The SPotY nominations shortlist

doesn’t matter.

Females or no females I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. There’s only one winner. Cav. The Manx Missile. Mark Cavendish.

They’re saying the 10 that are nominated make for the strongest field ever seen. But you can dismiss a number of names straight off. Amir Khan, fought no-one that important, done nothing that outstanding. Andy Murray, won nothing of any consequence, wins those little tournaments but when it comes to the biggies he’s just outclassed. Luke Donald, world number one, but again won nothing of any consequence, no major just top ten finishes in a bunch of tournaments.

Then you’re onto the ones that did win something. Ah a big favourite, one with all the celeb mates who’ll be leading his campaign, Darren Clarke. After years of trying he finally won a Major, the Open, yes it’s more than Donald but look at the list of nobodies that have won it of late. I mean they make a big things about him being the first Brit for ages so you just have to look at winner, Paul Lawrie, who would have voted for him back in ’99? Who even really remembers him? Nah, he was overshadowed by the second placed Jean van de Velde and that trip into the Barry Burn. Oh but he lost his wife. Yes, a number of years back, not like it was the day before and he has got a new one now, so it wasn’t having that much effect on him.

Rory McIlroy’s US Open was a better feat, he was only 22 and Brits just don’t win that trophy. Only one winner between 1926 and 2009 but Graeme McDowell did do it the year before. It’s maybe enough for a 2nd or 3rd place.

Dai Greene and Mo Farah come back when it’s an Olympic year and you match what you did this year. I did read someone, somewhere backing Farah by saying he beat the Africans at their own game. Eh? I know he’s British and has been here since he was quite young but he’s originally from a part of the world that has completely dominated long distance running for some time now.

The cricketers, had a great year, in the test arena. Ashes in Australia, destroying India at home to take the number one spot in the Test rankings. But you could say it’s the worst Aussie side we’ve seen in a generation and the Indian’s were completely inept. And it’s the pair of them. So team of the year maybe but no individual award.

So there’s just Cavendish. In road cycling Brits don’t win jerseys at the Tour, especially not the green, they don’t win the World Championship rainbow jersey. They certainly don’t do both in the same year. They are never the best in the world, certainly never the best at their job there’s ever been. Cav did, and is.

This was a glory year for Cavendish in a great year for British road cycling. Chris Hoy won the award for his outstanding Olympics, Tommy Simpson won it when he was Britain’s only other World Champion. So there’s only one option for the top spot.

I find it funny the gnashing of teeth about there being no females in the shortlist. Now I’d have a number in ahead of the first group I mentioned above. Keri-Anne Payne – 10km World Open Water Champion – Chrissie Wellington – Ironman Triathlon World Champion – Sarah Stevenson – taekwondo world champion – and Helen Jenkins – World Triathlon champion – certainly deserve to be in there before Khan, Murray and Donald.

But the fact that the likes of Harriet Harperson, Gabby Logan and Tanni Grey-Thompson have got their knickers in a knot about it is justification enough. Harriet only believes in equality and such when it doesn’t effect her or her family. Female only shortlists unless it’d her husband, you can’t send your kids to nice schools but I can and the likes. No doubt if it was an all female shortlist we wouldn’t hear a peep out of her about equality.

And as for Nuts & Zoo getting a vote, what do they want Heat and the like…