Andy Murray SPOTY triumph spares BBC a Fury 'nightmare'
Tennis star romps to Sports Personality of the Year as controversial boxer comes fourth
Andy Murray was crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year on Sunday night after what The Times calls the "most divisive" competition in the award's 61-year history.
The build-up to the event was dominated by comments from heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury, who had sparked outrage with his outspoken views on homosexuality and the role of women in society.
There had been a petition calling for him to be removed from the shortlist and one of the other contenders, Greg Rutherford, had threatened to pull out of the event.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
As it was "everyone was on their best behaviour" says Alice Arnold in The Guardian, and Fury even issued an apology to anyone who had "been hurt", by his comments.
Yet the organisers were doubtless relieved to see Fury come fourth and were "spared the nightmare" of seeing him take home a prize, according to the Daily Telegraph.
"Fears the outspoken 27-year-old would end up on stage with Murray in Belfast proved unfounded as rugby league star Kevin Sinfield and hepathlon queen Jessica Ennis-Hill finished second and third, respectively," says the paper.
But he still won more than 70,000 votes, notes Arnold. and those people "voted for someone who thinks it is OK to joke about violence against women", she says. "If we learn nothing else from this whole debacle it is that we still have a long way to go."
Murray scooped the award with more than 35 per cent of the vote and became only the fourth person to win the award twice, after Sir Henry Cooper, Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill.
"The public were won over by Murray's emotional commitment to the Great Britain Davis Cup-winning team," says The Times.
Ennis-Hill finished in the top three for the fourth time in the last seven years, although few people expected Sinfield to finish above her.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The mental health crisis affecting vets
Under The Radar Death of Hampshire vet highlights mental health issues plaguing the industry
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The Onion is having a very ironic laugh with Infowars
The Explainer The satirical newspaper is purchasing the controversial website out of bankruptcy
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
'Rahmbo, back from Japan, will be looking for a job? Really?'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Is it time for Anthony Joshua to retire?
After his latest brutal defeat, British boxing's 'poster boy' has a difficult choice to make
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
Andy Murray: Britain's greatest sportsperson?
Talking Points Injury denies Scot a final singles appearance at Wimbledon but his place in history is assured
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk: the mega-fight boxing fans ‘deserve’ to see
feature Ukrainian calls out Gypsy King for undisputed clash – which could be held in December
By Mike Starling Published
-
Tyson Fury: will he retire from boxing or become the undisputed ‘Lord of the Ring’?
Why Everyone’s Talking About Pundits look at what the Gypsy King will do next after his masterclass against Dillian Whyte
By Mike Starling Published
-
Tyson Fury vs. Dillian Whyte: predictions, fight guide, profiles, UK start time and TV
feature The Gypsy King puts his titles on the line in an ‘all-British blockbuster’ at Wembley
By Mike Starling Last updated
-
Where does Tyson Fury rank among the best heavyweight boxers of all time?
Today's Big Question Gypsy King retained his WBC crown with a stunning KO of Deontay Wilder
By The Week Staff Published
-
Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder III: fight guide, predictions, odds, UK start time and TV
In Depth The heavyweight trilogy clash takes place in Vegas this weekend
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Should there be separate Sports Personality of the Year awards for men and women?
Speed Read There hasn’t been a female winner since Zara Tindall in 2006
By Mike Starling Published