SPOTY 2015

[Martino Knockavelli]

I may be biased but I can't overlook Murray. Winning 11 out of GBs 12 matches in the tournament. Coming up against some excellent players in consecutive days and burdening the entire weight of expectation. I just think it's an achievement that won't ever be beaten by a British tennis player.

This doesn't pass scrutiny.

His singles wins were (w/ current ranking):

vs. Donald Young (#48)
vs. John Isner (#11)
vs. Jo Willy Tsonga (#10)
vs. Gilles Simon (#15)
vs. Thanasi Kokkinakis (#80)
vs. Bernie Tomic (#18)
vs. Ruben Bemelmans (#109)
vs. David Goffin (#16)

His biggest price in any match was 1.178, vs Tsonga. Cumulative odds for all 8 singles matches were 1.804. Even the cumulative odds to win all 8 singles matches and the 3 doubles were only 5.61.

Praiseworthy? Assuredly. But assuredly not a murderer's row either. Such streaks are more the norm than the exception amongst the top chaps in this era of men's tennis (and this wasn't even a streak, either, but a somewhat random sampling of pairs of results spread across 9 months and 3 different surfaces). Murray himself has produced comparable (or better) strings of wins with some regularity.

Yes, he was the only one pulling the rope, and, no, that's not for nothing. But one needs to be ascribing a lot of weight to the hot air and post-hoc narrivatising of "WEIGHT OF EXPECTATION" and "CARRYING THE DREAMS OF A NATION ON HIS BACK" to make this add up to much more than a fella not slipping up whilst beating a bunch of people he should beat.

 

[SALTIRE]

If only the game was all about numbers eh.

 

[Saddlerrad]

No Root is a farce.

Murray will win it.

 

[Leewilson]

This doesn't pass scrutiny.

His singles wins were (w/ current ranking):

vs. Donald Young (#48)
vs. John Isner (#11)
vs. Jo Willy Tsonga (#10)
vs. Gilles Simon (#15)
vs. Thanasi Kokkinakis (#80)
vs. Bernie Tomic (#18)
vs. Ruben Bemelmans (#109)
vs. David Goffin (#16)

His biggest price in any match was 1.178, vs Tsonga. Cumulative odds for all 8 singles matches were 1.804. Even the cumulative odds to win all 8 singles matches and the 3 doubles were only 5.61.

Praiseworthy? Assuredly. But assuredly not a murderer's row either. Such streaks are more the norm than the exception amongst the top chaps in this era of men's tennis (and this wasn't even a streak, either, but a somewhat random sampling of pairs of results spread across 9 months and 3 different surfaces). Murray himself has produced comparable (or better) strings of wins with some regularity.

Yes, he was the only one pulling the rope, and, no, that's not for nothing. But one needs to be ascribing a lot of weight to the hot air and post-hoc narrivatising of "WEIGHT OF EXPECTATION" and "CARRYING THE DREAMS OF A NATION ON HIS BACK" to make this add up to much more than a fella not slipping up whilst beating a bunch of people he should beat.

This doesn't pass scrutiny.

So are the world number 10, 11, 15, 16 and 18 not excellent players?

Added to the fact he was half of the team that beat Mahut (in the top 8 doubles pairs in the world) and Tsonga (a renowned very good doubles player) alongside Groth and Hewitt (both very handy doubles players). Oh and they won a crucial doubles in the final, not against top class opposition but opposition primed to play out of their skin nonetheless.

Although the list of results altogether doesn't possess a streak, what you have failed to mention is that winning 3 high intensity best of 5 set matches in 3 days against high level calibre players is exceptional. In particular, a combination of Tsonga, Mahut/Tsonga and Simon over 3 days was outstanding.

Annoying cliches aside, he did carry an awful lot of pressure and spent energy into the 3rd match of every tie which is where the top ranked player on each team plays.

And even if the Davis Cup isn't enough for you, he finished the year as number 2 in the world which shows an excellent level of consistency throughout the season.

I think you're undervaluing the Davis Cup win though due to the large amount of hysteria surrounding the win. What he did was pretty special. You've not even taken things like form dips and busy parts of the calendar when matches were played into account.

Murray to win (again)

 

[White Army]

You fail to mention how shit tennis is though.

 

[Abertawe]

Beating players ranked lower than him? no biggy.

It should go to a man who has achieved the greatest feat in British HW history.

 

[SALTIRE]

Lol if Murray went into the ring with him he'd kick his arse, Fury is nothing but a big clogging oaf.

 

[Leewilson]

It should go to a man who has achieved the greatest feat in British HW history.

Continuing to be a parody despite ending a 9 year title reign?

 

[Super_horns]

Not sure why people dismiss athletes like Murray because he has a dull personality. Personality has fuck all to do with the award [despite what the name suggests].

Michael Owen, Jonny Wilkinson and Nigel Mansell have won in the past.

Lets be honest - most of the winners aren't like Flintoff or Wiggins in terms of personality.

 

[Pyeman]

Michael Owen - enough said.

 

[Abertawe]

Continuing to be a parody despite ending a 9 year title reign?

Ali was a parody.

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

This doesn't pass scrutiny.

<snipped for space>

I didn't say that, did I? My contention was that they did not constitute "a murderer's row" [sic!]. Which by any reasonable definition of the term they transparently do not. If you're going to attempt to incorporate rhetorical flourishes into your Type 2 Bristol Stool Chart prose then at least possess the good grace of having them address something resembling wot I said.

Meanwhile, your contention was that "it's an achievement that won't ever be beaten by a British tennis player".

