Sir Chris Hoy

[claver58]

A knighthood so early in his career is almost unheard of and at last cycling gets the exposure and publicity it deserves. Been watching Hoy for 6 years and he deserves it and I'm thrilled that The Old Man of Hoy's better half gets an MBE at the same time - what a family and we are all surely so proud of them!!

 

[Skip Madness]

Although it is good for cycling to get more high-profile coverage, I do not like the honours system and its basis in royal ass-kissing and celebration of imperialism, less still that the major honours tend to go to people like Chris Hoy - whose only achievement is to be able to ride a bike really quickly.

I would reject it if I was him.

 

[geopat]

Can't believe Hoy has received a knighthood. Yes it was great he won 3 golds but a knighthood....come on now.

Maybe in 20 years time if he gives a lot back into his sport and uses his name to benefit others but not at the moment. Surely much more deserving people.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

well he's the sort of chap that will be determined to live up to it, so good luck to him. i agree that a knighthood is best left to the end of a career, he and wiggo could have waited until after 2012 with a cbe to see them through 'til then.

 

[claver58]

It takes all types, I suppose and the above comments bear that out. Fans of cycling? I doubt it!
I've watched Hoy the past 6 yearsand he deserves it, but Skip thinks he should give the knighthood back! Amazing!!

 

[Noodley]

Well done to him (and his mum).

There are some right miserable buggers about. No need to quibble with these matters IMO.

 

[Dave5N]

Hear hear. Well done and take the acclaim.

 

[Skip Madness]

It takes all types, I suppose and the above comments bear that out. Fans of cycling? I doubt it!
I've watched Hoy the past 6 yearsand he deserves it, but Skip thinks he should give the knighthood back! Amazing!!

Yes, funnily enough I happen to be of the belief that riding around a 250m wooden track as fast as you can is not really as important as saving people's lives. And as I already stated, I find the connotations of the honours system pretty offensive. If you had bothered to engage with my arguments you would have soon realised that I actually think that Chris Hoy is an outstanding athlete and one of the track's greats, and should be above taking these shitty awards, along with all the other people awarded honours. And as for fans of cycling - they barely come more obsessive than me. I was the one who went finding out the profiles of obscure climbs for the Vuelta - no, bollocks, for the women's Giro - to get people as excited as I am about those races. But obviously as I think the awards system is a shower of shite I am not as big a fan of cycling as you are.

Get stuffed.

As for being miserable, well I refer to my previous point. I e-mailed the media group affiliated with the Cali round of the World Cup to find out if there would be any British or European broadcasts of live coverage or highlights (in my crap Spanish, to boot). There are few things I find as joyous as watching cycling. But in this instance I am confronted with a choice between a sportsperson I greatly admire and some fairly basic principles. I choose the latter.

 

[geopat]

Yes, funnily enough I happen to be of the belief that riding around a 250m wooden track as fast as you can is not really as important as saving people's lives. And as I already stated, I find the connotations of the honours system pretty offensive. If you had bothered to engage with my arguments you would have soon realised that I actually think that Chris Hoy is an outstanding athlete and one of the track's greats, and should be above taking these shitty awards, along with all the other people awarded honours. And as for fans of cycling - they barely come more obsessive than me. I was the one who went finding out the profiles of obscure climbs for the Vuelta - no, bollocks, for the women's Giro - to get people as excited as I am about those races. But obviously as I think the awards system is a shower of shite I am not as big a fan of cycling as you are.

Get stuffed.

As for being miserable, well I refer to my previous point. I e-mailed the media group affiliated with the Cali round of the World Cup to find out if there would be any British or European broadcasts of live coverage or highlights (in my crap Spanish, to boot). There are few things I find as joyous as watching cycling. But in this instance I am confronted with a choice between a sportsperson I greatly admire and some fairly basic principles. I choose the latter.

Well said. Things much more important than track cycling seem to get ignored year in year out.

 

[rich p]

It takes all types, I suppose and the above comments bear that out. Fans of cycling? I doubt it!
!!

What a ridiculous thing to say. I too think the honours system stinks but funnily enough I love cycling.

 

[Aperitif]

I'm climbing in the skip with this one claver.
Time for you to do the honourable thing and give back your gong.

 

[Kovu]

Although it is good for cycling to get more high-profile coverage, I do not like the honours system and its basis in royal ass-kissing and celebration of imperialism, less still that the major honours tend to go to people like Chris Hoy - whose only achievement is to be able to ride a bike really quickly.

