The Olympics are better than the World Cup...

Every two years we are subject to either one of these two great sporting events. The Olympic Games and The World Cup can always be relied upon for drama, upsets, excitement and unknowns making their name on the global stage. 

Now, both merit their accolades as the pinnacle of competing for the athletes involved and the majority of the sport watching public would say football, and therefore the World Cup, is better. I'm going to dispel these inaccuracies through the power of word. It may only be my opinion but I certainly believe it to be true. 

Here are five reasons why I think the Olympics are the better event: 

5. The Olympics has more than one sport

A simple one to start with. When the World Cup is on all you have is football. That's it. This may be a dream come true for some people and more often than not the best players in the world are on show but this is a negative when it comes to this article. The Olympic Games has a massive number of athletes from all walks of life and you can pick and chose what you're watching at any given time. These competitors may not always be famous, rich or have the backing of multi-national companies but yet they can still capture the imagination of so many and do the unthinkable and compete at the highest level of their sport but do so in the knowledge that if they don't win they have still been to the top of their game. They've been to the Olympics.

4. World Records

How often do you sit down to a World Cup match, whether it be the first round or the final, and think; 'There could be a new world record in this match'. Not very often, I would imagine. I have never went into a game of football thinking about the quickest goal, most goals scored or the most passes completed. Maybe it's just the nature of the sport but, for me, you simply cannot beat that feeling of possibility. When David Rudisha ran 1.40.91 in the 800m at London 2012 I was in complete awe. A world record is something special, it is the best time, distance or score that the world has ever seen. Ever. 

3. You get football at the Olympics anyway...

OK, it's not the best players in the world that are playing but it's still football. The usually under-23 event sees the best in emerging talent in the world of soccer (sorry) and they take to the best stadiums in the country to try and win a gold, silver or bronze. The beauty of the tournament is that the whole country can have the chance to get along to at least one game as they are played at venues far and wide, not just within the home city. At London 2012, the football took place in venues such as Hampden, Old Trafford and St James' Park.

2. There's only one winner at the World Cup

You could argue that you only get one winner at the Olympics too but that's in each sport. These sports have different disciplines and categories which means there are hundreds of winners. Take weightlifting, for example, there is a whole number of different chance for people to enter and have a chance of winning. Your size, ability and age could affect your chances at appearing at the World Cup but at the Olympics you can be 12 or 75 and you can still be the best in your chosen sport. It's diverse and intriguing, not mundane. 

1. Not winning actually means something

If you get to the World Cup Final but don't get your hands on that trophy, you're going to be remembered as the also rans. That nearly side. The team that could have been. If you come second in the Olympics you're a silver medalist and are celebrated beyond imagination. The way in which gold, silver and bronze is set out is to ensure that if you don't win, you still have a chance of being celebrated. Of course, there is a third and fourth play-off in the World Cup but this isn't usually a game to remember and they're ultimately pointless. Being Scottish, it would be a win for my side just to qualify for a World Cup Finals never mind coming close to winning but I think medals are a much better way of doing things. Unless you come fourth. That must be tough. 

That concludes my argument. I'm 99% sure you could turn this article on its head and reverse it completely to make the Olympics look a bit rubbish and to put the World Cup in a magnificent light but not this time. 

Do you agree? Am I completely insane? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter where I can be found at @paulsworldsport. 

Review: Open by Andre Agassi

Tennis is a sport that I have always been interested in, especially when the World's best players come up against each other. My first memory of tennis was in 2001 (I was 10) when the best player I have ever watched, Pete Sampras, was humbled in the quarter-finals by a 17 year-old Roger Federer, the semi-finals were a joy to behold and both went the distance, with Pat Rafter edging out Andre Agassi and wildcard Croatia, Goran Ivanisevic broke British hearts when he defeated Tim Henman in an epic five set match. The final was immense and the sheer joy that spread across the big man's face as he became the first and only man to win Wimbledon as a wildcard, having previously losing in the final on three separate occasions. The way he reacted when he realised he won showed me what it meant to win a Grand Slam and his true love for tennis. I assumed this was the case for every tennis player, boy was I wrong.

A Sensational Read

I purchased a few sports books after recommendations and the one that came with the best one was 'Open by Andre Agassi' as recommended by Ewan McQueen. I ordered it online and as soon as I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. The back story to Agassi's success was so interesting I just had to read and read and read. Now, I don't want to ruin the book for anyone who hasn't read it yet but there are a few things that occur in the book that I would like to discuss, it won't ruin the book for you if you've yet to experience it but it will give you a small look into the world of one of Tennis' greatest ever players. 

