby) when they are actually no more than average. At least we don't have high expectations and are realistic here. The award goes to anyone and everyone involved in the decision to put the new national stadium at Wembley. May they spend the rest of their lives in a traffic jam on the north circular! Elvis Smith - the javelin thrower who at the Commonwealth Games ran to the mark, fell flat on his face and stabbed the javelin into the ground only inches in front of the throw line. My thoughts on chump of the year 2002 has led me down many paths... Veron? Keane? Seaman? English Cricket? Ferrari? No, all these are worthy candidates, but my chump of the year for 2002 has to be the English Football team. After the anticipation of the build up, the defeat of Argentina and getting to the quarter-finals they flattered to deceive and let us down badly with one of the worst performances I have seen from an international team. Bunch of over-paid, over-hyped chumps, I say! How about the football team in Madgascar that scored 149 own goals. Absolutely barmy!
Peter Reid would get my vote as chump of the year for what he has done to Sunderland football club. He refused to believe that his squad of players were not good enough to compete in the Premiership and ended up being stitched up just before deadline day, getting sacked and leaving Sgt. Wilko and impossible job with poor players and no money. Mark Bosnich - chump! It has to be Roy Keane, chump of the year for both Ireland and Man Utd. Can anyone be more selfish?? How about the six million people who stayed up to watch some women win a gold medal for hurling lumps of granite down the ice? Or maybe the millions of you that continue to think that Ellen MacArthur is actually any good at sailing a boat. Paul Goss did a thousand times more than she did, didn't cry, and just got on with it!! A true bootneck. Chump of the year? Let's make that chumps of the year and give it to all those involved in the ITV Digital fiasco. The lawyers for their failure in having a watertight contract, Granada and Carlton in their complete misguided belief in their product, the Football League chairmen for spending money before receiving it, and the Football League players for being so greedy. All deserve a chump award!
England Ashes squad. The excitement waking up every morning trying to guess just how unbelievably bad they managed to do the previous night! David Seaman - does he have a Scottish granny? We would love to call him our own! For year-long, sustained chumpishness, it must go to Ferrari. But for the single most chump-like act of the year it's got to be Nasser "after you - no, really, we don't want to win" Hussain. Nasser Hussain definitely. He forgot the first rule of winning a toss in a Test match - bat! BBC Grandstand are my chumps of the year for failing to take any interest in Britain's most successful sportswoman Ellen Macarthur and failing to show any of the final of the Davis Cup between France and Russia They seem to think any tennis tournament without that ace English chump Henman who has never one anything is what we want to see. No wonder British teams are the butt of jokes all over the World. Fabien Barthez is my chump of the year for all the clangers that he has made, not only last year but also this year. Alex Ferguson is a close second for actually letting him play.
Roy Keane...need I argue his case, he does that well enough for himself every time he opens his mouth. My guess is he'll also have next year's chump award in the bag by Easter... Chump of the year should go to the selection panel for overseas personality if they again overlook Lance Armstrong.A true champion in a true test of determination & skill. I have to say that Jerzy Dudek has to get it, he has proved himself with that blunder to let Forlan score. But I don't care, I'm a United fan! Bernie Ecclestone. He's had a shocking year as a salesman he keeps shooting F1 in the foot with his negative and damaging comments about his own sport and particularly about Silverstone and the British Grand Prix, which he seems not to be bothered about. This being especially poor at a time of falling viewing figures and processional races. Spiteful? Confused? Maybe. Chump? Definitely...and worse! It has got to be the England cricket team. It must have been like a practise match for the Aussies. The worst player on the side is the captain; Hussain, just GO!!! It's a disgrace to watch! A joint award to the chairmen of the Premiership clubs for their continued attempts to destroy all professional football outside the Premiership by their blinkered money-grabbing attitude. And let's not forget a special award to Sven for ever thinking that Ulrika could keep her mouth shut when someone waved a few pound notes at her!
El Tel....wow!! Either O'Leary was the greatest mistake Peter Ridsdale ever made or Mr Venables has lost his touch...I think history speaks for itself. Mr Ridsdale, Mr Venables take a bow, my chumps of the month. Callum Davidson; for allowing a wee fool called Dennis Wise to break his jaw. Walter Smith for once again providing a year of misery for the Everton supporters. David Moyes has proved just how bad he really was! David Seaman has to be the biggest chump of the year, because every time we supposedly face superior opposition, his hands appear to turn to butter and his brain stops working. It must be Terry Venables. He's taken a top four team and put it in danger of relegation. I'd love to go for a drink with you Tel, but I just don't want you to manage my football team. For his behaviour during the Ryder Cup, the chump of the year has to be Tiger Woods. By contrast the excellent sportsmanship of David Duval during the same tournament should be rewarded with the Overseas Sports Personality of the Year award. Chump of the year? Only one contender - English cricket! What an embarrassment!! Let the Aussies have the Urn, we don't deserve to keep it! Audley Harrison - the shine has already come off his Olympic medal with the succession of stiffs he's chosen to fight since turning pro. And he's no spring chicken either so he needs to get moving unless he wants to be remembered as the guy who bottled out of any serious fights as a pro.
