-
-
-
-
-
- CBB Front Page
- Scores
- Teams
-
Conferences
- Players
- Stats
- Standings
- Rankings
- Schedules
- Women's Hoops
-
-
-
-
- Soccer Front Page
-
Leagues
- MLS
- England
- Champions
UEFA Cup- English Champ
Germany- Italy
Spain- France
Netherlands- Scotland
Belgium- Mexico
Copa Lib- Copa Sud
Copa Oro- Copa America
World Cup- FIFA U-20
Sports Illustrated will announce its choice for Sportsman of the Year on Dec. 4. Below are some personal choices for that honor by SI writers.12/04/2006 07:51:00 AM It's Wade! Your thoughts?
Well, it wasn't an easy decision, but Dwyane Wade is Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year for 2006.
The 24-year-old, who led the Miami Heat to an NBA title last season, is the seventh professional basketball player to be awarded SI's annual honor, joining Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Rory Sparrow, Michael Jordan, David Robinson and Tim Duncan.
Did Wade deserve it? Or should someone else -- Roger Federer, Buck O'Neil, Albert Pujols, Tiger Woods -- have won the award this year? We want to hear from you. Tell us below what you think of our choice -- and feel free to make your own pick.
posted by sidotcom | View comments |Comments:
What a joke. Federer will go down as one of the great athletes of our time and what is supposedly the pre-eminent sports publication in the United States (if the world) will have scant evidence of his existence.What??? Bad choice in my mind how about Steve Nash??How could it not be Tiger Woods? I don't care if he has won the award twice before - 2006 was the year of the Tiger in sports. His impact transcends the game of golf and is a true role model to society. Oh, by the way - he won 8 out of 15 tournaments, 2 major championships, all while taking over two months off to cope with his father's death.Dwayne Wade is an excellent pick for SI Sportsman of the year. His remarkable performance in the NBA finals is a reflection of his talent, work ethic and drive that serves as an inspiration to everyone. An excellent choice.Federer is possibly the greatest athlete of all time since Donald Bradman.
Dwayne Wade? A great player. But this is a travesty.
Sports exist outside of America!Definitely should be Federer.truly embarassing for SI. smack of ethnocentrism. what does federer have to do to win?Wade was tremendous, but so was Federer and Tiger woods. To have such a great year despite losing his father, his win records and his records in tournament that he did not win are indication to his greatness. Federer also won it all so maybe those two might have been more worthier candidates though Wades achievement was exceptional too.I don't know how it is not Roger Federer. When will this guy get recognized? I don't even care much for tennis but his dominance in the sport is amazing.Who's Federer?
Anyway, Wade deserves this honor.Great choice! I don't know what the criteria is, but this is a good one. Federer would have been fine too.You have got to be kidding me. Did Wade do anything to change the game (besides proving that phantom calls still exist in the NBA)?
Sportmen of the Year? The New Orleans Saints - helping to restore hope to a forgotten city one win at a time.
dThe narrow minded world of American sports has once again shown its ignorance by not naming Federer Sportsman of the Year. This in a year when the US failed to achieve any glory in basketball in the world arena, how ironic that an NBA player gets the honors.SI Sportsman of the Year competition is a JOKE! It should be re-named SI AMERICAN Sportsman of the Year. This so-called competition has no credibility!If Federer were American, he would have made it. But the fact that he wasn't selected shouldn't be surprising - Graf should have been selected in 1988 when she won all four slams and the Olympics.A worthy choice...in a sports year where excellence was defined by people w/great character, DWade put his stamp on his greatness, but more importantly sacificed none of his humbleness as well...Wait a minute, someone who went to the line when he wasn't even fouled but got the call anyways which seems way to often gets Sportsman of the Year? What's his team doing now with Shaq once again in the decline of his game by being sidelined with injuries, absolutely nothing. He's no leader and he's not really that great at playing pro basketball, except double dribbling, carrying the ball and drawing fouls by getting breathed on.Why not Tony Dungy? After all he has done. Instead, some guy who gets all the calls, and never would have won the championship if it hadn't. Give it to someone who deserves it.I seriously thought that this was a no-brainer this year. How can anyone not believe that what Drew Brees and the Saints have done this year does not epitomize what is to be a sportsman? The Sportman of the Year award is supposed to given to someone that transcends his/her sport. While Wade certainly did this on the field of play last year, it pales in comparison to what the Saints achieved. They have truly been the transcendant story in all of sports this year.Roger Federer had a better year than anyone in their own respective sports this year. Federer made the finals of all four Grand Slam events (which he won three) plus the ATP Masters Cup final which he won - that 4 out of the 5 most important tennis tournaments this year! SI (in my opinion) pretty much ignored the brillance of Pete Sampras - an American - Federer being a Swiss dosen't have a chance. SI is naive as President Bush!Sorry Jon Wertheim but this validates my decision to cancel my subscription last year. The award your magazine gives is a big joke.Great player and, by all accounts, a great guy, but you have to be kidding. Frankly, I don't know how he even made it onto the "Sportsman of the Year" radar.I am a BIG Wade fan and I think he did an awesome job for the Heat last year. However, I think Federer should have been SI Sportsman of the Year. Federer is unbeatable at this point and in all liklihool he will go down in history as greatest tennis player ever. Federer had a stellar year (again) and was beatan only thrice (or was it four times?) last year.Wade is good. I'm not sure he's even the NBA sportsman of the year...but...he certainly deserves it.
Federer and Woods have been more dominant in their respective sports more than Wade has been, but i'm not too familiar with them off the tennis court and golf course.
So Wade's good. There could've been others who are just as deserving.
Woods should eventually get his award though because of what he's done to the game of golf. And how he's transformed the entire sport.I agree that this award has become very US-centered, but a ton of American athletes have been overlooked as well. Michael Phelps set three swimming world records, and finished the year ranked #1 in the world in 3 events, #2 in two others and three more top-ten rankings. He's the most versatile swimmer ever, a great ambassador for the sport, and overlooked yet again.complete embarassment. federer, woods, oklahoma city, and mcmahon are better choices. this is a frikin joke. how can you guys possibly vote for this?Its really sad. There is no one as good in his or her sport as Federer is at tennis. I dont think we should call Sports Illustrated a world thing... It is just an US thing.Federer is no doubt one of the most dominant, if not THE dominant player in sports. But this award is not just for on the court/field/arena/floor performance, or he would have probably won hands down. Quit whining about ethnocentrism, or the fact that "sports exist outside America", because like it or not, SI is an American magazine dominated by American sportswriters. Go yell at a tennis magazine and complain about the evil injustice perpetrated by SI to them.Cancel my subscription. This magazine has been going down the tubes as it continues to reduce its focus to the US: football, basketball, baseball or American athletes. What a joke. Nothing compares to what Federer has been doing for the past 3 years....Not a wrong pick, but not the best pick. It is too easy to go with an MVP of their professional sport. I agree to some extent that Federer would have been a better choice, but until a US tennis player reclaims the level of Sampras a tennis play won't win this award. Someone, to me, who deserves this award from transcend more than their sport. Tiger does, but only becuase he gets paid to do so. Buck O'Neil would have been an excellent receiptient. Or possibly someone like Warrick Dunn, who gives hundreds thousands of HIS OWN money to build homes for single mothers. Or perhaps why not a college athelete, like Ray Ray McElrathbey. Juggles raising his brother due to circumstances beyond his control, acedemics, and football. That's a ture sportsman.Who the heck is doing the picking? I guess you guys don't know how hard it is to accomplish what Woods or Federer did this year.
While we're at it, why don't we pencil in the Finals NBA MVP every year as the Sportsman...lol what a joke SI has become....this is sportsman of the year right? Not american sports figure with most commercials in the year? SI is continues to disgrace itself by putting wade on the cover bput the final nails in the heat season.....Foul on SI 2 shots plus the ballDwayne Wade, what a wonderful choice. His ability to slice through defenses with his unstopable push off moves. His lock down grab, pull and hack defense. What most draws me to Wade however is his inability to stand on his feet. I find it amazing that after every shot he finds a way to flop on the ground like a freshly caught trout. Nothing makes more sense than that. If I did have to critique this choice though, I would ask why not Bennet Salvatore? I mean, if it was not for him, Wade's career wouldnt even be possible. Maybe its because he is a referee. Anyhow, I applaud Sports Illustrated for making what most informed sports fans would call a "mindless" choice. I think its great that you dont listen to fans or really get whats going on. Not only did you not pick a person who is active in the community, but you didnt even pick a top 50 player in his own sport. Thats what makes you special S.I., making the rediculous choices nobody with sense would ever think to make.If I'd gotten the calls that Wade got and played in a league that could well be rigged, I'd be the freakin' Sportsman of the Year. I like Wade and all, but SI did the honor no honor with this choice.You've got to be kidding! I'm sure he's a fine guy, but he's just the best player in what is quickly becoming a fringe sport.Is it true that SI has never put Roger Federer on the cover? If so, then it confirms SI's bias towards American athletes and the award should be renamed to the American Sportsman of the Year award. Considering the breadth and depth of men's tennis world-wide it's even more amazing what Federer has done not only this year, but the last three years. I doubt you can say that Dwayne Wade has been the NBA's dominant player for the last three years. And let's not forget Federer's sportmanship and what he does off the court. Federer is much more deserving.Dwayne Wade is a "Star" player but has not even reached he "Superstar" status in the NBA. Just earning the MVP in the NBA finals and championship (with Shaquille O'Neal) last year does not make him Sportsman of the Year. If he was really that good last year, he should be the MVP for the season and not Steve Nash! Look at how he is playing this season and where his Team is in the NBA standings? He does not deserved the accolade "Sportsman of the Year." If helping the community makes him "Sportsman of the Year", then the award should be given to Jalen Rose! Wade is just the product of Media (including SI)packaging. Give the award to Tiger Woods!Ridicilous. He got all the calls during the playoffs and now gets this?! Federer was clearly the choice for 2006.It makes sense. My choice would have been Tiki Barber, Jim Leyland, or the 2006 GMU BK Final Four team.I agree that Federer IS the sportsman of the year. But, SI won't give it to him because they don't think a tennis athlete will sell enough magazines. Decisions like this one are why a canceled my subscription.This is such a joke! There are so many more deserving people out there. Federer, Tiger, the Tigers even. Come on. What is the problem, Ron Artest too busy?Unbelievable. SI ignores Federer again! Why am I not surprised...he's never even been on the cover. SI once against shows its American bias. The Laureus Award - which is much more important - has already recognized Roger Federer twice. At least they know greatness when they see it.Are you serious? If Wade wins, why not someone else from a championship team. How about David Eckstein from the Cardinals or Eric Stall from the Hurricanes? They are all incredible athletes and good community members, but pick someone who changes the face of the game.NOT ROGER FEDERER? Unbelievable, it's heartbreaking for me.
But then again, who cares about this award, just look at this...just no words to desrcribe this unjustice.
USA = what can we say? Hopeless.
Roger Federer might be the greatest sportsman of all time.HUH? Maybe i'm wrong but did Kobe score 81 in one game?? In the history books they wouldn't look back at NBA season and say " Hey that Wade helped the Heat win a title" the'll say " Wow 81 points in one game most have been something to see" I can clearly remember when Jordan scored 55 at MSG but who won that year escapes me????Obviously, we're picking the US sportsman of the year. If Federer was American there wouldn't be the slightest doubt about who would have won it. Unfortunately, only sports like basketball and football seem to count. Sad, sad, sad...If Roger Federer isn't the Sportsman of the Year, after the not one but THREE years he has, I don't think I understand the honor that SI is giving away.How about Vince Young? He almost single-handedly won one of the best college football games of all time, with what could be considered the greatest individual effort a collegiate athlete has had in a team sport game. Young showed that he was, hands down, the most talented player on a field with two Heisman Winners and scores of future first round draft picks.
Now take into account that he is 5-4 as a starting quarterback in the NFL in his rookie season, and continues to defy naysayers with fourth quarter dramatics. Vince Young should have been a no-brainer. Although to ask any sportswriter to remember something that happened only a few days after the start of the year is probably too much.Roger Federer is well on his way to becoming the greatest tennis player of all time. He had 12 titles this year and 9 Grand Slam titles in total. He's also an UNICEF ambassador. What more could you want in an athlete and a role model? Wade isn't even the best player in the NBA right now. Why don't you just call it the "American" Sportsman of the Year, since you don't recognize anyone outside of the US?For all those who complain that this award is only going to Americans, lets face facts. The best athletes in the world are American. Most big time athletes go into football, which is why most of the American talent is there or in basketball. Had a Lebron James or Vince Young tried to play only tennis, they would dominate the sport. I do think however that Wade is a horrible choice for sportsman. He does the same ammount of community service as any other athlete, and hes a very average player. Everyone who watched the finals knows what really happened. Wait, maybe this was just the announcement for Sports Illustrated for Kids?Wise up people, it's an American magazine. Who's going to buy a magazine with Federer cover? No one here cares about tennis (unless the subject is female, 21, blonde, smoking hot and screams like she's in an Herbal Essence commercial every time she hits the ball). Not a lot of people care about Tiger any more...been there done that. "Greatest ever..brought Golf back to life...dad dies, he still wins..." heard it. Used to care. Don't anymore.
Be glad it wasn't Peyton Manning or Tom Brady. Now THOSE guys sell magazines!What is someone that plays a TEAM sport doing winning this award, when you have someone in Roger Federer who has unparalled achievements year after year in an individual sport without the benefit of time-outs, substitutions, team-mates.....even a coach......In a sport that is played 11 and a half months of the year on different continents and different surfaces and against players representing over 100 countries vs. one that is only played indoors on the same surface for a few months of the year in a one country league. More proof that your magazine isn't worth the paper its printed on.What do you give a guy who gets every foul call possible, and more? Well, if you are David Stern you get that guy a championship ring. If you are SI you make him your "Sportsman of the Year." Why does the world feel so inclined to GIVE everything to someone who is fully capable of EARNING it.This is a joke. Federer should have been the Sportsman of the Year no matter where the magazine is published.Why not Terrel Owens? I mean D Wade? He can't outsell T.O. when it comes to his photo on the cover!! Or even O.J.? I'd pick O.J. over D Wade any day! He's more marketable, and wasn't he a great athlete?
Roger Federer? Ya gotta be kidding me!! Who knows him in the U.S.? Who'd buy the SI based on a photo of a non-american, non-controversial, slick, boring tennis player?
After all who said the cover is about yearly athletic performance? Who said it's about a sportsman that dominated(scratch that!) transcended his sport, was a great ambassador for his sport, is a bona fide true ambassador for all that is great about the sport? And who said if the sportsman has done that for over 3 years he deserves winning at least one title? Roger doesn't deserve the jingoistic title for it will taint his legacy.
So SI keep the criterion simple-who'll sell the magazine more-and objectivity be damned!
Rex JimThere is no question that the two greatest atheletes of our generation are Tiger Woods and Roger Federer.
It is a shame that Federer gets overlooked because he plays Tennis.
The media would be showering him with grace if he was dunking or receiving touchdowns.So the award goes to a basketball player from the US in a year that saw an Olympic Games and a World Cup, never mind Roger Federer having the best year of any athlete on earth.
Why not just call it the "American Sportsman of the Year" and be done with it?Sorry, but SI has made a foolish choice. Wade had a nice season, topped by a team victory over an imploding Mavs squad. How is this the basis for winning this award. SI is now fully engulfed in the NBA's "Stars we promote" program. Way to drink the koolaid.Wade. Tiger. Federer.
Tiger & Federer stand out more as they accomplished it individually; but.. is Tennis down for lack of talent? is Golf out for the lack of hand to hand combat?Wade does immense amounts of community service, etc. What does Federer do?Wade is a terrific player and deserving NBA Playoffs MVP and seems like a wonderful person/sportsman as well...however Roger Federer has just completed arguably the greatest season, if not greatest 3 consecutive seasons, in the history of tennis, if not all sports. He is such a great person/sportsman that he is liked and respected by all his chief rivals. Sorry, but SI missed the boat on failing to recognize this once in a generation tennis virtuoso.Who knew Dallas Mavericks fans were such big tennis fans.YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING!! As a fan of the Mavericks, I had just gotten over the feeling of being absolutely and totally robbed by the NBA, officials and everyone else who decided the league needed its next "it" player when I heard about this joke of a selection. Outside of Peter King, SI has become totally irrelevant in the world of serious journalism, and this proves it. What has Dwayne Wade done for the good of the citizenry? Has he helped push a broken and beaten city back on the map like Drew Brees and the rest of the New Orleans Saints have done? How in the world could that team not be your pick? This is the stupidest thing I've ever seen in your magazine, and it makes me wonder I ever even read your magazine.Wow, now we have heard everything SI. While Mr. Wade certainly had a great season, he still did have a large mountain in the middle named Shaq. And if we are naming guys on championship teams as Sportsmen of the Year, why Not Eric Stall of the Hurricanes or David Eckstein of the Cards?? All great athletes and community members, but certainly not revolutionaries.Wade is a terrific player and deserving NBA Playoffs MVP and seems like a wonderful person/sportsman as well...however Roger Federer has just completed arguably the greatest season, if not greatest 3 consecutive seasons, in the history of tennis, if not all sports. He is such a great person/sportsman that he is liked and respected by all his chief rivals. Sorry, but SI missed the boat on failing to recognize this once in a generation tennis virtuoso.Federer had the most dominant year, 11 month season,ever in sport. D Wade is good but he played well for a month and a half during the playoffs. Worst decision ever!!!Interesting that on your own website, the Federer article was titled "Roger Robbed?" after this announcement. I could kinda see reasons why Federer wasn't chosen the last two years, but this year there is just no excuse. If SI truly wants to honor sports and sportsmanship than there is no contest. Roger Federer will go down in history as the best tennis player of all time and one of the greatest athletes of any sport.The problem I have with this is that Wade was given a free parade to the line (which generally doubled his PPG) on ridiculously touch-foul-calls in a league that now apparently prohibits touching guards, let alone players it wishes to succeed.
Also to mention this great "comeback" against the Mavericks was born on a sudden and obvious change in the calls of the series to entirely pro-miami. Capped off with Wade's "miraculous" backcourt violation, followed by a blatant four step travel, followed by an impossible-to-not-call offensive foul when he shoved the Mav to the ground, followed by a carry in the corner when he shifted direction, followed by him launching himself out of control between two defenders and flinging the ball at the rim only to be handed a foul call during whats been known as "you don't call such fouls at such pivotal times in a game".
It is absolutely absurd that Dwayne Wade has been chosen as Sportsman of the Year - let alone player of the year. All he has impacted is to bring further into light the disaster that is NBA Officiating and their desire to market specific individuals at all costs necessary including sacraficing the integrity of the game.
This leads to Sportsman of the Year?
Terrible pick.How can Wade be Athlete of the Year when he didn't even win NBA MVP??? It is stated that Wade vs Kobe difference is that Kobe needed Shaq to win 3 in a row and Wade didn't need Shaq to win. Hmm...let me see the standing this year so far: Lakers 11-5 and Heat 7-9 (Wade without Shaq, but wait you said he didn't need him). Really bad choice for Athlete of the Year.Federer or Tiger should have been the only choice because they are the Best in their sport internationally. Also Federer is the best on and off the court.NBA is with in America. No wonder the American sports is so biased that they call all the Championships within themselves as World Championships. What a joke and I regret subscribing to SI.hey the nba decided he was gonna be the next big star n gave him every call all playoffs it only makes sense that hed wint his tooGreat athlete, great finals, not a great choice. I can't imagine him even being a consideration. He had a good year and a great week last summer against Dallas.Federer had arguably the greatest year in tennis history... and this follows two other years that are also among the greatest in tennis history. Short of winning the Grand Slam (he was only one match short of this!), there is nothing he could have done better. SI loses credibility by overlooking this sort of dominance.Great and excellent job in choosing
D. Wade as the S.I. Sportsman of the Year ! He personifies the exemplary athlete who puts his faith, family -( including his NBA family), foremost. He gives back to his community for all that he's been blessed with and he should be an inspiration to all the youths - considering how he had risen from his beginnings ! My prayers are that he remains humble & unaffected with his success and that his feet remains grounded.Just because you win a championship should not qualify you for this honor. D Wade is a very good basketball player, nothing more. Even the NBA specialist picked Steve Nash as the MVP of the league. How can a guy whose not even the best team player in his league be the best in the world?Great choice!A travesty.....Federer had a historic season, Wade mearly an excellent one.Once again SI fails to recognize an international athelete. This is clearly an American Award. Federer DOMINATED the tennis world. As a tennis player, you look at this guy in awe, he obliterates world class opponents. Cannavaro in front of BILLIONS anchored the Italians to the World Cup Title... The Greatest Sporting Event in the world! Ronaldinho took BARCA to the Champions League Title. I was in Germany for this event.... And believe me there is no bigger event... even the Superbowl... (49er faithful...sorry Joe, but soccer is just plain bigger and the fans are way more exciting) Dwayne Wade should be NBA MVP at most. Maybe if he anchored the Americans to the World Championship Title, he should be considered, but they lost to an unknown Greek Team.... absoluteley no heart!!!!!Basketball players know stats as well as anyone. If you showed D. Wade the stats that Federer put up this year, even he would probably vote for Federer.How about NBA officials as the Sportsman of the Year? That would make more sense than Wade.
It should've been Federer or Woods...Wade is no where near what they have done.Bad choice. As I understand it, the award is to go to the person or persons who had the greatest impact on their sport during the year. The Heat would not have won without Shaq, Alonzo and others. No one heard of Wade before the playoffs. Come on.
The award should go to the Rookie Pitchers in baseball. They transformed the sport making contenders out of otherwise so-so teams........Remember the Tigers?I am a die-hard Albert P. and St. Louis Cardinals fan. However, even I believe that Roger Federer deserved this award. Wade?? Another poor choice from a league that no longer interests the average american reader.terrible choice. federer had one of the most dominating seasons ever in sportsYou need to give Bennet Salvatore part of the credit.Wade won the award months ago when David Stern told his refs to call a foul on the defender every stinkin' time Wade took a shot. Even MJ didn't get that kind of preferential treatment. Boy, SI, you blew this in spectacular fashion.
He's one of the top ten players in the league -- maybe.
Everyone on this board is right. It has to be Federer. He is unquestionably the best athlete at his sport. Light years ahead of Tiger. No one else is even close. Only 24, he is already considered the best of all time. And he is the very model of sportsmanship.Does Bennett Salvatore get a co-Sportsman of the Year award for sending Wade to the line on a BS call at the end of Game 5?
And have you looked at how the Heat are faring without Shaq?Barbaro, the Jacksons, trainer Michael Matz and Dr. Dean Richardson did more for horse racing then Wade will do for the NBA. This is the most redicoulous choice for Sportsman of the Year. Come on Sports Illustated this is the worst choice since Tom Brady. Afleet Alex and his connections should have been last year but you choose a football player because Alex is a horse. Is that why you did choose Bobby? (Barbaro, Bobby is his nickname)In the words of Johnny Mac, "YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!!!"
Note to the powers-that-be at SI: there's this guy from Switzerland, named Federer, probably the best to ever play his sport, and had a pretty decent 2006. Even won the biggest event on US soil. Not a bad guy, either.Dwayne Wade is a very talented young athelete, but he is not deserving of being named sportsman of the year. As dominant as Roger Federer and Tiger Woods' seasons were over their competition was, neither of them deserved the honor this year. No, this time around Sports Illustrated missed an opportunity to honor a man and his legacy in a sport which has not done so. Buck O'Neil is hands down the sportsman of the year. Even after being overlooked as an entry into the baseball HOF, he still attended the presentation and spoke about the individuals being honoured from the Negro leagues. He played not for the money, but for the love of the game and is truly one of the greatest embassadors of baseball and linking its past to its present. Especially in the wake of his passing at the age of 94, this was a wonderful opportunity for SI to show what a true sportsman was and should be.What about Vince Young - true defition of a sportsman and class actWade? He had a good playoff run, and that gets him the award? What a joke. Federer has dominated tennis for years, and SI continues to sneeze in his general direction. Please. I'm glad I don't subscribe to SI.How about Buck O'Niel who gave his life to baseball, had the class and integrity to get the speech at the Hall of Fame even though the voting committee stabbed him in the back.Shame on SI! Cann't even look at the whole picture of every sport in the world. Wade is a poor choice 'cuz of skewed vision from the SI team. Federer wins every week end and is a wisdom that is hardly seen in any sport ever. My choice is Federer. To me SI sounds Sports Ill-frustrated 'cuz they are frustrated with their ill advised picks.You have got to be kidding! While Wade is a tremendous athlete, no one dominated his/her sport in 2006 like Tiger Woods did. Maybe Federer; but, it certainly wasn't Wade. I hate to say this; but, you all missed it this year!Federer would be a much-choice than Wade, but I'll also put in the two centimes for Michael Schumacher He battled for his final championship of the sport (Formula 1)on a world stage and provided hundreds of millions of followers with a spectacular duel with Fernando Alonso down to the final race of the season.
Schumacher's retirement at the top of his skills, and his dominance of the sport, is pretty good evidence for getting the Sportsman of the Year award.The Refs in the Championship Series would agree with Wade as sportsman of 2006hahahahaha, what a joke, give me a break, there are a dozen better athletes in the sports world ahead of Wade...federer, woods, manning, ronaldinho, and nash just to name a few, dont get me wrong wade is a great player, but if si calls him sportsman of the year, i dont have much respect for sports and for that much si, congrats wade, you stole that oneOnce again Sports Illustrated shows that only an American is elligible for the Award. To deny Roger Federer the true accolade of "Sportsman of the Year" is a travesty. He has shown in his arena the true mark of a winner.
How much longer does he have to wait to be recognized ?It's not ethnocentrism or xenophobia that led to SI's snub of Roger Federer. But unfortunately selling magazines within the U.S. probably counts for as much as on-field accomplishments in SI's eyes. Under that criteria, Maria Sharapova will win Sportsman of the Year before Federer!I have always believed that Sports Illustrated was the finest sports publication in the world, but choosing Wade as the year's sportsman is ludicrous. If you wanted to soil your credibility, you succeeded.My vote would have gone to Vince Young. He had perhaps the greatest single game performance in college football history in the Rose Bowl. And now in the NFL, he's followed that up by pulling out miracle comeback wins over the Giants and Colts the last two weeks.SI's worst pick ever... ever. I'm not saying this as hate to Dwayne Wade at all. He's a great player and I love watching him, but there are far better candidates who should have won the award.C'mon already...it should have gone to Federer and everyone knows it...what was his record 93-5...12 titles, 3 slams, made the final of every tournament but 1...forget sportman of the year...this may be one of the greatest sportsmen to have ever lived...he's up there with jordan, ali, gretky, woods, nicklaus if he keeps this pace...problem is that he is not from Canada or the US...ROGER FEDERER!!!! Sportsman of the Year is losing all credibility. Wade had a great season but he has not dominated his sport like Federer. As a matter of fact Tiger, the standard for American athletes, fails to live up to Federer if you compare their seasons.
Rename it American Sportsman of the Year. What's a shame is that so many people in this country are missing out on one of SPORTS greatest athletes ever. Federer is redefining history and he may have had the single greatest season ever in tennis and among the finest in any sport.What a joke. I can't believe with all the choices you could have made, you picked Dwayne Wade. Does he really match up alongside with others who have won this award? How long has he been in the league? 3 years? You have to be kidding? I have socks older than this kid.Excellent choice! Wade is a legend in the making.Horrible choice, just given the other options, it was as if you guys couldn't pick anybody better. Tiger, Federer, the Saints, and Barbaro would all have been MUCH better choices, especially Roger. I'm not much of a tennis fan, but even I know Federer is probably one of the best athletes in the world and has done more for his sport than D. Wade has done. Pathetic, I'm glad I don't subscribe to your magazine.SAD...SAD...SAD...SAD...SAD. Did I say SAD! I went to Marquette and I love D-Wade, but once agin SI, you turned it into a high school popularity contest. There are other people that are more deserving. SAD!Perhaps SI is waiting for Federer to win the grand slam before giving him the honor. Too bad. It seems that a Sportsman of the year should transcend their sport. Federer did and does. Wade didn't and doesn't. He may not even have been the best player in his league in 2006 (Kobe / Nash). Should have been Federer.The NBA doesnt interest the average AAmerican reader anymore? Please, the NBA has never been so popular and all the amount of space the magazines give to the NBA show it. 99% of readers care about the NBA. All the people i know are huge NBA fans and basketball fans in general. People who say people dont care about the NBA are just JEALOUS and are jealous that an NBA athlete won this award and probably have never seen a basketball game in their life. Anyways, great choice. D-Wade deserves it (even if i can't stand the Heat). And he's helping a lot the community.
Federer? Cannavaro for Sportsman of the Year?? Please, who would buy SI with a soccer or a tennis player on the cover? No one.That si doesn't give the award to That federer didn't win the award isn't a surprise because he won't sell many magazines in the USA. But give the award then to Tiger Woods who won two majors and many tournements. He is also American and made golf very populair in the states. I think Federer deserved it, but if you don't want to give the awrd to him because of marketing give it then to tiger he deserves it much more than this wade guy.not wade, vince youngthis is a joke. he's not even the best player in the eastern conference!It is beyond outrageous that Federer will be shut out - AGAIN - for sportsman of the year. I don't understand how someone on a team can be named sportsman of the year, when Federer carries the weight on his own shoulders. Unreal. I'll be cancelling my subscription.Wade is a terrible choice, but not because he is American or in a fringe sport. If anything, tennis is a fringe sport. Wade is a bad choice because A) he isn't the best player in his own sport and his disgrace at the world's proved that (by the way, Kobe is clearly the best player in basketball and the US would have won with him in uniform) B) he didn't deserve most of the calls he got in the Finals, which most honest people will admit, and C) this choice wasn't about sportsmanship, it was about marketing, the NBA and adjacent corporations in the media and elsewhere share a massive mutual interest in promoting the celebrity of players, even doing so falsely, as is clearly the case here
To be honest, the most surprising thing about this choice is that it wasn't Lebron. Maybe he had less total commercials and they split the tie that way, as another reader suggested.
Federer and Woods would both have made vastly more sense.What??? Roger Federer should be the top pick unless SI gives additional points or credit to basketball players. Tiger Woods should be close second. Dwayne Wade is great, but not a good choice for SI Sportsman of the Year.This is a joke and I can only imagine that this was some concocted scheme by SI to generate debate. Wade as Sportsman of the year? He is not even in the top-10.
Wade is not even the best player at his position in his own conference. He won a TEAM championship as the beneficiary of multiple bad calls, and other than some puff piece before the NBA Finals, I haven't seen him impacting anything other than the foul line.
