BBC’s sports award has no relevance any more
EXETER Chiefs’ director of rugby, Rob Baxter, claims the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award is ‘not what it once was’ after he and his team were completely ignored at this year’s event.
The ceremony is arguably the BBC’s most prestigious event of the year, held every December, and is supposed to highlight and showcase the sporting success of the UK’s top sports teams and athletes.
But despite Exeter winning Rugby Union’s double of the Gallagher Premiership and European Cup, their achievements were not deemed as impressive as Liverpool winning football’s Premier League as they instead were crowned the BBC’s team of the year.
Just to rub salt into the wound, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was also named as the BBC’s coach of the year making a complete mockery of what Exeter have achieved in 2020 and proving once again that, when it comes to Sport, the Beeb are lacking.
Asked if he thought Liverpool were better than his all-conquering Chiefs side, Baxter said: “I think they would beat us at football. He is a better football manager than me!”
However, there is no denying that while Liverpool’s achievement was impressive, it leaves you scratching your head as to how a team that only won a domestic league title can be declared ‘better’ than a team that exactly the same and some more in their own sport by winning a league title and a first ever European crown, something Liverpool did not do in 2020.
“People involved in world sport or European sport, they don’t actually know anybody down here that well,” Baxter said.
“The reality is they don’t really know that much about Exeter or Devon or the people who are here, and that is not what we are down here and doing it for. We are not doing it down here so we can be on BBC Sports Personality of the Year. We are down here because we can achieve together, for each other, for Exeter, Devon and the area. That is very much what we are about and that is what makes us what we are.
“It is a different programme to what it used to be, but 15 or 20 years ago it was almost must-watch TV.”
Exeter winger Olly Woodburn added: “It was interesting that Liverpool got a clean sweep. Personally, being biased, I would have liked a mention. Either we get the team award or the manager award. But we at Exeter Chiefs are used to getting overlooked a few times so we’ll just carry on.”
Baxter is also unhappy at allegations made by Glasgow in their recent European Champions Cup clash at Sandy Park.
Chiefs won the match emphatically, 42-0, but the Scottish side complained to the competition’s organisers, alleging breaches of Covid-19 protocols, such as a lack of mask wearing and social distancing among Exeter substitutes, coaches and non-playing staff.
Both clubs were forced to miss their next game in the competition, due to Covid, which ended Glasgow’s participation in this year’s event, while Exeter need a minor miracle to be able to progress and have the chance to defend their crown.
Glasgow’s actions have not gone down well in Devon with Baxter saying: “It’s up to them [Glasgow] if they want to publicly make comment and sling mud around. That’s entirely up to them.
“There’s numerous comments I could make about the things I witnessed among the Glasgow players and staff. What they allowed to happen in their areas, their changing room, which they were in charge of once we handed it over to them. But it doesn’t help anybody to talk like that.
“I’m a little bit bemused by why they’ve done it as I don’t think it helps anybody. Anything they wanted to address could have been addressed privately. I’m not sure why clubs make a statement like that. Some of the issues they’ve addressed publicly are blatantly not true.”