Seattle Post-Intelligencer columnist/editor Royal Brougham created the Man of the Year sports award in early 1936. The Man of the Year became the Sports Star of the Year in 1977, and currently honors the Professional Athlete of the Year, Male Athlete of the Year, Female Athlete of the Year and Sports Story of the Year.
In the beginning, men and women were lumped together on one ballot. Starting in 1977, the “Sports Star of the Year” replaced the “Man of the Year.”
These were the nominees from the middle years years of the awards program, 1970-79 (winner in bold face). The number behind a nominee’s name indicates the times he or she appeared on the ballot.
| Year | Nominees | Sport | Skinny |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Doris Brown (2) | Running | Set world mark at 1,500 meters |
| Bill Buchan (2) | Sailing | World Star Class sailor | |
| Lynn Colella | Swimming | Swim star at University of Washington | |
| Dick Erickson | Rowing | Coached UW men’s team | |
| T. Gasparovich (2) | Football | Outstanding Ingraham coach | |
| Tom Gorman | Tennis | Received top 10 rank in U.S. singles | |
| Steve Gough | Decathlon | NCAA decathlon champion in 1970 | |
| Yoshi Haywasaki (2) | Gymnastics | Captured NCAA all-aground title | |
| Larry Owings (2) | Wrestling | Scored huge upset over Dan Gable | |
| Sonny Sixkiller | Football | UW quarterback revitalized proram | |
| Lenny Wilkens (2) | Basketball | Player/coach of Seattle SuperSonis | |
| 1971 | Lynn Colella (2) | Swimming | Won 200 backstroke at Pan Ams |
| Rick Colella | Swimming | Won 200-meter breast at Pan Ams | |
| Gary Deal | Weightlifting | Gold medalist at Pan American Games | |
| Ed Eliason | Archery | Helped U.S. win World Archery title | |
| Cary Feldmann | Track | Captured NCAA javelin title | |
| Spencer Haywood | Basketball | Top scorer for Seattle SuperSonics | |
| Jack Howard | Table Ten. | Captained U.S. team at world meet | |
| Terry Metcalf | Football | Top high school player (Franklin) in city | |
| Larry Pierce | Jockey | Won a record 121 races at Longacres | |
| Jerry Ruth (2) | Drag Racing | First nominated for award in 1966 | |
| B. Schumacher (3) | Hydros | Won 3 regattas, including Seafair | |
| Tom Scott | Football | Led UW with 450 yards, 6 TDs | |
| Chuck Tarbox | Football | Coached Nathan Hale to its best season | |
| 1972 | Susan Corrock | Skiing | Won downhill bronze at ’72 Olympics |
| Tom Gorman (2) | Tennis | Member U.S. Davis Cup team | |
| Jerry Grant | Auto Racing | First USAC driver to top 200 mph | |
| Dave Hamilton | Baseball | Edmonds product went 6-6 for Oak. A’s | |
| S. Haywood (2) | Basketball | Leading scorer for Seattle Sonics | |
| Alan Holt (2) | Sailing | 10th-place finish in Summer Olympics | |
| Calvin Jones (2) | Football | Outstanding UW defensive back | |
| Mac Lowry | Bowling | Long-time manager of Leilani Lanes | |
| Gordon Pfeiffer | Handball | Captured U.S. singles titles in 1971-72 | |
| Sugar Ray Seales | Boxing | Won gold medal at Munich Olympics | |
| Kathy Walsh | Racing | Won first of four Longacres training titles | |
| 1973 | Jerry Bangs | Hydros | Trial lawyer and popular driver |
| Gary Baze | Racing | Won Longacres riding title with 120 wins | |
| Skip Boyd | Football | Record-setting punter for the Huskies | |
| Bill Fenton | Softball | Coached Pay ‘n Pak at nationals | |
| Jo Harshbarger | Swimming | Set a world 1,500-meter freestyle mark | |
| S. Haywood (3) | Basketball | All-Star for Seattle SuperSonics | |
| Patty Johnson | Track | World-class hurdler from Renton | |
| Cal Jones | Football | All-Coast UW defensive back | |
| Boone Kirkman (2) | Boxing | Won split decision from Jimmy Ellis | |
| Bob Miller | Swimming | American Swim Coaches Coach of Year | |
| Bill North | Baseball | Garfield product hit .285 for Oakland A’s | |
| Jim Pomeroy | Motorcross | 1st American to win a FIM world title | |