This was a terrible choice and shows how connected SI is to the real sports world...the NBA is failing and D. Wade is just the first mate going down with the ship.I dont think dwayne wade deserves it fully cause there was so many more better choices but my #1pick was Vincent Kennedy McMahon cause he has men going over there entertaining the troops at Christmas and those wrestlers are giving up having a christmas with thier families to go overseas and entertain the men and women fighting for our country and they dont even asked to be paid to do it but they enjoy it still.It should be renamed "US sportsman of the year".Federer is by far the most dominating figure in ANY sport and a role model. Shame on you SIRoger Federer is the best. Possibly of all time. That should be enough.Initially, I was inclined to say it should have been "Tiger!" But, after reading most of the comments, I believe Roger Federer really should have been the choice. If he were American, I'm sure he would have been given the nod without question. The fact he is Swiss should not have penalized him. He is really in complete control of his sport and he is a gentleman to boot! What a pro!!!I guess you should change the title to 'US Sportsman of the Year 2006' instead of 'Sportsman of the year 2006'. Depending on SI staff's intelligence, I hope you understand the subtle difference.The only thing Federer could do to win this award would be to move to the United States. And even if he did that, went undefeated for the year, winning a Golden Slam in the process, switching over to baseball and basketball and football in his spare time and bringing home a championship in each, Sports Illustrated would still find some local boy who'd had a hot streak for three or four games and give him the Sportsman award. What a load of nativist hogwash.A friend text-messaged me that Wade was named Sportsman of the Year, and my first thought was "I know Boggs was inducted into the Hall of Fame last year, but....?!.".
In the era of Federer, to name Dwyane Wade as Sportsman of the Year is only slightly less ridiculous than naming long-retired Wade Boggs would have been.Shame on you!
There is no way Dwyane Wade had a better year than Roger Federer and everyone on your editorial staff knows it. You can't possibly argue that this decision was made for anything but commercial reasons. In 1989, a certain magazine I know gave its annual award to Greg LeMond, an American athlete little known outside of his own sport, because he deserved it - not because his face was on every other TV ad. I remember reading a letter in response which said, "I saw the cover and said no. I read the article and said yes." You guys used to have gumption when it came to this stuff. What happenned?
On the other hand, you're likely to get another shot at getting this one right - Federer's sure to deserve it next year, too.ROGER FEDERER
No one else.
SI, I´m sorry some people there have too much power in hands.
USA = All about the money and arrogance? seems so...
Joe, UK.Dominating a fringe sport is not Sportsman worthy. Wade deserves it for his play and his class.
That said, I would have given it Drew Brees. After being pushed out in San Diego, he leads New Orleans to a renaissance that has carried over to the city itself.Based on individual effort, how
can anyone come close to Tiger Woods, and I don't even follow golf that much.SI should be nominated for the most ridiculous magazine ever.
Federer deserved it, the last three years actually.What is the rational arguement against Roger Federer? If winning three majors and losing in the finals of the fourth doesn't qualify you as the sportsmen of the year, then the voting system is fraught with error and devoid of meaning.This is ridiculous. Truly a shame that Sports Illustrated even thought about Wade for their sportsman of the year. What does Roger Federer have to do? Win every single tournament he enters? Kiss babies? Become a resident of America? I hate Federer for robbing Andre Agassi of his last real shot at winning a Grand Slam in the 2005 U.S. Open, but there is no doubt that he is the sportsman of the year.Does anyone remember people declaring Penny Hardaway the best player in the NBA? Then it was Kobe's turn. 2 years ago I told all my friends that suddenly people will start talking about Dwayne Wade as the best player in the league. Guess what? Even if he isn;t as dominant as he once was, Shaq is the reason the Heat won the title. People can keep thinking it a coincidence that the prominant perimater player who plays with Shaq seems too good to be true. The smart sports fan can see through guys like Wade.You'd think Tennis ratings would be higher considering all the complaining being done on this forum. Sadly no one gives a crap about Tennis in this country, if Americans aren't playing well.
Why are non-Americans surprised by this? I mean seriously, have you been living under a rock for the last 50 years?Barbaro, the Jacksons, trainer Michael Matz and Dr. Dean Richardson did more for horse racing then Wade will do for the NBA. This is the most redicoulous choice for Sportsman of the Year. Come on Sports Illustated this is the worst choice since Tom Brady. Afleet Alex and his connections should have been last year but you choose a football player because Alex is a horse. Is that why you didn't choose Bobby? (Barbaro, Bobby is his nickname)
Also the NBA sucks. Give me college basketball over the NBA anyday of the week.Bad choice...everyone seems to agree. I don't think any of us are going to buy your issue so you really goofed up there. Maybe your magazine would sell more if you made a less safe choice.Has David Stern paid u guys off too? I thought it was a scam after Wade got every call against Detroit and Dallas, and now this? Federer and Woods are the best players of their generations in their respective sports, both are far superior choices to Wade. You could make the case for Vince Young single handedly getting the National Championship for Texas in 2006 also. Wade had help from not his team, but the refs. SI is a great magazine, but you guys definitely dropped the ball on this choice.If Wade gets it, then so should the rest of the Heat. He's only as good as the team around him and he's certainly not as good as Federer. It's almost like racism but not quite. Patriotism perhaps? We've seen this before with tennis. Graf, Hingis, Sampras and other greats have been snubbed. Choices like this make Sports Illustrated a joke with as much credibility as Mad Magazine.Jerome Bettis should have won this award. Retiring a Super Bowl Champion after an amazing career, handling himself with dignity and class throughout. An absolute no brainer.I remember when SI was a trend-setting magazine. Now it appears, you are, among other things, a David Stern disciple. Like many of the other comments posted, everybody knows what really happened in that series. Dwayne Wade was given the title so he and Lebron can create a Bird-Magic type duel for the next 10 years. Not to mention Stern and the officials hate for Cuban. I've never seen a more obvious "fix" in recent major sports history, and many concur. Now SI has lost respect in many circles with it's personal validation of last June's travesty. I expected more from you guys. Federer or even Vince Young would have been a better choice. And you wonder why you've lost so much market share.I say give the award to the 15 strong of Miami...Dan Crawford, Bennett Salvatore, Ed Rush, etc.I know the name Federer, but I do not know all of his accomplishments because I am not a tennis fan. Browing through these posts however it is clear that Federer is quite a champion. I like D-Wade a lot, but I do agree that the series was clearly called in his favor. The series was upsetting and ridiculous. Dallas fans were cheated. So too it seems were SI fans who were looking for a winner in an objective standpoint.WHO???? Nobody cares about the NBA and it makes the title "Sportsman of the Year" a joke. Why not name another athlete from another 3rd rate sport...how about an MLS player???This is a joke. If Dwayne Wade is the winner than David Stern needs to be co-winner. Wade never won the Finals, they were decided by the NBA. This is a joke. A guy wins 1 title, and you crown him sportsman of the year? Tiger wins countless titles, tournanments, etc and he gets the shaft. You guys should be ashamed of yourself. To further explain your choice.... Look at the Heat this year. They are a joke. And I believe Dwayne is still on that team. Shame on you SI!SI has become anything but a reputable magazine. The stories and articles are rank with bias. It is too bad the morons with little to no understanding of sports are given a soap box (an albeit small and shrinking soap box) from which to spew ignorant and erroneus opinions and statements.Federer is a great sportsman in every possible meaning of the word. He dominated his sport (and has for 3 consecutive years) in a way that perhaps nobody has done in the history of sport (including Tiger Woods). And yet SI has passed him over once more. SI has revealed it's American-centric, limited focus on world sport yet again.wade?!? are u freakin' kidding me? Wade couldn't get picked out of line up anywhere outside of the US!!! Federer is literally on a day-by-day re-writing history both on AND off the court. His only shortcoming on a jingoist american media is that he is NOT american. What if any relevance SI ever had in sports journalism u forfeited w/ this ludicrous selection. Ask one of your twinkies to google Federer and you'll quickly see why this error must be corrected asapI can't believe how many people are talking about Roger Federer. I understand all of his accomplishments on the court, but what has he done for the community...anywhere?!? Let's keep in mind that this award is for the best sportsman of the year to include community contributions. Ethnocentrism? Hardly. As far as the other names mentioned, you're joking right.
I'm not a Wade fan, but I really don't see anyone more deserving. That includes Tiger Woods.Wade as Sportsman of The Year?? Come on SI!! I'm an avid raeder of the magazine and this website, and I expect more from this publication. This is an atrocious pick. Wade is a good athlete, but without Shaq, the Heat aren't going anywhere. Here are picks that deserve it more then Wade:
-Roger Federer
-The New Orleans Saints
-Tiger Woods
-Zidane
-Andre Agassi
-Warrick Dunn
-LaDanian Tomlinson
-Joe Mauer
*No NBA player deserved this award. Only in the U.S. can we try to give a great sports award to an NBA athlete.
-Ahmad, Cal State Long BeachIt is pleasantly surprising to See Dwayne Wade win SI's sportsman of the year.
For what it's worth I feel this is deserving for D-Wade. May I point out why I feel this could be right?
I agree that Tiger Woods and Roger Federrer are good sportsmen perhaps with a better winning record. But it is not surprising when they win. They are expected to win everything. I would only be surprised when they loose. (In the same vein. Can someone tell me how many times Michael Schumacher won this award inspite of winning F1 consecutively for so many years or rather Valentino Rossi for winning MotoGP for so many years?)
Miami was the rank underdog the whole of last year all through the play-offs and also in the NBA finals. So, when Miami Heat accomplished the Mission Impossible, the credit is due for D-Wade. I am sure not many would agree with me, but Congratualtions to my man D-Wade!!.Does anyone remember SI calling Penny Hardaway the best player in the NBA? Or Kobe Bryant? 2 years ago I told all my friends that Dwayne Wade was suddenly going to be considerd the best player in the league. Guess what? Whoever is the prominant perimter scorer on a Shaq team is always going to be over rated. Where was the Heat before Shaq? Where are they this year without him? SI is usually a pretty smart sports source. How are they so simple minded to be blind to this easy formula?Perhaps you whiners should read the article to find out why he was selected before you spew such manic disdain for the choice.
Look at the past winners, the award never goes to the best athlete of the year. It goes to the best Sportsman.
Sportsman: a person who exhibits qualities especially esteemed in those who engage in sports, as fairness, courtesy, good temper, etc.As a die-hard heat fan, and a miami native, I wish to correct some of the misinformed bloggers here - 1) Dwayne Wade is a pillar of society, performing many charitable works, spending large amounts of his own money, not just in Miami or his own home town, but to Katrina victims, etc. He is a humble, unassuming person, who happens to be an excellent basketball player. His charitable works are NOT widely known, because he doesn't need or WANT the publicity. 2) All the Dallas Maverick fans say nothing whenever Nowitski gets the same 'phantom calls' Wade supposedly got, including games the Mavs won in the championship series. News Flash: Dallas did NOT do enough to win, and quit at the end, so quit whining and get OVER it!! 3)Sports Illustrated is an AMERICAN magazine that covers sports the world over, without regard to race, nationality, or religion. Again, get OVER yourselves!! In closing, having said ALL that, I think Tiger would have been the better choice, taking into account his transcendence on and off the golf course. Only he, in my opinion, has possibly done more for the community at large philanthropically than D-Wade.To everyone getting all upset about this pic, remember it is just a sports magazine. This is not an election that will swing the fate of the world. Nobody lives or dies because of it. Its just a piece of opinion. No need to be upset by it, no need to whine and cry. Accept it for what it is and move on.Even if you don't go with Federer, even if your only options are football, basketball, and baseball, this is absolutely absurd.
Wade isn't the best at his sport. He couldn't have won a ring without a very good supporting cast. His play didn't advance the game of basketball. He is not viewed as iconic.
SI is completely out of touch, not even with the state of sport, but with what people think altogether.Good lord, I've played tennis since I was 12 yet could care less about Roger Federer. I believe men's tennis is devoid of serious athletes outside of Fed and Nalbandian, and Nadal (speaking of which if Fed is so great what does that say about Nadal who seems to be the only one who coudl beat him; maybe HE should be sportsman of the year).
Anyhow, the worst Roger Federer had to face was one guy at a time. With the Heat in fear of going down 3-0 in the Finals, Wade single-handedly took on the vaunted new Dallas Defense and made them look like the old Dallas Defense.
Federer and Tiger Woods are great athletes surrounded by mediocre talent (how old is Marat Safin?)and that doesn't a sportsman of the year make.As a Marquette alum, I am proud that D-Wade was honored. I was also surprised. I haven't read the story, but I think perhaps the cultural setting is the change in the NBA from hip hop and gansta rap and individual stars, to character and leadership and teamwork. One writer referred to D-Wade, King James, and 'Mello as the NBA's "Holy Trinity." If SI is going w/ that as a "culture and sports" theme, then Wade would be the obvious choice (among the three), as he has the ring and the trophy.My top 3 choices would be Jim Leyland, Roger Federer and Tiger Woods.Interesting that all of the writers nominated different athletes, yet not a single one nominated Wade. I'm a big fan of Wade, but I loved Brian Leonard, Roger Federer, and Brees and the Saints and thought any one of them would have been more deserving.Awful, awful, awful decision.
You embarrass yourselves not choosing Federer. By any criterion of "sportsmanship" you choose, he comes up ahead of Wade.
He's been robbed each of the last three years, in fact.
You devalue your "award" with ridiculous decisions like this one.This is a total mistake. Read Andy Grey's pick then tell me that D-Wade deserves this. What a shamHe is a good player, but a far cry from sportsman of the year. I could name 4 other NBA players over Wade. But seriously Tiger and Federer were waaaay more qualified. If it were not for ridiculous calls in the last 3 games of the finals we would be talking about Wade even being a centerpiece of an NBA team.Rename the award to America's Sportsman of the Year than Wade is a good pick. If not, Federer is a clear winner for 2006. I thought the BCS is a messed, but this is worse.Most of the above comments are spot on. Mr. Federer was the only logical choice. The SI pick for athlete of the year has become finally and completely irrelevant.I think there were a couple of pchoices that would have been better than Wade. One is Tiger Woods, who demonstrated how to succeed despite personal hardship. Another would have been Dikembe Mutombo, who showed how an athlete can use his or her money and clout to improve conditions for others. Winning a NBA championship doesn't compare to what those men have accomplished.I think he will pick up a foul from a Dallas Maverick just for receiving the award.I agree with this decision 100%. Wade is one of the NBA's rising stars and leaves good face for the NBA. He is a extremely valuable player because he is a versatile player.This selection is a joke! Wade is a good player and that's it. For those who say Feder was the best choice, look up the definition of sportsman please. What have Wade, Feder, or Woods done outside of their sport? Pujols is more derserving than any of them, he has started a foundation to help with autism research. The Saints are helping rebuild New Orleans. Now we come to a company that willing goes over to Iraq and performs for the troops, Vince McMahon's WWE. Now who seems the most deserving of Sportsman of the Year?what about Zidane? the whole headbutt thing aside, he resurrected a team that was too old and too slow, and took them to the finals of the most popular sporting event in the world, one that kicks the golf, tennis, and basketball's butts combined. the only reason he had to headbutt was that he couldn't lift his arms to push because he has been getting fouled to hard the entire game. kudos to the best soccer player of his generation, and one of the top 5 players of all time.My vote goes to Vince Young for his performace in the Rose Bowl. He's went there twice and out did both Michigan and USC, who by the way people thought would just roll over the Longhorns. Would I have been upset if Federer was on the cover? Of course not, he is an amazing athlete and will go down as one of the best Tennis stars of all time, however you must also remember that this is a business like anything else and you need to sell magazines.How can it not be Roger Federer? He wins 3 Grand Slams, the Masters Cup and has a ridiculous record of 92-5 for the year!
Not to mention everything he does outside of tennis: He has started the Roger Federer Foundation which supports disadvantaged children in South Africa and promotes sport for young people. He has helped to raise money for tsunami relief efforts and for the American Red Cross’ Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. In April 2006, he was named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. He won the 2004 Laureus World Sportsman of Year and was named GQ’s International Man of the Year for 2005. They got it right. Shame on SI (and the American public) for ignoring Roger Federer.SI should be embarrassed! D. Wade had a good week during the NBA Finals. Tiger and Federer had great year's! WOW SI!What's taking so long to add new comments? Don't like how most of them are negative?What a joke!
Never knew so many tennis fans read the internet suggesting Roger somebody or other.
If he hadn't done it for ten years in a row, Tiger would have to be the one that impacts his sport day in and day out so you could pick him every year and not be wrong.
I won't even watch Wade palm the ball, travel and charge night in and night out.SI must stand for Stupendously Incorrect. How much money did David Stern give you guys at SI? I thought ESPN was horrible. Dwayne Wade? He would have never been anywhere near the finals if it wasnt for Shaq.
You guys should have gave it to someone a little more deserving.It appears that Sports Illustrated whiffed and whiffed majorly with their decision to make Dwayne Wade Sportsman of the Year. In a year where there were several candidates much more deserving, the editorial staff at SI decided to go with a 'safe' choice instead of the more obvious ones.
Roger Federer is having perhaps the finest career in the history of tennis, yet he is overlooked because he is not American. (For the record, it has been over 33 years since SI chose a non-American athlete, the last being Jackie Stewart.)
The New Orleans Saints reflect the resiliency and determination of the city that they hail from, rising up from the ashes of a disaster in 2005 to become the symbol of rebirth this year. Between the coach, Sean Peyton, the quarterback Drew Brees, and the duo of Reggie Bush and Marcus Colston, the team is doing more than any other to show that there can be such a thing as believing in yourself and making it happen.
Then there is Buck O'Neal, who not only embodied the idea that one can be gracious despite the color of one's skin, but that one can take some of the worst insults in history (denied the ability to play in the Majors, denied the right to enter the Hall of Fame) and still turn it into a wonder and a joy. If ever there was an athlete who was a true reflection of what being a sportsman was, it was Buck O'Neal. We will never remember the 17 inductees into the Hall of Fame that day, but we will always remember the one who stood above the pettiness and bitterness of rejection and made it a beauty to behold.If anyone so much as breathed on him in the Finals the Refs called a foul. The Heat were basically given thte
title. I agree, a joke.Wade over Federer??? Great job guys! Why do you even bother nominating non- americans?Both Roger Federer or Tiger Woods would have been a better choice than Dwayne Wade. He is a great basketball player but he did not dominate his sport as the other two did.At least you gave Federer an unprecedented third Heisman. When did SI decide it wanted to be ESPN The Magazine? Please go back to your responsible, journalistic roots. Federer is a global icon, and Wertheim is a top notch tennis journalist; get the two of them involved, please.Does SI stand for Stupid Idiots? If you couldn't give the award to Roger Federer or even Tiger Woods or Buck O'neill this year, do you really think your magazine can be taken seriously?What about Jason McElwain and his coach Jim Johnson who made the emotional decision to give him some minutes playing? To me that's sportsmanship. Obviously SI used a very narrow and shallow yardstick in this year's choice.how about Jason McElwain, Greece Athena High School's autistic basketball manager who scored 20 points. He is truly what sports is about. The love of playing a gameWhats wrong with you SI?? WADE? Why does it seem so easy for everyone to ignore KOBE. NO ONE in the NBA works harder THAN KOBE. over 35pts for the season, and oh yeah, there was a game where he score 81 too. Get of the Wade train for now and respect the GREATEST player playing right now. Wade will be great, but no was has played better than KOBE. PLease stop the hateWhat a joke this is. If I listed people more deserving I'd be writing the list all day. D Wade should be accompanied by all the refs in the NBA Finals when he gets his picture taken for the magazine, because they made him the star and an NBA championship. The photographers better not breathe on him or use a bright flash when they take his picture in the studio or one of those refs will whistle a foul on the photographer.
Carlos Boldamir for sportsman of the year, in a true rags to riches Cinderella Man story.It is a sad,sad day in sports when yet another millionaire gets an award for the SPORTSMAN of the year.Yes he had great stats and for ATHLETE of the year that is all well and good.Yes he's got a foundation as do 90% of the other millionaire athletes which is nice.But when a very,very special young man such as Brian Leonard who is the personification of the word SPORTSMAN gets tossed aside for another of the "millionaires club" that is professional sports it just serves to prove that the sports media talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk when it gets right down to it.
When you have more millions of dollars than you could ever hope to spend,it's easy to start a foundation with the built in tax shelters and positive publicity why not?
It's a whole different kettle of fish when you give up EVERYTHING for your team,your coach and your school!Brian sacrificed the glamour of Notre Dame,gave up his chance for big time NFL money,gave up his own chance at the Hiesman all to help his team his coach and his school.He sacraficed EVERYTHING!When Wade,Federrer,Tiger and the rest do that then maybe,just maybe,they can consider temselves in the same league with Brian when it comes to SPORTSMAN of the year,otherwise they're still just contenders for ATHLETE of the year!Maybe when SI can learn the difference between the words "sportsman" and "athlete" they will be fit to "talk the talk" but not until they finally learn how to "walk the walk".What does Federer have to do to get recognized for an honor he clearly deserves?Hmm, Dwayne Wade as SOY... Can I think of a weirder choice...hmmm, nope. Noone comes to mind except maybe Weird Al. I don't even think Wade was the SOY for Florida! [Doesn't a fellow by the name of Tiger reside there? That's what I thought.] If I had to pick a SOY, it will be a tie between Roger Federer and the New Orleans Saints, with Tiger very close behind. But since I don't get a vote, I guess I'll suffer through this sucky choice and hope that SI gets it right next year.I agree that Dwayne Wade was a poor choice, hopefully he shares the award with the finals officiating crew. But what about Jim Leyland? He did some pretty amazing things with the Detroit Tigers. They lost 119 games only 3 years earlier, and then made the World Series in his first season as head coach.Nothing against Wade, but this is a joke. So he played well during an otherwise uneventful NBA finals. Big deal. Better choices would have have Federer, Tiger or Lamar Odom (who like Tiger overcame tragedy), or the Saints organization.What a joke! Wade is a great player and had a great run through the playoffs but gimme a break. The calls that he was given on numerous forays to the basket were ridiculous especially during crunch time when he got all the calls. When do you EVER see the refs give someone a call in the last 2 or 3 seconds of a game unless they get punched in the head. Some of those calls were off the charts and never seen except for Wade and Lebron, the golden boys/faces of the NBA. Carmelo and Kobe never get those kind of calls at ends of games nor anyone else. As for who deserves it, I would have to say either Tiger or Federer. They were so dominant that it shouldn't have been close.What a joke! Wade is a great player and had a great run through the playoffs but gimme a break. The calls that he was given on numerous forays to the basket were ridiculous especially during crunch time when he got all the calls. When do you EVER see the refs give someone a call in the last 2 or 3 seconds of a game unless they get punched in the head. Some of those calls were off the charts and never seen except for Wade and Lebron, the golden boys/faces of the NBA. Carmelo and Kobe never get those kind of calls at ends of games nor anyone else. As for who deserves it, I would have to say either Tiger or Federer. They were so dominant that it shouldn't have been close.This was a good choice, but not the best choice. Wade has done a lot for the NBA, the Miami Heat, and the community, but there are others who are more deserving.
The New Orleans Saints for one. Although they crushed my Falcons in two games this year, I feel they are the most deserving of this award. They have come back from all that they have been facing and are still facing and posted one of the NFL's best records thus far. They have carried a city on their shoulders and they have done it well.
Also, after the arguments given for Vince McMahon, I also think that he might have been a better choice given the issues we are facing currently.
Wade was a good choice, but there were definitely better ones.DWAYNE WADE? Are you kidding? He is nothing without Shaq. Just look at how he's doing this season, and it's not like he doesn't have any other talented players around him. If Wade did not have Shaq or receive numerous favorable calls from the refs, the Heat would have never won the Finals. Wade practically lived at the foul line during the NBA Finals.
My Sportsman of the Year: Hines WardWhy not just give it to all refs who conspired to win the title for Miami with the pathetic officiating? They had as much to do with it as Wade did. What a joke.Sorry. Who is federer? Tennis, who the heck cares about tennis? Wade is a bad choice. great player but not worthly. Tiger is a very good choice, what a year after losing his father. My vote is for Ryan Howard of the phildelphia Phillies. what a great guys and player.By any measure, Roger Federer should have been Sportsman of the Year. I understand that you have to sell magazines and an Amercian basketball player will move more units than a Swiss tennis player. But, if sales is all that drives the decision, it really kind of limits your credibility as an arbiter of excellence in sport, no?Dwayne Wade is a joke. I hope he shares the title with the NBA officiating crew. But not one person has even mentioned Jim Leyland. He did an amazing job turning around the Detroit Tigers. They were a laughing stock only 3 years ago loosing 119 games. In his first year he made them the favorite to win the World Series.Wade isn't even the best player in the league, SI is a joke.Wade is an excellent choice not only for his on court performance but also for his personal behavior and the example he sets. Tiger and Federer were also deserving and a debate about their exclusion is expected.This Sportsman Joke is clearly biased towards american athletes. Only 6 foreigners have received the award in its 53 year history: Sammy Sosa, Johann Olav Koss, Gretzky, Ingemar Johansson, Bobby Orr and Jackie Stewart. And two of them had to share the award (Sosa and Koss). What a joke. Federer deserved it, and it's a shame SI has never put him in the cover. Any american with a performance close to Federer's will have gotten this, we all know that.One name:
Barbaro
The colt has done more than any of the nominees ever will imagine of doing for America.Has to be Federer, I'm a semi professional basketball player but the way Federer plays tennis please don't even compare them. I did not know this was World sportsman of the year, please do us a favor and rename this American sportsman of the year, there are other sports outside of the US.I read the name of this year's winner for the first time here... what a choice that is! Federer, however, is the true winner. And whatever SI chooses, he is the sentimental winner, for the second year in a row.It's just a TAD moronic.
And since you're giving Wade the award, how about giving some kind of award to those Finals referees?
I only wish I had an SI subscription I could cancel after this act of sheer idiocy.He's just so darn loveable! Widdle cuddly Wade.
Just a little more SI manlove to go with their Wade/Melo/Lebron cover from a few weeks back.Dwayne Wade is a good guy and great athlete. His modesty and will to win, success from a humble background (at 24, he's married with a young child) and charity works make him a fine choice.
Roger Federer may be a good choice too, but like many other people I don't follow tennis.Does SI think that a Federer cover will cost them subscribers or newstand sales? Otherwise, why has the magazine not found fit to acknowledge Federer's exploits a single week in the past three years? It seems he'll make the cover of Time or Newsweek before he makes the cover of SI. Surpassingly strange.Federer was hands down the Sportsman of the Year. He's the epitomy of a role-model both on and off the court.Boooooooooooooooooo!Class Act. Great Choice. D-Wade is one in a million.
Tiger missed the US Open CUT. Roger plays in a nice niche sport but that is it.Bad decision. Wade is obviously a talented player, but how do you get to be Sportsman of the Year just by being talented in a sport that has MANY talented players? This designation should also have things to do with character and the said Sportsman's affect on the sport and world.
I for one would have chosen either Grant Hill for his comeback or the New Orleans Saints for theirs.Crazy selection. I never would have thought he was even in the running, seeing as how he didn't win MVP. He was not even the most important player on his own team last year until the Finals becamse a flop fest.Are basketball players not the most athletic of all athletes? I think they are, by far. Did Dywane Wade not transcend the sport of basketball this year? I think he did, and in so doing immediately made a name for himself and a place in history. Is he Sportsman of the Year? I don't know, but I agree w/SI that his accomplishments this year were amazing, awe inspiring, and down right thrilling to watch. Stop hating on the guy. He didn't make the decision. By the way, I'm a huge Roger Federer fan and would love to have seen him receive this award, but then I understand that the sport of tennis is not quite as "mainstream" as some wish to believe.Does SI think that a Federer cover would cost it subscribers or newsstand sales? Why else would it have managed to avoid a Federer cover every week for the past 3 years of Federer's dominance? Federer will likely make the cover of Time or Newsweek before he gets an SI cover. Weird.Wade??? Lets do some math. Wade minus Shaq equals ping pong balls. Federer minus short sighted magazine award still equals best in our generation...if not ever.Pathetic. Truly, truly, pathetic. No O'Neal, no championship. Let's see how many rings Bryant collects in LA with O'Neal. The same amount that Wade will collect when he loses his center. Just another example of political correctness.Well, it's right right choice in the sense that he's American and plays one of the "American" sports. However, it's a JOKE...the award should have gone to Roger Federer (he also deserved it last year) but Sports Illustrated has a problem with non-American athletes who don't play one of the main sports in this country. Federer has done everything short of winning the Grand Slam but I'm sure he wouldn't get this award even then.DWade is an excellent choice! He exemplifies style, class and all that is right about sports. It's amazing he has remained the same humble guy, but he has and his teammates love him for it! Federer had a great year and is a wonderful player but let's face it...men's tennis is not as competitive as it used to be.I'm biased. I went to Marquette. I watched Wade blossom into the best basketball player the NBA has. I think this is fantastic for him. I agree with others that other figures in sports would have been better/more obvious choices, but Dwayne Wade is this generation's Jordan. More power to him!WHAT! Pathetic!
Wade plays super for about 5-6weeks and gets the award?
Open your frickin eyes SI, and take even just a 1minute look at Federer this year, and you SHOULD have realized in a heartbeat his performance and record are Un-Imaginable........absolutely astounding on any given day.
Who's Federer?........Wake-up to one of the most talented athletes to come down the road in the last 50yrs.what more can Federer do?? not only is he a true champion based on his athletic ability and achievements but he is a true sportsman as well and if that is not what this award is based on then please explain SI!!!! Dwyane Wade???? come on.Federer would have been the better choice. Wade is obviously a gifted young man, but he goes to the line on questionable calls more than anyone I've seen in a long time. He flops. Now, I'm not calling him a cheater, but wouldn't it be better to choose an athlete that wins based on his skill, not his ability to trick refs?Dwayne Wade had an excellent year, obviously, but there were others much more deserving of the award. A twenty-five year old shouldn't win the award. How about Andre Agassi? I was always a fan of Pete Sampras, but I still think that Agassi should win the award. He finished his career in New York, and will go down as one of the greatest of all-time. Even Steve Nash should win it over Wade, he's barely over 6 feet tall, he's white, and he won his second straight MVP award. Steve Nash is also a perfect role model, he never gets into any kind of trouble. He's more deserving than Wade.I agree with the George Mason team as a much better choice for sportsman of the year. They were the inspirational Cinderella team that destroyed UConn in the elite eight and almost made it to the title game. DWade is forever indebted to refs and suck up sports publications for his celebrity and "skill".I'm so freaking sick of SI and all media ignoring the NHL as writing it off as Canada's game. It is very much one of the "big 4" sports in the us and there are many athletes in the league who'd be deserving of this award. But why not give it to Joe Sakic. he's the best player on his team, longest tenured captain in the NHl, and one of the all around best human beings on the planet!shame on you si... federer should get it 2 years in a row, instead you give you to just another basketball playerThis is a joke!
ROGER FEDERER deserves to be Sportsman of he Year.
Terrible, Terrible decision by the SI staff. Jon Wertheim should be giving his superiors some serious heat about this.
FEDERER '07! FEDERER '07!No one associated with the NBA should even be considered for any title with the word 'sportsman' in it! The players are either thugs or prima-donnas. The commissioner is a mouse, choosing to hide from every real issue wrong with the league! Personally, I would choose the highest ranked curling champion for the award!Subscriptions hurting?
Had to choose someone to fit a certain niche?
Had to sellout and pick a basketball player.
Pathetic.........throw-em a bone heh?
