Ennis To Shine In Sheffield
The shortlisted 10 for BBC Sports Personality Of The Year has seen an epic plunge on Ryan Giggs, and he is now a best-priced 11-4 second favourite to win.
It was way back in August when we launched this site that we recommended Jess Ennis at 10-1. She is now a best-priced 11-2.
The question is, whether to cover on Giggs and Button because these two appear to be Ennis’s only rivals. Given the X Factor clash it’s fair to assume voting figures will be significantly down, and it will only be the die-hard fans who tune in to watch the annual sporting gong-fest this year.
Chris Hoye won with 283,000 votes last year, with over 700,000 votes cast. The winner may only need to poll in the region of 200,000, possibly even less. Man Utd play at home against Aston Villa the day before, and fans will be reminded to vote for Giggs no doubt. But how many of them will end up watching X Factor instead?
Ennis has the advantages of her home Sheffield crowd, and being the new glamour girl of British sport. It would be surprising if she doesn’t get a great edit on the night, whereas this remains a big question mark alongside Giggs, as there is no 2009-specific sporting highlight that relates to him.
How well-liked Jenson Button, the Evens favourite is, is another moot point. BBC covers F1 but it’s simply not a sport embraced by the general public who are all too aware the world championship is largely decided by who has the best car. And Button’s multi-millionaire tax exile image hardly screams ‘vote for me’.
We reckon viewers who makes up their mind on the night will be swayed to pick up the phone for either Button or Ennis, and Ennis’s girl-next-door appeal should see her win that duel.
Rather than back either of Giggs or Button – who are both too short – as a cover for your Ennis bet, a better way to proceed is to back her at 7-2 to finish 2nd and 11-4 to finish 3rd with Ladbrokes, as we cannot see her failing to be in the first three. And if you’ve not backed her yet at all, we still think Ennis is value at a current best-priced 11-2.
Rob Furber
I sincerely hope you are right because I’ve backed Jessica at 20/1. I cannot believe the Giggs plunge. Nor can I believe the BBC will want him to win, so a poor edit looks on the cards.
I can’t stand F1 and hope Button doesn’t win. To me 11/2 Ennis still looks value. I’d price her about 3/1.
I’ve backed Ennis – personally I think Button is still the main danger to her rather than Giggs but hopefully they will split the ‘bloke vote’ and she can come through the middle to clinch victory