Other / David Croft / 29 November 2008 / 1 Comments

A very open market it may be but David Croft is no doubt as to who he wants to see walk away with the trophy on December 14th.

Before the last lap drama in Brazil a month ago Britain had waited 12 long years for a new Formula 1 champion to succeed Damon Hill. Co-incidentally it was also 12 years ago that a Formula 1 driver last won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award and if there's any justice in the world that long run will also come to an end on December 14th.

Here we go again I hear you cry, another rallying cry for Lewis Hamilton to be awarded Sports Personality of the Year. Didnt Crofty say the same last year? Well, yes I did, but that doesnt mean that Joe Calzaghe wasnt deserving of the honour. I just thought that Hamilton's efforts in his rookie year deserved recognition, just as they do for the season we've witnessed in 2008.

Betfair offer [1.7] that the British driver will go one better than last year and an ever so slightly better price of [1.71] that Motor Sport will be the winning sport. Not the most generous of prices in what on paper looks a very open market, but the more I look at the runners and riders, the more Hamilton stands out not just as the most worthy candidate, but the logical choice.

Here's why:

The Olympics were, lets face it, brilliant from a British perspective and you can expect the final shortlist of ten names to contain plenty of medal winners. Chris Hoy with his triple Gold haul from Beijing is [6.0] to win. He was tremendous at the Games and deserves every accolade going but to win the vote he's going to have to rely on the support of the Cycling fans and not just the popular vote.

Way out at [1000.00] are Bradley Wiggins, Victoria Pendleton and Rebecca Romero with four gold medals between them. Surely they will take some of the votes from the Cycling fraternity away from Hoy.

Then theres Joe Calzaghe at a very tempting [65.0] to become the first man to win the award in successive years. Calzaghe has had a supreme 12 months during which time he's beaten both Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jnr but will that be enough to ensure votes? I doubt it and I believe that in an Olympic Year and, with Lewis having won the world title, viewers, unless they are boxing fans, will be loathed to vote for the Welshman again.

Andy Murray at [130.0] and Ben Ainslie at [400.00] are bound to be in the final ten but for Murray to win the award he has to win a Grand Slam title first whilst Ainslie deserves so many plaudits for winning Gold at three Olympics in a row but to me is a far better bet for a top three finish at [18.0].

And then there's Rebecca Addlington who before this summer was probably unknown outside Mansfield. Not anymore of course thanks to two Gold medals, a huge collection of shoes and the fact that the good people of Mansfield have now decided to name a swimming pool after her.

Addlington was outstanding in Beijing becoming Britain's first swimming champion for 20 years and the first British swimmer to win 2 Golds at the same Games for 100 years. Its an achievement that says as much though about Britains poor form in the pool over the last century as it does Addlington's achievements but that's to take nothing away from what she did and the [4.3] reflects her very real chance of lifting the Sports Personality trophy. But did she take to the pool 18 times against the best swimmers in the world over the course of the year to win her title? Did she have to cope with a series of setbacks and have a win taken away from her by a baffling stewards' decision? Did she have to cope with the daily scrutiny of a worldwide media? And did she come into Olympic year off the back of one of the most controversial and demoralising seasons where a team and driver were attacked from the inside and out before losing out on a title by a solitary point?

Of course not, but thats what Lewis Hamilton and Mclaren did in winning the Formula 1 world title. Of course, he had a good car to help him, but then so did his teammate and he finished a long way back. Ferrari had a good car too hence the close battle between the two teams throughout 2008, a season that called for championship winning drives and at Australia, Monaco, Silverstone, Spa and China we got just that, from the man who in my book stands head and shoulders above the rest. My tip for Sports Personality of 2008; Lewis Hamilton.