Shame on you idotsRoger Federer continues to demolish his competition in a way that Tiger Woods can only dream of, and he does it without the support of a team. He's racked up so many ranking points that he's assured of breaking the record of most consecutive weeks at Number 1. He is the most fluid tennis player I have EVER seen, is universally respected by all his peers, and runs a foundation for disadvantaged children in South Africa. SI really dropped the ball big-time.Oh my goodness! Jon Wertheim, you should quit your job or at least apologize to Federer for your stupid co-writers. This is ridiculous.
I guess this is a joke and tomorrow Federer will be named Sportsman of the year. This makes absolutely no sense at all....Roger Federer defined domination...dwayne wade would not have even been in the conversation if not for the nba handing him the trophy through phantom call after phantom call...his rep is too tarnished to be sportsman of the yearI have been an SI subscriber since 1985. I think the depth of SI's sport coverage to be superior to any other magazine. However, there has always been a lack of breadth in the sports you cover and of the recognition placed on non-US athletes. I have also puzzled over some of the choices for Sportsman of the Year. This year being no different - Wade is a great NBA player - and even becoming my personal favorite. However, Federer is on a completely different planet than the rest of the tennis world - and his achievements should have been appropriately recognized by your publication.I guess this is a joke! Jon Wertheim, you should quit your job or at least apologize to Roger for this.The blatant jingoism of SI is very very galling. Roger Federer had probably the most dominant year that anyone in sports could have. Beaten by only two players through the course of the year and winning titles in 12 of 17 events he entered and reaching the finals in 16 including all four slams. I am astonished. I had kept a slight hope that someone, anyone, would wisen up and do the right thing and truly give sportsman of the year to someone who truly is Sportsman of the Year.Community work aside, if Dwayne Wade is Sportsman of the Year because of all the points he scored in the NBA Finals, then the NBA Finals officials must be the runners-up.Wade stole the award from Federer just like the Heat stole the title from the Mavs... completely undeserving and utterly fluky... i mean i'm a die heart NBA fan, but there are sports other than just basketball... i can't believe that Federer's dominance was completely ignore...Team Barbaro would have been a much better choice in defining "sportsmen, sportswomen and equine athletes" rather than the one-hit wonder Wade!! Let the criticism bus start rolling!!Barbaro show more guts and heart than any athlete in the world..If you're going to give it to Wade then how about an honorable mention to the NBA Finals officials who sent him to the free throw line every time he touched the ball and the NBA conspiracy machine for giving the marching orders?Should have been Federer. He would have been a lock had he been born within the US borders. This is a little disappointing, but expected (not to take anything away from Wade -- this is strictly about Federer).What a Joke? I think Tiger and Federer should have shared the honor.Federer plays a sport that hardly anyone cares about. Also outside of Fans of his sport Federer is unknown. D-Wade actually has a crossover appeal and a personality too. Remember this is not the best athlete of the year; it's the sportsman of the year. D-Wade has been and will continue to be a great ambassador for Basketball. Federer is a great Tennis player, but what has he really done for his sport besides show that the competition is extremely weak in an already dying sport.What a JOKE! This was by far the worst Sportsman of the Year pick ever by SI.
Buck O'Neil should have been the Sportsman of the Year. None of the other candidates came close to what he has done in his lifetime.
RIP BuckExcellent and clear choice. Wade had perhaps the greatest performance in NBA Finals history, averaging 40 points a game in the four straight wins over Dallas (while fighting the flu and wrist problems). Even Jordan didn't do that. Roger Federer would have been a horrible choice since the competition in mens tennis is watered down, and Tiger has had better years.Congrats wade, you deserve it. The whiners are either from Dallas or from people don't understand how big the Basketball game in America and SI is published mainly for American readers. Deal with it !It should have been Vince McMahon for what he and his organization do for our military members deployed overseas in this War on Terror. He and his 'league' do more by accident than any other group. The NBA and NFL are very limited in their outreach. In fact, there is no comparison.In addition to his on the court dominance, Federer runs his own charitable organizaition, is th UN sports ambassado and Unicef spokesman for childre around the world with HIV. SI you are pathetic.Roger Bannister wouldn't have a chance at this award these days. Will SI retroactively give the 1954 award to George Mikan?Roger Federer continues to demolish his competition in a way that Tiger Woods can only dream of, and, unlike Wade, he does it without the support of a team. He's racked up so many ranking points that he's assured of breaking the record of most consecutive weeks at Number 1. He is the most fluid tennis player I have EVER seen, is universally respected by his peers, and runs a foundation for disadvantaged children in South Africa. SI really dropped the ball big-time.Dwayne Wade? He was not even the best player in the NBA, never mind in all sports. Not a big tennis fan, but how can anyone pass over Federer? Guy is more dominant that Bjorg, Connors, Sampras or McEnroe were in their best days. And forget the fact Tiger has won twice before, look at this fact: how many people chose not to watch a golf tourney when Woods is not playing versus when he is playing. SI, you relly blew this one. Woods and Federer for co-winners all the way.Was Dwayne Wade given a 'free pass' for that giant egg he laid this summer in the World Basketball Championships?
And take a close look at this 'sportsman' sometime...he's so arrogantly clouded by all the candy-ass calls he receives that he's managed to become one of the biggest whiners in the league whenever something doesn't go his way.
What a bum.maybe if wade had won the world championships...SI you picked the wrong player from the wrong type of court! Wade is not even considered the best NBA player and was not the MVP. As easily 75% of these comments indicate, the clear Sportsman of the Year is Roger Federer. I guess his epic tennis season of 11 singles titles and 3 grand slams (and the final in the other), plus his foundation for children and his work with UNICEF as an international ambassador wasn’t enough. I guess the message to Federer -- is that he has to win all four majors and rescue children -- Americans of course -- from a burning building to maybe get real consideration. Federer’s selection was such a no-brainer that I'm left disgusted by your narrow mind. Yes, that’s what I think it is. I don’t buy that it was completely marketing as many of SI’s sales are through subscriptions – plus there have been plenty of bonehead covers in recent years. In truth, I bet a lot of the SI reporters probably don’t follow tennis and really only care about baseball, football and basketball – as is proven by the past years’ selections for Sportsman of the Year. Woods I could have understood, but politely disagreed with. Wade winning is plain insulting to those of us who watch a gamut of sports – not just the big three! SI, the first thing I do when I get home is to gleefully cancel my longstanding subscription. Bye, bye!Seems to me like there are many NBA fans that are critizing the Wade choice as a "joke" becuase they are bitter Wade is not on their favorite team. Sorry to all the angry people out there but there is only one D Wade and he happen to be better than Federer in a sport that matters more!Wade is good, but come on, so is Kobe and LeBron. With out fat Shaq, Wade's Heat are worse than Kobe's Lakers and LeBron's Cavs.It's not that Roger Federer isn't a great person, its that tennis isn't a real sport.Of course its the right decision. Wade put the excitement back in the NBA playoffs. Federer is a great tennis player but please don't ever compare tennis to basketball, tennis can suck the sweat from basketball's shorts.SI is nothing but popularity contest rag. It's no surprise Wade won it this year. Look for him & LeBron to flip-flop winning the award for years to come, because SI caters to what popular opinion wants to see. Federer? Do you think SI really cares about tennis? Look at their covers throughout history and you tell me.what a sham! No one has dominated their sport more than Federerwhat a joke; please qualify the award next year so that it is "Sportsman from America of the Year." The fact that Federer didn't win is crazy. To have the year he had and not be recognized is a shame. Shame on you SI. You should be reading more Jon Wertheim.I don't know what Federer did off the court but it seems that this award has a lot to do with off court issues. Yess he had a strong year (Wade) but from what I read he did a lot off as well. If the Redsoxs can win I feel the Saints should win along with Federer as my picks. I wish they would post up the list tso we can see who was close and who wasn't.... that won't happen.....You guys all take this way too seriously. Sorry to hear your empty lives have been ruined by this announcement.Roger Federer is as close to perfection as you can find in sports right now. He was robbed.A complete joke. SI basically had to find the most athletic American athlete. How are the Heat doing this season? I think Wade is great but Federer is in a class by himself on and off the court. SI should be absolutely embarassed not only because of this decision, but because FEDERER HAS NEVER BEEN ON THE COVER OF SI! Perhaps the best tennis player of all time. Obviously, SI should change its name to ASI (American SI).Apparently SI is buying stock in NBA referees these days while everyone else seems to be selling. Even your own sportswriters have written about what a joke the officiating was for the NBA Finals and somehow the guy who used that joke to his advantage gets named Sportsman of the Year. Absolutely ridiculous. Next time just name the refs as Sportsmen of the Year.Roger Federer and Tiger Woods shared a nice moment at the U.S. open tennis tournament. I think they should have shared a sportsmen of the year award this year.
They are both so dominant in their fields. Neither are helped out by judgement calls. Wade went to the line an obscene number of times in the playoffs. Without those call he and the Heat could not have won. Tiger nor Roger receive such aide.
They are both generous with their charities and both honor their sports.
Wade had a great year but will his year go down as one of the greatest on record? Doubtful.
Both Tiger and Roger's year WILL go down as two of the finest years in their respective sports. I guess SI is more interested in selling magazines than in honoring their own award, which means a little bit less every year.Terrible....what did he do??? He proved that the officals in the NBA will call anything if the guy even resembles Jordan....you guys dropped the ball here.You've got to be kidding me. Wade is everything wrong with the NBA. He got more calls than any other player in the NBA not named LeBron and his flopping was more ridiculous than that of the World Cup.
Federer and Woods, the two most dominant athletes in their sports, were amazing last year and deserve to be recognized.Roger Federer is one of the best personalities (true he doesn't get DUIs & get charges pressed against him and in some trivial minds, this means that he is lacking in personality) of all time, and this is without even mentioning his tennis which IS the best of all time.
Roger has had three years that just keep exceeding themselves. I think some people are putting a lot of symbolism into this however, and I disagree with that, it's more a celebration of athletes and sport, and Wade is definitely worthy, but for me, no one compares to Federer.
(Tiger, for example, is someone who is capable of beating everyone in his sport and then some, and he has shown a lot of growth here and there, but for me, there isn't any comparison to his "pal" Federer who is one of the most humble people ever to see the light of day.)Idiots. Roger Federer has put three of the greatest years in tennis back to back to back and remains an amazing sportsman on and off the court. Tell us now how many consecutive record breaking years he has to have before you give him this award.What a joke. Barbaro should have won hands down. I was a subscriber for 25 years. I am so very glad I cancelled a few years ago. I will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER waste my time reading this rag...This Dwayne Wade is clearly a star and, for now, has a good reputation. These facts and his exploits on the court are admirable. But this choice is still a snub of Federer after yet another year of amazing play and a longer trail of broken records. What does he have to do to get his recognition- not even a cover!? Is that possible?This is a terrible choice by SI. Roger Federer should have been the hands down choice. His dominance in an INDIVIDUAL sport is mind blowing. I don't understand how his acheivements were ignored. Wade on the other hand was a very good player on a TEAM THAT HAD SHAQ.
And in this age of the internet who says SI's readership is limited to the US? They sure will have pissed off a lot of readers worldwide with this selection.Boo!I wonder what your definition of "Sportsman of the year" is, as words seem to have lost their meaning in SI.
How about you call it "American Sportsman of the year"? because how else could Roger Federer - the most dominant and consistent athlete in any sport for the last 3 years - have been overlooked once again?America's sportsman...What a JOKE. Federer had one of the greatest years in the history of his sport...for the second year in a row. What a pity he wasn't born in America. Tiger was good, Roger was better. Wade? Huh?Wade is a great player, no doubt. But I am not even sure he is the most worthy NBA Sportsman of the Year. Not to jump on the bandwagon (I actually have watched tennis since I was a teen), but Roger Federer had one of the most dominant years ever in professional tennis and Tiger (as much as it pains a Phil fan to say) dominated again. These two dominate in their sport in a way Jordan, Chamberlin, Gretzky, etc did. I am not sure exactly the criteria used, but it appears to revolve around on court/field accomplishment (mostly). I can not fathom how Wade can be considered superior to Federer and Woods based on accomplishments in their sport. When I look at the list of previous winners, Wade just does not fit in where Federer and Woods do. I like Wade, he is very entertaining. He is just not the right choice this year.I love the pick of Wade for what he does on and off the court. Its nice to see a good guy get the press.
Here's an idea for an alternative choice. I am not even sure of his name but how bout that kid who came off the bench and made all those baskets. That shows not only triumph in sports but triumph of the spirit as well...What a joke! Barbaro should have won hands down. I was a subscriber for 25 years and cancelled a few years ago, and am very glad I did. I will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER read SI again... What an insult to intelligent readers...This is unreal. Why is the media in such a hurry to crown him. Yes they won a championship but who was more important Dwayne Wade or Shaquille. Let's take a look at this season to answer that question. Are the Heat winning in the inferior east without Shaq? NO! Did the U.S. basketball win with Dwayne? NO Is he overrated? Yes. Should we wait until he has played at a high level and accomplished things on his own? Yes.Russel, Kareem, Jordan, Robinson/Duncan...these are the past "NBA Winners". And as great as Duncan was then, he was still on the cover with the Admiral. Is it safe to assume that selecting Wade (by himself) infers that he is equally as deserving as Kareem, Russel and Jordan (and twice as much as Duncan or Robinson)? How bout a quick rundown of other NBA players who had a better year: Kobe scores 81 and highest ppg average since MJ, Lebron first player since the Big O to post averages in pts, rbd assts, like he did, Nash back to back MVP lead a team without a "big man" to the western conference finals.
But no-one in the NBA is (or was this past year) as dominant, humble, or "sportsman-like" than Federer. The man is classy, talented and my pick for the "Not S.I. Sportsman of the Year".What a joke. The nba is a farce, no one cares.You have GOT to be kidding me! If Wade is the Sportsman of the Year, we need to give an honorable mention to David Stern, Bennett Salvatore and the rest of the NBA officials who turned the NBA Finals into a complete joke. SI should be as embarrassed as the NBA should for that pitiful display last June. I'm still hearing whistles.........SI has disgraced itself by not selecting Federer. That's all.The choice was easy and SI flat-out blew it...Federer was the best athlete IN THE WORLD. But, then, Wade got ALL the calls his way in the playoffs, so, why break tradition?
Tiger Woods is building his 1st golf course in the country of Dubai. Yep, nothing like 'giving something back' to the country he supposedly loves (the USA). So, anyone that states Tigger is the athlete of the year is brain-dead.
Federer was the most 'no-brainer' ever SI...where did you go ?I'm not surprised my thoughts aren't getting posted.For all the "self-righteous moralizing" most of you write about I see that when it is your turn to "walk the walk" all you do is "talk the talk".
If you knew the difference between sportsman of the year and athlete of the year Brian Leonard is the hands down choice.
It's easy to set up a foundation when you have more millions than you can possibly spend.With the tax breaks and built in OPR why not?
It's different when you give EVERYTHING YOU HAVE!When Wade,Tiger,Federrer and the others do that MAYBE ten would they be the SPORTSMAN that Leonard is!
When SI figures out the difference between "sportsman" and "athlete" maybe you will do the "right thing".Until then it all just "talking the talk" but not "walking the walk" so as far as I am concerned there is nothing in sports to justify any self-righteous indignation from any of you until SI "walks the walk"!Federer ... the man just had one of the best years in the history of tennis. Anyone else is a travesty, but when you can have a world series for a local club championship what do you expect.I say being a Heat fan living in TX that he deserved it due to his exceptional playing talent. I know that Federer is a great tennis player and all but he has done nothing for the sport to be considered...What more does Roger Federer have to do to earn this distinction? The man has thoroughly dominated his sport and should be thus honored.Roger Federer should be the Sportsman of the Year. SI's pick of Dwayne Wade (whom I truly like and admire) just shows what a parochial little publication it is. Why not be honest and re-name the award "U.S. Sportsman of the Year"?!Dirk should be the one to win it!!! the guy is a role model and the future of NBA centersLord, how ridiculous! Are you kidding me? Overlooking Federer this year is just downright wrong. What a joke! You just lost a subscriber here... now ill just go to borders, scoff at Silly Illustrated, skim, and never buy it again.Terrible choice! Have you guys heard of the sport of tennis? Federer, perhaps the best of all time, had one of the most amazing seasons of all time. Wade is certainly an excellent player but his season does not compare. Time to recognize there are more sports than baseball, basketball and football!Come on. Had to be Federer.Should have been Vince Young. Hands down. He is a once in a generation talent with a once in a generation personality.
And the fact that he authored one of the greatest moments in recent sports history as an amateur has to count for something.Tiger is the Sportsman of the Year...not just ONE tournament win but too many to count!!! And, losing his father and STILL winning like he did!!! Amazing!!!
Twenty years from now, will anyone know who D. Wade is/was???
BAD CHOICETerrible choice as good as Dawyne is he didn't do well on all stages - see international basketball tournaments. Federer excels everywhere too bad for him he's not an American!!Well, the choice of anyone over Federer or Woods is a laughable one, but Dwayne Wade isn't a worse choice than Tom Brady last year, that's for sure.JOKE JOKE JOKE JOKE JOKE. I would at least have understood if it was Tiger and not Federer, but this is an absolute JOKE! I am getting very close to canceling my subscription. Last time I checked, there are other sports out there besides basketball, football, and baseball. If you are only going to cover those three, than please change the name of your magazine!Dwyane Wade? You guys are so silly, April is still 4 months away! Seriously though, who's REALLY going to be Sportsman of the Year?The New Orleans Saints - how can you not at least MENTION these boys? I'm a Broncos fan and STILL love the Saints for what they've accomplished. Everyone mentioned here is first class - but the contribution made by The New Orleans Saints effected the sports communty AND national stage both.D-Wade had a fabulous finals but its obvious who should have won the award. Vince Young single-handely won the biggest game in the greatest sport. He carried Texas through the national championship. Vince is the winner in my books.D WADE is the man and definately deserves this award.roger federer who?????
Who gives a flying crap about tennis, let alone golf? Great choice..Let me guess. For all you posters hating on Wade if this team comes back and wins another championship again this year and Wade goes off in the playoffs like he did last year, will some of you guys still dislike the guy? I mean this is a good kid and part of this award has to do with your outside of the sport charity work and giving to your community.
I can't speak for Federer or even Tiger Woods but I know without a shadow of a doubt Wade give a ton to his community. This is a young man who gives a lot of money to his church, to kids in the community, and is extremely humble and very beloved by a lot of people. He is a hero off the court, not just on. I would think that part of this award has something to do with not only his accomplishment this past year on the court, but off it as well.
You have to agree that the guy had a great year in his sport. The Heat started off looking pretty shabby last year while Shaq sat out the first month or two only to bounce back and win a championship. Its not out of the question that they might do it again.This is a huge joke - Federer has dominated his sport for 3 years, and this year he was 2 sets shy of a Grand Slam (no man has done what Fed has done since the 1960's). On top of that he is a class act and is peerless in terms of his Charity Work. Given that Sports Illustrated can not get this correct (appealing to only US readers). I will no longer purchase your magazine or go to your web site.Bad choice. Very disappointing. Tiger Woods? Shawn Alexander? Roger Federer?I love basketball, and it is by far
my favorite sport. I really don't
care that much about tennis, but to
not give the award to Federer is a
crime. He WILL go down as the
greatest tennis player and one of
the greatest athletes of all time.The award has lost all credibility with this selection.I can't stand people who say that no one cares about the NBA. People, the NBA is having extraordinary TV ratings, record attendance, and all the people i know are NBA fans. People who say no one cares about the NBA should shut-up. They are only jealous of the enormous success this league is having, it is also the most followed U.S. league in the world. How can you say no one cares? This is ridiculous. And I am getting tired of all these people who bash at a league or at a sport. Bashing at a sport and offending its numerous fans is just sad. I generally ignore people who come up with these comments, but now there is someone who is going too far. O yea, and if no one cares about the NBA, why they gave this award to Wade, why the NBA has a GREAT coverage here on SI and on all the other sites? People who say that no one cares about the NBA (or also about other leagues, for that matter)should just close their mouths and be ashamed. Who knows why every time i go outside i always see people who talk about the NBA, about the games etc. Most of people CARE about the NBA. Yea, people who bash a league are just jealous.
And to the ones who say Wade is not helping the community, well read the article about him here on SI. It clearly says that he's helping A LOT the community.
I LOVE THIS GAME, I LOVE THE NBA and I am proud to say it.Bad bad decision. Roger Federer, Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, and Tiger Woods quickly come to mind.Did Bennett Salvatore get co-sportsmen of the year? Since his phantom calls are the only reason Wade had a chance at this award! Federer or Tiger the should have got this award.Great player but bad choice for awardSorry, Jon. Love your mailbags/baguettes and ad-ins/outs, but this is too much. SI has very little crediblity in my eyes when it chooses Dwayne Wade over Roger Federer for Sportsman of the Year. Is there a God in Heaven? And does the SI staff fear Him?Roger Federer deserved the award over Dwyane Wade, no question about it. If you go on achievemant and sportsmanship, it is no even close. Wade is a good guy and a great athlete, but Federer is the most dominate athlete on the planet, and he had one of the greatest individual years in the history of sports.Well considering that he was only the best player on his team during the playoffs, that LeBron, Dirk, Kobe, KG, Nash all did what he does better than he does it, of course this is an a silly pick. This award should have two parts to it, the off the court/field stuff and the dominance of the sport. He didn't dominate his sport, he was barely in the top 10 in 2006. Tiger, Federer, LeBron, the Steelers' Defense, Vince Young, Reggie Bush, Kobe Bryant, Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard, all make this choice inexcusable. hahaha... SI has devalued this award to the point of it being totally insignificant in the world of sports.It definitely should have been Vince Young or the New Orleans Saints. And yes, a team can win Sportsman of the Year. Look at the 2004 Sportsmen of the Year, the World Champion Boston Red Sox. Sorry, I just love saying that.Here is a list of people who clearly, undisputedly deserve the award more than Dwane Wade:
Tiger Woods, Lorena Ochoa, Roger Federer, Misty May and Kerri Walsh, Ryan Phillips, Albert Pujols.
I suspect with any deliberation at all I could come up with another dozen more deserving candidates.I would have liked to have seen the New Orleans Saints and their fans nominated. There's no better story in all of sports this year than the revival of football in New Orleans, and the Saints are likely to make the playoffs. A truly memorable story. If the Red Sox, why not the Saints?SI says, "Well, it wasn't an easy decision". Wrong. Making a choice that bad couldn't have taken much effort.I admit I had hoped that this year was the year that Roger Federer would get his due, but alas that was not the case. It's quite frustrating that this remarkable athlete who had one of the best and dominating season of any athlete in any sport this year did not make Sportsman of the Year. What a travesty.Awful!!! He didn't even win his own league's MVP. And the US National team did nothing.LOL That stands for "Laugh out LOUD". Who are the did the voting? If you look at all of the post, you'll see what the people think!That's "foul" - but thats what got him the finals win anyway!Ridiculous. What about Hines Ward? He's the reigning Super Bowl MVP and one of the fiercest blockers at his position in the league but you would never know it since he's not constantly running his mouth. Not to mention all the things he's done overseas for bi-racial children and the attention he's brought about toward their mistreatment. SI really dropped the ball here.A complete and utter joke. Honestly gives me one more reason to look at other websites for my info if this is what you can come up with. The choice is awful when compared with the global family of athletes, mediocre and debatable if the field was simply mainstream North American sports and EVEN puzzling if just within NBA Players. A laughing stock selection.Federer may indeed be worthy but I cannot say because I am not aware of his off-court contribution which is an ostensible factor. I will not decry Wade because he is a stellar rep for the NBA and American sport.
Perhaps we should be told more about the criteria.Hands down, Roger Federer. He is the unanimous No 1 player in the tennis circuit. He might end up being one of the best ever player in the tennis history. Dwyane Wade is a very very good player. But he is not even the best player in NBA.This is a joke, right?Dwayne Wade, nice guy i'm sure, but this is a joke. Frderer dominated his sport in every conceivable way. Wade can't hold his jock. Does Wertheim have any pull at with this magazine. Cancel my subscription, sell my time warner stock this is a joke. Shame on you.This is a joke. "SPORTS ILLUSIONED" should rename this award to "The Best American Sportsman with Most Street-Cred" from next year. If Wade is the best athlete (not only basketball) can someone please explain to me why USA did not win the Olympics and FIBA gold medals in 2004 and 2006, and why Wade's team is mere 6-9 without Shaq?
Federer made himself prouder by not winning this CHEAP award, but by winning the LAURELS for two consecutive years (3 in a row is in order) for which all athletes from all countries are considered equally rather than just some Americans, as it seems for this ILLUSION-award.Has a non-American athlete ever won this award in the first place? SI never claimed to be the global sports magazine (how many soccer/futbol players have you ever seen on their covers). SI is made by Americans, for Americans. So, Federer was never going to get this award (which really only matters in the US, rest of the world doesn't care). Tiger's already had it twice, been there done that. Nobody in Gridiron Football stood out enough (the Steelers? please). Same with baseball. Hockey is a joke. That leaves basketball. Kobe's still re-doing his image. Lebron and Nash were MVP caliber, but no rings. Dwyane Wade was also a legit MVP candidate that carried his team on his back to a League championship. When you take all that (no foreigners, no Tiger, no standouts in other team sports, no other MVP b-baller with rings), I can follow their reasoning pretty easily.If we are on a worldwide trip here, why not Ronaldinho for the way he has transcended world football?Dwayne Wade?! Although he did win the finals with the help of the officials, he did nothing more. He cannot carry a team or even impact the sport of basketball like Roger did for tennis or Tiger did for golf. Bad choice, SI needs to hire some people who really appreciate sports!Federer may indeed be worthy but I cannot say because I am not aware of his off-court contribution which is an ostensible factor. I will not decry Wade because he is a stellar rep for the NBA and American sport.
Perhaps we should be told more about the criteria.I wonder what the criteria is for selection? Federer is clearly the most talented sportsman in the world today. His exploits on the tennis court and constant domination of his opponents show not only his current physiological superiority to Wade or any other athlete out there, but also his mental edge. The man has perfected his art like no other, and his not winning the award seems to suggest that the award is biased to the North American market. I guess SI is more of a sheep than a trend-setter afterall.How can an entire organization dedicated to sports information make such an incredibly erroneous decision? Almost every true, knowledgeable sports fan (inside or outside the USA) would agree that Federer is more dominant in his sport, than any other athlete in any sport anywhere in the world. Tiger is the closest 2nd, and in 2006 these two fine athletes - who also happen to be outstanding ambassadors for their respective sports - distanced themselves from the remainder of the "greats" in the sports world. So the only debate at this point should be focused on who was the third greatest "Sportsman" in 2006. And the Heat's record thus far in the 06-07 seems to have revealed just how important Shaq was to their 2006 Championship run (similar to the revelation regarding Kobe's significance, once Shaq left LA). Dwayne Wade wasn't even among the top 5 "Sportsmen" of the year in 2006. I hope that with time and hindsight, SI comes to realize that they should be embarrassed with their 2006 Sportsman of the Year decision. And I hope that this realization improves their judgment in future years, or the "Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year" award will eventually lose its relevance.LOL That stands for "Laugh out LOUD". Who voted for this kid? If you just read the post you'll see what most of the people think, Now this is FUNNY!Vince McMahon should have gotten it. The WWE did a five day tour for the troops in Iraq where he (McMahon) didn't make (nor asked for) a dime. What better sportsman could there be?In the Finals, the Heat were down 2-0
and they were getting beaten in the 3rd game.
Many Heat fans and even players seemed resolved to acceptence of failure.
Dwyane Wade refused to accept it
and he redoubled his efforts and inspired his teammates.
That turnaround was the single greatest sporting achievement in 2006.
He's as fine a guy as there is in sports.
Excellent choice.Wow, I guess Wade owes David Stern for this award too. The NBA is a joke-why not give this award to a wrestler?
I say Steve Yzerman. The guy quietly retired from one of the all time great careers in Hockey history. He was the epitome of what a captain should be in professional sports.
All Wade did was hit some foul shots.Not a terrible choice, but as so many have already said, it's about the money. SI's a subscription-driven magazine, and they've probably spent thousands on studies to show what percentage of people become subscribers after pulling an issue off the newstand. How many people in Florida do you think are going to pick up the Sportsman of the Year issue with Wade on the cover, compared with Federer? This decision's probably worth tens of thousands of hard cash. But Federer, by almost all accounts, should have won. So bravo, SI: a couple more years of this and your decade-long overreaction to ESPN will be so complete that you'll have destroyed all vestiges of Henry Luce's magazine.I am going to go out on a limb here and say back-to-back MVP Steve Nash is my Sportsman of the year! If the MVP isnt the sportsman than who isDid Federer get cheated? Nope. Not by a longshot. He's a foreigner who plays boring tennis. End of story. Save the title for bigger and better athletes.Dwayne Wade?! Although he won the finals last year, but the finals MVP should have been the officiating crew! He cannot carry the team without Shaq and he did not impact the sport of basketball the way Roger has tennis and Tiger has golf. Horrible choice SI, get it together! Hire some people who really appreciate and know sports!What more does a guy have to do to be chosen as SOTY than Roger Federer has done this year? Federer's PEERS are in AWE of him. With all due respect to Dwayne Wade, his peers are not in awe of him. Terrible job, guys. You have lost all credibility.Did Federer get cheated? Nope. Not by a longshot. He's a foreigner who plays boring tennis. End of story. Save the title for bigger and better athletes.
Congrats to SI for choosing Dwayne Wade. He deserves the title 100%.Dwayne Wade seems like a nice guy. However, he's not even the reason they won the NBA Championship! Shaq was the reason...see how much Kobe and Penny won after Shaq left them.
My vote would have been for Federer. My second choice? The George Mason team that went to the Final Four.no player has been more dominant in his sport than Federer. He deserves it.Dwayne Who?
Hahahahahaha
COME ON ROGER. KEEP ON KICKING AMERICAN BUTTSKevin Wade is certainly a gifted athlete, and he did the United States proud while representing his country this summer. HOWEVER, Roger Federer should have been named Sportsman of the Year, hands-down. Whether you want to judge him on sustained excellence over the past three years or merely on his phenomenal 2006 season, he has dominated his sport and made his "rivals" almost irrelevant. In addition, he is widely regarded as a model sportsman and a gracious representative of the game. Bad call, SI.Wade shouldn't even have been considered as a candidate. When you're not even the best player in your sport, how in the world are you sportsman of the year? Ok, he won the NBA championship and played great. Fine, give him the finals MVP. But how does that even begin to stack up to what Federer did this year? or even Tiger Woods? I would even give it to Jason McElwain, the autistic high schooler who captured the nation with his 20 pt in 4 min performance, before I give it to Wade. This award has lost all credibility as far as I am concerned.Roger Federer played in 17 tournaments this year and made 16 finals, it is absurd that D Wade wins this award over him. What a joke this award is.Dwayne Wade?! You have to be kidding me! Although he won the finals for the Heat, he would'nt have done it without the bench play ( the officials }! He cannot carry the team without Shaq, that is proven. And he did not IMPACT the sport of basketball the way Roger did tennis and Tiger did golf. Horrible choice SI, get it together! Hire people who really know and appreciate sports!SI simply does not care about athletes outside of the US. Wade was not even the NBA mvp. Federer cemented himself as the greatest tennis player ever... its just beyond me.You really should just call it US Sportsman of the Year. Your award name is totally a joke.
