How Aunty Beeb can ignore Josh in SPOTY shortlist beggars belief
We probably didn’t need further evidence democracy is up the lum in this country.
But the good old Beeb have given us some anyway.
It’s bad enough we have to shuffle into the polling stations soon and stick an X next to parties led by a line up of leaders so incompetent they couldn’t even get a game for Scotland at centre-half.
At least we’ve got sport as a bit of escapism from having to listen to Boris Johnston’s dad on the telly lying about his son not being a bare-faced liar.
But now even our happy place has been invaded by a dodgy vote.
The BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award shouldn’t be taken seriously. As easy targets go it’s like throwing a beach ball at a coconut shy.
Every single year I tell myself not to bite but then wade in with the gnashers.
But, come on, it’s hard not to take the bait when you see the latest list of nominees for the top award – or rather, who isn’t on it.
The bash is being held in Aberdeen tonight but the organisers seem to have forgotten all about Scotland.
The six up for the big gong are athletes Dina Asher- Smith and Katarina Johnson-Thompson, cricketer Ben Stokes, racing driver Lewis Hami lton, footbal ler Raheem Sterling and rugby union’s Alun Wyn Jones.
No offence but half of them could be sitting next to you on the bus and you wouldn’t recognise them.
Stokes is the odds-on favourite. Apparently he did well at the rounders one afternoon against Australia, even though England ended up without the Ashes.
Imagine the red neck it would be to go up and collect his award for a consolation goal.
This thing is meant to be for winners and yet the biggest winner of 2019 isn’t anywhere to be seen.
Someone is going to have to explain not only why Josh Taylor is not on the shortlist but isn’t short odds to win it.
Actually, there’s no need to explain. BBC don’t cover boxing.
Think about it. This is a lad who won the world title against unbeaten Belarussian Ivan Baranchyck who was so tough he eats timber for breakfast before square going grizzly bears.
He did it in just his 15th fight as a professional. That should have been good enough to get him on the list.
But to go out and win another world title in his very next fight should have made him a shoo-in.
No British fighter has ever unified a division that quickly, or that spectacularly.
Taylor’s victory over ultra-talented Regis Prograis is up for fight of the year on both sides of the Atlantic. It was an absolute epic.
Josh is up for awards in America on the back of it, yet his own country doesn’t bat an eyelid.
It’ s pretty shameful but he is in good company when it comes to Beeb snubs.
Ken Buchanan was the last Scot to become a unified champ in 1971, when he was packing out Madison Square Garden, topping bills with the great Muhammad Ali on the undercard.
Who won SPOTY in 1971? Princess Anne. For some kind of horsey riding nonsense.
That sums it up. Torvill and Dean claimed it the year Kenny Dalglish was a European Cup winner and best player in Europe.
Figure skater John Currie was top man the year David Wilkie was Olympic champion. Sandy Lyle became the first Brit to win the Masters but had to watch Steve Davis come out on top.
If we want to watch B listers tonight we should vote to see them eating Kangaroo chuckies on the other channel instead.
Imagine the red neck it’d be to go up and collect award for consolation goal, Ben