says the great expert on making meaningful contributions to online debates.

Twas ever thus.

Many years ago my younger brother was a member of a well known Athletics Club. Each year the AAA would remind it's members to vote for their preferred candidate. I am told most other sports do a similar thing especially the minority sports. One year the Anglers voted en masse for their guy but the BBC banned their votes.

The problem with any form of TV voting is that only a small number of people can be bothered. Who actually votes for Love Island?

Anyway this year's short list resume.

1. Mary Earp. Goalkeeper for a team that lost the WC.
2. Frankie Dettori. Great jockey this is a retirement present for past achievements, only he changed his mind and didn't retire.
3. Rory McIlroy the GB golfer who chose to represent Ireland. Rory hasn't won a major in a long time so why is he even on the list.
4. Alfie Hewett I have never heard of him I'm sure he's great at what he does but hardly a household name.
5. Stuart Broad. Good servant to cricket coming to the end of his career. So is this award now a golden retirement I thought it was about achievement in sport in the calendar year.
6. Katarina Johnson-Thompson. Well the first one on the list who actually won something this year and has a public profile. It probably should have been her.

Edited by Badger11 (20 Dec 2023 8.51am)

The only women’s game I’ve ever watched was England v Spain and even then it was in the background whilst I was in the pub so I didn’t pay a lot of attention. I’ve never had any interest in it so I would say it’s pretty understandable that I have no idea who she was.

Having then looked at what she had achieved, I cannot believe she won, but then again there have been a lot of strange winners over the years.

Yes if it's a sports car

New Doctor Who.

According to the Mail the show was a smash hit and the new doctor is great, I haven't seen it so can't comment on the quality.

The BBC has a deal with Disney who have pumped 100m into the show so I assume that means the special effects were a bit better than the wobbly scenery of the 1970s.

However if you sup with the devil be sure to bring a long spoon. Disney may not own the show but 100m buys you a lot of say. The viewing figures the BBC needs to look out for are those on the Disney streaming platform. It's a great opportunity to reach out to a worldwide young audience however if they are not interested Disney will not be happy.

As Harry and Migraine have found out just because you sign a big contract with a streaming service that is not the end of it. You still have to deliver rating and this is the hard world of commercial TV.

We will see.