Love Wade, fantastic competitor, athlete, person.
But Federer is doing something incredible and mostly unacknowledged. He and Tiger are miles above, in the stratsophere above your choice.wade?!?!? are you kidding me? Federer had one the greatest years of all time. DWade still hasn't even separated himself from the other athletes in his own sport let alone from athletes of the caliber of Roger Federer and Tiger Woods. Tiger had a great year.... Roger had a year for the ages.Roger? Roger who?
The only thing Roger led was himself. Wade had help, but when it came time, he allowed the team onto his shoulders.
Wade is the real deal. Miami for lyfe.Steve Nash would've been fine, but this is a major joke. No question Roger Federer is the most dominant athelete on the planet, not to mention an incredible human being. He is teh true definition of a champion.Federer??
Why not pick a soccer schmo?You must be feeling a bit ridicilous in january when the international Laureus trophy,for best sportsman,woman will be given and your choise won't even be invited to that eveningWhat a lame choice. I looked back at previous Sportmen of the year to compare them to Wade and it's a joke. What has he done to change the game and make a difference? What, because he seems like a nice guy? Because of his tv commercial? Because his team won an NBA title in part thanks to horrible officiating that sent him to the free throw line seemingly every play? This further tarnishes SI in my eyes. I've put up with SI starting to waste ink on high schol sports and fantasy football updates. Then last week's lame Football issue seemed like a sign of more things to come. I hope not. If so, I won't be renewing my subscription for a 10th year.Wade is a fine player, but who showed the meaning of sportsmanship and grace than Buck O'Neil. But ahy should expect SI to get it right when the Baseball Hall of Fame didn'twell deserved it.Those who are hating on wade are bitter mavs fan who couldnt believe how wade destroyed their team after talking smack of how wade couldnt shootI agree on the fact that dwayne wade is one of the most electrifying basketball player ever. However, he did not win the championship easily by himself. He had a huge help from Shaquille O'neal, one of the most dominant player to play the game. I think the award should go to Vince Young of Texas for winning the rose bowl. Anyone who watched the game would agree with me that VInce Young should receive the awardFinally someone in the nba is not arrested, so you make him sportsman of hte year. Nobody cares about the nba. Is that the sport that is on the cable access channel(espn)Roger Federer should have won it. He had one of the all-time best years in tennis and deserved/earned the award. He will most likely go down in history as the best tennis player of all-time and would have been my vote for 2006 sportsman of the year.I agree on the fact that dwayne wade is one of the most electrifying basketball player ever. However, he did not win the championship easily by himself. He had a huge help from Shaquille O'neal, one of the most dominant player to play the game. I think the award should go to Vince Young of Texas for winning the rose bowl. Anyone who watched the game would agree with me that VInce Young should receive the awardIt should have been Joey Cheek. He is accomplished as an athlete as noted by his multiple Olympic medals. Even more important, his generous donation of his Olympic medal bonus and his use of his brief moment of fame for the greater good is highly commendable. Dwayne Wade? He's just th next Kobe or Penny Hardaway.dwade can sell more magazine than federer...
dwade got lucky 'coz no one in dallas don't know how to play defence!!
wade is great but not greater than the likes of kobe, ai, jkidd and even steve nash!!
hypocrisy anyone?So I guess all you have to do is rumble down the lane and get 20 fluke calls a game and next thing you know....you're Sportsman of the Year!!!!Huh? How on earth could Federer NOT be chosen here? Even the greatest tennis players of all time are now calling him the greatest of all time (and he's only, what, 25 years old?). And he's a terrific role model and sportsman to boot! It is just embarrassing to SI to overlook him again.I agree on the fact that dwayne wade is one of the most electrifying basketball player ever. However, he did not win the championship easily by himself. He had a huge help from Shaquille O'neal, one of the most dominant player to play the game. I think the award should go to Vince Young of Texas. EVeryone doubted Texas was going to win the championship. THey beat USC, one of the best college football team ever, in the rose bowl. How? I dont know, but hes invincibleWade is obviously just a pick to sell some mags. He was the best in his sport for what 2 weeks? Federer was like 96-5 and only lost
to 2 players the ENTIRE year! That is absolutely mindblowing! Guess you didn't pick him 'cos he lost those 5 matches, huh?Dwayne Wade? Not a credible pick. How about Roger Federer? Or Albert Pujols? Or Tiger Woods? Or Vince Young?
On second thought...how could it be anybody but Roger Federer? 95-5 on the season. 3 Grand Slams. #1 for 3 years. Completely out in front of the game. At 25 experts say he is already "the greatest player of all times"You have got to be kidding me! Wade wasn't even named the MVP last year. For that matter, Steve Nash, LeBron and Kobe are all better basketball players than him.
There was no one better in sports than Roger Federer this year (or last year for that matter). No one had dominated his sport like Federer. He won 12 titles had a 92-5 record this year. Federer is compared to Michael Jordan more often than Wade.
And for that guy who asked what Federer has done, he started his own foundation to help kids in South Africa, organized a tsumani fundraiser and he's a UN ambassador.
What exactly has Wade done that even comes close to Federer's accomplishments?wade is the perfect pick, no other nba player wouldve been able to beat dallas, everyone says kobe could but with the selfishness this year put him out of the runningsthis is a complete joke. Dwayne Wade is talented, but no one in sports got more help than he did. From shaq to the refs. This new popular sports figure is a lot of hype. It makes me sick to my stomach to see him get so much praise and endorsements, if he was ugly like Tyron Hill or Sam Cassell he would not be the winner.How can they give it to wade when he isn't even the best player in the NBA (Kobe Bryant and James are better)- yes wade won the title with the heat, but basketball is a team sport. Federer and Woods are the best individual performers in any sport, and Federer deserved to win after the incredible year he had. (Woods has won twice, so my vote goes to Federer)You are, if nothing else consistent! Federer cannot even get on your cover.
It is not surprising that you have ignored him once again. Maybe if he were American he would be more worthy!A class move would have been Buck O'Niel who gave his life to baseball, had the integrity to get the speech at the Hall of Fame even though the voting committee stabbed him in the back. I wish you would do a piece on his lifeFor the two or three people who commented that Federer hasn't done anything outside of tennis--
what other nominee has a foundation in South Africa to give the children an education and supplies for that education?--what other nominee is UNICEF ambassador?what other nominee accommodates the media by giving interviews in at least 3 languages and sometimes 4?Federer deserved it since 2004...even more now!
SI should clarify "Sportman of the year 2006 is who we think will be able to sell us more copies..."I agree, complete joke that Federer did not win this award. This is further proof that this is not an "award" but an endorsement. Federer is a true sportsman, he is classy and reserved, has no flaws in his game and is a true humanitarian.SI really blew it in choosing Dewayne Wade as its sportsman of the year. In a year when Roger Federer and Tiger Woods dominated thier resepctive sports you choose an NBA player who won a championship in a leauge thats loosing popularity and ratings. Nice job !!Terrible choice. Wade is overrated and got all the calls from the refs. If it was not for that the heat would have lost in 4.Federer deserved it....he is not American....end of story.Federer by a long shot!....but wait he is NOT American and is Tennis one of the "Other" sports...How pathetic. It's obvious that the choice was Federer. Most of the comments here are probably from Americans who love the three major American sports (as I do), but even we can see that this was a no-brainer.How can it no be Roger Federer? dont get me wrong Wade showed in the playoffs that he is possibly the best player in the league, top 3 for sure, but what Federer did this year just cant be ignored. 4 grand slam finals, won 3, reached the final of every tournament he played in except 1 and he doesn't get it? come on...Please change it to "American Sportman of the year" award...and eliminate all this...
Federer is the best of the best in any sport...periodnot only is he a champion, he is a dominant player, and a man of great character...he is the only choiceI don't even like tennis, and I think it should be Federer for what he accomplished this year and over his career. Wade is a nice player, but not close to the best player in the NBA, while Federer dominated his sport. By the way, it sure is nice to have Shaq by your side. This is a totally trendy, "hip" commercial choice. SI should be above that.You are, if nothing else consistent! Federer cannot even get on your cover.
It is not surprising that you have ignored him once again. Maybe if he were American he would be more worthy!Roger Federer dominated his sport more than any other athlete in any sport and should have been your selectionEVERYONE knows it was Shaq who gave the team its first NBA championship! who the **** is Wade anyways?!
Vince McMahon should of won because the nominated athletes might be great athletes, but WWE and Mr. Mcmahon takes the entertainment directly to the troops, would Wade tkae "his" team to Iraq for exibition games?!Wade had a nice series to beat the Mavericks for the NBA title, but what else did he do? Nothing I've heard of beyond becoming a new NBA star. Very poor choice on SI's part!I'd love to know what thought process eliminated the likes of Federer or Woods and ended up with a D Wade. He's great but we've seen greater even in team sports this year.
Roger wins the title hands down, anywhere else except at SI (History lesson: Search for Laver & Graf in SI end-of-year covers).Terrible choice! I would have picked Federer, Woods, Pujols, even Vince Young before Dwayne Wade. SI should be embarressed! This is just stupid! Nobody cares about the NBA!Dwayne Wade as sportsman of the year is one of the biggest jokes I've ever heard of. Is this the bizarro world? Tiger Woods is obviously the sportsman of the year. He is the only person who is bigger than his or her sport and that's saying alot. He wins over half of the tournaments he enters, two majors, and still has to cope with the loss of his father. Sportsman of the year should go to who is the biggest story: Tiger Woods in 2006 was the biggest story.Borat can wrestle better than Wade plays basketball.Perhaps a more appropriate title for this magazine is American Sports Illustrated. That the honor was not given to Federer is a travesty. His dominance in his sport this year definitely exceeds the performance of anyone else this year (yes, even of Tiger Woods). What Wade accomplished is certainly impressive, and if there was an honorable mention for this award I could understand him being included there...but how can you not choose the man who might be the greatest tennis player ever?federer deserved the nod. hell, if SI can give top honors to Tom Brady, why not give one to Anna Kournikova as well?Add me to the list that can't believe that you didn't pick Federer. The guy completely dominates his sport, and does it in a very classy way. Wade is a great player, but if you pick him, why not Pujols, Staal, Cam Ward, Ben Roethlisberger, etc? All these players contributed significantly to their teams winning championships. Why is Wade more deserving than any of them?Normally stuff like this would not bother me, but SI has make a joke out of their own award. Wade is a very good player, but nothing he did this year puts him ahead of a number of other players. The clear choice was Federer. I had never realized before just how biased SI was. My subscription has just been cancelled.GREAT! another undeserving basketball player that will eventually start getting over paid and playing like a middle school kidUnless this is all some ironic attempt to generate controversy by ignoring Federer, the deserving athlete with numbers staggered in his favor, this just goes to show how out of touch SI is with the wider world of sports. How seriously could you take an 18th-century music magazine that shut out Mozart as composer of the year, or a 20th-century physics magazine that shut out Einstein as physicist of the year?
This is how a sports publication fades into irrelevance.I guess you don't have to be able to consistently knock 'em down from the outside to impress SI.
WADE DOESN'T SCORE MOST OF HIS POINTS ON LAYUPS AND DUNKS BECAUSE HE CAN...BUT BECAUSE HE CAN'T SHOOT.
Sportsman of the Year...Dikembe Mutombo.He has been a force on the court for years,but is doing great humanitarian work off of it.Dwyane Wade is as deserving an athlete as there ever has been in the history of athletics. He almost single handingly won the Miami Heat a WORLD (all of you American sports haters do know that international players play in the NBA right?) Championship. Obviously anybody who did not hear of the greatness of Dwyane Wade does not pay attention to sports outside of there market. Quit complaining about fouls that he DREW because he draws so much attention! Stop hating on the champ and WORLD SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR! There is nothing all of the doubters can do but continue to doubt him! The more you doubt Dwyane Wade the more he will prove the world wrong! Since when did Dallas Mavericks fans become such big Roger Federer fans anyway?!?Wade? Please.
Federer was the obvious choice.
Next year maybe.What a joke!
Did you notice that the story is not the head story on the homepage? I wonder if ESPN (the big competitor) is doing a story on this: "hey look what SI just did! isn't it hilarious?"
This reminds me of pedro martinez not getting the MVP back in 2000. Anyone remembers who got it that year? I don't...
I guess this is fairly consistent with the sportsmen of the years past:
1994: blair/koss??!! Ayrton Senna was killed and changed motorsport forever that year
1986: Joe Paterno...er, Diego Maradona anyone?
1972: BJ King/Wooden, the year of the Munich games and Spitz' seven golds?
Now you can add 2006 to the list:
2006: Wade...Ah yes, I remember, the year SI embarassed themselves by missing out on Federer *again*Sweet...he should give his award to Dick Bavetta and Joey Crawford.I can't believe its not Roger Federer. He has been the best in his game and a model sportsperson. Look at SI's own Jon Wertheim case for Roger. It seems that the only thing which matter to get this award is being a USA athelete playing a USA mass sport(read Football, BaseBall, Basketball). Tell me one good reason because of which Wade is a better option than Federer (Besides it selling more copies of SI). BTW I am a big NBA fan and like Wade. I have nothing against him but he is not even close to what Roger has accomplished. I guess I can solace in the fact that Roger does not need to be the sportsman of the year to prove his greatness.This is a joke. Wade is good (and one of my favorites), but once the NBA adjusts and stops giving him phantom calls, he will be just another good player. Federer and Woods were both more deserving.Bad pick. This award should go to someone that transends their sport to make a serious contribution to their sport and society. Would he have won without Shaq? No. Federer or Woods would have been much better.Dwayne who? He will be forgotten in a few months, while Roger Federer's impact on the game of tennis will forever be felt. How cah SI overlook someone who has COMPLETELY dominated his sport for 2 years (and done it with class & integrity)?
How SHAMEFUL for SI to ignore tennis players once again. (Steffi Graf in 1988 should have been a no-brainer!) They are true athletes who play 11 months per year and who do not have the luxury of relying on teammates to carry them.
I am completely disgusted by SI's xenophobia and lack of intelligence.Does anyone really care about the NBA? You might as well given it to a Curling Team member.
Wade's not a bad guy. Didn't have a bad year. But was it the story of the year? Is he really the best sports has to offer?
No way.
This is as Bizarre as the year Woodson won the Heisman on the strength of a handful of interceptions and one punt return for a touchdown.I could have played as well as Wade in the NBA finals last year with the fantom calls he was, and still is getting. Give me a break. Great talent, good guy, but not Sportsman of the Year caliber.I feel Roger Federer deserved this award. He has been dominant in his sport and he has the stats to support this argument. If he would have won the French Open this would have been the greatest accomplishement since 1969.A mistake. Buck O'neil with no doubt.I think he really deserves it.. years from now people will b e still talking about this guy....I am a huge SI fan. But this choice just boggles the mind. I have lost so much respect for your magazine. How could you ignore Federer???!!! What he has achieved is amazing, and he had to do it all year long, all alone (and not just have a few big games in the playoffs).Not sure how Wade get the nod here over Federer. He's clearly even above the MJ status in tennis and one of the few elite athletes we will still be talking about in 20 years. Not so with Wade. Think about that SI.D Wade is the best of the best of the bestWhat a joke! More often than not, this dumb award goes to the wrong person. Last year was bad enough (and I love Brady), but this year takes the cake for the dumbest pick.
Anyone who knows sports knows that Roger Federer deserved it this year. But since Roger is not American and had no chance, you would think SI would choose a more deserving American...but they couldn't even do that.
Do us all a favor SI and stop giving this award out - just makes you look clueless.No disrespect to Dwayne Wade, he's a great young player and a good role model but Roger Federer is trancending a sport. He, like Tiger Woods has placed himself into a class all his own in an international sport. History will bear out what an oversight this is.Who cares about the NBA these days? I think you're just trying to generate interest in a struggling sport.
Wade had a good year, but was it the year's most remarkable?
If you think that, then you're retrospective judgement is just as bad as your preseason predictions are.Yikes, SI. Just rename it 'guy who will sell covers award'. Except that can't be it, i'm sure Woods sells mags, right?
Seriously, The Mighty Fed is a class act on and off the field. His mother is South African and after he turned pro he immediatley set up his foundation down there, for kids. And his tennis is just insane.
Same for Woods...I mean my god, what he did this year dwarfs the awesome playoff run Wade had. Woods did it all year! Same with The Mighty Fed.
Agree on serious mention for Vince Young...I've never seen anything quite like what he did against USC.
SI does like bikers though. Greg LeMond and Lance Armstrong had no problem winning the award for winning one big bike race.Hey I'n still upset that Mickey Mantle didn't win the award in 1956Roger Federer is the logical choice. Even my 70 year old, 30 year SI subcribing, baseball lovin, tennis hatin, dad says it should be Federer.
You just can not deny the stats.
He is the best ever, not just this year.Wow and I though I was alone in my disgust for the NBA. After last finals I quit watching it. Seeing Wade in so many tv commercials just proves why it was arranged for Miami to win. I suppose this award is only meant to try to cement his supposed greatness.You must seriously be crazy to not have chosen Roger Federer. I think Jon Wertheim's article explains why here:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_blogs/magazine/sportsman_06/2006/11/my-sportsman-roger-federer.htmlFederer has to win the award. he only lost to two players all year, Nadal four times and Andy Murray once. Overall 72 wins from 77 matches I believe. He only failed to reach the final of one tournament he played in (second round loss to Murray at the Cincinnati Masters).
he won three grand slams and reached the final of the French Open.
Not a lot more he could have done. The only "bad" result he had was the loss to Murray.
What Wade did was impressive, but it wasn't even on a true international stage. Anyone remember how USA and Wade went at the World Champs?
Federer first, Tiger second.Federer and Woods would have been great picks (my choices) but neither were flawless. You can make a strong case the most important match Federer played all year was the French Open finals, the one tournament he has never won. After winning the first set he fell apart and lost the next 3 to Nadal, who ended up having a winning record against Federer for the year. As for Woods once again his team was destroyed at the Ryder Cup. He did have his best cup winning 3 out of 5 points but you expect the greatest player ever to win at least 4. Please don't compare team USA's one loss at the World Championships, Wade scored 23 points a game while shooting 58% and was 13-17 in the bronze medal win, to the beat down at the Ryder Cup.Whoever said Federer should have gotten it forgot that he plays Tennis. Who cares about tennis! Wade put his team on his back and dragged them to the championship!Obviously I think Federer deserves this a hundred times more than Wade, but here's what all of you who say that Federer should have won it this year don't realize:
Federer is going to win all four Grand Slams next year, and they don't want him to be Sportsman of the year two years in a row...
At least that's what I'm going to keep telling myself.the last person I thought would win was wade..great year but the best??? no way..it is federer hands down and I barely watch tennis. I guess everyone was right this was a business decison..I say this was jounalistic cowardice..the days of si showing some backbone is overI guess Wade is a good guy and had a good NBA finals...but 2006 Sportsman of the Year? No way. Change the name of the award, because if you aren't going to give it to someone who had a great YEAR...then don't call it that. No one had a more dominating YEAR than Roger ederer. He went 92-5, won 12 titles, 3 GS, made the final in 16 of 17 events on all surfaces. Nadal gave him trouble in the beginning of the year but Roger came back strong and beat him the last two times they played.
Why doesn't SI do away with this stupid award and instead single out great moments from the year where people like Wade and Vince Young can rightly get acknowledged.
But if you are going to honor someone for the YEAR...then give it to the most deserving which was Federer in 2006.As soon as I saw it I had nothing to say, this was one of the worst decisions ever. All Wade did was win a championship. Where was he during the season last year and this year.
Look at what Tiger or Nash have done winning six straight with the death of his father including two majors, or Nash winning back to back MVP's with a team that no one expected would do anything without Amare.
Big Mistake this yearOne word: BARBARO. No way anyone deserves it more than Barbaro.This is ridiculous!! though Wade had a good season in NBA, Kobe is a better player than Wade.
The performance of Federer for the whole season was an amazing feature to be snubbed. SI is too biased on their pick. Just make it US Sportsman of the Year.
Glad I don't subscribe this magazine. Its plain wrong.In all fairness shouldn't there be some NBA refrees next to Wade on the cover.I agree it should have been Federer. With the amazing 3 years he's had, he should have been a shoo-in.
But I'm not surprised he was passed over. Tennis has historically been ignored in mainstream media.
But just wait people...when he passes (you notice I did not say IF but WHEN) Sampras's record and wins the French Open next year and is dubbed the greatest tennis player EVER the last laugh will be on the mainstream media.
I'm glad I don't subscribe to Sports Illustrated. If I did, my subscription would definitely be canceled right about now.you can NOT be serious!!!!Wait, since when there are so many tennis fans in the US? I find it a little strange that so many people on this site think Federer should have been the SI Sportsman of the Year. I actually think that most of Americans couldn't care a less about him. So, I am starting to think that all these people who say Federer should have been the best choice are just a small group of tennis fans (maybe foreigners) who agreed together to blame this choice of giving the award to Wade. Just my 2 cents.By not honoring Roger Federer for his accomplishments for 2006 is a tremendous injustice to a great athlete. As a subscriber to Sports Illustrated for the past twenty-five years, I used to think of Sportsman of the Year as an honor, unfortunately the powers that be have reduced this award to a joke. Today I called and cancelled my subscription. The customer service representative that I spoke to never asked me why I was cancelling. Obviously everyone at Sports Illustrated is out of touch and doesn't care.not even the best player/role model (whateva) in the NBA. Looks like SI has fallen for all the marketing etc. that Wade's sponsors are pushing. I'm sure Allen Iverson does as much if not more for the community than wade, but wasn't even noticed, even though he's the only go-to player on his team right now (as Iguadola develops) - hell, he even has to cope with the liability that is chris webber.
Anyway, my choice would go to Federer hands down! the guy dominated like no other.
You americans truly are stupid. To the guy who said "the award goes to americans because the best athletes are americans", that is the most narrow minded thing i've heard - you are just looking at sports that are popular in the US - basketball, baseball, american football. How about soccer, rugby league, rugby union, tennis etc. All those sports are more popular worldwide than american football!
SI = narrow minded american journalists.D-Wade is an amazing athlete, but Steve Nash had much less to work with!!Awful choice! Federer or Woods deserve it.OK,,,,Now I know AMERICA is going down the tubes...How can BARBARO NOT WIN SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR,,He is a symbol of what all should be like in the world...BOO to ALL the people that voted on this...I hope you enjoy the Heat Seats you sold out too...Dwayne Wade is a good player but would he have won w/o shaq??? SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR IS BARBARO..HANDS DOWN..Let's just hope that SI gives plenty of credit to the NBA League Office and referees who decided to treat Wade as if he were Jesus Incarnate during last summer's Finals. Without them, Wade wouldn't even be in this discussion.Dwayne Wade had a fantastic year, particularly in the finals, and seems like a fine young man. However I believe this award is for the "Sportsman" of the year, not necessarily the best athlete. Buck O'Neil's snub by the Baseball Hall of Fame could have been vindicated somewhat by SI; it wasn't...
Don't say you weren't told ahead of time...
Boy are you stupid Charlie Brown...Sorry I was so disillusioned with your choice I had a hard time typing my thoughts.
Bottom Line?I don't want to hear any of you folks at SI whining about the state of sports,the behavior of athletes,the steroids,the outrageous paydays,the capriciousness of owners etal.You had the opportunity to select the example that we should all try to emulate and you threw it away.SI is all talk.You get on your soap boxes and preach and then you sell out exactly like those you criticize the most.
REMEMBER THE NAME BRIAN LEONARD!
I was already posted so I don't expect you to do it again but I do expect you all to go home and look in the mirror and say the name BRIAN LEONARD a few times,then let us know how well you sleep.50 years of the award and 5 of them are non-American's...should we be surprised! USA finished 4th in the world championship yet the Heat are considered world champs!Wade already gets "unearned" treatment from the NBA playoffs last year, and now this??? This sickens me. Yes, he has done some community work, but take away Shaq and special treatment from the refs, and he's an average basketball player. What about Federer or Dikembe Mutumbo, who has donated millions of dollars to open hospitals and relief AID to Congo. Once again, Wade steals the show. Did David Stern have anything to do with this too???2 words: Roger Federer.Ok...its starting look like all people are doing is piling on the choice made for SOTY. So I won't say much except that I believe D'Wade may live in the same zip code of the SOTY, but is certainly not deserving of this honor. His strenghts are mostly related to individual performance and not the team which I think are consistent with the other basketball players honored. I don't believe that his impact will be lasting. After this next year he will not be even discussed among the league's elite.
If you want five better choices?
Paul Tagliabue
Tiger Woods
Roger Federer
Jim Leyland
Shaun White
LT...enough saidThe decision cannot be anymore WRONG!! The Sportsmen of the Year should have been the New Orleans Saints for their efforts to help rejuvenate a entire region of the country.Dwayne Wade? That's ridiculous! The list of previous winners contains only four persons from outside the US - the last being Koss in 1994. How could Roger Federer not win? This award should be called the SI US Sportsman of the Year.The New Orleans Saints are rebuilding a city when the Hornets can't pick a home. Some guy named Federer had a better year in tennis than some guy named Tiger Woods had in golf. And Mutombo donating $15 million to build a hospital doesn't matter. Let's hear it for Wade; who got PAID to fictionally donate a hoop and a truck. Yep, SI, bad choice.horrible decision SI. You couldn't pick between Tiger or Roger??? Come on guys...this D-Wade hoopla is such bs. I think we can see what he's really about now that Shaq's gone.horrible decision SI. You couldn't pick between Tiger or Roger??? Come on guys...this D-Wade hoopla is such bs. I think we can see what he's really about now that Shaq's gone.That's a truly asinine pick - I'm guessing this is similar to advice columnists who give horrible advice, just to see how many people will write them. I admit to being a Mavericks fan and still unhappy about the Finals, but that's not my problem with your choice. Yes, Federer would have been better. But I have to agree with those calling for the Saints. If your main criteria really is that an individual or team have made contributions that transcend their sport, no one else even comes close. I like your magazine too much to cancel my subscription, but it crossed my mind.How can you not chose Federer ? What he accomplished this year is truly amazing. If he was American you would have kissed the ground he walked on This is a classic merican way decision making.People who voted for Wade...well, what can I say...these guys probably don't watch anything outside of NBA... I think they watched only the NBA play-off finals & no other sport the whole year. One doesn't have to even know tennis to admire Federer's achievements. You just need to understand stats to realize Federer's dominance (92-5 record)...Even his opponents can't stop admiring his talent. Even they respect him...which in itself is a huge accomplishment! No more SI for me....Huge B ball fan, but Federer should have won.You really blew it. BARBARO has more talent, more courage and certainly more heart than any of your human athletes. He is still fighting against all odds and he is winning. Putting a ball in a hoop...please.My choice would have been Team Barbaro or George Mason hoops.We're talking about someone in Federer who is making an impact on a worldwide socioeconomic front as well. He's not only doing amazing things on the court but also off of it. Until he retires, Federer should always be sportsman of the year! (And this is a New Yorker talking!)you guys all need to stop hating on wade and realize where this kid has come from. I think most of the people angry here are people NOT from the usa. Wade had and amazing year setting countless records in the playoffs. He also tithes 10% of his salary to charity and is always trying to be and ambassador for whats right in sports. Give the kid applause and realize that your watching the development of a true superstar.How can you not pick Team Barbaro? They have exemplified all the qualities of top-notch sportsmen: brilliance, courage in the face of affliction, grace, dignity, honesty with fans and the media, and love for their sport. Also, they are at the forefront of making their sport safer, through equine research and safer racing surfaces, and have tirelessly advocated for anti-slaughter legislation.
You missed a golden opprtunity to reward the highest level of sportsmanship. I'm totally perplexed by your decision!Once again you have won, right? Now your website is getting tremendous traffic, the people that pay you for the pop ups will get charged more (money in your pocket), and you might actually sell more magazines in South Beach than Ocean Drive this week (more money in your pocket). D Wade may be good at basketball in America but try to remeber how he did when he played over seas. The amount of travel and playing all year round doesn't seem to affect Federer or Woods at all. But you win SI cause here I am wasting my time letting you know that this is the only SI that I won;t read this year. Very disappointing.What a joke! Wade is a great player and had a great run through the playoffs but gimme a break. The calls that he was given on numerous forays to the basket were ridiculous especially during crunch time when he got all the calls. When do you EVER see the refs give someone a call in the last 2 or 3 seconds of a game unless they get punched in the head. Some of those calls were off the charts and never seen except for Wade and Lebron, the golden boys/faces of the NBA. Carmelo and Kobe never get those kind of calls at ends of games nor anyone else. As for who deserves it, I would have to say either Tiger or Federer. They were so dominant that it shouldn't have been close.Look at how many pro-Federer posts have appeared since the awful decision to select Wade was announced! The posts have dominated the blog in pretty much the same way that Federer has dominated this year.
Never mind guys. After all, it's an American publication. Maybe they're annoyed at Federer because their dear old American son Jimmy Connors will have his
consecutive-weeks-at-No.1 record utterly shattered come February. Or maybe it's because they had grown smug in thinking that their home-grown talent Pete Sampras would never be threatened as being the greatest, thereby stamping American authority all over the sport of tennis. Well, Federer is a phenomenon whose course cannot be stopped, whose greatness will not be denied and whose sportsmanship is inspiring. Bjorn Borg, in fact, should have won the award at the end of HIS great three-year run in 1980.
But, of course, he's Swedish.You know, Jim Leyland took a moribund baseball team and resurrected them, as well as a career.
Roger Federer dominates the sport of tennis. Tiger? Sure.
Of course, anyone could get 450 total yards in a national championship game, right Vince Young?
Dwayne Wade? I'm a Marquette alumnus and this pick just makes me shake my head.SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR? Hmmmm, let's give that some thought, a concrete definition. An athlete who, over the year consistently is an excellent performer in his craft, and performs in the clutch when it matters most. One who is an example to his community, a role model to others, and in a team sport, is capable of making his teammates better. Receives accolades with humility and is a charitable contributor to organizations that help the less fortunate. In an individual sport, one who also consistently elevates himself above the rest, and does so with dignity.
For 2006, Dwayne Wade has won SI's Sportsman of the Year, and he deserves it in the face of some mighty stiff competition. One of the top leaders in scoring in the NBA during the regular season, he outdid himself, and mere humans searching for superlatives, by accomplishing what no one, even Jordan himself, had ever done before. Down 2-0 and without home court advantage against the Dallas
Mavericks in the Finals, Wade took over, and in a 4-game stretch, made clutch shot after clutch shot, leading the Miami Heat to an improbable, unbelievable comeback and an NBA Championship. 157 points in 4 straight games? I don't recall even MJ doing that in an NBA Finals, much less being down 2-0 and without the home court. Yes, he willed the Heat to the title, and refused the doom that everyone realistically believed their fate. It took MJ, Isiah, Hakeem, The Admiral, all Hall of Famers, more than twice the time to get their first ring. And yes, in deference to MJ, he is the modern standard by which greatness and excellence should be compared to. But that is over a career. We are just talking about 2006.
