I totally think that Michael Phelps should have gotten the SI Sportsman of the Year. He was the best athlete at the Olympics and was competing against the best people in the world. He was able to win so many medals at one Olympics with a schedule that many other athletes couldn't handle. But, I am sure that the DUI totally cancelled him out. If he was a football or basketball player up for this award and got a DUI or arrested for rape, he still would have gotten the award. It just goes to show you how the Mainstream Sports Press don't want to see a swimmer get any kind of a mainstream award and will find anything negative to tear swimmers down a few notches. The Mainstream sports press will feature you on the SI Fox Special and let you to the ESPY Awards. But, to receive an award is just ludicrous to them for swimming. This wouldn't have happened to Kobe Bryant. Swimming is still the most looked down upon or discriminated Sport out there.
I hadn't even really considered the Red Sox but, even as a Yankee fan, I do agree that it's a pretty solid choice. I would have chosen Armstrong over Phelps but don't see any problem with the Sox, dang it.
tjrpatt:
I took the time to review all the previous winners, and it's a pretty stand up bunch, didn't notice any rapists and there was a nice diversity of sports represented. The only glaring example of poor morals is Pete Rose. Ali won in 74 and he has some skeletons in his closet but has definitely become the most beloved of all US sports legends now.
I was surprised how many golfers won, including Tiger twice.
Sam:
You forgot to mention they also overcame a 0-3 deficit in the ALCS, a feat never accomplished by any MLB team in well over 100 years of baseball. Not to mention they overcame the most famous sports curse of all time. 2004 will be forever remembered as the year the curse was broken in the most amazing fashion ever. Kind of hard to top that.
I can't believe I'm sticking up for the Sox, what depths have I sunk to?
Originally posted by knelson
I'd have to give the nod to the Red Sox.
Ditto. However, my vote would change to Phelps if the Red Sox lost...
But the Sox didn't, I am still dancing over the victory....
Yes the Red Sox won the World Series, but doesn't a team win the World Series each year? True it has been 75 years since they last won it, but I don't think the athletes should be called the athlete of the year. They haven't been playing for 75 years to accomplish that. The true people that should be awarded should be the fans that have watched the team lose for that long. I think the SI award is a joke. What Phelps and Armstrong did this year way outshine what the Red Sox did. If that is the logic I guess if the Arizona Cardinals ever make it to the NFC Championship game they should get the award since they have never done that. The logic is ridiculous.
Hehe, the kind of depths I like......the Sox cheered up a bunch of poor loyal till the end fans, who were really almost at their end........the curse finally broke, and I definitely can't think of a better (sorry, Lance and Mike) entity to give the award to. 75 years is a long time, kiddies.
~Steph~
So they won the ALCS in amazing fashion (I completely agree) and won the World Series. Would they still deserve it if they lost the World Series after the ALCS comeback? I could argue the Arizona Diamondbacks deserved it in 2001. They won the World Series after only being a team for 4 years. Who cares if Colangelo spent the money to amass a very talented squad they accomplished something in 4 years that took the Sox 75 years to do. I just think the term SPORTSMAN means one person. Give it to Damon, Martinez, Ramirez, or Schilling but giving it to a team is a cop out. No one will ever be able to convince me that in 2004 there was a better individual performance than what Phelps or Armstrong accomplished this year.
Originally posted by Sam Perry
So they won the ALCS in amazing fashion (I completely agree) and won the World Series. Would they still deserve it if they lost the World Series after the ALCS comeback. I could argue the Arizona Diamondbacks deserved it in 2001. They won the World Series after only being a team for 4 years. Who cares if Colangelo spent the money to amass a very talented squad they accomplished something in 4 years that took the Sox 75 years to do. I just think the term SPORTSMAN means one person. Give it to Damon, Martinez, Ramirez, or Schilling but giving it to a team is a cop out. No one will ever be able to convince me that in 2004 there was a better individual performance than what Phelps or Armstrong accomplished this year.
I agree. Armstrong or Phelps should have gotten the nod. Not taking anything away from Phelps (or the BoSox - I'm an avid baseball fan and as a swimmer I lean towards Phelps) but Armstrong's feat is simply over the top. The Tour is unlike any other sporting event and his performance 6 years running and this year specifically was unmatched in sports. Plus he is a great advocate for cancer survivors and gave his personal assistance to a fellow competitor - during the race - whose mother was suffering from cancer. He gets my vote.