The combined price for the singles matches (a datum which oh and incorporates potential dips in form, scheduling of the rubbers, the busyness of the calendar, etc) implies a difficulty approximately equal to his winning a hard court 250 with an average strength entry list (seriously - look it up).

The addition of the doubles wins (paired with the #7 ranked doubles player in the world, let's not forget) are obviously not sufficient to turn that semi-precious gem into an all-time Koh-i-Noor.

This not to say that his feat is not praiseworthy (I specifically stated the opposite), or to let hoopla poison the well. And nor is it to overlook his season in general (tho presumably he would have traded some of that consistency for winning another slam). But it is to say that if the hoopla is stripped away then "an achievement that won't ever be beaten by a British tennis player" is—if not meant uselessly specifically, or intended as an oblique commentary on the infinite incompetence of the LTA—hyperbole.

 

[DarkSithLord]

Andy Murray will walk it. Forget your Scottish beliefs. He is the modern Day Fred Perry and is a british sporting great. Fact.

2nd would be Jess Ennis

3rd is a toss up between Peaty and Fury. Would have be Roots had he been picked as he is a machine.

 

[Veggie Legs]

I hope that Murray or Armitstead wins, although only the first of those is likely. As long as Lewis Hamilton (there's another one for the no personality winners club) doesn't win again I won't be too bothered.

 

[shane]

Pretty safe to say Tysons just fucked any chance of winning this. On Jessica Ennis:

"That’s the runner, isn’t it? She’s good, she’s won quite a few medals, she slaps up good as well,” Fury replied when asked about Ennis-Hill. “When she’s got a dress on she looks quite fit."

Fury is also asked about his attitude to female boxers: “I’m all for it. I’m not sexist,” he said. “I believe a woman’s best place is in the kitchen and on her back. That’s my personal belief. Making me a good cup of tea, that’s what I believe.”

 

[Super_horns]

Dammed if they do and dammed if they don't though...

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

If they do:

If they don't:

 

[Abertawe]

Pretty safe to say Tysons just fucked any chance of winning this. On Jessica Ennis:

Don't see why that of all things would hinder him, it's from an IFL interview done weeks ago. He's complimentary towards Ennis, the interviews are done in a 'laddish' setting. Re the female boxing bit, all about context. He's asked about female boxing and gives his view, which was essentially let em rock on if they enjoy boxing, he then jokingly made that quip about women being best on there back, which i'm sure we can all agree is correct.

 

[pride_of_notts]

I kind of like it Tyson Fury obviously does not give a shit what people think of him and says what he actually thinks which is refreshing and honestly how can Boxers be held up as role models for children in any form they beat people up for a living.
Personally I hope Chris Froome wins it for his achievement at TDF.

 

[Super_horns]

So Andy Murray wins again with Kevin Sinfield 2nd and Jess Ennis-Hill 3rd.

Andy Murray polled 361,446 vote followed by:
Kevin Sinfield 278,353,
Jessica Ennis-Hill 79,898,
Tyson Fury 72,330,
Lewis Hamilton 48,379,
Chris Froome 39,007,
Mo Farah 31,311,
Max Whitlock 25,925,
Greg Rutherford 23,492,
Lizzie Armitstead 22,356,
Adam Peaty 13,738,
Lucy Bronze 13,236.

 

[SALTIRE]

Quite right too he was the only choice yet again. Brilliant stuff, really happy for him and to be recognised for the amazing things he has done in his career, a terrific achievement for Britain's greatest sportsman.

Chuffed for the GB team too winning for the Davis Cup, they thoroughly deserved it.

 

[GodsGift]

How did Sinfield end up getting that many votes? Bloody hell.

It's also ridiculous that Fury, who comfortably beat Klitschko in Germany to become a unified heavyweight champion, didn't even make the top three, but I guess Tyson only has himself to blame for that one.

 

[RavenBish]

he then jokingly made that quip about women being best on there back, which i'm sure we can all agree is correct.

Nah, cos we're not all massive fucking sexists mate.

 

[pride_of_notts]

Don't really get why Murray won yeah he won the Davis cup but other than that he didn't take one of the slams personally I think either Froome or Fury should of got it on sporting achievement Sinfield just seems odd polling that many votes from a regional sport

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

Surprised no cricketers were in it - maybe our poor World cup cost us.

I suspect that outcome is more attributable to the effect of the sport disappearing to the walled garden of pay TV, where only about half a million people tune in (an audience approx equal to a midweek repeat of Doc Martin on ITV 3, to put that number into perspective, though one can bump that comparison up to a first run episode of The Supervet if the audience for the Channel 5 highlights are factored in too....). The barrier to penetrating the general public's consciousness becomes very much higher.

 

[SALTIRE]

Don't really get why Murray won yeah he won the Davis cup but other than that he didn't take one of the slams personally I think either Froome or Fury should of got it on sporting achievement Sinfield just seems odd polling that many votes from a regional sport

The Davis Cup is a big deal an is effectively an equivalent of a slam particularly if you win it all almost on your own.

 

[Arkan]

Kevin Sinfield got my vote. Pleasantly surprised he got so many votes.

 

[Abertawe]

Nah, cos we're not all massive fucking sexists mate.

Bless, you're going all Rutherford. Big up yourself you self indulgent pat on the back seeking wanker.

Have you ever given thought to the purpose of life? To reproduce. You wouldn't have evolved to give such cuntish opinions had it not been for mutation. So yeah the earth and every living cell within it suggests Tyson Fury is correct. Wo'men' are at their best when contributing to the evolution of the genetic code. We're merely gene carriers, in a thousand years your person will be completely eroded as though it never existed but the genes you carry will still exist.

 

[RavenBish]

Oh that is fucking superb.