It wasn't just the trophy that was bent

I'm always surprised at just the importance people attach to the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY). It's not much of a programme to watch either now, as BBC have so little footage to show so it's all talk and schmaltz. "All peas and no steak" said David Walsh (Sunday Times), also suggesting it was sugary enough to give him type 1 diabetes. Nevertheless, let me attach some importance to it by aiming a big kick.

But first congratulations to Andy Murray, who deservedly won as sport's person of the year (which is what it was called until 1999. After all, what's personality got to do with it?). Murray has now completely eclipsed records set by Fred Perry as a British tennis player 80 or so years ago. Getting to number 1 in the world rankings as well as a 2nd Wimbledon and Olympic Gold was outstanding.

My problem was with who came after Murray in the list; or rather who didn't. Alistair Brownlee's achievement (the only athlete to ever win 2 triathlon golds) and Mo Farah's (the first athlete ever to do the "double double" of 5,000 and 10,000 metres at the Olympic and World Championships) would also have won the top award in an era of less stratospheric achievement by British sports people. (Remember when it was won by Princess Anne for heaven's sake. Or David Beckham - I admire the bloke actually and celebrity yes, but personality?? And on comparatively limited achievement).

But somewhere in the top 5 should have been Chris Froome, having won a 3rd Tour de France in 4 years when no Brit had ever won it until 5 years ago. But oops, he wasn't on the BBC's long shortlist of 16.

I know that isn't new news but I was speechless about it at the time. Truly amazing!

As for others who were on the list, I'm a football fan and I enjoyed Gareth Bale's performances in Wales's run to the semi finals of the Euros and, of course, Jamie Vardy's remarkable season in Leicester's fairy tale Premier League championship. But Froome's achievement ranks well ahead of either of those for me. Indeed, I'd put Froome's achievements well ahead of almost everyone else on the list.

I suspect the real reason Froome wasn't on the list was the controversy still raging about TUEs in cycling, with Dave Brailsford's appearance before the self appointed court that is a Commons select committee these days. But, d'oh, no one has ever suggested that Froome, who really does seem to be cleaner than clean, has abused TUEs. The doubts were all about Bradley Wiggins.

I guess the BBC numbskulls thought that they didn't dare have a cyclist on the list in those circumstances. Oh, they did actually, the Kennys (Jason and Laura - great achievements and a nice couple - ah!) and Dame Sarah Storey. Just a Team Sky thing then.

They may have thought that they couldn't have Froome but not Wiggins, after all Wiggo became Britain's most decorated Olympian with his gold at Rio in the team pursuit. Mind, a gold in a team event didn't really cut it compared with Brownlee, Farah et al's individual achievements, so surely the correct argument was that Brad was a candidate for a lifetime achievement award and didn't need to be on the list anyway. By any sensible standard Froome deserved to be on it and Wiggins arguably didn't.

When nobody is suggesting Wiggins or Sky did anything illegal or outside the rules, why punish Froome? It's the sort of thing I could get really excited about, if any of this mattered.

Of course, the answer would be to let the public decide and not to have a shortlist, but the Beeb introduced that stage after Bob Nudd won the award in 1991. But he wasn't given it because the BBC decided an angler shouldn't win and they discarded all the votes cast on coupons from the Angling Times. Dear old Auntie always thinks she knows best. A bit reminiscent of others who only want to recognise a public vote when they like the result.....

Anyway, I can just hope that Andy Murray really does think he's too young for a knighthood and turns it down if offered. Totally inappropriate for someone still competing, even if you think gongs should be handed out for things like this, which of course I don't (see post of 21 August).