Wade is a family man, witness his marriage in college, and child, that he is still with and loves. He is not spoiled by the riches that is pro sports, and continues to impress on and off the court. Shaquille O'Neal is no longer as dominant as once before, although he is still capable of garnering attention in the middle, as any big man should. Leave him in late during a close game, however, and he is a foul-shooting liability. So that leaves Wade and his transcendent performance. Never seen, never before. Jordanesque? Oh yes. But even better. For 2006.
The names Federer, Woods, Pujols, are certainly strong candidates for SI's Sportsman of the Year. Woods has been honored twice before, and certainly Federer will have many outstanding years ahead of him--other tennis greats, Ashe (posthumously), Evert and King have been named SI's SOTY. But this year is Wade's. His outstanding regular season, his performance for the ages in The Finals, against all odds, and his
charitable example to millions, are criterion for Sportsman of the Year 2006 that he has accomplished in spades. He rose above the rest not only in his sport, but in all others. SI, you did good.While Wade had a phenomenal season and is a worthy NBA champion, I'd say he's a bit of a light selection for a Sportsman of the Year award. Yes, he got hot at the right time and lit up the court, but not on the par of Orel Hersheiser ('88). True, he's a champion, but not a repeat champ associated with victory in his sport like Tom Brady ('05). He's fast becoming the face of the NBA just behind LeBron, but his popularity is not defining his sport like Michael Jordan in 1991. In this year with no athlete in the major sports dominating the above three categories, how about SI goes outside the grain to find the one guy that does: Roger Federer.SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR? Hmmmm, let's give that some thought, a concrete definition. An athlete who, over the year consistently is an excellent performer in his craft, and performs in the clutch when it matters most. One who is an example to his community, a role model to others, and in a team sport, is capable of making his teammates better. Receives accolades with humility and is a charitable contributor to organizations that help the less fortunate. In an individual sport, one who also consistently elevates himself above the rest, and does so with dignity.
For 2006, Dwayne Wade has won SI's Sportsman of the Year, and he deserves it in the face of some mighty stiff competition. One of the top leaders in scoring in the NBA during the regular season, he outdid himself, and mere humans searching for superlatives, by accomplishing what no one, even Jordan himself, had ever done before. Down 2-0 and without home court advantage against the Dallas
Mavericks in the Finals, Wade took over, and in a 4-game stretch, made clutch shot after clutch shot, leading the Miami Heat to an improbable, unbelievable comeback and an NBA Championship. 157 points in 4 straight games? I don't recall even MJ doing that in an NBA Finals, much less being down 2-0 and without the home court. Yes, he willed the Heat to the title, and refused the doom that everyone realistically believed their fate. It took MJ, Isiah, Hakeem, The Admiral, all Hall of Famers, more than twice the time to get their first ring. And yes, in deference to MJ, he is the modern standard by which greatness and excellence should be compared to. But that is over a career. We are just talking about 2006.
Wade is a family man, witness his marriage in college, and child, that he is still with and loves. He is not spoiled by the riches that is pro sports, and continues to impress on and off the court. Shaquille O'Neal is no longer as dominant as once before, although he is still capable of garnering attention in the middle, as any big man should. Leave him in late during a close game, however, and he is a foul-shooting liability. So that leaves Wade and his transcendent performance. Never seen, never before. Jordanesque? Oh yes. But even better. For 2006.
The names Federer, Woods, Pujols, are certainly strong candidates for SI's Sportsman of the Year. Woods has been honored twice before, and certainly Federer will have many outstanding years ahead of him--other tennis greats, Ashe (posthumously), Evert and King have been named SI's SOTY. But this year is Wade's. His outstanding regular season, his performance for the ages in The Finals, against all odds, and his
charitable example to millions, are criterion for Sportsman of the Year 2006 that he has accomplished in spades. He rose above the rest not only in his sport, but in all others. SI, you did good.This is insane. What a bad choice. He wasn't even the best player in the NBA last season. Very bad.complete joke, i mean Federer's record is 92-5, he won 3 majors, and took the first set off Nadal 6-0 in French Open finals, before succumbing. He is known as an amazing sport, and all the players under him respect and love him (for example James Blake, who after losing in Shanghai was quoting calling Federer "amazing") Wade had a great year, but it was not monumental, at least one player a year comes out in the NBA by either taking his team to the NBA Championship, or making monumental changes in his own game. Federer is making everyone around him better, by increasing the level of tennis all around, and is already being called the best tennis player of all time at age 24. Come on SI, this is ridiculous, Roger Federer is the only logical choice. Im completely tired of SI's bias towards American Sports.Dwayne Wade? You've got to be kidding me. For a guy who draws fouls by opposing players just breathing on him, he a joke. The NBA basically helped him win a championship...Dw(y)ane Wade ((the 'y' is silent, and therefore unnecessary)) is very good, which kills me to say, since Kobe is my boy, but he is no match to Woods or Federer. For one thing, golf and tennis are not team sports, so the athlete stands alone. When was the last time you heard about other people changing their entire game for ONE GUY?? Oh yea, Shaq...when he was a Laker.I believe that the fair thing to do is establish and define the criteria. Assign weights to these criteria and then make your decision base on score.
Again, this will not satisfy everybody because there will be intangibles that could not be quantified.
I played basketball and tennis in my younger years before I played golf. Basketball is a team sport and although Wade is a great player, he would not have been the MVP of the NBA Finals if not for Shaq. Tennis is an individual sport and Roger Federer has dominated the sport. I understand why some fans believe he should be the Sportsman of the Year. Golf unlike tennis is difficult to dominate and what Tiger has done in 2006, is phenomenal and I believe he deserves to be the Sportsman of the Year due to what he has accomplished during a depressing time because he lost his dad.
To me, Tiger is more deserving to be the Sportsman of the Year if not Roger Federer. It is not Wade's fault if SI chose him. I guess SI thinks of the marketability of the athlete!!!Im not even a Mavs fan in the slightest, but I can recognize that they got jobbed in the Finals. Not only does Wade get calls in his favor, but he also has Shaq to fall back on and demand double teams. It isnt basketball when youre just blindly charging into the lane and throwing up prayers and getting bailed out by the refs and David Stern. That being said, Federer is about as unstoppable and dominant an athlete that has and ever will walk the face of the Earth. Even if he had won all 4 of the Grand Slams, he wouldnt of won because that wouldnt sell enough magazines because people are retarded, and SI doesnt care about integrity. Sportsman of the Year isnt about what it implies, its about the sports figure who will sell the most mags.I can see how wade won this award. He is a nice guy, and exemplifies competitor with class. I know everyone is saying federer and woods, but I beleive woods has already won, and what has federer done for the community? when has he shown exemplary sportsmanship?Big NBA guy here! But even I have to say WHAT? Overall, I have to give it to Federer, for his total domination. But since tennis is dead in USA, I'd give it to Tiger Woods. Wade wasn't the MVP of the regular season, and he didn't play THAT well for most of the playoff until the game 3 of the final. Then he was helped out by the refs and the choking Mavs.Ridiculous. Wade's biggest accomplishment was achieved as much by the referees in the Dallas final as it was by him. Wade's a great player, but his team was the beneficiary of the worst basketball officiating since the 1972 Olympics. Tiger Woods, on the other hand, lost his father, had one bad week and then flattened the entire professional golfing world without officials sending him up to the green without being touched by a Dallas Maverick.I guess i'm the only one that thought Mcmahon should have won for his work for the troops.Oh well.Give me a break. Wade is more than deserving. He could win on his charity work alone. The fact that he is one of the top 5 players in the NBA is icing on the cake. Federer is overrated since there are ZERO great players to challenge him. The same reason Tiger dominates.An absolute travesty. This is a classic example of American arrogance. Federer is the greatest athlete (ever) in the most internationally diverse sport in the world. This blatant disregard is embarassing for a magazine of the caliber of SI.Bad choice, In reality was he truly the most outstanding sportman of the year? NO..What did Wade do that seperated him from from the rest?, did he singlehandly win the entire season for Miami? No..He was just a better player on a team of good players. Many if not most of the other nominees were a far better pick, even Vince Machmon from the WWE who runs a billion dollar company and takes himself and many others to Iraq, to entertain and show support for the troops. This shows class from someone who is constantly ridiculed. How many other sports figures have or will even attempt to do this sort of things? I cant name any can you! Vince didnt have a chance of wining but this is just a comparison, why did wade deserve this?An absolute travesty. This is a classic example of American arrogance. Federer is the greatest athlete (ever) in the most internationally diverse sport in the world. This blatant disregard is embarassing for a magazine of the caliber of SI.Please define "SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR" Because I can think of a dozen more worthy "sportsmen" more worthy than a player who wasnt even the M.V.P of his own league! Or City and it's team that has been rebuilding its spirit and giving it's people something to enjoy again or an often ridiculed wrestling organization that is the only one who appears to give two "shyts" about its most important "sportsmen" there are; the men and women serving in the armed forces who are defending Wade's freedom to dunk a ball and be Mr.Sterns "chosen one". How can the so called best sports publication get it so wrong? And dont even get me started on how Pro American this is...(see; Federer)Has anyone at S.I even watched a tennis match to appreciate his success? I hate tennis and i think as an idividual athlete he is it after New Orleans and the W.W.E. I believe D-WADE is an awsome athlete but in the year 2006 this coice is Just Pathetic!!If it couldn't have been Federer or Woods, Cannavaro should have gotten it. And if all they're interested in is selling magazines, he's a top choice, too, because all of the ladies would enjoy that cover.ABSOFREAKINLUTELY!!! Wade truly embodies everything good in the NBA
All the haters on here need to keep sitting at their pc's and drinkin their haterade!!!This sort of thing only adds to the perception that America is ignorant as a whole. that Roger Federer should have won this award cannot be overemphasised. Taking nothing away from Tiger Woods and Dwayne Wade, Federer dominated Mens tennis throughout this year and acheived success that no other sportsman acheived.
But then again, the heat were crowned world champions, and american baseball has a world series tournament. Have we forgotten that the US couldnt win any world basketball tournament this entire year, or even in the past couple years? and that we get trounced by cuba and japan in baseball?
Its high time we stopped making ourselves the lauging stock of the world.People can say they wanted someone else to win, but they can't insult Wade as the winner.
The guy put on the greatest show since Jordan in the NBA finals. And to be honest, Jordan's Bulls were a much deeper and better team than Wade's Heat, putting all the more pressure on Wade to perform.
On top of that, he's a total class act. Everything the NBA should be about.This sort of thing only adds to the perception that America is ignorant as a whole. that Roger Federer should have won this award cannot be overemphasised. Taking nothing away from Tiger Woods and Dwayne Wade, Federer dominated Mens tennis throughout this year and acheived success that no other sportsman acheived.
But then again, the heat were crowned world champions, and american baseball has a world series tournament. Have we forgotten that the US couldnt win any world basketball tournament this entire year, or even in the past couple years? and that we get trounced by cuba and japan in baseball?
Its high time we stopped making ourselves the lauging stock of the world.hahahahahahahahahaah!!!!! what a joke.
I guess the NBA needed some quick p.r.
Rodge, you don't need this American Sports Award.Wade does not stand out in my mind as an exceptional athlete. Many of us believe that Barbaro, yes a horse, has show us all what a true champion is. He showed the intellect to comprehend what was needed from him to continue a recovery that most thought was not possible. A stonger fight has not been fought by anyone anywhere.A wonderful decision. Can't tell what is the funnier group of trolls on this board, the anti-american lunatic fringe or the sour-grape chewing Mav faction. D-Wade has it all, props to SI for recognizing it.Tell me this is a mistake.
I understand that wade is a great basketball player but he did not deserve this award. He was just one of the players who played on the team that won the championship. He did not single handedly carry the team by himself. He did not break and surpass any records. He did not make a shot that gave his team the championship. So tell me, what it is that he did that got him this award? So many other athletes were more deserving of this award than wade.I really have a problem with this pick, and it's not often I question SI's sportsman pick. I think Miami's play this year (minus Shaq) illustrates the importance Shaq played in last year's title. Don't get me wrong, D-Wade was awesome in the finals. But he hasn't earned Sportsman status yet. It took a lot more than that for you guys to give it to Jordan. D-Wade isn't anywhere near being in the same world as Jordan yet. If it was going to go to a baller this year (it should have gone to Tiger) then you should have gone with Nash. He has been changed the game in the last two years.shouldn't the name of fabio cannavaro be at least in the discussion? i mean, he pulled the italian team through all the controversy surrounding Serie A and they were able to win the World Cup, sports' greatest event.Barbaro is the best sports figure of all time. No drugs, no flack, no criminal activity, done more for his sport and his fellow athletes than anyone else ever has - AND he is undefeated. That was a no-brainer in my opinion - why can't a horse win sportsman of the year?Unbelievably bad choice. I thought Buck O'Neil should have been named for his lifelong commitment to baseball and his preservation of the Negro Leagues.How sad one of the posters here said that NBA players shouldn't deserve this award. As a NBA fan, this thing really hurts me. He basically throws in some candidates from every sport and then this guy says that NBA players shouldn't deserve this award! Why? This is a racist statement. NBA players work HARD as much as other athletes and the GREAT MAJORITY of NBA athletes are really good people who are doing a lot for their communities. It's extremely sad and unfair that NBA players get blamed left and right just because a few bad apples. BTW, there are more bad apples in the NFL (every time i turn on the TV i read that a NFL player got arrested), but no one ever blames them. This is unfair, people. As an huge NBA fan, I am disgusted to read that NBA players shouldn't get this award. Really disgusted.Roger Federer is not only an astonishing athlete who is quite possibly the greatest to ever play his sport, but is also a true gentleman and class act. There is no one even close in the sports world for 2006. Stunning oversight.Ugh. Pfft! Good thing Roger Federer doesn't need SI to be known worldwide for his achievements and sportsmanship. How utterly unsurprising! You SI people are seriously delusional and ignorant.SI is an overhyped sports publication promoting nothing to do with Sportsman of the Year. I am not shocked. How could you be with an agenda tilted to money and what brings in money an overglamourized sport that cherishes players that can make only one of two free throws. This is the era to get paid for a miss. I am not chiming in with everyone else but if Roger Federer wins the French Open what are you going to think then. The obvious best player of any sport is Roger Federer. Maybe if he wins the French your mag could reprint the article with Roger splashed across the top. No one has ever dominated a sport like he has. Pssst. No one cares in the world about American pro sports players. Neither American football (which I love) or NBA is watched on television outside of the US. Get a clue.Perhaps the referees who anointed Wade "untochable" should share the award.What an absolute joke this supposed accolade has become. The narrow-minded US-centric view of sports is not merely ignorant, but also genuinely offensive to those fans who relish the global stage of sports. To snub Roger Federer yet again will harm the integrity of Sports Illustrated and the nonsensical "Sportsman of the Year" award a lot more than it'll harm Federer's rep.
It doesn't seem too much of a stretch to expect the #1 sports publication in the world to actually recognise the real Sportsman of the Year. It's a shame SI have to let us down yet AGAIN.I have no problem with D-Wade. He is an outstanding talent, however how could he be ahead of Steve Nash. Back to Back NBA MVP's dont come along very often.This is blasphemous. The other comments have already made the case why Roger Federer should have won the award, so I won't repeat them. However, as a response to some people's statements that, if Federer were an American, he would have won: if American sports media have promoted tennis to the same extent as they have basketball and football, then in all likelihood Federer would have won by popular vote - and judging by the number of pro-Federer comments already posted, I rest my case. Some of you say that Federer doesn't appeal to mainstream American audience. My response? Then MAKE him appealing! Some additional coverage would be nice. Referring to Jon Wertheim's excellent essay, Federer has never gotten into trouble with the law, been in a nasty lawsuit, or slept around. Can't say that about a lot of the NBA or NFL players we read about ...I canceled my subscription at the end of this month. I am glad I DID! Absolute BS that D-Wade gets sportsman of the year and not Federer. What the hell does one man have to do to prove he is worthy enough to win this award?! Okay, I guess losing to the best clay courter in the world (Nadal) dropped his chances a little. Give me a freakin' break SI!
You lost my respect SI. I thought you guys were really credible, but now, you guys are trash.
To the Federer fans, and those who appreciate his greatness, speak out, because this is beyond a travesty.Horrible choice! Horrible! How about the New Orleans Saints for what they did for that city in the wake of katrina. Absouletly horrible SI.Too bad SI doesn't give enough credit to it's readership - enough to know that Federer *clearly* deserved to win this awardDwayne who???What a disappointment! Roger Federer should have won this but surprise, surprise...it went to another American...and not even the right one. Wade is a nice guy and had a good Final series, but did not deserve this award over Federer.
Did someone actually post that Fed's tennis is boring? Since when is fantastic shot-making boring? Okay, some of the matches might not be as exciting as they could be when the other guy sucks...but how is that Roger's fault?
I enjoy watching Tiger whether he is winning by 18 strokes or not because he is brilliant. Just like I enjoy watching Federer whether he is winning 6-0 6-0 or whether he's in a dogfight...because brilliance is always terrific to watch.
SI...you screwed up big time on this one. But what else is new?Wade? Seriously? Federer was something like 90-5 and captured 3 majors. He has dominated his sport like no other for the last several years and he gets no recognition.I haven't seen too many comments about Vince Young, but that is who I would have voted for. The man led the Texas Longhorns to an undefeated season and something they had to not accomplished in 30+ years...a national championship. He went into Columbus and won at the Shoe. But I applaude Wade for the honor, and I give props to Federer, Woods, and of course VY for being also deserving of the honor.Here is the thing: I can't stand golf. The same goes for tennis. But this year Tiger made me pay attention to golf. He has made me pay attention in previous years also. The point is a 'Sportsman of the Year' is not about dominating one's sport. It is about transcending that sport and breaking through to the greater sports audience.
Tiger did that this year. As far as Federer is concerned, he could be the greatest. Problem is I have never hear of him before. And I follow sports. That is not a knock against the man, it just shows that it is more to it than just winning.
Plus, Wade is a horrible choice. The Heat were given that series the line. Plus, he is not even the best player in the NBA, Kobe Bryant is. Steve Nash had a more impressive year (not just playoffs).
Anyway, it is what it is. That's just my $0.02.I'm sure Dwayne Wade is a fine person, but Sportsman of the Year? What a joke. Stop shoving the NBA down our throats. We don't care.SI has just shown again they only care about american invented sports and nothing about all the other sports the world embraces. Again shame on SI.Be serious people,wakeup,tennis is like the equivalent of one on one in basketball.And right now,the two can't even be compared as basketball requires a great deal more,of athletic skill(jump as high and run as fast as you can).and mental skill,(at the freethrow line, 2secs on the clock,teams down by one, and everybody's screaming for you to miss).Tennis,match point(QUIET PLEASE)!gimme a break!Federer would have been the ideal choice...
For all of you saying that picking Federer would be bad because of MAGAZINE SALES...not sure how "sportsman" of the year equals sales totals, but I'm sure you have your reasons for being so dumb.It would be awesome to see Wade say, in a public interview, "I don't know what those SI editors were thinking -- I had a great year, but it's obvious that Roger Federer was more deserving this year."D. Wade. What a joke.!!! R. Federer should have won this award and you morons know that.Federer or Tiger Woods. No one else is even close! Dwayne "Flopper" Wade is part of the problem, not the "future" of the NBA. Ugh.I believe this was a great choice byh the powersw that be...Wade is the man and I believe this was breath of fresh air because Tiger has won a couple of times already. Wade won the championship for the Heat. Gongratulations Wade!You CANNOT be serious!!! No one but NO ONE is more deserving of this recognition than Roger Federer!Wade may not be in the elite top 5 NBA players right now! SI writers/editors should be ashamed for not voting Federer. Go cover sports in Iraq.How embarrassing. He's not the best player, not the most influential, not changing the game. Poor choice - were you paid off to give it to the NBA?Why would anyone who is supposedly in their right mind name anyone from the "National Brawling Association" as sportsman of the year??!!!?? I truly believe Roger Federer is the only choice!! What more could he have accomplished this past year??????Roger Federer just had the best year any tennis player ever had. Why do you bother having Wertheim on your payroll?
Magazines have become irrelevant. So this award is not a big deal anymore.
You nuts make SI less than irrelevant.WOW! Over Roger Federer. This makes no sense and I have loved Wade since the prop 48 days at Marquette.I have no respect for this award, and consequently am quite glad Federer didn't get it. Look at the list of buffoons who have won this 'accolade' in the past years, and one has no choice but to draw the conclusion that the Fed is perhaps lucky not to have won it and have his name irrevocably associated with all those other 'sportsmen'.Phantom calls do exist in the NBA, as evidenced in last years tampered Finals. How can one man outscore the entire team in free throw shooting twice?! Moreover, phantom calls do exist at SI. Federer was robbed. Forget the fact that he is not a house hold name like Wade, because this shouldn't be a popularity contest. Why, out of all the great athletes, pick Wade?! I would have been much happier if Kobe Bryant was picked. He scored an unbelievable 81 points, 62 points in three quarters, lead the leauge in points, lead the likes of a Kwame Brown and Smush Parker into the playoffs, was one rebound away from defeating the Suns, has created the VIVO foundation for low income students, helped with the hurricane Katrina and Make a Wish effort, and is just an all around better player than Wade. Continue to soil your reputation. What a disgrace. You guys sicken me.Sportsman of the Year is not just an award for athletic ability. It is an award that symbolizes what sports mean to us. Sports are inspiring, they give us hope, and above all they teach us to persevere. Only one athlete or team has embodied these principles - The New Orleans Saints. They gave a city and the nation a reason to cheer and for that they deserve to be called Sportsmen of the Year.Dwayne Wade? He had a couple of good games in the NBA finals. But does that warrant Sportsman of the Year? Perhaps I thought too much of this award.DWAYNE WADE? DWAYNE WADE?
I will be mighty curious to see how you guys can justify Dwayne Wade for SPORTSMAN of the Year.
Sure, he lead his team to the title -- but without Shaq, he's just another Kobe or LeBron...just another extremely talented basketball player.
But as far as athletic dominance -- what more does Federer have to do? And if, like MVP awards, this is supposed to transcend stats and talk about IMPACT -- there is no way that DWade wins this award.
Shoddy...shoddy choice.Wade? No.
New Orleans Saints? Yes.
But then again talking about the Saints reminds people how New Orleans still has a long way to go.Yeah, Wade is a great athlete and has a foundation to help kids but all big names athlete has the same thing. I would like to argue your comment that kobe needed Shaq more than Wade when he won the championship. For once, kobe/Shaq has already won 3 and if you really look at the games it was Kobe who really caried to the lakers. this is not Wade's fault but your so called "experts".What about Vince Young? My goodness...the guy gets no love at all. How can you compare Vince's march the the national title (and winning the game single handedly mind you) with everyone questioning his ability with Wade.You could argue Federer is a better athlete and sportsman but not Tiger Woods.
He is smug and boring.What about a real basketball hero? How could you look over that autistic boy who came off the bench to pump in 20 points in a High School Game. D-Wade is a nice guy but this kid did something bigger and better and you guys blew it because you will never have the chance to put a real hero like him on the cover againA joke of a pick. I love D-Wade and he's an awesome player. But with the year Federer had, no way he doesn't deserve this award.Who?? You might as well have selected the Jamiacan Bobsled team.Dwayne Wade is a great player but not the Sportsman of the Year. The correct choice was Tiger Woods due to his great play this year including 2 majors while dealing with the passing of his father.Dwayne Wade? Oh, I get it. He did have a couple of good games in the NBA finals. I guess I thought to highly of this award. I thought it was sportsman of the "YEAR".Wade is a great choice. federer? tiger? do they have foundations, give tickets to the homeless, set examples of how to act? Wade is an outstanding athlete but most of all has one of the best personalitites. federer? tiger? they don't have the charm Wade has.Dwayne Wade is a great player but not the Sportsman of the Year. The correct choice was Tiger Woods due to his great play this year including 2 majors while dealing with the passing of his father.What? what happend to Federer,tiger woods.
There is a sport outside the state.there is no one else or close to this champion caliber, he is the definition of heart of a champion and watch him do it again this year, anyone doubting him still is naive flash resume proves his flawless. exellent choice sports illustrated.Federer should have won, of course, but the essential insignificance of this award means that it doesn't really matter. I'm sure Federer himself could care less...How about Billups. Team player; Great Shooter; Great Defender. Doesn't need a so called great defensive center to be good. (Ben Wallace and Shaq) Oh yeah, Michigan is better than Florida and OSU sucks.I thought SI would have thought deeper about this selection; Federer or Woods would be a much more fitting choice based on their impact to their respective sports. Although Wade does deserve credit, he is not the most deserving candidate.Ludicrous. There's some marketing ploy here, perhaps signaled by SI's recent fawning story on David Stern. Wade is the co-star of the champs of an enterprise that ranks in public interest below pro football, college football, college basketball, MLB, NASCAR and pro golf when Tiger Woods is playing. And Roger Federer dominated his sport like no one ever has.Boring. Love his game, his attitude, but SI could have done much better than D-Wade.You blew it. Federer's season is 11 months long, spread out all over the world, on all types of surfaces, and every match has a financial incentive for the player opposing him. For 3 consecutive years he has dominated his sport (which is physically and mentally draining). Additionally, he is the epitome of what a true sportsman should be.
But he's not American. Wade had a great year. But Federer was robbed.You blew it. Federer's season is 11 months long, spread out all over the world, on all types of surfaces, and every match has a financial incentive for the player opposing him. For 3 consecutive years he has dominated his sport (which is physically and mentally draining). Additionally, he is the epitome of what a true sportsman should be.
But he's not American. Wade had a great year. But Federer was robbed.I am sick and tired of people wishing Federer would have won this award and bashing the ethnocentricity of SI. Of course its biased towards the US it is an AMERICAN magazine. Do I think Wade was the best choice? Probably not; the Saints or Tiger Woods would have been better, but come on people, how many Americans really give a hoot about Roger Federer.This is a complete farce.
Roger Federer had the best season in at least 36 years, bettering his season year for which he won the Laureus.
Dwayne Wade is a great player who cannot be called with any certainty the best at what he does.
Federer cannot NOT be called the best at what he does. Which is, dominate professional tennis like no one else in history.
This decision undermines your credibility and makes Sports Illustrated look like Major American Team Sports Illustrated.Ludicrous. There's some marketing ploy at work here, perhaps signaled by SI's recent fawning profile of David Stern. You chose the supporting actor of the title team in an enterprise that ranks in public interest behind pro football, college football, college basketball, MLB, NASCAR and pro golf when Tiger Woods is playing. And you did so in a year that Roger Federer dominated his sport more than anyone in years.There is absolutely no reason to choose anyone other than Roger Federer. YOu are deciding on the AMERICAN Sportsman of the Year and make sure that you are specific in that. I don't think you ever felt you were anything but an American publication. The article in last week's SI about Roger made me realize you are not going to do another story two weeks later. If it wasn't Roger then obviously has to be Tiger. I can't see Wade anywhere on the horizon!I don't know which criteria was used to pick Wade, but I applaud the choice. He is a great example on the court as well as off of it. As for Tiger, he would definitely have been just as good a choice. Although Federer is the most dominant of the three, I just can't help but think his dominance is more a result of subpar rivals.What a friggin joke. Dwayne Wade over Roger Federer. That has to be one of the worst decisions in the history of sports. With all respect to Wade, Federer just produced one of the greatest single seasons in tennis history in a truly global sport. I have lost all respect for SI over this one.Dwayne Wade ??? Is this a joke ??? Wade is great. But I don't even think he is the greatest NBA player last year. Without the Big Diesel's help, he could not have brought the Miami Heat the championship. What about Lebron James ? Kobe Bryant ? Carmelo Anthony ?sorry, i don't even know who dwayne wade is. hands down roger federer for me.Snubbing Dikembe Mutombo is yet further example that the American media seems to do anything possible to ignore the continued troubles on the African continent.
You snubbed the humanitarian efforts and sportmanship of Warrick Dunn last year, again you overlook someone who's humanitarian actions off he court are as public as on.
SHAME ON YOU.Federer IS JUST a tennis player- Wade deserved this award-if through force of will propeling his team to the NBA Finals makes him worthy then there should be no argument.Unless you lived under a cave, how does Roger Federer not win this?? Oh wait, the american rule comes into play again. Well then how come the runner up in Tiger Woods doesn't take it??Are you freaking kidding me????? SI has lost all credibility with this one. Sportsman of the Year? So, he can ride Shaq's coattails and win this, but Kobe's never gotten the nod? Why not Tiger again? What a joke.Hahaha! You all have been punk'd!!!!The real Sportsman of the year is the guy who won three grand slams for the SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR, and plays the toughest pro sport in the world, with only two weeks for an offseason. The real sportsman of the year is the athlete who has dominated his sport like no tennis player in history. The real sportsman of the year is Roger Federer.Federer has dominated for 3 years... that says it all. And he did it on his own.
Wade needed the referees to tide him overChoosing anyone over Roger Federer this year makes absolutely no sense at all.
And hell, I don't even like tennis. Boring sport to watch. But there's no doubt that Federer has absolutely dominated the game like no one ever has before.Federer can never beat Nadal and Wayde chokes on buzzer beaters. Let's go KOBE!!!I cannot understand how federer could not get this award. I bet if federer wins all four slams next year, making it 6 slams in a row, SI still would not give him this award. This is a disgrace. He should have gotten this award in 2006 and 2004. He won 3 out of the four grandslams, and was in the final of the one that he did not win. I mean D-wade did do an amazing job in the finals, but i mean, I would choose steve nash from the nba, he was NBA MVP, and led his team to a conference title series with out amare. Shame on you SI, Federer is the best sports player right now, and no one like him will come around like this for a long time. You owe him an apology.I have no issues with the choice of Wade as the Sportsman of the year. He is a good choice, a great player who has shown he can improve his game when the stakes are at the highest. Many of the other candidates mentioned, Nash, Woods, Federer, Dungy, Brees and the entire Saints team, all would have been equally compelling choices. However, I would like to put forth a choice that has been overlooked, mostly because his sporting days are over.
Jerome Bettis would have been an excellent choice for sportsman of the year. His greatest contributions were overlooked, since most of them happened after the 2005 sportsman was selected. At the start of Pittsburgh's run, he put the team on his back and gave them his last 100 yard game. After that, he was the on field role player he had become and the off the field leader he always was. Part tank, part teacher, part cheerleader, part general and part mentor, he became the rallying point for a team on a mission and a city. His presence alone helped spur an entire team to reach greater heights. His mere absence this year has shown all of us how much he is truly missed in that locker room.
Plus, part of being a sportsman is not merely your on the field accomplishments, but also your off the field achievements. Bettis has been a fixture in the NFL, Pittsburgh and all over with his various charity work, including his the Bus Stops Here Foundation, which has been reaching out and helping underpriviliged children since 1997.