To look at someone who is the best player in the world and think that they don't like what they're doing is unfathomable yet this is exactly the case when it comes to Agassi. He isn't shy about telling everyone he hates tennis with a passion, not just when he's losing or struggling with form, he hated it from when he first picked up a racket under the instruction of his father, right up until his last match against B.Becker, not Boris but Benjamin. Agassi always said things come round in circles, and playing his last match against another Becker was a prime example of this. 

The way the book is written is fantastic, he packs no punches at all, from accusing players of cheating against him when he came up through the ranks, to his run ins with drugs, his love for fast food and his very eventful love life. 

This book is quite simply on of the best books, not just sports books, out there and I implore you to get a copy and spend a couple of days engrossed in its content. There are a number of highs and lows in this book and you live each one with Agassi and his team as if it was happening right here, right now. 

A master of his trade through no choice of his own, Agassi tells it as it is, right down to the last game. I remember watching one or two of Agassi's matches live but before the days of the internet and satellite television (in my house anyway) it is a massive shame that I didn't get to see more of the great man in action. Coming through in the 'Golden Generation' of tennis only hampered Agassi slightly as he remains firmly in the top ten for Grand Slam wins in the Open Era of tennis with eight victories. The scary thing is the amount of Grand Slams he missed at the start and during his career, he could have been the best ever. 

Even if you don't like tennis or sport in general, have a read of this book as I promise it is easily one of the best books I have read ever, and I've read a lot of books. 

10/10

My Top Five Sporting Moments

When it comes to sport, there will always be the odd event that will have you talking, tweeting and saying for years to come "Where was I when that took place?"

Now, here is a run down of my five favourite moments in sport that I will never, ever forget.

Only one rule for this post and that is that I watched everything that happened live.

Five

Andy Murray wins Wimbledon

Magical Moment for Murray

On July 7th, 2013, the eyes of Scotland fell on Centre Court as their favourite tennis son donned his familiar white attire and stepped onto the court to face Novak Djokovic. Many of those did not give the Dunblane born singles specialist a chance at lifting that gold cup but Andy had other ideas.

The way in which he tore out of the blocks took the Serbian by surprise and he never really recovered from it. Murray stole the show with a straight sets victory that I don't think anyone anticipated to pick up his second grand slam title after winning the US Open the season before.

To become the first British man since Fred Perry back in 1936 top win tennis' top prize is something so very special but the way in which he did it, especially a year after losing the final to a resurgent Roger Federer.

Andrew Barron Murray, I salute you!

Four

The Magic of Medinah

Kaymer retains the Ryder Cup for Europe

When compiling this list I somehow managed to forget about this magical week in golfing history. The European's set up on the final day knowing that something special had to occur in order to take the trophy back across the pond.

Davis Love III's team had a solid 10-6 lead going into the singles and I think he was as shocked as everyone else when he witnessed what went on in the hours after Luke Donald teed off against former Masters Champion, Bubba Watson.

Europe picked up wins in eight of the 14 matches with Francesco Molinari halving with Tiger Woods but by that point it was already irrelevant and there was nothing anybody could do, not even the great Mr Woods.

When Martin Kaymer sank his put against Steve Stricker I jumped up and did a massive fist pump and I'm pretty sure millions of people around the world did the same. The magnitude of the comeback is something I don't think will be equalled in the golfing world in my lifetime.

Messrs Donald, Poulter, McIlroy, Rose, Lawrie, Colsaerts, McDowell, Garcia, Hanson, Westwood, Kaymer and Molinari, you made history.

Three

The Road to Seville 

The famous huddle before the UEFA Cup Final

Anyone who know me will know I am a massive Celtic fan. This has always been the case and the UEFA Cup run in 2002/03 was one of the most intense times I've ever had watching sport.

The game against FK Suduva set the tone for the whole cup run. An 8-1 win. Larsson scoring a hat-trick and the Bhoys showing just how good they were.

It was a far from easy ride but somehow it just all came together when it had to. Blackburn, Celta Vigo, Stuttgart, Liverpool, Boavista and then Porto. Not the most illustrious list of teams in terms of European football but one that is etched on the mind of every Celtic fan, young and old.