The Ferrari F1 team, most definitely - repeated ignorance towards their once-great sport all the way throughout 2002. At least McLaren in 1998 actually stopped! Ferrari are determined to turn the 'Prancing Horse' into a depressed donkey, and turn off fans in order to help destroy rival F1 teams financially from within. Hey, hold on... Gerard Houllier gets my vote! He continues to play Emile Heskey and Vladimir Smicer, when we all know that they couldn't hit a cow's backside with a banjo! What's wrong with Milan Baros? David Seaman all the way. The goalie is the foundation on which a football team is built. If there is no confidence in a team's defence, what chance is there to get forward and score? Not only is Seaman at risk of finishing his career on a depressing low point but could also damage England's qualification prospects. Nasser Hussain for putting Australia into bat in the first Test. The result of this match was always going to be crucial for giving England confidence for the rest of the Ashes tour and the captain should have played to our strengths. It was probably the worst decision in Test history given the obvious gulf in quality between the two sides. Mike Tyson has to be my chump of the year. He bit Lewis, almost got the fight cancelled, said he would win and got destroyed!
Les Dennis. Oh blast - wrong board. Still, if he did play a sport he'd definitely be chump of the year. Tim Henman is my chump of the year. Whenever it comes to Wimbledon every year the press build him up to be some great tennis player, then what happens? He goes and lets the whole nation down every time by not playing his best tennis throughout every match. He is just not good enough to win Wimbledon ever! The British media are my awarded chumps of the year, for hammering David Seaman, forgetting ALL the goals that he has saved for our country. The English Cricket Team. Enough said. After recent performances, English cricket is not something the nation can be proud of. David Seaman is surely the year's biggest sporting chump. He played on in the second half of the England/Brazil game despite getting injured before half-time, and he was too slow to make any decent saves in that game as well.
It's about time he retires and lets a true world-class goalkeeper like David James take his place wearing the number 1 shirt for England. He should have played at the England v Portugal friendly in September and announced his retirement on a high, instead of the huge low he will leave on very soon! Mark Bosnich. A wasted talent who should have moved on when he could not get a place in the team. Naseem Hamed gets my chump of the year vote. The guy had the chance to be one of the best pound for pound boxers of all time. Instead however, he left the trainer who made him great (Brendan Ingle) and let his greedy brothers take control of his career. The words, "if it ain't broken, don't try to fix it" spring to mind! Get back to basics Naz, forget about the glitz and glamour and put in some long and hard hours in a backstreet run-down gym. Maybe you can salvage something yet! The ECCB, English Cricket Chump Board, gets my vote on two counts. Firstly for sending a team of injured players, but mostly for thinking that cricket is an inclusive game at grass roots that is prospering and bringing on the Bothams of the future. Check out the Aussie model of organisation, we are a shambles compared to them!
Roy Keane by far! Anyone who is moronic enough to admit to wanting to cause harm to someone in their book and not expect people to follow it up must be insane. Plus, his childish behaviour concerning the Ireland squad shows how much of a spoiled brat he has become. The FA and Charles Koppell should receive a joint award for letting Wimbledon FC move to Milton Keynes, allowing the commencement of franchising in football and ripping the soul out of the game. My vote goes to Alex Ferguson. He has become so smug and cancelling his retirement because he thought he had a special gift to keep on winning makes me laugh but Arsenal showed him. I'm a Spurs supporter too! Craig Bellamy managing to get himself sent off, not once but twice. Bad advert for football and footballers. I agree with Richard in the UK in choosing Roy Keane as my chump of the year. But unlike Richard, I don't think Roy has a brain cell at opposite ends of his cranium; I don't think he has any brain cells at all. King muppet 2002; arise, Mr Keane, and take a bow. Roy Keane - it has to be - for being the big baby in the playpen! David Seaman deserves the award, not merely for his appalling blunders against Brazil, Macedonia etc, but for his blind refusal to even contemplate a well-deserved retirement. He is now well past his (excellent) best, but seems determined to cost England a place in Euro 2004.
Mick Wadsworth is my chump of 2002, because he is going to get Huddersfield Town relegated!!!!! The England cricket team, lack of technique, skill and perhaps most important of all, no fight. Australia may be the best cricket team in the world but England are just pathetic. Nasser Hussain, just go. The England 'cricket' team, with a few exceptions, totally choking in the most important Test series that most of them will ever play in! Aberdeen FC board of directors for going for a 35,000 seat stadium that nobody but their 11,000 average spectators want. Chump of the year: the FIA. Roy Keane; the biggest bighead at Old Trafford. And that takes some doing. Rivaldo - for his brave dive and roll which had a Turkish player sent off in the last minute of a World Cup game, which Brazil were winning comfortably. Bradford Bull's Jimmy Lowes. Whinger of the highest order after the Grand Final.
Believe it or not, Arsene Wenger gets my vote for chump of the year. By selling Richard Wright, he's left himself dangerously short of goalkeeping cover, and with "Safe Hands" going through a difficult patch at the moment, it will cost him dear at some point this season. Roy Keane showed that the two brain cells he has are at opposite ends of his cranial cavity by refusing the chance to play in his last ever World Cup finals because his loo seat wasn't warmed for him, telling everybody that he wanted to end Alf-Inge Haaland's career, then mugging Jason McAteer and thinking he could get away with it - what, was the whole world not going to be watching? Chump! Definitely the Ferrari F1 team get my award for "Chump of the Year". Their antics throughout the 2002 season from Austria to Indianapolis made a mockery of the sport. If any of the leading members were true racers rather than soulless, profit-making robots they would let their drivers race to see the best man win. Who cares if they collide once or twice. They will win anyway and it will give someone else a chance for a change. Geoffrey Richmond is my chump of the year for his 'six weeks of madness' that nearly finished Bradford City! Craig Bellamy is my chump of the year, he has let Newcastle United down with his foolish sending-offs. | |
See also:  15 Oct 02 | Man Utd 17 Oct 02 | Football 17 Sep 02 | Football 09 Jun 02 | Lewis v Tyson fight Top Sports Personality 2002 stories now: Links to more Sports Personality 2002 stories are at the foot of the page. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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