He is a man who came from humble beginnings, and never forgot those who helped him achieve all that he has in life. He never let those who said he could not make it get him down. He knew he would be something special. For these reasons and many more, I would have cast my vote, if given one, to Jerome Bettis.I still say the horse should have won.....!!!!!I always loved how SI wasn't afraid to take a chance, be a little different. When I was in college they'd put teams like Oregon State No. 1 in their preseason football poll and on the cover. It also had several people as co-Sportspeople of the year for their humanitarian work. I think Arthur Ashe received it, too? Times have changed, though. Wade isn't the worst choice in the world, but let's face it - a pretty boring, safe one. Federer is much more deserving.That SI can't bring itself to recognize Roger Federer says volumes about what the magazine thinks of its readers. Basically SI is saying that they don't think its readers have any sophistication, any elegance, any appreciation of subtlety, any awareness of what's going on outside the US, any capacity to enjoy sports that aren't about in-your-face superoverdrive offense. If SI judged the Oscars, Jerry Bruckheimer movies would win every year. Quick, SI, which was a better movie: Talladega Nights or Inconvenient Truth?
SI must be waiting for Federer to have an undefeated Golden Slam season...Roger Federrer? please Vince Young deserves the award. We all know what he did in the Rose Bowl. Roger Federrer doesn't even compare to what Vince Young did the whole year. He basically beat an Ohio State team that has never lost a night game in its history at their place. Vince beat an Oklahoma team that was playing for the National Title the previous year. Finally to top it off Vince beat a USC team with two Heisman trophy winners, a 34 game winning streak and he also beat them in their own backyard. enough said.what a joke!
you guys get caught up in your own hype to sell mags...
look up and realize you dont have to sell wade to sell mags...make an honest choice...
woods or federer would have been much stronger choices...
does stern have strings to pull at SI?
please...
this type of stuff only helps to grow the irrelevence your awards are gaining.
-jeff (houston)Barbaro or Federer.
SI really made a poor choice.Can the webmaster or the blog owner point out the page that contained the official nominees?I've got a lot of respect for D-Wade and the way he competes night in and night out. But frankly, he doesn't even rank in the top ten for this award. Federer and Woods are breaking records every time they compete, not to mention the amazing athletes we watched compete in the Olympics, world cup, and basketball championships. If you didn't notice, Wade was on that team, and they finished a disappointing 3rd. If you want to call someone sportsman of the year, they should probably be able to go up against competitors from outside their own country and win. Terrible choice, SI; it's obvious you were more concerned with selling magazines than making a legitimate choice for this award. Too bad.As remarkable as Wade was this year, his accomplishments are trivial compared to Roger Federer's. It is apparent from the comments here that the readers who follow a wider range of sports see this clearly.
Shame on the "professional" writers of Sports Illustrated that they are unable to see this obvious truth.D-Wade....da Greatest ah dis new generation of ballers. He deserves it....OUT and BAD !!! 101% WADE FANDWade was an excellent choice. Tiger or Federer would have won my approval. This young man shows something that every sports fan young and old, male or female should pay attention to. His unselfishness, his willingness to listen to other players and his humbleness. Last year during a game him and Gary Payton got into a shouting match and even the commentators explained it wrong. Payton was right, DWade was not playing up to his potential. He transcend greatness after that incedent. A gratious and humble sport icon.you guys should have the fans vote it would have been federer in a landslidebad call it should have been a split between Federer and tiger sports illustrated should be ashamed that they are litsening to mainstream america GET A CLUEFederer doesn't win? What?
SI, get rid of your ethnocentric American bias and start seeing the forest for the trees in the sporting world.Honestly, what does Federer have to do to win this? SI truly has to explain to its readers its disdain for tennis.
How could Tiger Woods win twice but Federer not once (and no McEnroe or Martina in '84 and no Graf in '88 and no Sampras in multiple years he was worthy). Federer was not only dominated his sport more than anyone else this year, he's put THREE such years together back to back to back.
I plan to stop reading your magazine or even looking on your website unless you can seriously explain how you could choose Wade over Federer.Wade should have won the award hands down! Half the people in the country don't even know who Federer or whoever is. He single-handedly led his team to a NBA CHAMPIONSHIP at the age of 24! How could he not get the award! Kobe may have scored 81 but Dwayne doesn't shoot the ball 50 times a game and actually passes it to his open teammates.Look at the 2 comments below that are on this board. This shows the incredible ignorance of some people regarding Federer. One questions Federer's charity work and the other says he plays boring tennis. Both of these comments are the exact opposite of reality. He does more charity work than any superstar by far including being a UNICEF ambassador. He plays boring tennis? Someone has been sniffing glue. Ask anyone who knows tennis, either a fan or the media and they all say they love watching him play, that he is a magician with the racket. And the fact that he is a "foreigner" shows complete closemindedness, something this person obviously shares with SI.
"Wade does immense amounts of community service, etc. What does Federer do?"
"Did Federer get cheated? Nope. Not by a longshot. He's a foreigner who plays boring tennis. End of story. Save the title for bigger and better athletes."No way !!
D-Wade is a superstar but there are lots more basketball superstars better than him last year !
Steve Nash ! Why isn't he the SI sportsman of the year 2006 ? Just because he is Canadian ? BOO !!!why not dwayne wade? he almost single handedly lead miami to a championship against a more athletic dallas team, and dont even bring steve nash into this conversation like someone did, dwayne wade was a great pick, i also dont want to hear the pity katrina story. the hornets have done just as much to restore new orleans as the saints havebad call. by far Roger Federer have had a better year imagin D wade winning 3 championships in one year plus he had shaq Federer by far dominated the tennis season all by himself sports illustrated GET A CLUEWhat happened to Barbaro???A wise and honorable choice. Tiger or Federer would have been great. The coming of age of a gratious and humble legend. An eye opener to athletes of all ages. DWade is what Kobe, Lebron,Carmelo,etc are not. He is a blessing and a pleasure to watch. A gratious role model for any age or gender. The NBA should expose him more often.
Thank You SI,
a fanWhat happened to Barbaro???I have nothing against wade. but I think that federer, woods, new orleans saints, drew brees, johan santana, ld tomlinson, ryan howard, were ahead of him to deserve the award. Do you think that miami would have been champion without shaq o´neal. Look at the standings this season or see how bad usa team played during the world championship in japanDwayne Wade deserved this award hands down. He brought his team from a two loss hole to win the championship! He broke tons of records along the way and most importantly stayed focus and humble. He is the best player in NBA right now and all of you who keep on bringing up their record this year must have forgotten last year's record! Most of the people in the country don't even know who Federer or whoever is and of course an American is going to win it's an American magazine for crying out loud! It was the public who voted anyways so nobody needs to be complaining about the outcome! The it would of been an outrage if Dwayne didn't win! And those of you who choose to bring up the fouling situation in the finals is obviously jealous cause the Heat won and you couldn't find a way to stop Wade! Stop complaing and making excuses because Miami won the championship and Dwayne won this award like he should have!.!There are a lot of people hating on Wade, but lets look at the facts. Wade does a good job off and on the court. He has earn a name for himself. I don't remember a lot of talk about Wade in the 2003 draft. I love sports and I don't even know who Federer is. The sportsman award should be given to somebody who is recognized by sports fan. Wade was number one in jersey sales, he took over the NBA finals like nobody I had ever seen; and for all of Dallas fans that are complaining about the fouls called, Wade kept attacking the basket while you guys stopped. I'm not sure if he should be named Sportman of the Year but he deserves to be considered. And for all of you saying that SI is a joke, how come you guys find the time to read the magazine and write such comments too? If I don't like a magazine, I wouldn't even go its website. You guys are a bunch of whinners.SHAME ON YOU SI !!! If Roger Federer had been American, this would have been a no brainer.
I have a theory - SI is pulling this on purpose: put an unknown on the cover and you force people to ask "what the heck is that?"Federer is not merely the best tennis player, but arguably the best athlete, in any sport, of his generation. He has just had 3 career years the likes of which have not been seen maybe ever. He will be a legend in years to come. And he cannot get recognition as sportsman of the year?I agree. Wade was nowhere near as dominant as Federer.I went to Marquette and am a big D. Wade fan, but no way did his accomplishments outweigh what several have done this year.
My Choice?
The horse..Barbaro! He won the Derby by the biggest margin in 60 years and broke a few other records along the way. Then he followed that up by beating death, not once but twice.When I discussed this with people at work, the responses were almost identical to what they are here.
One guy thought it was okay.
Eleven believed this was not even close to the correct choice and believed this was probably the worst pick in the history of the magazine.
It's not just an Internet mentality here. 90% of subscribers are going to open their mailbox at the end of this week and go "What the hell were they thinking?"
You know, you don't have to buy into it. It's the same thing that the morons who fight for the bowl system say: "The BCS causes controversy! That's what is good about it! Controversy is good!"
Well, you have it. You have nearly your entire readership believing your magazine is run by a bunch of fools. But we're talking about it! Good for you! You got people talking about how stupid you are!Bad call! What exactly did Wade do that made him a CLEAR choice above many other NBA players? or above other sportsman/woman for that matter? How about looking beyond the mainstream sports that we see on TV often? How about Roger Federer who is heads and shoulders above the competition? Actually I guess there is no real competition to speak of, and that's exactly the point. And speaking of peerless athletes, what about Tiger Woods?What is this = Barbaro is more deserving then anyone!!I have to echo what the majority have said. It's an absolute travesty that Federer didn't win--I live in Miami, it's great that the Heat won and that Dwayne Wade is a good guy, but tell me how truly global is Dwayne Wade's fan base? This pick is about as credible as a committee comprised of W, Dick Cheney and John Bolton voting for Rummy as most admired person in world politics. Decisions like this make me so wish that I was European and not from the US!!!!As soon as I heard the "news" I knew I had to write in. After reading the comments so far, I realize that not much more needs to be said. I don't even like tennis but realized Federer put together a year like few others. Get your noses out of the fantasy-league games and do some real work. I thought you guys were the "pros" of sports reporting. I like Wade, but this was a very unprofessional "choice".Bad call!! Has SI been watching only basketball these days? What exactly did Wade do so great that made him the CLEAR and UNQUESTIONED choice above other great NBA players? Or for that matter, above other sportsman/woman in other sports? How about looking beyond the mainstream sports that we Americans are constantly fed in our living rooms through TV? Just because we see them more often on TV doesn't mean they're better than other athletes whom we don't get to watch often. What exactly made Wade a better choice over Roger Federer, for example, who is heads and shoulders above the competition. Actually there really is no competition to speak of, and that's exactly the point! Speaking of peerless athletes, what about Tiger Woods? You better come up with a logical explanation for choosing Wade over Woods!SI Sportsman of the Year is about as relevant as the monarchy in Britain. The only reason I still bother visiting the site is because of Jon Wertheim's insightful columns and mailbag. I hope Roger wins the Grand Slam next year and decline to be on the cover of SI! Sorry Jon!Absolutely pathetic choice.
SI is utterly oblivious to non-Americans it seems...
Federer absolutely dominated, and all the while with class and humility that you'll never see on an NBA court.NOOOOOO! STEVE NASH should be it! Why can't non-American Win for once?!?!LET ME TELL YOU THIS:
The most prestigious award for a sportsman these days is the Laureus World Sports Award -- and the winner is elected by an array of champions of all kind of sports that belong to the Laureus Academy, presided by american track & field icon Edwin Moses (also includes US legends such as Michael Jordan, Dan Marino, Jack Nicklaus, Michael Jordan and Mike Spitz among its members).
And you know who won the Laureus World Sports Award in 2004 and 2005? ROGER FEDERER. And if he won these two past years, with the fantabulous year he had in 2006 I'm pretty sure he'll be the winner for a third consecutive time... because there simply is no athlete on earth that is as good in his respective sport as Federer is in tennis!
Past winners of the Sportsman of the Year Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsman of the Year
2006: Roger Federer (Switzerland) - tennis
2005: Roger Federer (Switzerland) - tennis
2004: Michael Schumacher (Germany) - motor racing
2003: Lance Armstrong (USA) - cycling
2002: Michael Schumacher (Germany) - motor racing
2001: Tiger Woods (USA) - golf
2000: Tiger Woods (USA) - golf
check this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laureus_World_Sports_AwardsI am getting done with all these people who are whining all the time because Wade won this award. Deal with it! And understand that basketball is enormous in the U.S., it has an enormous following, way more than tennis that no one cares about. People care about the NBA, they don't care about a tennis player who is not even American. DEAL WITH IT!your choice is as idiotic as the comment made by one here who poster: "Who is Federer anyway?" Does SI stand for SPORTS IDIOTS???This is a great choice. Not only is he the best player in the NBA, especially on the biggest stage, the NBA Finals, but he is an even better PERSON, which is what a SPORTSMAN is all about, not just being an athlete. He donates 10% of his salary to his church, he tries not to swear, he doesn't drink, and he chose the number 3 because it represents the Holy Trinity. GREAT choice for SPORTSMAN of the Year.Dwayne Wade is an EXCELLENT choice. Here's why: 1) He's an enormously gifted athlete who has made it to the top of an incredibly competitive sport and managed to remain humble and modest about it; 2) He's a civic-minded individual who contributes time and money to his community; 3) He's a family man who loves his wife and kids; and 4) He's an outstanding human being who has triumped in the face of adversity. He's a true sportsman and an example to athletes all over the world. I wish him continued success. Don't listen to the haters, Dwayne, they don't know what they're talking about. As for Federer, where's the competition? Where is the Agassi to his Sampras? Sampras, in his prime, would've whipped Federer.Over the course of a year, it's tolerable, if not understandable, that major U.S. publications and networks focus on American athletes. But for a year-end award of such historic significance, ignoring the achievements and character of Roger Federer is an insult to sports fans and a blow to SI's credibility.D-Wade deserves the award so what if federerdoesn't win it more people in the U.S. watch basketball then tennis.are u kidding me??? in an olympic year???
cindy klassens- 1 GOLD 2 SILVER 1 BRONZE in '06!!!!!!!!
roger federer- 3 grand slam titles, 1 finalist out of 4...are you kidding me???
steve nash- an mvp above wade...went to game 7 of the semi finals with a team of young players...
italian national soccer team- won the world cup in the face of criticism and voltures at home and around the world...but how is an american, ignorant publication supposed to understand a tournament like the world cup...
i was a subscriber to sports illustrated from my 10th birthday until my 26th...i stopped because of its slanted, ignorant coverage...Vince Young because he single handily beat a powerful USC team that had college stars on offense and defense. Plus he was a 3rd pick in the Draft and so far he is not a bust.OK, if Federer wins all four Grand Slams and the Olympics and doesn't lose a match all year, then will he get the honor? Or will you say that he should have lost fewer games? Just call it the American Sportsman of the Year and be done with it already.D Wade is a better pick than Roger Federer but Vince Young would have been the best.i think federer's attitude towards the game and his sheer numbers adn ability should make him the top pick and i love dwayne wayde and i applaud all teh community service but federer is just too dammed goodNo knock to Wade, but I would like to add to the chorus of folks wishing that Federer had been named SI Sportsman of the year. He is breaking records left and right, is dominating tennis like no other sportsman or woman is dominating their respective field, and is a class act off the court who is active in charity. This is a guy who has won the sportsmanship award repeatedly in tennis.
As for those who say that Federer should not win because he is part of a "fringe" sport in the US and they are not familiar with him- this could be a great and ballsy way for SI to let folks in the US know who he is if they do not follow the sport. Tennis may not be big in the US- but it is a very popular sport in other parts of the world and Federer is one of the most popular athlete in the world - even if some folks in the US may not be familiar with him. It would be nice if SI could actually widen its readers minds to all of the great things that sport as a whole have to offer- and not just limit it to what they think will sell the most magazines.Federer may very well have had the best year any athlete has ever had in any sport at any time in human history. Wade had a decent year - he won an NBA title and won bronze in international competition. But Wade wasn't even his own league's MVP this year! I like Wade a lot, but Federer is dominating his sport like only a handful of athletes (like Babe Ruth, Bill Russell, Pele, Steffi Graf, Michael Jordan, and Tiger Woods) ever have. Maybe someday Wade may deserve to be mentioned with such greats, but at this time he's not even close! Federer should have won in a landslide!Look Federer and Woods were the only two choices. Perhaps, SI could have used their NY meeting and made them co-winners. Federer had the best year of any athlete. Woods had a great year in light of tragedy. Wade did good things, but did he have the best NBA season since 1969? If not Federer deserved it because he had the best year since Laver in 1969 if not ever. I will never buy another SI product over this. It is a joke. I will stop surfing this page as well. Jingoism Illustrated lost at least one person with this decision.It appears all the negative comments about the selection of Wade relate to how Federer had a much "better year" athletically. That may be ...but doesn't the criteria for SPORTSMAN of the year also include how well the athlete performed off the court as well as on?...and what other contributions he made to further his sport? How/where does Federer stack up on that measure?Barbaro-who has shown the world what a TRUE CHAMPION is. He did win the Kentucky Derby by the largest margin & would of been the next triple crown winner!hey dwayne wade is the right choice and not roger federer because almost everyone in the US doesn't know Roger federer plus he's not a US citizen. So people who are not US citizens are terrorists. dwade is the man!!! He became finals MVP because of all the right calls made by NBA's "world class referees."
Roger won't become Sportsman because he doesn't contribute his charity work in the US. He only contributes his charity work only in poor countries.Agree, Definately Dwayne Wade.Dang! A lot of "hatin'" here...my choice would have been Roger Federer (2nd Woods etc.) but Dwayne Wade conducts himself with class as well. Sportsman (or Sportsperson etc.) is not the same as ATHLETE of the year. I think many of you are confused. Playing a team sport which doesn't just include concentrating on your own performance but managing the personalities and confronting the attitudes of your teammates as well as your opponent is much different than competing against a course or chasing a ball around a court. Is D-Wade the best choice maybe not but no one has a monopoly on sportsmanship. By the way, Woods indirectly shows poor sportsmanship when he criticizes his own performance when he loses as opposed to giving credit to his opponents and Federer wasn't too pleased when Nadal was getting hyped about being the next BEST player. So you all need to chill.It should have been Buck O'Neil. You guys blew it just like they did at the Hall of Fame.It's hard to decide, because these great athletes excel in their own respective sports. As for basketball, I think Wade would be a good pick. With his zest and drive for the championship, he definitely deserves awards.
But for the Sportsman of the Year? It is really hard to decide. In my opinion, as much as I'm a fan of basketball, I think Federer should have gotten it. He was simply amazing on the tennis court. I think no man, including the likes of Nadal, Roddick, Nalbandian etc. can match Federer on the court. He just doesn't seem to have any flaws on the court. That's what makes him scary.
In my opinion, it should have been Federer.Me and 4 good friends (all of whom have lived in the US and are great football, bkball, baseball fans) made a pact in late 2004 we would not subscribe to SI until it recognized Roger Federer. He is the best tennis player of all time, and might go down as the greatest athlete of all time. You could not pay me to receive SI. It should drop the S.what a horrible choice. What about Barbaro. Barbaro has over come what no over horse has or perhaps never will do, he has come a severe broken leg and a horrible condition that usually leads to the death of the horse, even Big Red could not over come this horrible condition and yet he was on the cover of Time Mag. He also has never cursed or complained about his fans, and in fact he lives in a stall, what over creature could be confined this space. Every day you hear about athletes complaining about their salaries, has he or his owner ever complained. no no they have not. Barbaro is a miracle, what other athlete can say that??
you guys really messed up.You tell me, what impact did Wade have in the NBA? besides the phantom calls he recieved. none. Yes, he's a good player, but the best?? no way. I could name three other players in the NBA alone more deserving than wade. Steve "mvp" Nash, Lebron James, and Kobe Bryant. Wade??? are you f-ing kidding me. i dont like gold, nor tennis, but i wouldn't argue with Tiger winning the award. He makes a reasonable case, but wade? c'mon is SI smoking something in the office? please.Three games makes you sportsmen of the year now...Terrible choice. Should have went with Federer.You're kidding, right? He's won once...ONCE. Talk about weak choices.Wade is wonderful, but to ignore Roger Federer (YET AGAIN) only proves that this award A.) Is generally only awarded to a football, basketball or baseball player (hey S.I. there are other sports and we love watching them). B.) Many sports writers do not have a clue/give a d@#m about sports that aren't one of the above mentioned. C.) Makes the award irrelevant when only American athletes seem to win.
This is not to discredit Wade, who is a credit to his sport. What a pity sports besides basketball, football, and baseball are basically ignored by your magazine--especially women's sports. That and the garbage swimsuit issue--is sex a sport?--is why I don't subscribe.Man, how long will SI finally give the award to the right person? Roger Federer is clearly the one who deserves to win this award more than any athletes... SI is all about selling magazines... They don't care about giving the award to those who deserve it. Its time for me to unsubscribe this "American Sports Illustrated".If you were going to give it to an NBA player it should have been Steve Nash a 2nd time MVP and a true "sportsman". However as others have noted you seem to want to focus on Americans and avoid acknowledging the great athletes from the rest of the world.I am a Texan who likes a number of sports- and I have to say that I was disappointed that Federer did not win. I think that Wade is a fine player and applaud his charitable activities- but Federer has shown such dominiance on court and has done a lot off of the court as well.
Some of Federer's charitable/community works include:
* He started his foundation in 2003 which assists poor children in South Africa and helps disadvantaged children around the world have access to sport.
* He is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
* In 2005, he was named the UN Ambassador for the UN Year of Sport and Education. That same year he initiated and helped organize All-Star Rally for Relief, an exhibition event in Indian Wells, Calif., with proceeds to benefit UNICEF's tsunami efforts.
* He helped raise money for victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Federer has said that he enjoys being an ambassador for global promotion of tennis and is inspired by the cultural diversity of the world. SI- give him a chance to be an ambassador for the global sport in your American magazine and let your readers be exposed to the an athlete who does not have a US passport.
I agree that there are a number of worthy athletes and teams (including O'Neil, Wade, Woods, the Saints) that deserve mention in your SOY issue. But I do believe that Federer would have been an excellent choice for Sportsman of the Year and wish your magazine could have let some of its readers who are not familiar with this incredibly gifted athlete who also does a good deal of charity, etc. in the global commuinity.He racks up Sports Laureas awards repeatedly, he's a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN, he wins three slams a year and is breaking every tennis record there is but somehow Roger Federer is undeserving? Give me a break. What an absolute rip off. This is an absolute disgrace.I think SI has GOT to stop letting swimsuit models vote for Sportsman of the Year. Yeah, Dwayne might look better in Speedos, but it's hard for serious sports enthusiasts to ignore the 800 lbs gorilla that is Roger Federer. Maybe SI should start focusing more on the "SPORTS" than the "Illustrated".Add my name to the list of those that think Roger Federer should have won it. The way Federer dominated his sport is unequaled anywhere else, including golf.
I hope this doesn't sound like sour grapes; I'd hate for Wade, a wonderful player and a good guy, to be subjected to a barrage of negativity over your choice. But your decision is yet another example of America's extreme centrism.
As far as what Federer has done for the community, what about the fact that he's UNICEF's world goodwill ambassador?Absurd.
Steve Nash probably does more work in the comunity and is a 2 time defending MVP.
BTW Federer?
Maybe if he wins the French.hay what's the matter with you guys from si what about barbaro he has done more for sports than any whinning crying baby that complains about money and fans etc etc he almost died twice and he is still there fighting if he isn't a true sportsman i don't know who is are you guys all blind there? wade didn't do anything spectacular barbaro did!!! don't want your magDwyane Wade is recognized as the greatest sportsman not only because of his championship performance but also because of his community service from Marquette University.Wade deserved it! He's a great player with great talent, just watch any game, you'll see it! Wade is great publication, he sells-just watch TV, you'll see him in TV commercials, advertising products, and not to mention, he's one of the most humble people you'll see. The way I view "Sportsman" consists of two things, "What have you done for your sport?" and "What have you done for ALL of sports?" What hasn't Wade done? If you want to give the award to antisocial tennis player, or an NBA MVP who hasn't won anything recently, then be my guest, but SI made a great choice!Wade deserved it! He's a great player with great talent, just watch any game, you'll see it! Wade is great publication, he sells-just watch TV, you'll see him in TV commercials, advertising products, and not to mention, he's one of the most humble people you'll see. The way I view "Sportsman" consists of two things, "What have you done for your sport?" and "What have you done for ALL of sports?" What hasn't Wade done? If you want to give the award to antisocial tennis player, or an NBA MVP who hasn't won anything recently, then be my guest, but SI made a great choice!I'm from Miami and this pick couldn't have been more wrong. Roger Federer was amazing in 06. SI is unbelievably clueless. Seriously, this was an awful pick.i don't know much about federer, and i see all these people complaining that he didn't get it this year. what kind of charity work does roger do during his off-time? please, none of us can understand your argument w/o disclosing what this guy does BESIDES dominate in his respective sport.It would be totally appropriate for Dwayne Wade to re-enact the scene from "Saturday Night Fever" when Tony Manero realizes that the only reason he won the dance contest was because he was the local dance hero at the club. Tony lets his conscience guide him to do the right thing and he hands his first-place trophy to the runner-up, who really deserved the award. On December 15, at the award ceremony, Dwayne should also do the right thing and turn over the award to the athlete who in 2006 was clearly the Sportsman of the Year - Roger Federer!Wade is a superior talent. But he isn't even the MVP of his own league.
I do not understand how we can be enjoying the prime years of one of the greatest athletes who has ever lived, in the midst of redefining and revitalizing his truly international sport, and SI makes nary a peep about him. Shall I apologize to Mr. Federer for you?Anyone complaining that Federer should have one is overlooking the critical fact: Federer plays men's tennis, which is only slightly more interesting than competitve chess.Just to clarify, its not Cannavaro because the Golden Ball (and the real story of the World Cup) was Zidane, for better or worse.The Heat shouldn't have even won the Finals, so why give this award to Dwyane Wade? WORST...NBA...CHAMPIONS...EVER...D Wade is more than deserving of this award. Despite not complete dominance in his sport, Wade has been a character that led his team from a 2-0 deficate in the NBA finals. He also a character that is a good role model to kids all over the country. Great choice SI.excellent choice. wade is definitely an example on and off the court. he IS the sportsman of the year.Excellent decision... His heroic performances when faced with true adversity says it all... Dwyane Wade is the face of the NBA and deserves this award more than anyone else ESPECIALLY due to his commitment to helping the community and children...- Two words: Roger Federer
- For all of those people wondering what Federer has done "off the court" well he has a foundation based in South Africa that benefits disadvantaged children. He has also a Goodwill Ambassador to UNICEF.
- To those who say the most of the pro-Federer comments are just "foreigners" well wow, elitist much? BTW I live in New York.
- I mean no disrespect to Dwayne Wade. I recognized that he had a good year, but even my tennis-hatin' father who only watches basketball and football have been impressed with what Federer has accomplished this year.
- And as much as this year has been so great for Federer, he has been THIS dominant and successful for the past THREE YEARS. That takes enormous skills, athletic ability, and determination.
- Finally to those who talk about tennis as a "fringe" sport. Well even if it is, SI should've taken a risk and awarded it to Federer who truly deserved it. Sometimes I'd like to think that money isn't the driving force for every single thing. Call me idealistic.I tried earlier to post a comment about Dwayne Wade, Sportsman of the Year, but I got whistled for a foul.Dwyane Wade was not even the most important player on the Miami Heat last year, let alone the entire sports world. Is it a coincidence that players who are teamed up with Shaquille O'Neal always look so great? Where have Penny Hardaway and Kobe Bryant gone without Shaq taking the pressure off of him? They both looked like the greatest players in the world when they were Shaq's teammates. Wade is young and marketable, so his stock becomes overblown. Roger Federer, who deserved to win this award, would not have sold nearly as many magazines as Wade. I think I can name at least a dozen people more deserving than Dwyane Wade. SI just lost a lot of credibility.oh my goodness...this is daylight robbery....federer,tiger never mind the whole world knows who the 2 best sports men of the year are!!!GOOD JOB SI... you went with the political correct choice.
You wouldn't want dem street ballers not buying your magazine right?
It's all about target marketing. What homeboy is going to buy your mag with Fed on the cover? ... NONE!FEDERER, PERIOD!Come on what are you guys thinking over there at SI??? Your pick for sportsmen of the year, I admit he is a great player and Dwayne had a great year and a great Finals against the Mavs, but a Tennis Player who had one of the Greatest Years in the history of the Sport deserved the Award. His name is Roger FedererZinedine Zidane.
"hands Down"Pele never got the award... and now Wade is getting the award... I have nothing else to say about SI and their "sportsman of the year" award.This is ridiculous! Sportsman of the year should embody the very essence of being a sportsman -- a person who shows sportsmanship and excels in his game. SI should consider this in the criteria. Going by its most basic definition: SPORTSMANSHIP - conduct, as fairness, respect for one's opponent, and graciousness in winning or losing, becoming to one participating in a sport. It doesn't say one from the United States of America, unless of course that is what is SI's no. 1 criterion. Regardless of race or sport, the award should be given to the most deserving in his respective sport. Tiger or Federer would have been most deserving of Sportsman of the Year!My picks would have been like this
1.Federer
2.Tony Dungy
3.The Saints
4.Italy National Soccer team
5.WadeHands down to S.I. staff for making D-Wade the sportsman of the year! watta great decision! he carried the heat to the championship when they were down 2-0! there are only few who had done that! maybe some of this bloggers who whine and grudge here is just mavs fans who still can't accept the outcome of the finals last june. say hi to mark cuban for me, bitters.Look at the three major sports. Baseball, Basketball, and Football.Tiger Woods should be included, however he has already won it. Now which teams won the championship? The St. Louis Cardinals, the Miami Heat, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mvps-carpenter,dwyane wade, and heinz ward. Which championship was achieved in the most miraculous way? The Miami Heat winning four games in a row, with wade averaging 35 points per game. Now wade is not only a great play, but a great human being. Despite his stardom he remains modest, while being a family man. While federer is the best ever at tennis, no one cares. Sports Illustrated certainly doesnt, they might dedicate a page or two every week to tennnis. Roger Federer and Tiger Woods are not the ones who will be looked up to by the masses. Dwyane Wade takes that prize along with the sportsman of the year in 2006, for his magnificent character on and off the court.What kind of a pick was that??? The obvious choice is Federer for his great character and athletic ability.No doubt Federer is a great athlete, however men's tennis suffers from a dearth of competition rather than a single player's dominance.
Tiger Woods has been a stellar this year in a sport where skills can be measured against course as well as the competition. And what of Mr. Woods' competition? The PGA is stacked with some of the finest talent.
Italian Soccer team... can we select a whole team? Speaking of world sports, how about them Olympians?