It wasn't the fairytale that we dreamed of but we made sure our voices were heard. Jose Mourinho will never be liked amongst the Celtic fans and every time he moans about diving in the game I laugh to myself and instantly go back to that game in May '03. That Porto team were special and went on to win the Champions League the following season and we pushed them to the very end.

Mr O'Neill and co, hold your heads high!

Two

Usain Bolt's 9.58 

Bolt looks to the clock which reads '9.58'

To witness the fastest man every to have lived, running the fastest 100m time ever is quite mind-boggling.

Usain Bolt is one of a kind. Special. Talented. Hard-working and entertaining. When he crouch down and got in position at the World Championship's in Brazil I was sitting in hotel lounge in Bulgaria in the middle of a two-week holiday but knew that I couldn't miss this race as there was a good chance that the Jamaican could rewrite the history books and boy did he deliver.

9.58. Just think about that for a second. It's baffling how one man can cover 100m of track in less than ten seconds. I still struggle to comprehend how fast the man is. Having watched various documentaries about him, the general consensus is that his build and stature should mean he isn't a good sprinter but he is basically just one of a kind.

I have no doubt in my mind when I write this sentence that his 9.58 and 19.19 times in the 100 and 200m respectively will not be bettered by anyone in the next 50 years, except perhaps him.

No one comes close and the Lightening Bolt know this all too well!

One

Manchester United's comeback in 1999 

Sir Alex and co lift the big cup proudly

I'm not a Manchester United fan but when the Champions League final of 1999 came around they were the sensible team to support. That game helped me to fall in love with football.

I was seven when that game took place and I remember it as if it was yesterday. Me, my two brothers and my dad sat down to watch the game and I still don't think I have witnessed a comeback so good since.

It's mad to think that it is almost 15 years since that final occurred. In a group with fellow finalists Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Brondby in which Bayern finished as winners with United in second but both games between the sides had finished in stalemate.

Fast forward to May 26th and the Camp Nou. I was actually pretty upset when Bayern took the lead early on and that goal seemed to be the difference until injury time. First up was Teddy Sheringham and then came Ole Gunnar Solskjær. The Fisher family jumped up and celebrated like Scotland had just won the World Cup (I later found out my dad had a bet on and that bet was Man Utd to win 2-1) and we didn't care who knew it.

We has just witnessed footballing greatness personified. 

Sir Alex Ferguson. The greatest there has ever been. 

So there we have it. My top five. This list may split opinion, cause arguments or annoy you but it's my list. There were very close runners to this top five including David Rudisha's 800m World Record, Celtic beating Barcelona, Henrik Larsson's chip against Rangers in the 6-2 game, Liverpool v AC Milan in '05, The London Olympics in general and Goran Ivanisevic winning Wimbledon.

Agree, disagree or want to pass comment on my list? Do so in the comments below or let me know on Twitter - @paulsworldsport

Men's Sprinting - My View

The 100m sprint. The epitome of track and field but a dark shadow continually covers the short distance and has done for as far as I can remember.

Usain Bolt. Tyson Gay.  Yohan Blake. Asafa Powell. Nesta Carter. Maurice Greene. Justin Gatlin. Steve Mullings. Donovan Bailey. Bruny Surin.

The ten fastest men in the history of sprinting. How many have tested positive for a banned substance? Two or three? Nope, it's five. Five out of ten. Half of the list. How embarrassing is that?

I'm not a total sceptic but how many sprinters out there have cheated or continue to cheat and have yet to be caught? I never suspected Asafa Powell as a drug cheat but it seems that this is the case. Both himself and Gay are currently under investigation and they have to be given the time before their fate is sealed but I think once someone is caught cheating, they should be subjected to a lifetime ban.

Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell. The latest in a long list of drug cheats. 

For example, Justin Gatlin and Dwain Chambers both featured at this week's World Championships and they are two of the many athletes who have served bans for doping within the sport. Now, they have obviously served their time but should they be allowed to compete, win and win medals on a world stage? Not for me.

An comparison that popped into my head may seem a bit harsh on the sprinters but it's what immediately sprung into my mind. Imagine a murderer serving their time in jail for 'X' amount of years, being released, and going on to become a lawyer, politician or high flying member of society. It would make you uneasy, wouldn't it?

The advances in testing to ascertain whether athletes are cheating have been clear and evident but there will always be a way for those who want to cheat to do so. As the methods of testing improve, the ways to hide the cheating will as well which makes it a very delicate situation for the governing bodies in charge of all sports, not just athletics.

