SPOTY Short list

[Colchester Kev]

Ten contenders have been named on the shortlist for the 2007 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

Formula One ace Lewis Hamilton, boxers Ricky Hatton and Joe Calzaghe, plus athletes Paula Radcliffe and Christine Ohuruogu are among the contenders.

Golfer Justin Rose, motorcyclist James Toseland, tennis player Andy Murray and England rugby stars Jonny Wilkinson and Jason Robinson complete the candidates.

A public phone vote decides the winner during the show on Sunday 9 December.

Millions of viewers are set to tune in for the star-studded programme hosted by Gary Lineker, Sue Barker and Adrian Chiles.

An audience of nearly 8,000 people at the NEC in Birmingham will see a range of awards being presented at the sell-out show.

   
Presenters Adrian Chiles, Sue Barker and Gary Lineker
When: 1900 GMT, 9 Dec
Where: NEC, Birmingham
Channel: BBC One
Full coverage also on Radio 5 Live and BBC Sport website

Hamilton is rated favourite by the bookmakers to win the trophy, which was lifted by world equestrian champion Zara Phillips in 2006.

Second favourite with the bookies is Hatton, who fights Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas less than 24 hours before the vote takes place.

The shortlist was drawn up by canvassing the top 10 selections of more than 30 sporting experts, including a range of newspaper editors.

Three current world champions and three runners-up are on the shortlist, with a total of seven sports represented:

[totalise]

I'd like to see Joe Calzaghe win this, I dont think he will, but it would be deserved.

[Jim-D]

Hamilton has this sewn up, and fully deserved too!

[Nem]

I'd like to see Joe Calzaghe win this, I dont think he will, but it would be deserved.

[ifm]

Hatton fights on the 8th, if he wins the fight he'll p**s this.

[Nem]

Hamilton has this sewn up, and fully deserved too!

No.

If he went to a smaller team with a shit car and then he nearly won the F1 Championship then I agree he deserves it.

But F1 is just bollocks. It doesn't matter if you can drive backwards as fast as the others if your car isn't competitive, then you'll have no chance ldo.

Calzaghe has been at the top of his game for over 12 years. He hasn't lost a fight and is only one of 5 boxers to defend his title over 20 times.

I will be very disappointed if Hamilton won ahead of Calzaghe. It would be an absolute joke if he does.

[AndrewT]

But F1 is just bollocks.

 

RICKY 2 WIN!!!

[Dewi_cool]

I'd like to see Joe Calzaghe win this, I dont think he will, but it would be deserved.

[Nem]

Calzaghe is a living LEGEND.

He is the current WBO, WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine world super middleweight champion and the former IBF super middleweight world champion.

Amateur

The southpaw had "some 120" fights and won four schoolboy ABA titles, followed by three consecutive senior British ABA titles (British Championships) from 1991 to 1993. This made him only the second boxer in history to win at Welter, Light Middleweight and Middleweight divisions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calzaghe

[AdamM]

If Hatton beat Mayweather, he deserves this.

Calzaghe is definitely also a worthy winner. perhaps if he fights Bernard Hopkins then retires, he'll pick it uop next year.

Hamilton has done exeptionally well in his first year, but was runner up and has many years in front of him.

regardless of Hatton's result, both boxers are more deserving winners in my eyes. the worry is they'll split the boxing vote and both miss out to Hamilton

[Bazzaboy]

Calzaghe should win by a country mile.....but won't

[TightEnd]

The Petrolhead lobby is enormous, and fanatic. Boxers may have strong arguments to win it but sidelined on Sky and PPV they won't get the votes from the armchair viewer (rather than the hardened sports fan from whom they would)

Hamilton will walk it.

[kinboshi]

Calzaghe is arguably the best British fighter of all time.  He's the longest-reigning World Champion at any weight.  Hatton is hot on his heels, and if he beats Mayweather there'll be a hell of a lot of votes for him on the Sunday.

