# SI Sportsperson of the Year 2022 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 14, 2022, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2022/971571 "2022-09-14T16:57:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2022, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2022/971571/21 "2022-09-15T15:56:08Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > > [@Akaj](#): > > > > > [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > > > > > Brittney Griner. > > > I think the only thing that stands in her way is, does the SI staff think that too many of its readers would be turned off by choosing somebody who might be considered a “political” choice - or merely by being a WNBA player, for that matter? > > > > Barring an amazing individual performance in the World Cup or MLB postseason, this would be my bet. SI likes being provocative and has in general been a strong supporter of human rights. > > But they don’t really do that for Sportsperson of the year. They did “The Activist Athlete” in 2020 but it was still all players who had some sort of major accomplishment that year. The only way they would do Britney is part of another group, but I don’t really know what for. They never have, but there’s never been a situation like Griner’s before: one of the top athletes in her sport imprisoned in a foreign country for something that wouldn’t even be a misdemeanor in many US states. And not just any foreign country, but one about which a strong majority of Americans currently have strongly negative opinions. The cynic in me also notes that Griner is Black and gay, and that SI might consider the polarization of those factors as a plus. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2022, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2022/971571/22 "2022-09-15T16:03:01Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I had to look up the basis for the award: “the athlete or team whose **performance** that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement.” (bolding added) I don’t know exactly how they decide on the awardee, but if it’s based on performance this year, how does Griner qualify? ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2022, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2022/971571/23 "2022-09-15T16:17:27Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I don’t know exactly how they decide on the awardee, but if it’s based on performance this year, how does Griner qualify? I agree. All she’s done this year is get convicted of a crime and been sent to prison. Pick someone else who’s actually excelled in sports this year. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2022, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2022/971571/24 "2022-09-15T16:57:36Z")
> [@Busy\_Scissors](#): > > For an American from a niche sport - did you see that Jack Kuenzle set the Bob Graham Round record earlier this month, beating Kilian Jornet’s recent record? 66 miles, 27000 feet in the Lake District in 12 hours 23 mins. For amateurs a sub 24 hour round is considered a big deal and gets you into the Bob Graham club. The previous record KJ beat had stood from 1982. > > Kuenzle runs shirtless for some reason. Quite bold to be out on the Fells taps aff in September Wow. No, I hadn’t seen that, so I just read the article on [irunfar.com](http://irunfar.com). Liked the Twitter commenter who said “I think the lack of heavy t-shirt made the difference. Next person to try will forgo shorts as well I’d imagine.” ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2022, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2022/971571/25 "2022-09-15T17:25:54Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I had to look up the basis for the award: “the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement.” That looks pretty vague and open-ended to me, but it suggests that it’s important not just what they do but also how they do it. It’s vague, but it does include the phrase “that year”, which would seem to rule out career-achievement type awards. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2022, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2022/971571/26 "2022-09-15T17:36:32Z")
The same way that Laurent Duvernay-Tardif was recognized as part of the 2020 “The Activist Athlete” Sportsman of the Year, even though he didn’t play a single snap of the 2020-21 NFL season - they don’t really care to be constricted by the specific wording of the award, nor should they. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2022, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2022/971571/27 "2022-09-15T17:48:32Z")
He was however part of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl winning team in 2020. JJ Watt was co-sportsperson in 2017 with José Altuve for his work raising money in the wake of Hurricane Harvey is really the only recent exception I see. But the idea that SI wants the award to be “political” (whatever that means) isn’t supported by what they’ve given out so far. I could see if them giving the award to Griner if say, her team had won the finals earlier this year, and she was in Russia protesting the war or something. ---
**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:** [September 15, 2022, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2022/971571/28 "2022-09-15T17:52:22Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > I could see if them giving the award to Griner if say, her team had won the finals earlier this year, and she was in Russia protesting the war or something. The WNBA finals are, in fact, going on right now (their season, unlike the NBA’s, is in the summer); Griner missed the season, due to her imprisonment. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2022, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2022/971571/29 "2022-09-15T18:06:03Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > > > I don’t know exactly how they decide on the awardee, but if it’s based on performance this year, how does Griner qualify? > > I agree. All she’s done this year is get convicted of a crime and been sent to prison. Pick someone else who’s actually excelled in sports this year. OK, fine, it’s a reach. But I’ll bet there’s at least one SI writer lobbying for her. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2022, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2022/971571/30 "2022-09-15T18:10:03Z")
Here’s a more conventional guess – three heroes of the LA Rams’ Super Bowl win: - Matthew Stafford – finally wins the big one after a dozen years struggling in Detroit - Cooper Kupp – unheralded late round pick from a small school has the best season of any WR in decades - Aaron Donald – best defensive player of his generation Of course I’m not sure how you honor those guys without boy genius coach Sean McVay. And yes, SI has probably honored too many football players anyway. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2022, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2022/971571/31 "2022-09-15T18:11:19Z")