How many athletes over the years who have now retired, cheated their way to World, Commonwealth or Olympic glory? We'll never know unless they confess and after hiding it for so many years, that possibility is very slim.

Those who know me, or read my work on a regular basis will know that I am an avid bowler and although this is a sport that requires very little in the way of fitness or stamina it's the only sport I play to a decent level but I would NEVER dream of cheating in order to better myself or my game. If you are world class, you get there from being a hard-worker, loyal, talented and determined not by doping yourself with performance enhancing drugs which give you an unfair advantage over the numerous honest people who are doing the best they can with what they were born with.

I don't think cheating in sport will ever go away, it has been around as long as sport but I hope that those that sit in the big chairs and control the way they are governed take heed of what the fans, journalists and the athletes themselves have to say about drug cheats. If someone who has cheated in the past is competing in a competition at a high level, nine times out of ten you'll hear the commentator point out this fact because they agree that they probably shouldn't be back to where they are.

The athletes aren't always to blame as coaches and other team members can always play a part but if someone suddenly springs onto the scene, especially in sprinting, people are going to be sceptical. It may well be that they are naturally gifted and that they are not cheating but there is always going to be that doubt.

If a sprinter can be eliminated from a race for one false start then they can be eliminated from the sport for one negative test.

Review: A Champion's Mind by Pete Sampras

Pete Sampras for me, is, and always will be the best tennis player there has ever been. He didn't win the French Open but to dominate a sport the way in which he did when there were so many other top quality players was something really special. He was part of the 'Golden Generation' to come out of the USA which featured the likes of Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Michael Chang and Todd Martin. These players, in another era, could have won much more but for the fact the Sampras was always there.

This autobiography, written with Peter Bodo, is compelling from start to finish and shows you what a professional Sampras was. I like the way that the book goes in chronological order and shows exactly what he had to go through to get to the top of a sport which is both physically and mentally demanding on equal levels. 

Compelling 

When I read a book, I try to go into it blind, which makes the idea of a review redundant for me until afterwards but I cannot recommend this book enough. The way in which he takes absolutely no prisoners when talking about his rivals, the people who helped develop his game, his family and his friends makes for great reading and makes me understand how he performed like he did on a tennis court so many times.

Not the biggest, not the fastest and by no means the strongest, Pete Sampras had a game that any player would crave for, his service and tennis minds made anyone he ever come up against intimidated. He never let his emotion get in the way, to the annoyance of some ex-players and commentators of the game but he tells all in the book on the way he approached the game and his reasoning is completely sound.

Whether you're a fan of his or not, I implore you to give this book your time and see what made the best brain in tennis tick from a young boy without much hope to a worn out professional struggling to keep pace with the young pretenders coming through the ranks, yet always pulling a performance out of the bag, even after he retired.

After reading this and Andre Agassi's 'Open' I have decided to use the framework of these two great players to write my dissertation for university as I feel the way in which these books were written will help me no end with what will be the most important piece of writing in my life so far, and if that is not an endorsement then I don't know what is.

9.5/10

Bowls and Television

To make good television you have to be well informed, unique and ready for a challenge. When it comes to lesser sport you have to captivate your audience into watching even if they would not usually be a viewer of a niche or minor sport.

Very rarely will you see these sports receive prime time spots on the flagship sports channels. These spots are saved for football, rugby, golf and tennis. Once or twice a year sports such as darts and snooker come to the forefront and although they are technical sports rather than physically challenging, still receive huge audiences and even bigger prize money.

My inspiration for this post came from last week’s Scottish International Open that was screened on the BBC. Before you say, yes I know it’s a bowls competition but why should this receive lesser attention than other sports? Bowls has one of the highest weekly participation rates in this country and should not be taken as an ‘Old man’s game’ because this is simply not the case.

The World Bowls Tour is very competitive and exciting tour and has a number of events in which the best players from the world of bowls take to the unusually blue rink to compete for the coveted competitions and a place in the very sought after Top 16.

The Famous Blue Rink of the WBT

When the Scottish International Open comes to Perth each year they also entertain a Women’s and a Junior event. I will focus on the latter purely for the fact that the final alone was televised. The two boys who reached the final done so at the age of just 16 and took to probably the biggest stage they can reach at this point in their careers. They played out a fantastic match which went to a tie-breaker. This isn’t uncommon in a final at these events because the players are so evenly matched. So where is the issue? When the tie-break reached the third and final end the match was at its end and there was one bowl left to be played by the reigning champion, Blantyre’s Greg McLaughlin, who had the opportunity to retain his crown. As he walked up to the mat to throw his final delivery the BBC Cameras cut to a full view of the rink and you heard to voice of Dougie Vipond utter those dreaded words, “We have come to the end of our coverage on BBC 2, join us on BBC 1 at 3.15 for the second semi-final in the Scottish International Open” (The senior competition) and the channel cut to an advertisement before The Daily Politics came on.

