You heard it here first. GSP has beaten out Calgary Flames' Jarome Iginla, Minnasota Twins' Justin Morneau, Tennis Player Daniel Nestor and paralympian Chantal Petitclerc, to be crowned the Canadian Athlete of the Year. GSP recieved a huge 89% of the vote.
Here is what St-Pierre had to say:
"It's an honour for me to have this award and being the first MMA guy to
receive something like this," St-Pierre told Sportsnet. "I want to congratulate
the other nominees because they have done an incredible job in their respective
sports, making this an even more special honour. I want to thank Rogers
Sportsnet and (Sportsnet analyst Showdown) Joe Ferraro for promoting the sport
of MMA, because without them the sport would not be as known as it is right now in Canada. I want to thank everybody
for their support and voting for me -- I want to be a good Canadian ambassador
for the sport and represent MMA well."
George's manager, Shari L. Spencer, also had this to say:
"I continue to be both amazed and humbled by the overwhelmingly strong response
Georges receives from all across Canada,
not just Quebec,"
Sportsnet's consistent coverage is no doubt a significant contributing factor
to this support, and we are grateful for their commitment to MMA and particularly
the UFC. Often we're so engrossed that it's easy to lose perspective outside of
a particular sport. Yet this recognition is a strong reminder that aprofessional
athlete of Georges' character and achievement can transcend a sport that is
still commonly referenced to with adjectives such as 'fringe' or 'niche', and
be embraced by the country he loves and strives to represent in the best
possible manner."
Original Story:
http://www.sportsnet.ca/mma/2008/12/2...