Also, it’s not like Griner went to Russia to protest human rights and was imprisoned for that. She was there to make money for a Russian employer. She is clearly a victim and a political pawn but hardly worthy of that particular award. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2022, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2022/971571/32 "2022-09-15T18:48:24Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > JJ Watt was co-sportsperson in 2017 with José Altuve for his work raising money in the wake of Hurricane Harvey is really the only recent exception I see. Yeah and even there, Altuve was the AL MVP and the Astros had just won the Series (this was before anything had come out about the sign stealing). They really like their champions, one way or another. It’s not a strict rule, but the closest thing to a sure bet is somebody associated with a championship or series of huge wins or gold medal or something similar. You have to go back to 2007 when Brett Favre was very like to retire and it was given out as more or less a Lifetime Achievement Award to a Hall of Fame caliber player who would never win a championship. Or maybe 2014 for Peyton Manning (he personally had won a Superbowl before though lost the big game in 2014 itself). And before that to '98 with the McGwire/Sosa homerun derby. Ohtani may well win it one day, but it’s unlikely until and unless the Angels at least win a pennant. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2022, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2022/971571/33 "2022-09-15T19:09:09Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > You have to go back to 2007 when Brett Favre was very like to retire and it was given out as more or less a Lifetime Achievement Award to a Hall of Fame caliber player who would never win a championship. Favre won the Super Bowl in 1996. ---
**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:** [September 15, 2022, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2022/971571/34 "2022-09-15T19:22:47Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Favre won the Super Bowl in 1996. As a lifelong Packer fan, who spent that entire game with my stomach tied up in knots…I approve this message. [![](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_editorial_landscape_12_desktop/packers/tvupqwinu3qzhiuu04ne) ](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_editorial_landscape_12_desktop/packers/tvupqwinu3qzhiuu04ne) ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2022, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2022/971571/35 "2022-09-15T20:03:30Z")
Am I right that Roger Federer never was given it? He’s retiring soon and it is incredible that a man with his quarterfinal and semifinal records and all that he did, he’s one of the sportsmen of the past 20 years. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2022, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2022/971571/36 "2022-09-15T20:12:11Z")
D’oh! I forgot about that Super Bowl. Clearly I’m not a Packers fan. > [@Mahaloth](#): > > Am I right that Roger Federer never was given it? Yup. And he’s got a decent shot at it, even if he’s not American. There are vanishingly few non-American athletes that most Americans would even recognize, and Federer is one of them. ---
**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:** [September 15, 2022, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2022/971571/37 "2022-09-15T23:41:19Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > But they don’t really do that for Sportsperson of the year. They did “The Activist Athlete” in 2020 but it was still all players who had some sort of major accomplishment that year. The only way they would do Britney is part of another group, but I don’t really know what for. What did Arthur Ashe do to deserve it in 1992, as opposed to in the 1970s? > [@RickJay](#): > > Ohtani isn’t American, so his chances would be extremely remote even if the Angels weren’t a dumpster fire. Judge would be a good choice if the Yankees go deep in the postseason, and they haven’t given it to a baseball player in awhile. Because not being American prevented Sammy Sosa (1998) and Jose Altuve (2017) in what way, exactly? As long as it’s in one of the major sports, the “Americans are preferred” policy doesn’t tend to apply. Hmmm…Hank Aaron never got the award, even when he hit #715. Then again, he broke it in 1974, and Ali got it for the Rumble in the Jungle against Foreman, whereas nobody, except maybe Griner, “sticks out” as a frontrunner. ---
**Author:** ![SwissMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@SwissMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwissMan)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2022, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2022/971571/38 "2022-09-15T23:45:31Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > What did Arthur Ashe do to deserve it in 1992, as opposed to in the 1970s Unfortunately, the circumstances that led to Arthur Ashe receiving it had nothing to do with tennis. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2022/971571/39 "2022-09-16T02:11:51Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > What did Arthur Ashe do to deserve it in 1992, as opposed to in the 1970s? Yes, I didn’t go through the _entire_ history of Sportsperson of the year. Your example is 30 years old. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2022/971571/40 "2022-09-16T09:41:34Z")
As there seem to be no stand-out candidates for accomplishments this year, a joint award to Roger Federer and Serena Williams would seem a reasonable choice. It would clearly be a lifetime achievement award rather than based on 2022, but they have both retired after GOAT careers (yes, debatable for Federer due to his amazing competitors Rafa and Novak). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2022/971571.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/si-sportsperson-of-the-year-2022/971571.md?page=3)