| Ben Snowden | Basketball | Coached 41 years at Roosevelt High | |
| 1974 | Earl Anthony | Bowling | Set PBA record by earning $100,000 |
| Robin Backhaus | Swimming | 2 golds at 1973 world aquatics meet | |
| Gary Baze (2) | Racing | Finished first in 117 races at Longacres | |
| John Best | Soccer | Coach of original Sounders of NASL | |
| Denny Fitzpatrick | Football | QB had a 249-yard rush game vs. WSU | |
| Jo Harshbarger (2) | Swimming | Set women’s world record in 800 free | |
| George Henley | Hydros | 7 wins, including Gold Cup | |
| Terry Metcalf (2) | Football | Led NFL in kickoff return average | |
| Frank Oleynick | Basketball | Starred for Seattle U. Chieftains | |
| Johnny Rondeau | Boxing | Refereed Foreman-Norton title fight | |
| Wes Stock | Baseball | Shelton product was A’s pitching coach | |
| Slick Watts | Basketball | Popular Sonic averaged 6.2 assists | |
| 1975 | Davey Armstrong | Boxing | Boxing champ at Pan American Games |
| Earl Averill | Baseball | 1st state resident inducted to HOF | |
| Don Bies (2) | Golf | Captured $40,000 Hartford Open | |
| Al Burleson | Football | Player of Year for Washington Huskies | |
| Marv Harshman | Basketball | Coached U.S. to gold at Pan Ams | |
| Cliff McCrath | Soccer | Coached SPU to 2nd in NCAA tourney | |
| Molly Miller | Equestrian | Won the world title in Louisville, KY. | |
| B. Schumacher (4) | Hydros | Won national driving title | |
| Slcik Watts (2) | Basketball | Averaged 6.1 assists, 2.3 steals | |
| 1976 | Tony Chursky | Soccer | First Seattle Sounders player nominated |
| Charles Jackson | Football | Washington’s All-Pac-8 nose guard | |
| Leo Randolph | Boxing | Won flyweight gold at Montreal Olympics | |
| Bill Sander | Golf | Captured the U.S. Men’s Amateur | |
| Jack Thompson | Football | Star quarterback for the WSU Cougars | |
| Sherron Walker | Track | Captured the AIWA long jump title | |
| Slick Watts (3) | Basketball | Led NBA in assists and steals | |
| Don Zech (2) | Basketball | Coached UPS Loggers to Division II title | |
| Jim Zorn | Football | Seahawks QB, NFL Rookie of the Year | |
| 1977 | Carl Buchan | Sailing | UW sailor won national singles |
| Dick Erickson (2) | Rowing | UW won Grand Challenge at Henley | |
| Norm Evans | Football | Offensive lineman captained Seahawks | |
| Jimmy McAlister | Soccer | Popular player for NASL Sounders | |
| Warren Moon | Football | Led Huskies to Rose Bowl triumph | |
| Sugar Ray Seales (2) | Boxing | Won NABC middleweight crown | |
| Seattle Slew | Horse Racing | Won racing’s Triple Crown | |
| Lee Stanton | Baseball | First Mariners player to make the ballot | |
| Betty Stove | Tennis | Seattle Cascades (WTA) | |
| 1978 | Mike England | Soccer | Center-half for NASL Seattle Sounders |
| Cliff McCrath (2) | Soccer | His SPU Falcons won NCAA title | |
| Scott Nielson | Track | NCAA champ, hammer, weight throw | |
| Leon Roberts | Baseball | Mariners’ leading hitter with .301 BA | |
| Marie Sather | Field Hockey | Played for the U.S. National Team | |
| Joe Steele | Football | UW rushing leader with 1,115 yards | |
| Jack Thompson (2) | Football | WSU’s record-setting quarterback | |
| Jim Wickwire | Climbing | 1st American to reach top of K2 | |
| Lenny Wilkens (3) | Basketball | Coached Sonics to 1978 NBA Finals | |
| Jim Zorn (2) | Football | Seahawks QB threw for 3,283 yards | |
| 1979 | Linda Fernandez | Volleyball | Played for new Seattle Smashers |
| Mike Gove | Golf | Reached finals of Western Amateur | |
| Willie Horton | Baseball | Belted 29 home runs for Mariners | |
| Dennis Johnson | Basketball | MVP of 1979 NBA Finals vs. Bullets | |
| Steve Largent | Football | Seahawks receiver caught 66 passes | |
| Danny Sorensen | Racing | Leading rider at Longacres: 139 wins | |
| Joe Steele (2) | Football | Career rushing leader at UW | |
| Gail Volk | Running | Marathoner from Seattle Pacific |