Zara Phillips, BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

[Seadog]

Zara Phillips was named last night as the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

The horsewoman follows in the footsteps of her mother, the Princess Royal, who won the same award in 1971.

Daily Telegraph

I like a nice Royal story. A talented young woman.

Good girl....I mean, well done m'am.

 

[Lamri]

Hmm,
Joe Calzaghe (sp?) for me.
He's been at the top for years

 

[TattooDog]

Sports Personality of the Year? What about the horse? Aren't they technically a team?

In that case, Joe Calzaghe was the only individual in the running, since the Ryder Cup was also a team effort.

 

[Backpacker1uk]

Considering GRANDMA has probably the best horses in the land and mummy has the finances to steer her in the right direction. It is no big achievement!!!

The majority of people who have to go out and earn a living who are not blessed with the silver spoon given the opportunity could probably also hit the headlines.

That for me is the same as Prince Charles walking round with his red lid and wearing para wings after doing only one para jump and not eight as the commoners and that was in water surrounded by probably every swimmer canoeist the frog squad could muster.

 

[angrydoc]

Get the chip on your shoulder sorted out Backpacker!

Granted Zara had opportunities not open to everyone, but that doesn't take away from her fantastic achievement in a bloody difficult sport. You don't need to have shedloads of cash to ride horses, but not everyone can ride them quite as well as she.

 

[dt018a9667]

For me it should have been the gymnast or the blind sprinter (how does she do it! Bloody marvellous).
But it was great to see no over paid over rated prima donnas that they call heroes (sic) from the football fraternity in the running.

 

[slim]

Get the chip on your shoulder sorted out Backpacker!

Granted Zara had opportunities not open to everyone, but that doesn't take away from her fantastic achievement in a bloody difficult sport. You don't need to have shedloads of cash to ride horses, but not everyone can ride them quite as well as she.

Sorry Doc but you do need shitloads of cash to learn to ride to a decent standard. In my day most air stations had stables and anyone could learn to ride for a reasonably small charge. However to ride to a high standard requires both good horses and loads of time. Backpacker was correct in stating that she had all these.
Seems to me Doc that anyone who makes a stand against privileged lifestyles in your eyes must have a chip on their shoulder.
I think you will find there are many athletes equally as capable as her who have attained their positions by commitment and sacrifice.
Examples can be found in many of our black athletes who have achieved sporting success without having a privileged background

 

[angrydoc]

Couldn't agree more, but the SPOTY award is for national and international level sport. Granted, this year hasn't been great for British sport, but to try to beat Zara Phillips over the head because of her background is not fair. If Joe Bloggs had done what she did, would anyone be looking into his bank account and seeing what he earns? No. We'd be applauding him as a great sportsman. Why can we not do the same for Zara?

 

[dt018a9667]

Please, please I have heard this said before but the whole thing has changed.
Just look at the title `BBC Sports Personality of the Year` I think the word we should be looking at is Personality now where does that leave us?


Just a thought.

 

[slim]

What I want to know is how did a darts player get into the top 10?

 

[dt018a9667]

To True

 

[sgtpepperband]

The nominees were picked by the British public; the winner was picked as a result of votes submitted by the British public. Did the people who are criticising Zara Phillips for winning submit a vote themselves, or are they just complaining because they've got the opportunity to do so? :shock: