Tom Brady Named Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year
A Michigan man is the SI Sportsperson of the Year. Tom Brady also won the award in 2005.
Can you name the only other Michigan alum to be the SI Sportsman/Sportsperson of the Year? Time's up - it's Michael Phelps in 2008. (Yes, he's an alum.)
LINK.
December 8th, 2021 at 12:08 AM ^
Outstanding!
May I nominate Jim Harbaugh for next year?
December 8th, 2021 at 12:33 AM ^
The award used to matter more.
Still pretty cool. Before Tiger they didn't have repeat winners; I think it's Tiger and Lebron and Tom now.
The man doesn't age.
December 8th, 2021 at 5:04 AM ^
(Deleting my own accidentally dumb post)
December 8th, 2021 at 5:04 AM ^
If Tiger, LeBron and TB12 are the exceptions to the rule that’s fine by me. Those three are on another level
December 8th, 2021 at 12:50 PM ^
I'm not sure that LeBron deserves to be in that group. He's probably top five all time in BB, but maybe not.
/Jordan, Magic, Bird, Kareem... all better than Lebron.
December 8th, 2021 at 1:50 AM ^
I imagine Brady would have more if the Super Bowl were in November.
Antetokounmpo would have been a good pick too. Long time since Milwaukee had any type of title and the Bucks were a blast to watch.
December 8th, 2021 at 2:20 AM ^
We claim him, but Phelps is not an alum. He trained in Ann Arbor for several years and took classes, but did not pursue a degree. He did serve as an assistant swim coach though, so I think it's fair to count him as a Michigan Man
December 8th, 2021 at 8:37 AM ^
An alum/alumni is someone who graduated OR attended classes at an institution, so yes, he is an alum. I'm not sure why the need by the author you linked to try to categorize "how Michigan" Phelps was
December 8th, 2021 at 8:43 AM ^
Yes, an alum is anyone who attended classes for any amount of time even if they did not graduate. Michael Phelps, Derek Jeter, Madonna and Vincent (a guy from Adrian who lived on my hall and dropped out after his first semester) are all Michigan alumni.
Magic Johnson is a Michigan State alum, even though he never graduated from there.
December 8th, 2021 at 9:46 AM ^
Woohooo, I’m from Adrian. I’m actually back here visiting family right now. I’ll see if I can find Vincent.
December 8th, 2021 at 11:39 PM ^
Did you check the closet?
December 8th, 2021 at 9:18 AM ^
If OSU is going to claim LeBron when he never even set foot on OSU’s campus for one class, then I have no problem claiming Michael Phelps.
December 8th, 2021 at 2:22 AM ^
Sportsperson? Should be Sportsman.
December 8th, 2021 at 6:29 AM ^
Are you saying that because you think there's a female athlete who also deserves the female equivalent of that title (so that there would be both a "sportsman" and a "sportswoman" of the year?), or are you saying that because you think the word "sportsman" should, gender-specific language aside, include women, or are you saying that because you think women shouldn't be eligible?
Personally, I like "sportsperson" of the year just fine, because it expressly includes 50% of the human race, thus represents an even greater honor.
But either way, of course, whatever.
December 8th, 2021 at 7:00 AM ^
It'd be nice if the honor could be automatically gender neutral, as "Sport of the Year," but a "sport"—"Whaddya think yer doin', sport?"—is very different than a "sportsman" or "sportsperson."
Of course, "sportsman" and "sportsperson" aren't exact equivalents, as "sportsman" is an older word with specific connotations, including assumed reference to a man, while "sportsperson" is obviously a derivation of "sportsman."
The English language is amazingly flexible. For instance, "chairperson" could easily be "chair," because neither requires a gender and both are symbolic of the space the leader of a meeting occupies. However English is not infinitely flexible. But the derivation "sportsperson" is the best it allows for encompassing male and female athletes.
December 8th, 2021 at 9:37 AM ^
F. Scott Fitzgerald approves of the gender neutral "sport."
Tom Brady might even be an "old sport" by now.
December 8th, 2021 at 7:54 AM ^
Shutuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup!!You elitist snob!!!
December 8th, 2021 at 7:49 AM ^
Oddly enough, I agree. The reason for the gender "pay gap" is because on average, a man can do twice as much work, twice as fast, twice as long as a woman.
Take the best 20 women in the world at soccer, put them on a field with some high school boys and they will get their asses kicked.
https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/a-dallas-fc-under-15-boys-squad-beat-the-u-s-womens-national-team-in-a-scrimmage/
Have you ever watched a WNBA game? There needs to be a separation because the women cannot compete. If the women who achieve great things in their gender and could never be honored for their accomplishments what role models will they have? There should be a Sportsman and a Sportswoman of the year award.
December 8th, 2021 at 7:56 AM ^
Shutuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup!! You Elitist Snob!!
December 8th, 2021 at 8:59 AM ^
Twice as much work, twice as fast, twice as long? You might want to make clear from the outset that you are referring to certain kinds of sports, not the workplace in general.
December 8th, 2021 at 9:24 AM ^
What does the viewership numbers look like regarding USMNT vs USWNT? That's where the real debate about the "pay gap" in sports is being waged, not NBA vs WNBA. If more people are consuming the women's product, then they should not be paid way less than the man, which I believe is still the case.
December 8th, 2021 at 9:01 AM ^
I'm surprised "athlete" or "professional athlete" aren't being used here.
December 8th, 2021 at 9:47 AM ^
It's ostensibly to honor anyone associated with sports and not only professional athletes - although professional athletes have won the vast majority of the awards. The only others I see as I scan the list is a number of coaches, a couple of teams, and a retired athlete.
Joe Pa (um, yeah), Dean Smith, Mike Shushefskee, Pat Summit, John Wooden, Don Shula, USWNT, GS Warriors, and Arthur Ashe (a year before he passed).
December 8th, 2021 at 10:11 AM ^
"Athlete of the Year" would work most of the time, with teams as "Athletes of the Year" or simply "Team of the Year." And the occasional coach could get a similarly occasional variation, "Athlete of the Year: Coach."
But "Athlete of the Year" does tend to preclude the possibility of non-active competitors, like chess players.
I return to this subject because "Sportsperson of the Year" sounds awkward. It's not a phrase that would bubble up from people talking but something delivered by a committee.
December 8th, 2021 at 9:26 AM ^
Tom Brady is the greatest living American.
December 8th, 2021 at 10:30 AM ^
Should have been Ohtani.
*ducks
December 8th, 2021 at 10:35 AM ^
I like Brady, of course, but that's a very, very legitimate argument. As is the argument for Giannis. There are some good candidates this year.