Tony McCoy, the greatest jump jockey of all time, is not worthy of being in the final ten contenders for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. Another snub to racing from the BBC and by the sports editors of national newspapers who compile the final ten nominees. Not content with vastly reducing their coverage of live racing, the BBC have gone along with a situation whereby they have added insult to injury. They are not even offering viewers the chance to vote for McCoy, whose superb sporting prowess is ignored yet again by the broadcaster. A disgrace.
McCoy, who is on his way to being champion jump jockey for a 15th consecutive season, rode his 3,000th winner in February. He says: "I'm not going to be involved in it. I haven't been to the Sports Personality broadcast for three or four years, I would think. I was third in 2002, but if Frankie Dettori never won it for riding seven winners at Ascot, then no jockey's going to get involved in it. He's our biggest personality by a long way. I enjoy what I do. That's what gives me the thrill and keeps me interested and what other people think is up to them. I feel very privileged to be involved in the sport that I am."
Of course, the competition is a joke and has been for many years. The word "personality" should be replaced with "achievement" or a word that acknowledges what someone has done in the world of sport. Not whether they are good looking, have a publicity machine behind them, take part in the most popular sport in the country (football) or have a personality (they rarely do). The award should acknowledge singular sporting achievement and what the sportsman or woman has done to promote the sport they take part in.
McCoy was simply brilliant earlier in 2009. He performed miracles taking horses to high profile victories that would not have happened without him on board. Of course, the racing world is not surprised that the BBC have not shortlisted McCoy. The corporating that is paid for by the taxpayer has, year on year, downgraded its coverage of racing. A sport that once dominated programmes such as "Grandstand" in the good old days. The BBC has turned its back on racing. It can afford to pay non talent, foul mouthed so called 'stars' such as Jonathan Ross millions of pounds only because it makes cutbacks elsewhere. The BBC has decided to ignore the second most popular spectator sport in the country. My former TV boss, Sir Paul Fox, is the man who created 'Grandstand'. In the 60's, 70's and 80's, racing was covered well by the BBC. Those of my age group will always associate Grandstand with the likes of David Coleman, Des Lynam and the masterly Sir Peter O'Sullevan.
Today i suspect the BBC only cover any racing because they don't want to lose the talents of Clare Balding (pictured here). A knowledgeable lady who continues to plough a lone furrow when it comes to the inadequate coverage of the sport on the BBC. Why on earth she doesn't jump ship and join Channel 4 i don't know. Why another former boss of mine, John Fairley of Highflyer Productions, doesn't offer Clare Balding a top job with the brilliant team he has on Channel 4 racing, i do not know. Maybe he has and maybe Clare has stayed loyal to the BBC. Frankly, she shouldn't.
The BBC pays its middle managers and top of the tree bosses fortunes in salary and expenses. The Director General, whose total salary and expenses package exceeds 800.000 pounds per year, is the same man who claimed back a 70 pence parking ticket! This from a man who flies his entire family back from a holiday, at the taxpayers expense, so that he can give overpaid Jonathan Ross a slap on the wrist for leaving verbally abusive messages on the answering machine of a senior citizen (talented actor, Andrew Sachs).
Channel 4 does a wonderful job covering racing. A superb production team behind the scenes. One that has stayed loyal to the production company Highflyer Productions. In turn, Andrew Franklin & John Fairley of Highflyer productions have done a great job for racing in the UK. They understand the importance of horse racing not just to fans of the sport such as all of us, but to the economy of the UK. They treat the sport with respect.
The BBC to their eternal shame have given up on racing. And they are not alone. The fact that newspaper sports editors chose the final 10 nominees and did not include McCoy says all you need to know about their obsession with football, motor racing, tennis - indeed any sport apart from racing. The fact that racing remains so popular with the public seems lost on these folk who haven't watch a horse race since Red Rum won the Grand National. I shall not be watching the overlong farce that is "BBC Sports Personality of the Year." I expect Jensen Button to win the award because his car won the Formula 1 title (just) and because he can string a sentence together (not always required to win this award as past examination proves). And, yes, because he looks good. He fits all the desired criteria (other than being a member of the Royal family) that sees a sportsman win the award. Good luck to him.
However, he would not have my vote. I made my mind up on that one months ago. The winner for me is Tony McCoy. A King among the Sport of Kings.