I would reject it if I was him.

What an odd thing to say? Considering that he has given the sport more coverage and perhaps inspired other young people into sport. Not forgetting that he was the first british athlete to win three golds in ONE games a massive achievement that should not get overlooked. Yes a knighthood might be pushing it too much, but he deserves it, just as much as Becks might for kicking a ball.
Yes I agree that people who do other things for charities etc do tend to get overlooked, but its a brilliant thing for Hoy and cycling in general and I dont think anyone should try even in the slightest to take that away from him.

 

[Skip Madness]

What an odd thing to say? Considering that he has given the sport more coverage and perhaps inspired other young people into sport. Not forgetting that he was the first british athlete to win three golds in ONE games a massive achievement that should not get overlooked.

As I said before:

I actually think that Chris Hoy is an outstanding athlete and one of the track's greats

I have not overlooked his achievements. I explicitly wrote the opposite, Chris Hoy is a superb cyclist and has attained great sporting achievements. And his achievements have been well-recognised not just by me, but by the general public - he won sports personality of the year. And although I do not much care for SPOTY, you won't see me complaining about that. The government, though, is meant to serve the people, and so when handing out honours they should recognise those who have served people best. People who ride their bike fast, get in the queue.

he deserves it, just as much as Becks might for kicking a ball.

Precisely - that is to say, not at all.

Yes I agree that people who do other things for charities etc do tend to get overlooked

Yes, charities, doctors, nurses, surgeons, paramedics, firefighters, lifeguards, carers, counsellors... there are thousands (millions?) of these people who achieve acts of human distinction many times over. If you think they are too many to make official state distinction worthwhile, I agree - so when sportspeople get earmarked for recognition they should have the humility to say, "Not before these people, and if that means not at all then so be it." More fundamentally, I do not see it as the role of the government to single out individuals for recognition. It can be too much of a grey area. Government should celebrate all of us as a society - great acts and not great people. That is my personal belief.

As I alluded to before, even if the honours system were more truly meritocratic, I also oppose their acceptance by anyone on the grounds that they celebrate deference to monarchy and imperialism. I find both of these things hurtful. In this regard I would very much like everyone to decline any honours they are awarded, not just Chris Hoy.

its a brilliant thing for Hoy and cycling in general and I dont think anyone should try even in the slightest to take that away from him.

It is not a brilliant thing - the brilliant thing was his brilliant sporting achievement which (on its own, without any knighthood) did far more to drum up interest in cycling than kneeling down before some ungrateful scrounger. Probably even SPOTY will have done more for cycling's publicity than this knighthood. It was the dazzling speed of Hoy and his compatriots on the track that sold out the Manchester round of the World Cup so quickly, just as it will be Mark Cavendish's sprints that (slowly, maybe) draw more spectators roadside to the Tour of Britain. That is not something that three letters after your name make a damned bit of difference to.

 

[Kovu]

And his achievements have been well-recognised not just by me, but by the general public - he won sports personality of the year. And although I do not much care for SPOTY, you won't see me complaining about that.

Anything you do like the recognises achievement then?

The government, though, is meant to serve the people, and so when handing out honours they should recognise those who have served people best. People who ride their bike fast, get in the queue.

Again refering back to my previous statement that i am sure he has inspired some young people to get into sport. I only got into cycling after watching the Tour De France; and my grandad telling me stories of when he cycled. Maybe Hoy has got some young kids into the sport. That's good no matter what you might think. Serve people best? Yes but it also recognises some of people's best achievement in thier particular field. Hoy gave the public some of the best days to watch in the olympics. Yes other people should get recognised but Hoy shouldnt have said no to a knighthood at all, he deserves it for the hard work he has put in.

It is not a brilliant thing - the brilliant thing was his brilliant sporting achievement which (on its own, without any knighthood) did far more to drum up interest in cycling than kneeling down before some ungrateful scrounger. Probably even SPOTY will have done more for cycling's publicity than this knighthood. It was the dazzling speed of Hoy and his compatriots on the track that sold out the Manchester round of the World Cup so quickly, just as it will be Mark Cavendish's sprints that (slowly, maybe) draw more spectators roadside to the Tour of Britain. That is not something that three letters after your name make a damned bit of difference to.

To some extent i agree with you there, but the knighthood will only further interest for the sport, as SPOTY showed that the public have now taken a big interest in it too.

 

[rich p]

Anything you do like the recognises achievement then?


.

3 Olympic gold medals perchance?