As for Dwayne Wade, he could not even earn the MVP of the league. With a handful of darting guards, it is the big men that make the difference (unless we are speaking of Michael Jordan. No O'Neal, no ring.How is this award decided exactly? Now, I love Wade and the NBA but what exactly does Roger Federer have to do to win this award? 2 years ago was an oversight, last year was a travesty, and after this year's transparently profit-driven decision, SI needs to seriously rethink its decision for the sake of its reputation. SI has successfully trivialized this once-prestigious award and by extension its past winners.Well deserved by Wade. It was his time. He did something we have never seen for a long time. Dominate with humility.Wade had a career year this year. However, so did perinnel favorites, such as Tiger Woods and Roger Federer. Both Woods and Federer had great seasons, acted as ambassadors to their games and towered above their competition. Wade wasn't even the best player in his league, see Steve Nash, Lebron James, Dirk Nowiviski, Kobe Bryant, ... It seems Wade is being picked soley on the fact that he had a good finals, and that Tiger Woods has won the award twice, and Roger Federer doesn't get enough mainstream attention.So it's all wade when he wins wih Shaq, but give Kobe no credit for his 3 rings????
Shouldv'e been SHAUN WHITE, don't even need to being a snowboarding fan, just watch him and you'll se. INCREDIBLE.D-Wade deserved it. His performance in the playoffs was one of the most best in NBA history. Congrats! WE ARE MARQUETTE!Why is it that people who are great every year continually get overlooked because they are just dominating like they always do. Woods won the award twice, but now he won't be able to win unless he wins at least 3+ majors. People suggest Tony Dungy, well Tiger lost HIS dad. Why does Dungy get credit for just losing someone when Tiger lost someone close to him and was able to come back and win. What about Federer, the most dominant player in all sports (except for possibly Tiger or Michael Phelps). Phelps didn't win because he ONLY set three world records. If anybody did the equivalent in baseball, basketball, or football there would be no competition for the award. Oh Yeah and Cullen Jones, who is making a HUGE statement for blacks in the pool by being on a world record setting relay and winning an NCAA title. Shaun White Anybody? Gold galore. What about the Italian soccer team?Could have been Federer and Woods on the cover. Solves the supposed marketing problem and honors the most dominant athletes, perhaps in history (who also happen to be good friends).Ridiculous choice. There are sports other than football, baseball or basketball. It should've been Federer, clearly. For the past three years, he has made a case for best athlete in the world. Aside from the great Federer, Tiger Woods would have been another solid choice. This kind of decision affects in a negative way SI's image, as well its writers and contributors.What did Shaq do in the finals for the Heat vs. Lakers. Wade put that team on his back. Outside of Wade there is very little talent on that team.
Wade is one if the few NBA superstars that I would consider a role model.
He came out of nowhere - he was an after thought in that draft. James and Anthony were the ones who were hyped
Men's tennis is dead to most americans...it is what it is...
Congrats D Wade!This has to be one of the worst choices in the history of the magazine. Dwyane wasn't even the biggest impact player or newsmaker in the NBA and here you are rewarding him with Sportsman of the Year. If the award was "Athlete of the Year" or "Class-Act of the Year," I'd be fine with the choice, but it's not. Federer, Tiger Woods, Tiki Barber, Jim Larranagga all deserve it more than him. For that matter, if you follow the Time rule of "the person who, for better or worse, had the most impact on," in this case, sports, Ben Roethlisberger.I'm a tennis fan who, in fact, is tired of Roger Federer winning all the time. But how can you not pick him as sportsman of the year given all he's accomplished.
If SI was worried about selling magazines maybe it could have put Dwayne Wade on the cover and said "Dwayne Wade was the mere runner up for sportsman of the year....find out who was chosen inside". I think we just have to resign ourselves to the fact that SI will not put a non-American tennis player on its cover, even if it damages the integrity of the sportsman of the year award.I love Dwyane Wade, but it's apparent this was Roger Federer's year. I won't go into his achievements because they've been repeated ad nauseum
The popularity and marketability of a player and his/her sport should not be contributing factors to what makes a true sportsman, because those are completely extrinsic characters of an athlete's performance. I understand SI needs to sell magazines, but it looks a bit ridiculous when more obvious choices are staring you in the face and SI goes with none of them.
Roger Federer was your guy for 2006. Not only is he insanely talented, but he works damn hard to nurture his gifts, something I wish stars of yesteryear (McEnroe) would've done. And more importantly, Federer is a terrific individual, as evidenced by remarks from fans and peers and personal stories you never get to hear about in the media.Federer, Federer, Federer.
Tiger had an amazing year, but not even HE was as dominant. How can you ignore Federer again?!?I read that someone here said that the NBA is not even broadcasted outside the U.S. Well, this is the most unbelievable thing i have ever read in some months. Whoa, the NBA is the most watched U.S. league in the world just so you know. The NBA is broadcasted in 212 countries in 41 different languages and the all star game and the nba finals are some of the biggest sporting events in the world (not as much as the World Cup, of course, but they are among the most watched events in the world). How is it possible someone can come up with this statement that the NBA is not even broadcasted outside the U.S.? O yea, I live in Italy and here basketball is huge, it's second only to soccer. And many people think basketball is only big in the U.S. Well, just so you know, basketball is not only a U.S. game, but it's also an international sport. It actually is the 2nd most popular sport in the world. It's the 2nd sport in most of South American countries, it's the 1st sport in many Asian countries (just think that in China there are about 500 million basketball fans and specifically NBA fans out of 1.2 billion people!!), it's the 2nd sport in Europe (only exception in England, where for some reason people can't stand U.S. sports, and in a couple of other Northern countries) and 1st in some European countries (such as Lithuania, Greece, East Europe) and it's one of the most popular sports in the U.S. (many say that in the U.S. the NBA has already overtaken the MLB, and the ratings of the World Series, if you check, are pretty much the same of the NBA Finals). O yea, don't you see how many international players there are in the NBA? Only this should make you realize how much big basketball is in the world. Basketball is a global game, not only a U.S. sport, so stop saying the NBA is not even broadcasted outside the U.S. Come here in Italy and you will realize how much big the NBA is here. There are games on TV almost every night and there are at least 5 basketball magazines and a huge coverage about the NBA on the most important Italian sports newspapers. Basketball is the true global sport and, along with soccer (sport that i hate) is the sport most people care about.It seems strange to me, all this screaming about Wade winning. It's just one magazine's opinion. This isn't fact, this is their opinion.
Some people are stating this Laureus award...I mean, they have an opinion on what kind of athlete should receive this award, and I'm disagreeing with a lot of their choice, including their "hall of fame" thing. But thta's life, it's just an opinion.
And for the record, Federer couldn't win in the one court against the one player that escapes him in that court. Another thing. As a long time tennis fan not in the United States, I don't see how Federer's success is solely because of his talent. He's a great player, but I believe Federer against a Sampras in his prime would be humbled by the American.
Of course, that is just me, and that is opinion.
Can't you all handle that?So, D-Wade gets this award for essentially not being Kobe Bryant.
I can understand why of course. Because Time Inc. is hemorraghing and the editors have to do all they can so that SI sells enough newsstand copies to sell 3.15MM copies a week. Can't do that with an athlete people don't really know on the cover.
Roger Federer was the Greatest Sportsman of 2006, period. The man absolutely singlehandedly had the greatest single year of tennis in two decades.
The ONLY person who could have rivalled Federer for Sportsman Of The Year is Earl Woods. I thought SI could very well, without argument, choose to paint a poignant portrait of one of the best known and best loved fathers in sports whose passing left the world a little poorer. A man who managed to make his son a champion without turning his charge into a rebellious, hot-headed primadonna an affliction that's become so common in the sports world, we merely call the afflicted athletes.
If not, they would surely go with the athlete who dominated his sport with a singularity that is difficult to comprehend. Roger Federer's year would have been equal to Tiger winning 3 majors and all but of his 5 tournaments...and losing those five in playoffs.
Let me make this statement, and I dare ANYONE to attempt to prove it an exaggeration. Roger Federer is the best athlete in his chosen sport on the planet, PERIOD.
But it's tennis, and it's SI, what could or should we expect?Is this a joke? The only reason Wade scored all those points was because Avery Johnson was so stupid he sat there and double teamed Shaq even when Wade was going off. Not to mention the refs giving Wade crap call after crap call. The title never happens without Shaq.
The Heat got past the Bulls due to the role players. Past the Nets due to Antoine Walker and past the Pistons due to the entire team. They beat the Mavericks because the Mavs got cocky and the refs gave Wade inane call after call.
The win was a total team effort, 15 strong. Basketball is a team sport. Wade could have done what he did but if he was the only guy on the court the game would still be lost.I love the pick. I have been a fan of D. Wade from the moment he got into the NBA. HE is one of the greatest players in NBA history and had an amazing run last year. HE also is a role model for ALL athlete. HE is a great guy and the best player in his sport right now. His leadership in the finals last year earned him the pick.700 tennis posts (yea right more like 1 guy with multiple anonymous opinion) and 500 bitter Mavs fan. What a fun poll.lolSome people, whining because Wade won this award (he deserved it btw!!) are blaming SI because this magazine and all the Americans should start to embrace the sports outside the U.S. Hmmm, do you guys know that basketball is a world sport? It's one of the most popular sport in the world, so what is all these complaining?Also, there was a comment from someone asking if Federer wins every grand slam tournament and an Olympic Gold will he win it? No, just like Steffi Graf, who did exactly that, did not win in 1988--when tennis was an even bigger sport in the US.This is a joke. Every year a team wins and NBA title; not sure why you think Wade was more deserving than Duncan for his latter 2 titles, or Shaq for his 3. Given the controversy, he is arguably less deserving. He's not even the best player, or MVP. The point being his achievement is a common occurrence. Choosing between Tiger and Federer is tough; however Federer gets my vote as his year was essentially without precedent while Tiger is reproducing something he's (more or less) done before. When you hear Real Madrid superstars joking that Federer's so good that he must be from Mars, you know you have something special.What exactly is the criteria for Sportsman of the Year? Ever since SI chose Mcwire and Sosa sportsmen in 1998 the answer seems to be marketability.
Roger Federer is a global sporting icon who is dominating his sport like none before and doing so with an uncommon humility and grace.
Steve Nash makes every player on the court better. He announced his pacifict position before it was popular to do so.
Either choice would have restored authenticity and honor to the title of Sportman. But... yes... D-Wade DOES have a very high Q factor. Well done." Well deserved by Wade. It was his time. He did something we have never seen for a long time. Dominate with humility. "
Roger Federer has done that for the last three years. Just sayin'.Face it, SI's choice of "Sportsman of the Year," should more realistically be named the "aXX we want to kiss most."
Mutumbo, Federer, Dungy, and Tiger
were all much better choices.
SI had the chance to make an international statement, and instead chose to choose the most commercially safe choice.While Wade and many other may be deserving, any sports fan knows that Mark Martin deserved and earned this the most. Many of the other nominations will have more chances at this, Martin's name may not come up again. Or will it? We will soon see.
Any true sports fan could not disagree.Woods and Federer on the cover is an excellent idea. Would have helped SI save face. Too bad.I've loved basketball all my life, but no other nominee could hold a candle to Roger Federer. There is no doubt that Federer deserved this award; and I believe you have tarnished this award of Sportsman of the Year.HAH! And I thought Sporting News was bad...
SI should be out of publication. Ban this issue!
Roger Federer should have been it!This is a travesty! I am one of your regular subscribers and I will now cancel. I thought Federer would have been the obvious choice. Did you read Wertheim's article at all or not?wow, i was so surprised to see so many people not respecting dwayne wade for this selection. when i think of what a sportsman is, it isn't just talent or number of wins that should determine this title. to me, it is almost as much about the person as it is their performance. wade had an amazing performance in the nba finals and yet he was so humble in every interview i saw of him afterwards.
a man of his influence who also can give credit to his faith and his God when others are all about selfishness and what they feel they deserve, i believe wade was a great choice.Most absurd pick ever. Dwayne Wade? Really? With only 1 Championship? And nothing more to his credit? What a JOKE. The Heat's sub- .500 record without Shaq, will show what a joke this pick really is. If he was so great, he'd be able to carry the Heat.This has to be some kind of joke, if you're going to give the award to flopping nba player, how come vlade divac never won an award. drew brees and the new orleans saints were the right choice for actually making people feel good and for helping restore hope in that city. next time, give it to someone deserving not someone who jumps arounds like a fresh caught fish.keep it funky,rose bowl 2006, greatest college football championship performance in history, vincent youngRoger Federer should have been the sprotsman of the year. He played 97 matches in 2006 and won 92 out of it. Where else in any other sport you can find records like that? To win 92 out of 97 matches in a year, it requires great skills, super physical strength, and most important of all, mental toughness. And he has done something like that for three years.
Plus, off court, almost all of his peers (despit keep losing to him)like him and respect him because the way he carries himself.
I understand that SI's primary goal is to sell more copies, and it's reasonable that every country favor its own heros. Just change the title to American Sportsman as it's what this really is and stop pretending to be a worldwide thing.
I am sure Federer doesn't mind not having this title added to his credentials, but SI just lost its creditibility and face.yeah, I like D-Wade, but I do think Federer is a little more deserving. I'm just happy it isn't Tiger Woods. Golf is a nice game and all, but hardly athletici think roger or tiger is the BEST CHOICE to win that award as SI sportsman of the year 2006 not because i dont like wade but because for showing much excellent, undefeatable, dominant and historic performance on the field of sports for 2006.You know what, i HIGHLY doubt there are so many people who are so upset because Federer didn't win this award. Most of people in the U.S. doesn't even know who Federer is. So, I think that there are some tennis fans here who decided to post like crazy all the day long and decided to blame Wade, the NBA, saying that they canceled the subscription to SI (haha, yea right, PLEASE!!!!) etc. just because they are jealous/upset Federer didnt'win. Or how about that guy who said that all of his colleagues at work would have voted for Federer and are upset about this decision? Yea right. Half of the people in the work places doesn't even know who this Federer is. Get a life guys and respect Wade, a guy who really deserves this award (and i am saying these despite the fact I hate the Heat!)shut up with that weak tennis garbage. federer is great but lets be freakin real. 99% of the best athletes are american so get over it. but come on sports illustrated lets be real, DWAYNE WADE?!? i mean i luv wade and the nba but come on, vince mcmahon for sending his guys over seas for all of our boys. for a minute i thought SI had sum balls for including him but they dropped the ball. what bout the saints? tony dungy? tiger woods? there are 101 better choices, nuff saidFOR ALL YOU D-WADE HATERS!!
THIS IS JUST ONE OF THE REASONS DWYANE WADE DESERVES THIS AWARD. CHECK OUT HIS COMMENTS TODAY - HE GIVES CREDIT TO EVERYONE BUT HIMSELF AND REMAINS HUMBLE....SO GET OVER IT AND GET A LIFE.
"When you think of Sportsman of the Year, there's always Tiger Woods, who every year can win, and then Roger Federer, another guy who had an unbelievable year," said Wade, who averaged 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.7 steals in the Heat's six-game Finals triumph. "I was thrilled. But I kind of know that, to me, it's all dedicated to my teammates and what we did last year with that incredible run to the Finals."It's time that you admitted that sport for you is only AMERICAN. Roger Federer just concluded what in both the opinions of fans and experts worldwide was the most memorable year in tennis history. Surely this deserves the title of best sportsman for 2006? This amazing athlete and persona deserves his due recognition. Oh yeah, and he's from Switzerland.That's in Europe...Someone asked how does Federer conduct himself - perhaps implying that Wade is more charitable... I am glad Wade is a nice guy and does good things, but Federer has a foundation that helps poor children in South Africa, raised a lot of money for the Tsunami victims, and is a UN ambassador for UNICEF. Sorry but he is a better sportsman and had a better year. I am glad Wade had the year he did and that he gives of himself, but Roger is in a class by himself on both counts. SI not picking him is just inexcusable.Federer!
Federer!!
Federer!!!
Even Sampras agreed that Federer was
the greatest of all time...
Why can't SI???!!!Picking a guy who is not even the best of his own sport? Interesting.
Overlooking Roger Federer after his 2006 season? Insanity.
For those who blatantly say Roger has done nothing for other people? READ THE COMMENTS about his own foundation, his work with UNICEF, his millions donated to charity, his work with children. Why comment on something that you clearly know nothing about?
If the Wade choice was aimed at selling more copies.....do you realise that there are 100,000 registered members on Rogers website who are cancelling subscriptions and never buying the magazine again? That's not to mention the countless others. So your strategy is really going to work well!
What a joke!Does a US publication have to go with a US sportsman? Federer has come the closest to winning the grandslam this year than anybody in a very long time and has been dominating tennis for many seasons now. SI chooses a NBA player (admittedly a very good one) who is still in the process of making a name for himself? Navelgazing Americans?This must be the Reward to the 'American' Sportsman of the Year 2006 ...First Cannavaro... now Wade... do you people actually watch sports ?I am actually sad for SI because this organization is clearly missing the Federer express. There is a tennis revolution exploding around the world (courtesy of this once-in-a-lifetime genius and other young guns of tennis) and what does this juggernaut of American sports machinery do? It remains quite stubborn in its ignorance or failure to recognize this phenomenon (the tennis and the man).
The people behind this organization could have demonstrated the magazine's reach beyond its American borders and gained gravitas by going with a long overdue selection of Federer, instead it chose to be parochial and short-sighted (no offense to Wade). It is their loss not Federer's. There is an athlete who embodies Sportmanship. A stellar human being on and off the court.Wade had a great playoff run, but Stan may have overstated it slightly. He was part of a team that won an NBA championship.
Roger Federer obviously can't keep up with fantasy mania and super models vs. sports writers. Just no market for guys that win, and win on an unparalleled level. If you haven't read about his work with UNICEF, please do.
If SI hates tennis so much, just take it out of the mix. Please. This is a cruel joke on Federer, one of the rare prodigies you are fortunate enough to watch while he's in his prime.
No offense to Dwayne Wade, but this isn't even close.Muahaha, how biased are you guys?? Maybe you should check the world map once in a while, you`ll be astonished that there are other countries than the US. It definitely should be Federer!!Should be Federer.Who is Wade?
This　must　be　North　Amerikan　Sportｓman　Of　The　Year.Your critics should read the definition of sportman: "A person who can take loss or defeat without complaint, or victory without gloating, and who treats his opponents with fairness, generosity, courtesy.." Wade is a classic example of a sportsman...a superstar with a moral center, both humble and competitive. His character is a refreshing change in today's culture where anyting goes if you win. Your choice was well deserved and inciteful. Bravo!!dwayne who? in behalf of SI, i offer apologies to Federer, he is THE Sportsman of the Year in 2006.. hehehe.great pick!! wade is the man. he took miami to the finals and came back from o-2I dont even know who wade is... NBA has no universal appeal. This honor should be the "American Sportsman of the Year"... No one could be compare against Federer's dominance this year...
That's why I dont buy SI... It caters Americans only...Twice in my life have I felt I was in the presence of sporting greatness. Having witnessed Tiger Woods' first round as a professional, I got a feeling I'd never had before. That true greatness in its embryonic stage, was developing right before me.
The second time was in a tiny high school gym in Summit, IL on Chicago's South Side. It was Richards vs. Argo and I was "scouting" a little-heralded recruit to my beloved alma mater, Marquette, by the name of Dwyane Wade. I had never seen such talent cloaked in unselfishness. I must have witnessed ten occasions in that game when the average h.s. "star" would have forced a shot through the hoop through sheer talent. Not Wade. Each time, he deftly spotted a double-team and each time found the open teammate. It was this humble unselfishness, not the athletic dunks, that had me almost teary-eyed at what I was witnessing. As great a player as Dwyane is, he is a better person.
Wade just emanates class. I am not a Miami Heat fan, but the Mavericks fans are cheating themselves if they continue to whine and fail to recognize greatness when it is before them. The '06 Miami Heat are just the first of many teams that will be led to a championship by this young, unselfish Sportsman. Thanks, SI, for your vision.I guess the requirements for being Sportsman of the Year have dropped considerably over the past decade. Dwayne Wade? Are you Sports Illustrated or People Magazine? Roger Federer has won 3 grand slam titles two years in a row, made it to the finals of all four grand slams, won the season ending Masters series and has compiled one of the most dominant winning records in the history of any sport. He has a foundation that aids poor kids in South Africa and Sports Illustrated treats him like he is invisible. Tigers Woods is only second on the list of grand slam winners in golf behind Nicklaus and plus reeled off a string of 6 consecutive PGA tournament victories. He's chopped liver. I mean seriously. Wade has won one, ONE, NBA championship because his opponent pulled off one of the biggest choke jobs in NBA history. Why didn't you name Chauncey Billups Sportsman of the Year when he won the NBA Finals MVP or how about Tim Duncan when he won his THIRD NBA Finals MVP? In case you are counting, that's two more than Wade. Oh, I forgot. Duncan and Billups marketing people aren't as good as Wade's. There is no way in hell you can convince me that Wade was the athlete of 2006. NO WAY.I guess the requirements for being Sportsman of the Year have dropped considerably over the past decade. Dwayne Wade? Are you Sports Illustrated or People Magazine? Roger Federer has won 3 grand slam titles two years in a row, made it to the finals of all four grand slams, won the season ending Masters series and has compiled one of the most dominant winning records in the history of any sport. He has a foundation that aids poor kids in South Africa and Sports Illustrated treats him like he is invisible. Tigers Woods is only second on the list of grand slam winners in golf behind Nicklaus and plus reeled off a string of 6 consecutive PGA tournament victories. He's chopped liver. I mean seriously. Wade has won one, ONE, NBA championship because his opponent pulled off one of the biggest choke jobs in NBA history. Why didn't you name Chauncey Billups Sportsman of the Year when he won the NBA Finals MVP or how about Tim Duncan when he won his THIRD NBA Finals MVP? In case you are counting, that's two more than Wade. Oh, I forgot. Duncan and Billups marketing people aren't as good as Wade's. There is no way in hell you can convince me that Wade was the athlete of 2006. NO WAY.Playing against grown men twice his age - Sidney Crosby became the first 18 year old in NHL history to score over 100 points in a season, finishing with 102 in 81 games. That's more impressive than anything Wade accomplished last season.The irony is that at some point this year, SI will have an article discussing the decline of tennis and how it is no longer recognized throughout the world as a major sport, how soccer and baseball are eclipsing it, and basketball is spreading to Eastern Europe, etc. What the article will inevitably forget to mention is that SI runs maybe 1/4 page on the sport per issue unless it's the US Open. The constant refusal of America's largest sports magazine to deny the publicity of international athletes who don't play exclusively in the US, or aren't going to take off their clothes for a swimsuit edition, is downright depressing. Shame on Sports Illustrated.Is there anyone Else.. Great choice.
Team Player. Humble.. And most importantly.. A CHAMPION!!! Sorrie Nash. Not Till you get your team over the hump.. Dwayne Wade is the best player in BasketBall. Period!hahahahahaha. Typical american jingoism. It reflects your one-eyed view on world affairs and how you perceive people from other countries.
And you question why so many people worldwide have such a dislike for the USA? Its the self obsessed, high and mighty attitude you have to all walks of life, sports included.
I'm sure, however, the great Federer couldn't care less. More people worldwide know of him and his achievements this year, and before, than Wade.Utterly laughable.
Federer has won 3 of 4 Slams and made the final of the 4th, won 12 of the 17 tournies he played and been to the final of 4 of the remaining 5. Even taking away his slam results he would still be No 1, that gives a picture of his outrageous domination of the sport. He smashes to pieces records of domination set by Americans such as McEnroe, Connors and Sampras.
Written for Americans or not, SI should focus on the best Athlete of the world, otherwise it will only look silly. Come on, even a Swedish sportsmag would have a hard time picking Annika Sörenstam the best female athlete with such competitors as Isinbajeva.prediction for sportsman of the year 2007 ...Ray Lewis...God's linebackerAndre Agassi on ESPN2 last night:
'This shows exactly what's wrong with our country, and why he are disliked all over the world.'
'Roger Federer has done something you won't see anywhere else, the last three years, and probably the next three years too.'
'His off-court present alone should already win him the award. Same for his beautiful game.'Im with everyone ele here. Tiger went through a lot of adversity with his fathers death and his wife and the nude photo acusations but in all of that won as much as he did. Hands down Tiger Woods should be the Sportsman of the year.PLEASE SI write an article on why Roger Federer has never been on the cover let alone did not win this award. Tell me if Andre Aggasi had just had the same year as Roger you tell me Andre would not have won the award. Maybe change the name of your magazine to SI of USA. FEDUPFederer man... I love D Wade but sportsman of the year? No way!
Manny Pacquiao may even be a better choice!Judging from the feedback collected here, it should not be difficult for SI to conclude that
i) With all due respect to Wade, he is not a deserved winner
ii) It is time to change SI's policy to recognize outstanding athletes outside US
iii) Your readers are of high quality and want SI to do the right things, even though it maybe a bit late.Well, this is an American publication, so there is always going to be an American bias. I suspect if a Chinese sports magazine crowned sportsmen of the year, we'd see a few more table tennis players getting the award, and cricket players would get the nod every other year in an Indian publication.
In addition, the US has a huge, mostly self-contained sports market, so US fans can be excused for believing that "99% of the best athletes are American" as someone posted. Even the SI staff probably knows little about the wider world of sports. The nature of sports fandom means that passion governs one's judgment of sporting achievement - the exploits of your favorite athlete in your favorite league will always seem of greater importance.
But even that is no excuse for this year's choice. Wade was great in the NBA finals, but he wasn't even the clear-cut best player on his team, let alone the league. Or compared to past NBA greats who were chosen as sportsmen of their respective years.
When you have a player like Federer who had the year he did, playing the way he did, working magic on the courts, you can just feel you're witnessing something that doesn't happen very often in a lifetime. Thirty years from now, people will be still talking about Federer ca 2006. Is Wade's achievement really at that level?
As for those who can't believe everyone's making a fuss about a tennis player, sorry to burst your bubble, but tennis is one of the most popular sports globally, and certainly one of the most international, so it's no surprise people care about it. Basketball and baseball are global sports, too (American football not so much), but I don't see anyone in those sports that provided the kind of dominating performance this year that Federer did in an 11-month season stretched over several continents.While Federer certainly dominates tennis now, who has he really beaten? Tennis as a sport has come way down in popularity, primarily because of the lack of talent. You don't have a Borg, Connors or McEnroe. Who are these guys he beats? nobodies that no one knows or remembers......I am not going to comment on who should have won(because everyone has their plus/minus), but I do not think that Wade deserved the honor.Federer proved from 1994 onwards that he was not a one-year, one-flash wonder. He has improved year after year. Wade, too, but by golly let him repeat before according him this honor!
History will not be kind to you for passing Federer in this amazing year.Wade dosen't deserve it. Tony Dungy does!I love Wade -- think the world of him. But I can't help thinking you guys made this decision based on whose face is most likely to sell the most magazines. And that is no way to choose an honor that -- judging by the reaction posted here -- a lot of people take very seriously.Waye is much too young and has not proven to be a consistent long time performer and cannot compare with the year to year successes of the other NBA players that have won this award.What a disgrace to SI. You've lowered the standards of what your own award represents. Why the NBA?
How about Laranaga and his Mason kids? Federer is also a good choice.
Cancel my subscription, glad I only had 2 months left!A joke of a pick.Wade ... great athlete and deserving of all praise, but not deserving of SI Athlete of the Year. Federer, for me was more deserving. If it wasn't for Lance Armstrong last year, Federer should have been the man. In fact, he had a better year this year. It makes one wonder, does this guy have to go undefeated in the year just to prove he is the best?Wane wasn't even the best in his sport, NBA's MVP was Steve Nash...Please explain?An absolute travesty! How can Roger Federer be ignored AGAIN!!! He made the finals of all four of the Grand Slam events, winning three, along w/winning the Masters Cup. He dominates virtually every player in the world and is a class act in every sense. Wade, while a fine player, would not won w/o Shaq in the paint and the fact that he is the greatest flop artist in NBA history. If he were an NHL player, he'd be in the penalty box 8 to 10 times a game. SI - If Federer even has half the year in '07 that he had this year, please see through the fog and name him the Sportman of the Year for '07.So I was thinking Federer was a hockey player. Then I remembered Tennis. Not exactly top of mind for many of us.. But DWade - good choice...Roger Federer has been sited by both Tiger and Sampras as being the best this year (maybe of all time). What does it take to impress SI?Dwyane Wade is a great choice. It is always easy to pick a player in an individual sport and Federer and Woods are great. But a player who shines brightly while leading his team to a championship, and has the respect that Wade has of his teammates, and who lifts the play of his teammates, is the sportsman who is truly special. How did Tiger lift his Ryder cup teammates?I think that I'm somewhat represenative in America. I have never played golf, but I watch closely any tournament in which Tiger is in contention. I rarely watch a tournament if Tiger is not playing. I watch tennis Grand Slam events. I do not watch the NBA, only college B-ball. I honestly know almost nothing about Dwayne Wade. However I have followed Tiger's career and life closely, and would be honored to have someone like Tiger as a son. Roger and Tiger are two alltime greats at their peaks. As far as I can tell, Dwayne is a great player on a team that had a good year and won a team title. SI clearly had better choices,unfortunately Dwayne seems pretty forgettable.i love wade, he's a great player, a figher, a winner. but federer is a champion for the ages.barry bonds should have won the award. because regardless of how much you dislike him, he's the greatest ball player since il bambino. nuff said!Here's a question? What if James Blake or Andy Roddick had the year Roger Federer had this year ... you think SI would have made either of them SI Athlete of the Year?(1) Roger Federer
(2) Tiger Woods
(3) All The Rest A Distant Third.The Sportsman of the Year should have been either Roger Federer or Buck O'Neil, because both truly deserved the honor. Of course, with Federer's or O'Neil's face on the cover, SI wouldn't sell as many issues as is it with Wade on the cover, and that's what this is all about, right?I have absolutely no problem with this pick, even though I find myself less of an NBA fan with each season. I love to watch Dwyane Wade, his athleticism is second to none, he seems very unassuming, humble, classy and a hard worker and a good role model for America's youth.
More power to Dwyane Wade, he is already the next great basketball superstar.Dwane Wade?! How about Tiger Wood incredible year? Loses his father, misses his first cut at a major, everybody had written him off. Then he reeels off one of the gratest streaks in golf history. Two majors, eight wins in fifteen starts. Way to get this one wrong again. Oh well.I guess SI doesn't care about sport outside of the NBA, NFL or (shudder) NASCAR. What does Federer have to do? Win every tournament, he was close, and give all his record breaking winnings to his various charitable organizations. Maybe Rasheed Wallace will stay under fifty technical fouls then he can be your Sportsman of the Year in 2007.Pathetic and sad. It's all about USA. Federer was the obvious choice. It's a disgrace for SI.We Americans love statistics...I guess, however, that this is only true when it can back up our argument, otherwise we ignore them, as SI did in this case. Because, there is no way any athlete's statistics compare to Roger Federer's. His impact on the game, the respect he has earned from his peers, and his off-court humanitarian efforts are incomparable to any other athlete. Take a look, and you be the judge:
2006:
- 92 Wins, 5 Losses
- 3 Grand Slam Wins out of 4 tournaments (Finalist in the fourth)
- Year End Masters Champion
- $8.3million in prize money (record)
- Only player to win Wimbledon and US Open in 3 consecutive years
- Reached 16 Finals out of 17 tournaments (won 12)
- Finished season currently on 29 match winning streak
- Most important: UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadar and heavy humanitarian
Once again, truly disappointed that SI is truly reflective of America's inability to look beyond her borders.We Americans love statistics...I guess, however, that this is only true when it can back up our argument, otherwise we ignore them, as SI did in this case. Because, there is no way any athlete's statistics compare to Roger Federer's. His impact on the game, the respect he has earned from his peers, and his off-court humanitarian efforts are incomparable to any other athlete. Take a look, and you be the judge:
2006:
- 92 Wins, 5 Losses
- 3 Grand Slam Wins out of 4 tournaments (Finalist in the fourth)
- Year End Masters Champion
- $8.3million in prize money (record)
- Only player to win Wimbledon and US Open in 3 consecutive years
- Reached 16 Finals out of 17 tournaments (won 12)
- Finished season currently on 29 match winning streak
- Most important: UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadar and heavy humanitarian
Once again, truly disappointed that SI is truly reflective of America's inability to look beyond her borders.Wow! What a BAD choice! This bum choked in the world tournement this summer and he is sportsman of the year? You should be ashamedPathetic. Federer dominated his sport by winning all the majors and winning something like 17 tournaments and never being lower than second in the handful that he lost. He is so good that the mens tournaments are becoming a farce. ditto Woods had another dominant and worthy year.
