# SI Sportsperson of the Year 2019 prediction thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 10, 2019, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2019-prediction-thread/836845 "2019-07-10T16:46:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2019, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2019-prediction-thread/836845/41 "2019-12-09T20:56:11Z")
Interesting choice. She won the Ballon d’Or for the best player, which a lot of people were disappointed in because she only played something like 6 games for her club team. Very good WC though and that trumps everything, especially for the women. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2019, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2019-prediction-thread/836845/42 "2019-12-09T21:42:59Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Then again, maybe it’ll sell a lot of magazines to people who might not otherwise buy a copy of SI. I was actually thinking that as well. I’m painting with a broad brush, but I’d assume most Rapinoe supporters are probably 35 and under and don’t buy magazines. There was no slam dunk choice for 2019, so picking a controversial millennial isn’t a bad gamble to take. At the very least, they can drive traffic to their website. I’d imagine most millennials and Gen Z think of Sports Illustrated as the magazine grandpa reads. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2019, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2019-prediction-thread/836845/43 "2019-12-09T23:48:24Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I was actually thinking that as well. I’m painting with a broad brush, but I’d assume most Rapinoe supporters are probably 35 and under and don’t buy magazines. To that, I’d add, among people who might buy the issue who don’t otherwise buy SI: - Parents of girls (particularly those who participate in soccer and other sports) - LGBT people, and supporters - Women, in general ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2019-prediction-thread/836845/44 "2019-12-11T04:45:01Z")
I predicted Rapinoe on another thread after the WC. She was hands down the best athlete in American sports. You can say all you want about her politics, appeal to Millenials, LBGQT etc etc. No one accomplished more on the field of play in their sport in 2019 than her. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2019-prediction-thread/836845/45 "2019-12-11T13:06:04Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > I predicted Rapinoe on another thread after the WC. She was hands down the best athlete in American sports. You can say all you want about her politics, appeal to Millenials, LBGQT etc etc. No one accomplished more on the field of play in their sport in 2019 than her. > Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk She scored 3 non penalty goals in all of 2019. She did have a good world cup, but it wasn’t significantly better than Crystal Dunn’s or Rose Lavelle’s. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2019-prediction-thread/836845/46 "2019-12-11T13:44:52Z")
If you just want to restrict it to American women, Simone Biles had a much much better year than Rapinoe. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2019-prediction-thread/836845/47 "2019-12-11T14:10:24Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > She scored 3 non penalty goals in all of 2019. She did have a good world cup, but it wasn’t significantly better than Crystal Dunn’s or Rose Lavelle’s. True, but keep in mind that she sat out the World Cup semi-final against England with an injury. ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2019-prediction-thread/836845/48 "2019-12-11T14:32:12Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > True, but keep in mind that she sat out the World Cup semi-final against England with an injury. How does that make her the best athlete in American sports, which was the claim made? She wasn’t even the best player on her team. No problem with her getting the award but don’t anybody tell me it isn’t political. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2019-prediction-thread/836845/49 "2019-12-11T15:31:33Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > True, but keep in mind that she sat out the World Cup semi-final against England with an injury. I don’t understand this at all. Are you saying that she would surely have scored another 3 goals (or 4, or 5…) if she had played this game? It seems really weird to award “credit” to a player who misses games due to injury. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2019-prediction-thread/836845/50 "2019-12-11T16:31:36Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > How does that make her the best athlete in American sports, which was the claim made? By whom? Certainly not by Sports Illustrated - otherwise, it would be “Athlete” of the Year, and not “Sportsperson.” Cal Ripken, Jr. certainly was not the best baseball player, much less the “best athlete in American sports,” when he won - and was Arthur Ashe even still competing when he won? It also depends on what you mean by “political.” While Raoinoe’s whole “don’t respect that national anthem” and “don’t go to the White House” stands may have played a part in it, her spearheading the “Pay Them More!” movement, which is political in the sense of “the politics of USA/world soccer,” certainly did. She’s “the name that stuck out in the crowd” this year, and that’s usually how SI chooses the winner. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2019-prediction-thread/836845/51 "2019-12-11T16:59:57Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > By whom? **russian heel** ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2019-prediction-thread/836845/52 "2019-12-11T17:56:52Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > By whom? By Russian Heel in the thread you are reading and the conversation you replied to. > [@russian\_heel](#): > > I predicted Rapinoe on another thread after the WC. She was hands down the best athlete in American sports. You can say all you want about her politics, appeal to Millenials, LBGQT etc etc. No one accomplished more on the field of play in their sport in 2019 than her. > [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > She scored 3 non penalty goals in all of 2019. She did have a good world cup, but it wasn’t significantly better than Crystal Dunn’s or Rose Lavelle’s. > [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > True, but keep in mind that she sat out the World Cup semi-final against England with an injury. > [@bucketybuck](#): > > How does that make her the best athlete in American sports, which was the claim made? ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2019-prediction-thread/836845/53 "2019-12-13T18:49:34Z")
Kinda interesting, US Soccer voted Julie Ertz as their female player of the year. > **[Julie Ertz Named 2019 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year](https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2019/12/julie-ertz-named-2019-us-soccer-female-player-of-the-year)** > > Defensive Midfielder and Team Leader Had Dominating Year for Club and Country [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2019-prediction-thread/836845.md?page=2)