The envelope, please, and there should be zero suspense — not now, nor when the calendar finally flips to 2020: Your 2019 Sportsperson of the Year is . . .
As if there could be any other choice. If you think someone else is more deserving, that person will have to, let’s see . . .
Tussle with the president of the United States while maintaining her dignity and her conviction; be tied as the top scorer in her sport’s signature event; be what amounts to the MVP of that tournament; battle injury with both gritted teeth and nonchalance; startlingly and sensibly take on her sport’s governing body on the eve of the most important game in four years; strike the championship-winning goal with a cool that simultaneously belied the moment and defined her performance; and leave us all wondering what she’ll say next.