The England 'Other Sports' thread

I just really want to slam this AIs tour now.

Get the monkey off our back with SA, we used to have a more than 50% win rate over them pre 2005, now it's shocking. We need to address that. I'd also like to see Robson and Jones blooded into the side.

Shame about Fullback, Brown's going ok at Quins and looks less tired but the attacking threat is gone somewhat and Goode's injured. The one I'd like Haley is also injured, so outside chance we might see Daly at 15 if anything happens to Brown.

 

Bit belated bothering but here goes: who would have thought, say ten years ago, that an English runner could win the 5,000 and 10.000 metres gold medals at one Olympics and then do the same at the next one (even though falling over in one event) and still not get into the top three at the SPOTY Awards?

Was it just the drugs suspicion? Or not considered that English? A bit of both? Other?

 

I think the fact that he's seen as part of the furniture plays against him, 2016 was his forth major championships in a row where he got two golds: we're at a point where Mo Farah is expected to win so when he doesn't get the props he deserves for doing so. He's also a bit dull - hardly surprising given the sacrifices he has to make for his sport - and distance running is seen as a boring event. Despite that he did still come forth in the end.

Maybe his Somali heritage did play into it but it's too easy to point the blame at a spectre like racism. People were saying Strictly Come Dancing voters were racist when two black people got voted off early in the series just gone but then another black person went on to win the whole thing.

 

I did think about that. He's won SPOTY three times: the year he first won Wimbledon, then the year he won the Davis Cup, then the year he reached world number 1. So there's a sense of progression there which Farah would only be able to provide if he won some marathons or broke the 5000/10000 world record. Tennis is also a much more popular sport than distance running and Murray himself probably benefits from block voting up in Scotland. So they're both a bit dull, although Murray did cry during at least one of his acceptance speeches.

 

I actually deleted my comment because it didn't really follow - nobody takes Murray's achievements in Tennis for granted because of the strength of the field.

It is a bit surprising that Farah hasn't done better in the voting, but I can see the counterarguments in favour of each of the top three for both of his Olympic years.

It's a bit of a pointless prize anyway, no?

 

"Part of the furniture", eh. No I don't buy that. "forth major championship in a row where he got two golds" is just the reason for people being able to claim he is the greatest British athlete of all time. The 5000 and 10,000 metres never used to be considered "boring events". Our golden period was in the 70s with the likes of David Bedford, David Moorcroft and Brendan Foster (and others) was massively popular with the public. But none of them had anything like the amazing success of Farah. I couldn't tell you, even now, which sport the candidates who came second and third for the SPOTY participate in (but yes I can see my part in that).

I wasn't suggesting racism was involved here, so much, as people perhaps not thinking Farah was fully British.

 

It isn't the 1970s any more, the event being popular then doesn't count for anything when the voting happens in the present day.

 

That's probably one of the main reasons. I'd have liked to see either Farah or Max Whitlock win it personally.

 

I'm well ware of what year it is and my points still stand. Talking of "popularity" most people, like me, will not even have the lightest idea, now, what sports the second and third candidates for the SPOTY award are involved in.

Yet people will still be talking about the amazing achievements of Mo Farah in 30/40 years time.

 

I was expecting quite a furore about Farah missing out even on a top three place. But I've found this hidden away in The Guardian (with the views of the second and third placed bods):

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...orts-personality-2016-award-alistair-brownlee

 

Yo fight fan/s! I'm not really up for the Joshua vs Klitschko fight (not yet anyway) and I've been keenly interested in Joshua's progress since I tipped him in 2011 to win gold in the London Olympics. It's a big step up in class for AJ (he could have done with a few more relatively tough fights before taking him on) but because of Klitschko's age it would be quite a set back and massive disappointment if Joshua didn't take full advantage.

Any views on this, anyone? PPV Sky this Saturday coming.

 

It is indeed intriguing. The concern is, Joshua might struggle against a sharp jab, be out-boxed, look like a bit of plodder and even cop a few big right hands. A lot are saying Joshua needs an early win, but in the normal scheme of things - against a formidable Klitschko - that would be a very big ask. If he did finish him relatively early, it would of course be one hell of a result (at least if it is not some sort of freak finish). If AJ is to fulfil his potential, he needs to show he can dominate the fight over the full distance, if need be. The big test has finally arrived. I'm hoping he's up to it.

Anyone not able to watch it might be interested to know it is on Radio 5 (as is often the case). .

 

It was a fantastic event. Such compelling drama. And what a comeback. As Trump might say, who would have thought sport could be so exciting. Give that lad a Sports Personality of the Year award.

Tonight's Line of Duty won't have a finish as good as that.

 

It wasn't brilliant

Props to wlad he showed heart

That uppercut was ridiculous

 

It was "brilliant". It's just that your man was stopped in the 11th. LOL

The seven back pages of The Mail was taken up today by this great fight. Britain's best sports writer had this to say, "This was the greatest night of boxing in the stadium's history, surely the greatest performance by a British heavyweight on home soil and one of the greatest title fights of any era.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/boxing/article-4460990/Anthony-Joshua-greatest-s-best.html#ixzz4fqERyb4c
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

 

I actually meant to say was but my phone keyboard is shit

Also fcuk the daily mail

 

No. You're still not making sense.

 

I said after Joshua's last fight he needs to get his weight down a bit if he can. Cut down on the "bodybuilding" type work. Like Lennox Lewis, the heavier he got, the less he could land the big right In Lennox's case his jab became more of a slow prod.

To everyone's surprised AJ has come in four pounds heavier for tonight's fight. I watched Bear Grills (for the first time) last night with him on, doing what looked to be incredibly dangerous and scary looking climbing type activities - the sort of things commandos apparently have to do in training.

 

The Mail's chief sports writer goes through chapter and verse of the latest drugs scandal:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sp...ation-poison-Brailsford-not-survive-this.html