Wade is an interesting case as he was part of the USA Basketball team that lost in the World Tournament in Japan. If any person is worthy in basketball it would have to be the entire Spain team that won the 2006 World Basketball championship. US came in third behind Spain and Greece and yes, Dwayne Wade was the best player on Team USA.Federer would have been my pick, but realize this SI is an American magazine with its own agendas.It is great to read your comments section. The only people who don't believe that Federer shouldn't have won are those saying tennis isn't a real sport.
Wade, a great American bball player. But, let's not forget that America isn't even the best basketball nation in the world.
So, now let's talk about the best global sportsperson: Federer.What a joke. Jerome Bettis, Tiger Woods, Tony Dungy are all better choices. The NBA paid off SI for teh publicity, it will always be number three behind NFL and MLB.David said...
What a joke. Without Shaq, Wade would not have gotten out of the Eastern Conference. With Federer, the reemergence of the Saints, the Tiger Woods' saga, the uplifting story of the Tigers making it to the World Series, and on and on.
With Peter King's increasingly shrill commentry, SI is sinking badly with choices like this.Federer ... hands down. Woods is a close second, Barbaro will have to to take third. Anyway ... I would just like to make a point. I read a comment made sometime earlier that said "Americans are the best athletes." Tell that to the Spaniards who won the FIBA World Basketball Championships, the Italians who won the Football World Cup, the Japanese who won the World Baseball Classic, the Russians who recently won the Davis Cup.Why not Jürgen Klinsmann? He only led a young, inexperienced German soccer club on an inspired world cup title run. In doing so, he opened the door for Germans to feel good about their national identity for the first time in the last 60 years. It wasn't only about soccer with him but rather transcended culturally.Not exactly my pick for sportsman of the year. I thought it would be close with Tiger and Albert running but not exactly the best sportsman pick.Folks:
While this award may mean everything to an American athlete like Wade; my guess is that Federer acknowledges this award even less than SI acknowledges his accomplishment.
If he doesn't care about winning this award, then why should the rest of us care if he wins?
It just shows that while the rest of the world moves forward, SI continues to lag behind.I agree with the people here ranting that Roger Federer should have won it. He absolutely deserved it, and he's the best tennis player ever probably. But remember the first 1/3 of the year, he was beaten by Rafael Nadal, and Nadal actually owns him. Nadal beat him on surfaces besides clay, and played him very tough on grass at Wimbledon, Federer's favorite surface.
But tennis is barely on the radar in the USA anymore. That's sad, but true.
Golf is much more popular, and that's why Tiger Woods almost won it. But he already has a few, and D Wade single-handedly won the NBA Title for the Miami Heat. And he's a good guy, no issues or gang banging, etc. problems off the court like so many from that race seem to have, which we see all the time in sports and society in general. So Dwyane Wade is a good choice all in all this year.Should of been mcmahon, for what he is bringing to the United State troops in IRAQ every Christmas is a humble and honorable thing that anyone can do. Definitely shouldn't of been wade.Absurd. Should have been Federer.Lets get some love for troy smith-Heisman, huge wins over Notre Dame, Texas, and his 3RD win over his arch rival from the state up north, and a national champion ship in little over a monthCome on -- Wade is great and had a great season, but to give this award to anyone but Federer is a joke. The guy is a living legend, is re-writing the record books as we speak, and will go down as one of the best athletes in history.
Does anyone doubt that if Fed was from the States he would be the most celebrated athlete in America?Giving Federder the SI Sportsman of the year for this year would be like giving the award to Secretariat in year when he won 12 races against Zippy Chippy....Is is not that difficult to keep winning in an era when there is no real (other than Nadal on clay)competition. Tennis players never seem to be considered for this type of award, even teh GOAT Sampras never won...Is SI for real?
Wade is great but Federer is the best athlete of his generation (along with Woods).
Federer!
Federer!
Federer!
But then they gave Ordinary People the Oscar in 1980 over Raging Bull.I have got nothing against Wade, but haven't you people heard of Roger Federer? The man is about to become the greatest tennis player of all time! The man has come as close as anyone since Laver to win the Grand Slam. Do you know what the Grand Slam is?Dwyane Wade? You have got to be kidding me. He got shut down by a skinny point guard in Chicago, had a couple of good weeks in the Eastern Conference, and then got perpetually bailed out by the refs for 4 games against a better team. Then he showed up in the World Championships and showed that he had no clue how to play fundamental basketball. Have you watched him this season? While he's a nice guy and a decent athlete, he's the posterboy for what's wrong with the NBA on the court.
Federer had the best year any Tennis player has ever had. Tiger Woods continued to play at a level that we have never seen before. Vince Young put on the best performance that College Football has ever seen. Michael Schumacher dominates again in a retirement year. But Sports Illustrated decides to call an over-rated two-guard the Sportsman of the Year. Unbelievable.Uh, Vince Young? That Rose Bowl game was the best college game I have ever seen, exceeding even the 71 Nebraska - Oklahoma tilt. The rest of his season wasn't too shabby either.Let's put it this way; I live in Europe and I've never heard of Dwayne Wade.Dwayne Wade? Isn't that the guy who led the US to an amazing THIRD place at the world championship? His stats of 17,1 points, 2,8 assists and 2,4 rebounds during the tournament don't support SI's choice, either! How could you ignore Roger Federer's year?I can probably think of 10 other athletes who are more deserving of this honor. Although a fine Sportsman, Mr. Wade would not have been my pick.What about Cannavarro? How can you over look the captain of the world cup winning team (a team that was a complete lockdown on defense), one of the greatest defenders of all time, just won european footballer of the year, and is on the short list for world footballer of the year? It was only DWade becasue he is American and basketball is a popular sport meaning we see what he does every time he takes teh floor. I think the focus of this award needs to change and go truly international.I'm not sure how Wade even made the short list of candidates. Others here have made powerful arguments for the Saints and Federer. I also think Buck O'Neill, the first black coach in MLB, the game's best ambassador, a star while on the field and a genuinely lovely man who never reacted in anger to the racism he confronted or his snub at the Hall of Fame, is a better selection.Sports Illustrated had the opportunity to make a significant statement with their selection. And their statement is commercialism is king.
NBA basketball is a joke and Dwayne Wade didn't even when the league MVP. This is evidence that the regular season is completely irrelevant.At this point, if it not's already the case, SI should make sure criteria include "must play one of the following sports: football, basketball, baseball, and everyone once in a while, maybe golf. Tennis, maybe but only if you're an American." Plz also change the name of the mag to SI-USA.Was this one of your regional covers, and only applies to the Florida area and nowhere else in the world?Can you spell E S P N the Magazine? I knew you could and that will be what I'll be reading from now on. Give me a break! Let David "lame duck" Stern figure out how to mask the NBA's problems; don't do it for him. Please enlighten me on this....How did Dwayne Wade do as the "leader" as the "best" team assembled since the Dream Team of 1992? Oh yeah that's right he laid an egg. I don't recall Tiger Woods struggling on the big stage of international sports or Roger Federer for that matter. Next time please include all of the "sports" one participates in don't become a close minded American that the rest of the world had grown to hate. The choice of Federer may have brought more sportsfans together and maybe even some respect worldwide for your publication but then again this is an American publication and you obviously don't care what the rest of the world thinks when it comes to sports. i.e. soccer, tennis, swimming, track and field. Real sports with individual accomplishment with in a team. Not sports that rely so heavily on the marketing machine that you, SI, are so proud to be a part of.What a Joke,
Tiger Woods is easily the sportsman of the year over Federer or anyone else for that matter.Was this one of your regional covers and only applies to the south Florida market. Will be forgotten in about a week.Its gotta be Buck O'neil! The poor guy gets robbed by not getting in the Hall of Fame, now SI robs him of Sportsman of the year? Come on! The guy did more for integrating baseball than anybody not named Jackie Robinson. This is just sad.Roger Federer had the best year of any athlete by far. Plus, he is a class act. What a joke that Wade won this award. It is a bad choice. What an oversight by SI, aren't they supposed to cover all sports? He had the greatest year ever by a tennis player.The arguments for picking Roger Federer would take up more room than the reasons not to pick him. I'm still puzzled!All the people complaining about these so called phantom foul calls do themselves no justice. The losers said the same thing about MJ too. I would like to present the Dallas fans with the "Cry Baby of the Year Award," complete with a hand towel for you to sob into.SI, you continue to show why you are the People Magazine of sports magazine. Good work. You're a joke.THere is no one more dominate the Roger Federer. But, since he is not an American, SI doesn't recognize him. If Any Roddick put up half the numbers Federe does, he would be named athlete of the year.
You may not like tennis but Federer's dominance cannot and should not be overlooked.
Brian, Bolingbrook ILFederer deserves to win. Not only for this year but to commemorate the three year run he has had which is the most dominant run of any athlete in an individual sport.SI has once again shown why this award should be called American Sportsman of the Year. Federer should have won without any question. Federer is probably the most dominant athlete of our time and has never won the award and the only reason is that he lives outside the US bubble.
I will now cancel my SI subscription and stop visiting their web page because I won't be able to take anything they say seriously anymore!Whatever!!!!
Typical American Behavior.
But then again, i don't think Federer needs recognition from narrow minded Americans.
Stick to what you know.you had a chance to honor an a remarkable man...Tony dungy...a man of great moral strength and dignity.
What a shame!For all you Federer lovers, name me one competitor of Federers' that will be named as even a great tennis player...waiting?? He is benefiting from a WEAK class of tennis players. I am not saying what he is doing isn't amazing, but please give me a break, tennis is at a long time low as far as elite talent is concerned. The reason you people don't give Wade the credit is that he never got any credit throughout the year. He was living in the shadows of Lebron and Kobe all year. He puts up a few points less a couple assists more and a few rebounds less, but he is one of the most efficient players in the NBA as far as points scored on shots taken and minutes played. Why must you rip on Wade?? The man is as deserving as anyone else. To discredit what he has done is absolutely ignorant...his performance in the playoffs will go down as one of the greatest stretches of all-time(especially at his age...look it up!!) and by the way...his "off the court" contributions aren't too shabby either. It is fine to debate, but don't throw Wade down the river as if he doesn't belong. I'm out!This is the dumbest, lamest, most incompetent decision Sports Illustrated has made in a very, very long time. Sportsman of the Year is supposed to be for someone who transcends his or her sport. It's gone to worse people before, sure -- Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa immediately come to mind. But even in the case of McGuire and Sosa, those two rejuvinated interest in baseball, which had been on the steady decline since the '94 strike.
Here's a list of some past winners: the World Champion U.S. Women's Soccer team; Tiger Woods; Arthur Ashe; Michael Jordan; Wayne Gretzky; Mary Lou Retton; the 1980 U.S. Men's hockey team; Jack Nicklaus; Chris Evert; Muhammad Ali; Bill Russell; Sandy Koufax; Pete Rozelle; and Roger Bannister, the first winner. Now, eventually, Dwayne Wade may make his way into the pantheon of the afore-mentioned names; but he's not there yet.
Roger Federer was the obvious choice, sure, and I would think that winning 3 out of 4 majors would've cemented it. But what about Paul Tagliabue? He officiated over the most lucrative era in NFL history, transitioning from the biggest sport on television to the true national pastime (it IS football now, not baseball). When Tags announced he was stepping down, he ended a tenure that, in all honesty, will be looked upon in the same light as Pete Rozelle's. Tags or Federer would've been a great choice.
I'm sorry, but averaging 35 points in the NBA Finals makes you the Finals MVP, not the Sportsman of the Year.Good Job SI. Dwayne Wade is only now starting to cement his legcay as an all time great in the NBA. And time is going to be on your side, years from now.is this a joke? i can think of about 10 athletes who deserve it more, my leading candidate was LT, who is on his way to having one of the best season a running back has had ever. and he helps out the community a ton more then most athletes. and how he doesnt celebrated in the endzone. heck, i could write a story about him.What a complete farce, especially when you have athelets such as Roger Federer and Tiger Woods who have completely dominated their sport this year.Federer or Woods would have been a much better choice! I mean come on, Wade? He's a good player but the award is "Sportsman" of the year!I also think that Roger Federer was the best choice given the amazing year he had. Tiger was great, but he didn't even make the cut in the U.S Open, while Federer excelled all year. Dwayne Wade was a great performer, but he had a team to compliment him. Federer is far more deserving - few people in sport have ever had as dominating a year performing, all the while being someone all his opponents actually like! (that can't be said for Tiger).No one cares abt this award. Tomorrow Ill walk down the street and ask 10 men who the sportsman of the year was and no one will know.
Amazing job by SI.com to use the "Breaking News" spot on their site to promote this incredibly stupid award.
My sportsman of the year was Chris Woodward. He managed to play in 2 games this year for the Mets while always keeping a positive attitude. He managed to collect 2 Million dollars and always smiled. When he actually did play he managed to get 2 hits out of every 10 at bats. This is my sportsman of the year.WHO'S BUCK O'NEILL?This is a joke! Roger Federer is a better choice. Tiger Woods is also a better choice. Dwyane Wade played extremely well in the playoffs (especially the Finals), but we all know that without a certain big fella the Heat wouldn't have been in the Finals at all. Wade is barely a top three choice in my opinion. Roger Federer definitely has my vote. Maybe if he wins all four Grand Slams, and all the other tournaments he plays in next year, he can receive the award he should've been given at least once the last few years. Heck, you guys would probably still overlook him!The same twisted logic that denied Buck O'niel his rightful place in the Hall of Fame has denied him the honor of the Sportsman of the Year award from SI. Wade was selected to sell copies of the magazine and nothing more. His contribution to sports this year was at best...minimal. Buck O'neil was and still is, one the best ambassadors sports has ever had. SI should have done what the cowardly special hall of fame committee failed to do and honor this man. As a subscriber to SI, I am embarassed by this selection.Federer? Are you serious, look at his Webpage, he looks like a Clown. No one watches Tennis, I have been reading about his impact on the game in here and seriously, what changed in Tennis? Oh yea, nothing... Tiger literally Cries when he struggles so he should be removed from consideration because thats just pathetic, a sportsman of the year needs to carry a certain level of character, and I dont see that in a cry baby... Cannavarro who, all you need to know about him?Wade didn't "lead his team to the championship", it was handed to him on a silver platter. The Mavericks had won the first two games and were owning the third of that series before the officials took over the series and even after that hose-job, played tough in game 4 before getting jobbed again. Wade was created by the NBA to be a superstar and was handed a title. Federer, Woods, Nash, and probably a ton of others I'm not thinking of deserved this more and the fact that a guy can win a subjective award when even the most blind person can see that he didn't deserve the title that gets him mentioned for the award. All the worship of D-Wade made me no longer an NBA fan and this hurts my respect for SI as well tooI think it was a good choice but not the best. I think Tiger Woods would have been the best choice. Every tv channel you would change to you would see something about Tiger winning a tournament or a major, he was all over television doing amazing things! I even think I saw him on the weather channel. I was just happy a tennis player didnt win!You guys continue to flabbergast me...what an inane choice!...All of a sudden Wade is a sportsman of the year? what is the measuring criteria for such a ludicrous outcome when the likes of Tiger and Federer are in the mix?..Where is Wade now? The Heat are one of the worst teams right now in the league and in their conference...and the so called sportman of the year is on that team!...Are you trying to tell me that he deserves it because he won a championship.....with Shaq? Who was Wade 3yrs ago in Miami before the arrival of Shaq? And where will wade be without Shaq in Miami?...This is a story of a nonentity who have risen from obscurity to daylight because of Shaq and, now that the Big Fella hs been sideined with injury, where is Wade and who is he? Isn't he the same Wade that was not heard of before the arrival of Shaq?...Come on people!...just because he was part of a championship unit on one occassion does not make him meritorios of the award. What about Tiger and Federer...huh? These are guys who have proven that winning under all circumstances is possible!...Tiger had one of his best years despite having to cope with fathers's death and made history along with it...Federer on the other hand, a tennis ace, is making a remarkable and unfathomable history right before our eyes that we are almost near an era where Pete Sampras will most likely be forgotten....when the sport tennis is mentioned. So with all that being said, how in the name of $@#&*(figure out what i want to say here) does Wade get the honors?...If a bunch of nepotistic journalists make such gross error in their nomination, i dont wanna know who they are planning to balle the world with next......Michelle Wie maybe? I wont be surprised!!
Kofi Ampong BensonSI just got called for a foul on D Wade.bad choice. it'll be his turn sometime down the road. had to be federer this year. simply dominant and historic. wade just had a great nba season playing alongside a hall of famer.Definately should have been Federer. Never in any sport has someone dominated his opposition like Federer did this year.Does dwayne wade define the premiere sportsman?
Bad choice. I remember why I don't subscribe.Federer had to be handed down the crown from every other tennis player. Dwayne Wade took the crown in the NBA finals. Lets see, given the crown...or taking the crown. I think it goes to Wade for sure.This just confirms that Sports Illustrated should stick to swimsuits because they have no idea about WORLD SPORTS and sportsman outside the USA. If it isn't an American sport or an American Sportsman, then it isn't sport right Jury?.....idiots!!I believe Roger Federer would have been a better choice. I am surprised you did not pick him. He is outstanding, the best tennisplayer right now and maybe the best ever. If there was a race between Roger and Dwyane I would have chosen Roger, no doubt. I think you should have chosen him as well and it could not even be a close call.If Wade played a real sport instead of NBA basketball were the referee's and therefore David Stern has as much to do with the outcome of the games as the players I might agree with the selection. If you want the selection to be a true one why not pick a sport (tennis) that might not be as popular but none the less is decided by the players within a rigid set of rules.Awww come on! This is obviously not a serious award coming from a SPORTS magazine that has a SWIMSUIT edition. The deliberation probably lasted 2 minutes. The deliberation on who gets to be on the cover of the swimsuit edition takes months!THE FACT THAT ROGER FEDERER WAS NOT CHOSEN FOR THIS AWARD ONLY UNDERSCORES HOW SMALL MINDED AMERICANS ARE. ROGER NOT ONLY CRUSHED THE FIELD IN TENNIS HE IS AN EXTRAORDINARY HUMAN BEING. WHY DONT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THE SCHOOL HE COMPLETELY FUNDS IN SOUTH AFRICA? WHY DONT THE PEOPLE KNOW THAT HE IS A UN AMBASSADOR. THE REASON AMERICANS DONT KNOW HOW GREAT THIS MAN IS, IS BECAUSE WE ARE SMALL MINDED, ARROGANT PEOPLE. AS A BLACK AMERICAN WOMAN I ADMIRE DWAYNE WADE ALSO. BUT HE HAS SO FAR TO GO TO TOUCH ROGER FEDERER IT IS SAD. ROGER'S MOTHER IS A WOMAN OF CONSCIENCE AND SHE BROUGHT UP HER SON TO BE A CITIZEN OF THE WORLD. ITS TOO BAD THAT MORE AMERICANS ARE NOT LIKE THE FEDERERS.Make sure he shares the award with his supporting cast... the entire officiating crew from games 3-6 of the NBA Finals.Easy choice - Vince YoungPerhaps this award is too parochial for the greatest athlete on the planet of 2006?SI has now lost ALL credibility. What a joke!!!! It was the easiest choice ever and SI still blew it. Roger got robbed!!!!!!D-Wade ? You have got to be kidding me. It should have been my man DIRK. If Stern and Company did not "gift-wrap" the championship the Mavs would have won, and we could be talking about Dirk right now.
I know would-a, should-a, could-a - but admit it - You ALL know its the truth.Change your title to American Sportman of the Year, and still would rather go with Woods.
To not make Federer the Sportman of the Year 2006 is ridiculous! But then again I was not expecting anything better from the Sports Illustrated and their parroquial view of SportsLame, cop-out pick by SI. Yes, DWade is a in a ton of commercials and had a nice little playoff run, but look at the dominant 2006 (and for that matter, career) that Roger Federer had. This guy dominates his sport in a way that would make Tiger Woods jealous and SI doesn't give him the time of day because he's not American.This is not a surprise, but just another proof that America is very provincial.As an American, this selection is
ridiculous. A referee-aided hot two weeks? Roger Federer was unquestionably the greatest athlete in 2006.Who is Dwayne Wade?
The NBA has lost all credibility every where you look in the world.
Heck, the NBA doesn't even have the best players in the world anymore. Wade couldn't even help the US win the world championships...
Federer is my vote...Woods a close second.Wade is a phenomenal player, but this choice is way premature. He's a third-year pro, for heaven's sake, and arguably not even the best player in his sport. If athletic accomplishment is your yardstick, how can he be picked ahead of Federer or Woods? If you are using a different yardstick, I can't figure out what it is. Perhaps that Wade is also a really nice-seeming guy with no tattoos? Puh-leeze! My guess is, you're picking Wade to appeal to a demographic segment (young, urban, hip) that has been deserting SI recently, and crossing your fingers that Federer wins the Grand Slam next year so you can pick him then and be let off the hook. Boo!!Without taking anything away from Wade, he simply does not dominate his sport like Federer. Nobody does, with the possible exception of Tiger Woods. Americans have an enviable collection of athletes. But that doesn't preclude you from looking overseas and picking athletes who compete in sports with a more international flavor.Without taking anything away from Wade, he simply does not dominate his sport like Federer. Nobody does, with the possible exception of Tiger Woods. Americans have an enviable collection of athletes. But that doesn't preclude you from looking overseas and picking athletes who compete in sports with a more international flavor.Why does SI always have to pick an American? I bet that if Roddick had even half the sucess that Federer had last year, he would have been picked. Wade winning this year is wrong.who's Roger Fedrer?It's an American magazine, how anyone expected Roger to win it in the first place. Keep the logics aside just one thing trips all other facts.Sports Illustrated is like any other tabloid magazine. Only looks at ways to suck up more money. I feel sorry for its writers.
Even with most of the comments agreeing that Roger Federer IS the Sportsman of the Year, and even if Federer wins the Grand Slam in 2007, he will NOT be SI's choice. Instead, an unworthy American will get the nod (because he's more popular and will sell more magazines)Based on the rants posted, I am not alone. I'm feeling smug today.
Federer
Federer
Federer
Get it right next timeHow much did Stern pay to get this cover? Who in the mighty SI offices decided this was the best choice?
Like most everyone else, I say Federer should be Sportsman of the Year. If I was Dwayne Wade, I would be embarrassed to recieve this. In fact he should have declined the offer.Odd year to pick an NBA player over other . Wade has now won more Sportsman of the Year awards than Oscar Robinson, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Wilt Chamberlain and Julius Irving combined.Judging by the comments here already, most think this was a terrible choice. The NBA has never been lower on the national conscious than it is now and the last Finals are the reason why.
When the stars are handed 10-15 points a game in touch foul free-throws, there is a problem and only David Stern and Stephen A Smith don't see it.
The Sportsman of the Year used to be an important award, but that has been tarnished by the selection of Dwayne Wade. How do you think Dean Smith, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and Lance Armstrong feel about this? They changed their sport and the world that they live in: Smith integrated parts of North Carolina, got the shot clock put into basketball, etc. Jordan - well nothing needs to be said there. Woods brought an entire race and the entire world into the game of golf, and Armstrong is the world's biggest cancer advocate and all of them are some of the greatest atheletes of all time.
Wade is a good basketball player who hasn't done anything that 80 other players in the NBA have done. He has a charity - great, so does everyone else...its a tax shelter. He had a good NBA finals - great, so did Dirk, so did Rip Hamilton a few years ago...that doesn't make them the Sportsman of the Year.
Get out of Stern's pocket and into the real world, the real sportsman of the year -
1. Federer
2. Woods
3. Brees and the Saints
4. Michael Phelps
everyone else
104. Dwayne WadeWade is an excellent choice for SI Sportsman of the Year. He's an American who plays a popular sport. SI is under no obligation to make the xenophobic foreigners happy by honoring some obscure tennis player that nobody's heard or nor cares about. Ignore them and carry on, SI!Roger Federer or Tiger Woods its just that simple. To be sportsman of the year one should do almost the impossible. Like score 81 points in a single game or single handly beat a whole team Kobe 63 Dallas 61. But this award should not be just about stats.
This award should be about greatest but on the field of play and off.
My vote goes to Roger Federer or Tiger Woods its just that simple.This is laughable. SI would like to show the world that fake fouls and marketing power make the man. That is really something for kids to look up to. How can you not select Roger Federer?The award should have gone to the New Orleans Saints organization. SI missed this one, big time. Even Shaq would have been more fitting to honor than Wade.New Orleans Saints HANdSDOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Federer definitely should have been your choice and I DON'T EVEN LIKE TENNIS.
I am in shock. Wade wasn't even basketball Sportsman of the Year.The voters for this award should have been those who only watch football, baseball and basketball. If an athlete doesn't play one of those sports he can't be any good, right? Some of the rationale for picking voters:
If you can pick Roger Federer out of a police lineup you clearly aren't a true sports fan.
If you can pronounce the name of any soccer player, forget about it.
He (not she, of course) had to lose a family member. (See: adversity)
If you think the award should go to a guy who is actually the best at his sport, just stay home.
If your response to any mention of Michael Phelps is "who?" then you're in. Jim Leyland? Isn't he vice president or something?
Buck O'Neill? You loved his last movie.
LeBron? No way. The best player in his sport is disqualified.
Steve Nash? Two MVPs? Too many.
The Saints? Let me count the ways they don't deserve it. They lifted the spirits of a ruined city. Drew Brees throws for too many yards. Reggie Bush is way too exciting.
Vince Young? Poor guy. He lived up to the hype. He had one of the greatest performances ever by a college QB. Sorry, pal, no chance.
To sum up: Football good. Baseball good. Basketball good. Everything else? Bad.
Oops, I'm done. I just got called for my sixth foul on Wade.Is being a member of team that won a bronze medal at the world championship and a regional league title (NBA) really good enough for "sportsman of the year"?Who's Federer???
Other than Wade, it's Tiger. Very good choice by SI.I think SI made a great choice - not only is Dwyane Wade a great basketball player, but he truly is an individual who shows young kids today that money and stardom doesn't have to change you as a person. He gives back so much to organizations, schools, etc. in Chicago and Milwaukee. He is a fine young man and I am thrilled he was SI's choice!SI should change their name to XI. Xenophobia Illustrated.
The blind-eye-treatment of Roger Federer is a true travesty. If Federer were an American, he would have his own hip-hop record label, a movie deal in the works and maybe even grace the cover of an American sports magazine.
Perhaps The Fed should get arrested for drugs, carry a gun through the airport, produce a sex tape, or run into the stands to assault some fans.
Good luck selling magazines and thanks for promoting wonderful sports figures for our children.You guys went with the easy cop-out choice. It's one thing not to pick Roger Federer, who dominated his sport more than anyone else this year - alone, not with a team, all around the world, and all year long. But if picking a non-American tennis player was too hard, at least you could have chosen Joey Cheek who not only gave away his Olympic bonus winnings to charity but also challenged corporations to do the same. You guys needs to start thinking outside the American team-sports box if you want your selections to be taken seriously.dwade was the totally right decision!!!!!A complete joke.
SI should be completely ashamed.
Federer should have this.
Period. End of Story.Federer will go down as the best player in the history of his sport, reinventing the game as he goes, as great as Wade is, he is not on that level.Travesty, joke, embarrasing... all perfect adjectives to describe this. Both Tiger and Roger had some of the best seasons in the history of sports, and yet you choose a guy who would NEVER have won a championship without Shaq by his side. Roger Federer won 3 grand slams, 92 matches, etc etc ... how can you even mention Wade on the same sentence???I really think this was a mistake. Although Wade did a great year last year both Tiger Woods and Roger Federer are more deserving. Tiger dominated the tour this year and Federer continues to show that he is the best tennis player of our time. I don't see how these two could have been overlookedI thought Barbaro would have been the best choice!So now SI ignored Buck O'Neil, just like the Hall of Fame. The guy did more for baseball than anybody not named Jackie Robinson. How can you promote some young b-ball player that isn't even the best in the NBA? Sorry Buck.Enough. D-WADE has shown what it means to have drive and determination and brought back the Heat from a 2-0 deficient when everybody was writing them off. I think that he deserves this recognition for the hard work the he has displayed in his work ethic. I never saw a basketball player that increases his level of efficiency and energy in one year when the heat needed him the most. D-wade deserves the award and I do not care what anybody has to say!!!I really think this was a mistake. Although Wade did a great year last year both Tiger Woods and Roger Federer are more deserving. Tiger dominated the tour this year and Federer continues to show that he is the best tennis player of our time. I don't see how these two could have been overlookedWhile Wade is a very good player, I think his marketability has surpassed his playing. He's not the best in the game. He got on a hot streak at the right time, thanks to the most phantom fouls I have ever seen. Meanwhile, Kobe took the Lakers, a team nobody even expected to be in the playoffs, to a hardfought series against the much favored Suns, winning the first games out of his sheer willpower.
The fact is, the difference between Wade and someone like Kobe Bryant was evident in TNT's double header last week. Wade had a chance for a game winner with time running out and missed terribly. In the second game, Kobe shot over everyone the Jazz threw at him, including Andre Kirilenko, to fuel the Lakers to a romp over the Jazz. And let's not forget that Kobe switched over to Kirilenko in the second half to shut him down until it was too late for him to help the Jazz anymore.
Federer is the best athlete on the planet, period. Tiger Woods is the best in his sport by a longshot AND contributes a lot to different foundations. The New Orleans Saints surprised everyone and played like a legitimate winner, giving hope to a ravaged Louisiana. And if we have to go basketball, how about one of the greatest class acts in the game: Grant Hill.Fed should have won this.
A sad day in SI history.
You are disgraceful in your actions.In tennis if you have a bad day, you lose, in basket ball, your team bails you out. Federer excels in an individual sport. If the heat don't win, Wade doesn't even get consideration, so why is he the
Sportsman of the year, because he plays on a good team?
Recent Posts
Copyright © 2008 Time Inc.A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved.Terms under which this service is provided to you.Read our privacy guidelines.
