2011 Sports Personality of the Year top 10

[RunRickyRun]

Cavendish by a mile

[The_Rev]

What has Amir Khan achieved to warrant a place on the list? The only decent fighter he has ever faced put him on his arse easily. Prescott aside he has made a career and a fortune out of beating nobodies.

With all due respect, that is utter bollocks. What has Khan done to deserve a place on the list? Moved into a genuine top ten pound for pound fighter. His demolition of Zab Judah this summer was pure class and his win over Maidana last December (in 2010, yeah but after the shortlist for last years award was announced so presumably due for consideration this time round) was one of the best fights of the past decade. Amir Khan is the real deal mate, and judging him on anything other than his phenomenal progress since the Prescott defeat is foolish to say the least.

[will87]

yeah was about to say, Khan's gone on to fight much better opponents than Prescott.

[mjmooney]

I'd have to agree with Gabby Logan's assessment that allowing magazines such as Nuts and Zoo to vote in the poll, whilst not allowing similar women's magazines seems a little unfair.

But I would wager that 90% of the readership (and staff of) of said womens' mags have close to zero interest in sport. Sorry to stereotype, but I think it's true.

A better approach would be to go by the specialist sports magazines (Runners' World, that sort of thing).

Not that I care, I'm not interested in SPOTY anyway.

[AVFCLaura]

and all the talk is on lack of women. So which women were denied access?

All I can think of who've had reasonable years, Baltacha and Watson had creditably solid years in Tennis, and Radcliffe didn't break down when she came back to Marathon running.

Rebecca Adlington, Keri-Anne Payne or Chrissie Wellington, surely?

[Jon]

Keri-Anne Payne

I could see myself voting for her, yes. :nod:

For me, Cav must win this by a wheel.

[TrentVilla]

Cavendish by a mile

That must have been some sprint finish.

[Stevo985]

and all the talk is on lack of women. So which women were denied access?

All I can think of who've had reasonable years, Baltacha and Watson had creditably solid years in Tennis, and Radcliffe didn't break down when she came back to Marathon running.

Rebecca Adlington, Keri-Anne Payne or Chrissie Wellington, surely?

As much as I don't want to shoot down those women, but Adlington aside, not many people have heard of the other two.

It probably shouldn't, but that makes a difference.

If I won the world welly throwing contest 10 years in a row I wouldn't win SPOTY

(silly example, but you get my point)

[TrentVilla]

I'd have to agree with Gabby Logan's assessment that allowing magazines such as Nuts and Zoo to vote in the poll, whilst not allowing similar women's magazines seems a little unfair.

I would assume that those publications which are selected to offer their readers the opportunity to vote in the poll actually pay for the ability to do so or at the very least ask for the opportunity to do so.

I've not seen Logan's comments, but is there any evidence at all to suggest that any women's magazine has asked for the opportunity to do this? Or if they do pay, have offered to do so?

I rather suspect that their isn't any evidence of this because I very much doubt any women's magazine think a large enough section of their readership would be interested.

There are how many women's publications on the shelf? How many of them are sports magazines? How many of them carry any sports content? Next to none and there is a reason for that and it isn't that they aren't allowed.

All publications content is designed to appeal to their target audience on the back of market research and sales figures.

So I have to say I think Logan is talking bollocks to be honest.

[kidlewis]

[theunderstudy]

Cav by a **** mile. And with respect to Luke Donald, the main criticism of Andy Murray is that he doesn't win the big ones but seems to win quite a lot of the "non-big ones".

Anyway if its anyone other than Cavendish its a travesty.