because she's got medals in two different endurance sports but mainly because she seems quite grumpy and bit brittle not the normal happy clappy olympian.

Excuse the Buffyism - I watched a few episodes last night. Anyway,

For that same reason Andy Murray should never, ever win - even if he manages to win every grand slam going.

Is this because he made some minor jibe at the English football team several years ago, before media training taught him that an honestresponse is often the last thing you should say?
Because, lets face it, compared with Henman in terms of personality he's Peter ustinov.
Oh, and I agree that Adlington should win.

I was on holiday when she won her stuff so I have no appreciation of her, other than Frankie Boyle's joke on Mock The Week (something about having a face like that of a spoon-reflection).

Chris Hoy should win, but won't cos he is Scottish and in a minority sport.

is Lewis Hamilton. And he has all the personality of a multi-storey car park.

Can I vote for Nobby Stiles?

Do they seriously mean that you can be utter pants at your chosen sport as long as you've got an engaging character? No.

Steve Redgrave won it, if I recall, and he's not exactly Captain Personality (which is not to suggest that there's anything wrong with him, merely that he's not the sort of person who comes across well on TV/radio), so they presumably actually do mean to award someone whose achievements are noteworthy.

So, why haven't they got a single Paralympian in there? Dave Roberts has got 11 Paralympic golds. Surely he's worthy of inclusion on the short list?

There are 4 in that list and everyone of them actually HAS a personality! For my money though, Nicole Cooke - that last 500 meters was unbelievable!

He's a grumpy mod with a top-quality name.

As long as they actually deign to live in this country rather than avoid tax by living elsewhere. As far as I can see, that only rules out one of them.

1996: Damon Hill
1992: Nigel Mansell
1973: Jackie Stewart

Three years in which British drivers won the Formula One driver's championship. In each case, they also won the BBC award. Hell, both Mansell and Hill also won the award in years in which they came second.

1992 and 1996 were both Olymipic years, and yet the success of, say, Linford Christie or Sally Gunnell in Barcelona still wasn't enough to stop the drivers winning, so you can discount Hoy/Romero/Addlington from doing the same. The only hope we ever have of pushing a Formula One personality into second place in the BBC poll is during a Winter Olympic year, when the purple-rinse block vote ensures the success of any gold-winning ice skater (i.e. John Curry in 1976 pushing James Hunt into second place).

To my mind she did the toughest thing in sport and won ugly.

Why ? the R word, does Lewis Hamilton deserve to win ? Overall I think yes,but only just,

Many of the candidates having pressing claims, the amount of dedication and shear effort needed over many years to win a olympic gold in cycling for example is immense.The fact that Hoy won three is remarkable,similarly with Adlington and Romero.

But I think Hamilton should win it why ? because of where he came from and what he has achieved and the level of skill and physical effort combined needed to win a world championship and the dramatic way in which he won it.

Personality ? it should be called Sports Winner of the year and on that basis I think Lewis Hamilton should win but only just.

Compared with the likes of footy, rugby and cricket, most sports are minority sports. Every four years we have the same old thing. A load of jingoistic nonsense at the olympics, everybody who wins anything also practically guarantee themselves gongs in the new year's honours list and then a nomination for sports personality of the year.

But we should ask the people who vote one simple question. If they wanted to see the person that they deem to be the best sportsperson in this country this year, where would they go at the weekend? Okay, this is a bit unfair on Lewis and Calzaghe, but who has any interest in our olympic heroes inbetween olympics? Rebecca Adlington will come in the top three, as will Chris Hoy, but how many people will be turning up to see them live when they're next in action?

the award an oddity - it's as though the BBC is saying that being good at sport isn't particularly exciting or interesting, so they'll ignore the skill of the sportsfolk, and reward them for having a wonderful personality instead. As a sportphobe, I find this amusing.

He was a great press officer at Stiff Records in their heyday.

Wha?

It will be Hamilton, but it should to Chris Hoy. His achievements were above and beyond and he seems a good - reference the "race" he had with James Cracknell on the worst bikes they could find in Beijing for the Telegraphs Olympic coverage

Won the olympics AND the world championship in the same year, which is almost unheard of in road cycling.

When Bob Nudd was Britain's and the World's Top Angler, Angling Times used to organise a massive write-in campaign to win him the prize. He never did. Make of that what you will.

IRB player of the year
Welsh SPorts Personality of the Year
Welsh Grand slam winner
One man try factory & not even on the list....Shane, who?

But if you really are a football fan - really, really a fan of football, you should be casting your vote for Barnsley FC for the hilarious spectacle of seeing Liverpool beaten in the last minute at Anfield and the mighty Chelsea humbled at Oakwell, both in the FA Cup.

Just watch Phil Thompsons face...

Chris Hoy, Rebecca Romero, Bradley Wiggins, Nicole Cooke, Ben Ainslie or Rebecaa Adlington. British Olympians own British sport this year.

On basis of added personality I would probably go for Rebecca Addlington but they're all worthy.