Blog: johnloguk

BBC SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR?

After Ricky Hatton's sad demise against Floyd Mayweather last night, surely nothing can stop Joe Calzaghe winning BBC Sports Personality of the Year tonight?

I think Joe should have won it anyway, but the general view was that Hatton would win if he beat Mayweather. My main concern is that the British public, traditionally fickle, and a bit obtuse, when it comes to sporting heroes, will vote for Lewis Hamilton.

However well Hamilton did to finish second in his first season at Formula One, he still came second. Add the controversy about the "spying scandal", the fact that Hamilton basically threw the title away with poor decision making when the crunch came, and surely he can't win Sports Personality?

Calzaghe has been at the top of his sport for more than a decade, unbeaten in 44 fights and closing in on Joe Louis' all time record. In his early days he was accused of dodging the other top guys, but no one can claim that recently. His dismantling of the fearsome American Jeff Lacy remains one of the greatest victories in the history of British boxing. Many thought that Joe would lose to Michel Kessler a couple of months ago, but it was the Dane who lost his unbeaten record by a considerable margin, after yet another boxing lesson.

Those in the know claim that Calzaghe is the best British boxer ever, and who am I to disagree with them. So if he doesn't win Sports Personality of the Year this evening it will be a travesty of the greatest proportions.

by johnloguk on 13:54 on 9th December 2007