Hatton is far more personable than Calzaghe, who struggles with the limelight.  This will go in Hatton's favour in the voting.  Calzaghe's recent fights have been on ITV - so that has given him more exposure to the casual boxing fan who doesn't watch it on Sky.  That will go in Calzaghe's favour.

As for Hamilton, yes he had a good season, but he SHOULD have won it.  He had the opportunity (the fastest car for a lot of the season), and lost the chance through his own error.  Does he deserve to win the SPOTY off the back of that...I'd say no.

Jason Robinson deserves some sort of lifetime achievement award, but I wouldn't complain if he won it (although he won't).

Toseland won't win it.  Foggy didn't win it when he won the world title however many years on the trot, so Toseland has no chance.

Paula Radcliffe has only just come back from her break from running, and so hasn't really done anything to justify her winning it (although she's won more than some of the others on the list).  When she wins in Beijing, she might win the SPOTY again.

Ohuruogu is the world champion in her event (400m), but has a higher profile for the fact that she missed a series of drugs tests and so was banned from competing.  She won't win.

Justin Rose, Andy Murray and Jonny Wilkinson are just making up the numbers, surely?



If either boxer wins it, I'll be happy.

[Bazzaboy]

Calzaghe is arguably the best British fighter of all time.  He's the longest-reigning World Champion at any weight.  Hatton is hot on his heels, and if he beats Mayweather there'll be a hell of a lot of votes for him on the Sunday.

Hatton is far more personable than Calzaghe, who struggles with the limelight.  This will go in Hatton's favour in the voting.  Calzaghe's recent fights have been on ITV - so that has given him more exposure to the casual boxing fan who doesn't watch it on Sky.  That will go in Calzaghe's favour.

As for Hamilton, yes he had a good season, but he SHOULD have won it.  He had the opportunity (the fastest car for a lot of the season), and lost the chance through his own error.  Does he deserve to win the SPOTY off the back of that...I'd say no.

Jason Robinson deserves some sort of lifetime achievement award, but I wouldn't complain if he won it (although he won't).

Toseland won't win it.  Foggy didn't win it when he won the world title however many years on the trot, so Toseland has no chance.

Paula Radcliffe has only just come back from her break from running, and so hasn't really done anything to justify her winning it (although she's won more than some of the others on the list).  When she wins in Beijing, she might win the SPOTY again.

Ohuruogu is the world champion in her event (400m), but has a higher profile for the fact that she missed a series of drugs tests and so was banned from competing.  She won't win.

Justin Rose, Andy Murray and Jonny Wilkinson are just making up the numbers, surely?



If either boxer wins it, I'll be happy.

Good post.  Pretty much spot on.  Calzaghe is a mile clear at the minute in my opinion, but if Hatton beats Mayweatherthen he has huge claims as well.  For me it should only go to a winner.  Had Hamilton won then I'd have had no complaints, however he didn't despite EVERYTHING being in his favour, so that rules him out for me for this year anyway.  I've no doubt however that he will win by a wide margin.

[stereoman]

They've stiffed Calzaghe for the last decade so I wouldn't be surprised if they ignored him for this year (I mean Steve Redgrave had to wait 20 years and win five gold medals to get his SPotY award!).

As suggested above when the fight against Bernard Hopkins is made and if Joe beats him, then Joe should[/b] get it but that's no guarantee as 2008 is an Olympic year and there may be an emerging star to be praised and lauded.
 
Hamilton despite choking is probably getting recognised for various things and the most tolerable reason is that his record of being the youngest rookie to have such a season is likely going to stand for quite a while. The fact that he tanked his last two races doesn't seem to matter.

The top three is extremely likely to be a combination of Calzaghe, Hamilton and Hatton (well duh) and I'd be surprised if any of the other seven can topple 'em (there's no Beth Tweddle doing a demonstration of their sport this time 'round to grab a few fickle/impressionable phone votes on the night).