Lewis Hamilton’s case for Sports Personality of the Year Award win..

[Roy The Boy]

How UK F1 World Champions have fared in SPotY

1973 Jackie Stewart Won Sports Personality
1976 James Hunt Came 2nd in Sports Personality of Year
1992 Nigel Mansel Won Sports Personality
1996 Damon Hill Won Sports Personality
2008 Lewis Hamilton Came 2nd in Sports Personality of Year
2009 Jenson Button Came 2nd in Sports Personality of Year

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What’s really needed is this story to be bounded around: http://www.independent.ie/sport/golf/rory-mcilroy-to-play-for-ireland-at-2016-olympics-30365325.html

Seriously, there’s been calls for Andy Murray to return his award following his English snub Tweet on the eve of the Referendum. Lewis has played his Stevenage card well. McIlroy is in Australia while Lewis was on Radio 1 this week and, hopefully, will be doing the chat show circuit during the next 10 days.

Here’s the Guardian poll from Monday

Further/previous thoughts below:

F1 beats Golf 6-2 in SPotY Stakes

In a similar vein I’ve harped on about Sports Personality of the Year for months yet I still cannot get away from the fact that Rory McIlroy cannot possibly be a 1/8 poke. Let me underline once again:

• Golf is out of fashion. That’s underlined by Justin Rose, who was amongst the nominees last year courtesy of his US Open win. Ultimately he received just 1.3 percent of the SPOTY votes
• It’s been 25 years since a golfer last won this award (Nick Faldo in 1989)
• Only two golfers have ever won this award – Dai Rees being the other in 1957
• In the past 34 years only twice – 2006 & 2011 – has a golfer finished runner-up. On both occasions it was Darren Clarke
• The last Northern Irish winner was Tony McCoy who had been appointed a PR agency to help his cause. Prior to that it’s been 29 years since the last Irish winner: Barry McGuigan (1985)

I may be wearing rose tinted glasses but the fact remains there have been six previous winners from Formula 1 and five runner-ups have also come from the sport. Combined they make it the second most successful SPOTY sporting genre.

F1 is now broadcast on both the BBC and SKY Sports, the destination of the World Championship title, which Lewis Hamilton is 1/4 to claim, will not be decided until the final race of the season which is on November 23rd.

Therefore it will be fresh in the mind of the SPOTY voters who will have their phone lines closed during awards night on December 14th. Doubtlessly, during that show, Jules Bianchi horror crash will be touched upon and therein the dangers f1 drivers face will be highlighted. It’s a vote winner.

Under the circumstances the 8/11 about Hamilton without the Irish golfer and 6/1 to claim the prize outright (with Boylesports) has to be devoured.

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Selection: Lewis Hamilton
Market: Sports Personality of the Year
Event Starts: 14th December (Live on BBC)
Date of Post: April 9th
Odds: 5/1 (PaddyPower)
Posted By: Roy The Boy
Stake: 1 point

Strengths

Lewis Hamilton’s sport, F1, runs throughout the year, a season which does not end until three weeks before the SPOTY awards. This will keep him fresh in voter’s minds.

F1 is more popular than ever with two major broadcasters (including the BBC) covering it in the UK. The sport has thrown up winners in the 90’s with Nigel Mansel (92) and Damon Hill (94 & 96).

Hamilton was runner-up in 2007 and the 2008 renditions of SPOTY. Jenson Button was runner-up in 2009.

Favourites fare incredibly well in this event. The last six favourites (Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish, Tony McCoy, Ryan Gigs, Chris Hoy, Andy Murray), who were all short prices, won. The last upset was Zara Phillips win in 2006 and, in mitigation, British sport had very little to shout about on that occasion.

Weaknesses

Hamilton must win the F1 Drivers Championship to win this. He is 8/15 to do so at the time of writing. This will probably make him favourite of the SPOTY regardless of what his rivals achieve – England making the final of the World Cup apart!

Opportunities

A fantastic event to trade an ante-post portfolio as you can strike off and add fancies as/when they win or lose key events during the course of a year.

Threats

A repeat win for Chris Froome in the Tour de France (currently even-money to do so) would be interesting. Cyclist prevailed in the SPOTY in 2011 and 2012 (Mark Cavendish and Bradly Wiggins).

However the public probably felt robbed by foolishly believing Bradley Wiggins was the greatest thing since sliced bread only to now realise it was his team which won him the Tour de France and not his individual ability. Froome was nominated last year but failed to finish in the top-three (received just 5 percent of the vote).

Exploits of Winter Olympian Lizzy Yarnold will be too old in the public’s memory. Amy William’s, another Olympic Gold Medallist in 2010, only finished eighth in that year’s SPOTY.

Rory McIlroy probably needs to win two majors to be given a chance. Golf is out of fashion underlined by Justin Rose, who was amongst the nominees last year after his US Open win, who received just 1.3 percent of the SPOTY votes.

Mo Farah, never made the top three in last year’s SPOTY or the 2012 rendition and that’s despite him winning two Olympic gold medals that year.

The must saver bet is Steven Gerrard (available at 8/1). In 2009 veteran Welsh footballer and marriage wrecker Ryan Gigs claimed the Sports Personality of the Year Award. It was not the result of an individual achievement but more of a ‘thank you’ from the Manchester United diehard fans via fan club campaigns. Giggs received 29.4% of the vote (151,842 votes) ahead of F1 driver Jenson Button.