SPOTY 2015

[METALMAN]

I've already set out the proper metric for assessing personalities in this thread. Feel free to use it yourself, just remember to cite me.

[Lineker]

There are growing calls for new world heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury to be removed from the BBC Sports Personality of the Year shortlist over allegations of homophobia and sexist comments.

Fury - who defeated Wladimir Klitschko in a high-profile fight on Saturday - was accused of likening homosexuality to paedophilia in an interview with the Mail on Sunday.

The 27-year-old's comments sparked fury from gay rights groups and more than 30,000 people signed a petition calling on the BBC to drop Fury from the 12-strong shortlist in a matter of hours.

Fury also received criticism for allegedly sexist comments about fellow nominee Jessica Ennis-Hill.

The comments came in an online video in which he also said "a woman's best place is in the kitchen and on her back, that's my personal belief".

But the BBC told ITV News that there are currently no plans to remove Fury from the list.

The Mail on Sunday quoted Fury as saying: "There are only three things that need to be accomplished before the Devil comes home.

"One of them is homosexuality being legal in countries, one of them is abortion and the other is paedophilia."

The boxer angrily denied making the comments but the Mail and their chief sports writer Oliver Holt stood by their piece and published audio of the interview.

Chris Bryant, the Labour MP, was among those to criticise Fury's comments.

"I'm not celebrating Tyson Fury's win. His aggressive style of foul homophobia is precisely the kind that leads to young gay suicides," he tweeted.

A BBC spokesperson pointed out that the Sports Personality shortlist was compiled by a panel of industry experts and based on an individual’s sporting achievement.

However, BBC added, the nomination was not an endorsement of an individual’s personal beliefs either by the BBC or members of the panel.

The Sports Personality of the Year shortlist is decided by a panel of industry experts and reflects sporting achievement.

As Fury became heavyweight champion of the world last weekend, the panel felt that he should be a contender for this year’s award.

The overall winner of the award will of course be decided by viewers during the live show.

– BBC

Stonewall, the equality charity, expressed disappointment by BBC's decision to keep Fury as a contender for the award, telling ITV News:

We’re extremely disappointed by this decision.

Sportspeople,whether they like it or not, are role models – not just for their athletic ability but also for their views.

They are looked up to and are respected by many fans, including young people.

We are concerned that this nomination sends a message that being homophobic is ok and feel it is wrong to celebrate someone who has made such offensive comments, regardless of their sporting prowess.

– RUTH HUNT, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF STONEWALL

Despite his nomination, Fury believes he has no chance of adding the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award to his title belts as he is "too controversial and outspoken".

"I will never win Sports Personality of the Year, so there's no point in me thinking about it - they won't let me win it.I'm too controversial and outspoken!" he told BBC 5 Live earlier this week.

"I suppose it's avery good thing to be nominated for Sports Personality Of The Year. There's been a lot of great sportspeople who have won it in the past. For me to be put in line for it, it's a great honour," he added.

The sports personality of the year winner will be announced at the culmination of a liveshow staged at The SSE Arena in Belfast on December 20.

The BBC has since confirmed that Fury will remain on the shortlist.

[Lineker]

Clive Myrie is my hero.

[Lineker]

There are reports that British Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford is threatening to pull out of the running for this year's BBC Sports Personality of the Year event in Belfast, unless Tyson Fury is withdrawn from the list of nominees. The new world heavyweight boxing champion is facing a police investigation over comments he made about homosexuality.

[Chris2K]

3rd: Jessica Ennis-Hill

 

2nd: Kevin Sinfield (What?!)

 

1st: Andy Murray

 

Hamilton should have probably got in the top 3 but Murray is a deserving winner.

 

[Matt]

Meh, Murray wasn't the worst choice but he's not really done much this year. Surprised Sinfield got 2nd and probably didn't deserve to be that high, he should have got a lifetime achievement award though and as much as I don't like them, the rhinos should have got team of the year by a country mile. I'm just glad Hamilton didn't win though, being given the fastest car doesn't make you a great sportsman, if he'd won the world championship with a toro rosso then fair enough but he won aa two horse race, whoopti-fucking-do.

[Lineker]

[Gazz]

13 hours ago, Matt said:

Meh, Murray wasn't the worst choice but he's not really done much this year.

He won the Davis Cup, a team event, pretty much on his own.

GB scored 12pts throughout the tournament, 11 of them involved Murray.

[Thrilla]

Yeah, but tennis is shit.

[METALMAN]

tbf all the sports except the World Cup and the 100m at the Olympics are shit

[MDK]

2 minutes ago, metalman said:

tbf all the sports except the World Cup and the 100m at the Olympics are shit

It must suck to be a Scottish sports fan :<

[METALMAN]

Wouldn't know. I'm not a sports fan. :/

But I would also reject your implication that you can only enjoy a sport if one (or more) of the better performers happen to have been born in the same country as you. That's just silly.

[Adam]

GB Tennis easily deserve the team award, we hadn't won the Davis Cup in nearly 80 years and even winning it now was a tall order. Murray was a huge part of that so whilst he wasn't my personal pick for the award (Froome or Ennis-Hill for me) then I think he is deserving. Why do Leeds Rhinos deserve it? Genuine question, I'm aware they won the treble in Rugby League but they win the Super League almost every year do they not? They're certainly one of the three teams that are the only ones who ever win the big trophies in this country.

I'm just surprised Fury came fourth.

[DFF]

I'm fine with Murray's win. If anyone had been following the match-ups, they'll have seen just how much amazing tennis he had to play to drag us through that tournament. It was a Herculean effort.