I cannot fathom how the broadcaster for Britain could commit such a fatal error. I believe if this was any other sport then there would be no way this would have been allowed to occur but just because it was bowls being shown, what makes it acceptable to finish a broadcast when there was literally ten seconds remaining (You had to wait until around 4.30pm to see the bowl being delivered) a four hour break for one bowl is a bit ridiculous if you ask me.

Now I know that television channels have strict guidelines to follow but surely a slight touch of leeway could have been given here and I can say with complete and utter confidence that more people would tune in for the bowls than they do for the Daily Politics.

There are many questions to be raised from the argument of a separate, free to view sports channel provided through the money used by the license fee that we all pay to receive and fund the BBC. After the success of the Olympics this year and the anticipation of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in two years time (which includes bowls) it has been encouraged by a few fans, journalists and sportsmen and women.

This channel, it seems, will be unlikely to include bowls as the World Bowls Tour and the English Indoor Bowling Association have signed a deal with pay-to-view channel Premier Sports which will showcase around 260 hours of competitive bowling events, according to the WBT website.

The New Home of Television Bowls

I see an initial problem with this deal in that a lot of people who subscribe to Premier Sports already will not see bowls as a sport they would watch on a weekly or monthly basis. Also, earlier I said that Bowls is not an ‘Old man’s sport’ but the demographic for viewer on television will be older people who have played bowls for many years and I just can’t fathom these people forking out the extra money they will have to, to watch bowls on the television when there is already a fair number of events on the BBC and Sky Sports. I will be interested to see how this coverage is received and I will be very intrigued to see the new competition(s) they are proposing especially for Premier Sports.

One final thought on the whole scenario is of course the changes that have been made in the way the sport is played to make it more interesting for the television and I have no problem with this in the events which feature only the top 16 players and have no bearing on the rankings and qualification for other events, such as the Premier League of Bowls which has been shown on Sky for the last couple of years. They introduced a “Poweplay” end in which any points scored in said end by the nominating player will be doubled. I agree that this adds excitement to the sport but it should never be introduced anywhere else. For this year’s Scottish International Open, the WBT introduced a shot clock. This gave the players only 30 seconds per shot and I feel it took away from the quality of the event. Yes, the players had extensions to use but you cannot simply make a decision on what shot to play, especially under the pressure of the lights and television cameras, in half a minute. I would suggest that this gets scrapped immediately or they will alienate a lot of fans and players who are used to the norm and I am very firmly in this camp.

Do you play a niche or lesser sport and feel the same way, or do you play bowls and have different views? Let me know in the comments section below!

ATP World Tour Finals - Who's Who

Next month see's the flagship end to the Tennis season with the Barclays ATP Tour Finals taking place at London's 02 Arena. This is the fourth successive year that the event will take place here after being renamed the Tour Finals, as it was called the 'Tennis Masters Cup' between 2000 and 2008 and did not have a stationary venue.

Roger Federer has won the event six times in the past nine years and already holds the record for the most wins of this illustrious end of year event and will be going for a third straight victory on November 5th, when the competition begins.

The Undisputed Champion of the ATP Finals

At the time of writing, only four competitors are confirmed to be playing in the event and no surprises that they are Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.

These guys have been at the top of their individual games for the past couple of years and it has gone to show, especially this season, with all four winning one Grand Slam each although Murray won the Olympic Gold Medal and this spurred him on to his maiden victory in the US Open in a thrilling five set encounter against fellow competitor, Djokovic.

Now, if I was a betting man, which I sometimes am, I would not be putting money on any other competitors, except these four. Although since Wimbledon this year, Nadal has been suffering from a knee injury that has saw him drop to number four in the World Rankings, and it is still unclear if he will compete in London or not.

Even without Nadal, it is extremely difficult to see who can upset the other three, especially with Federer's outstanding record in the event. Djokovic won it back in 2008, the year before it made the switch to London but Murray has never made the final and I'm pretty sure he would like to remedy this and show exactly why he is number three in the world.

When it comes to who will be the other four opponents, it is very difficult to see who will play the best in the lead up to the Finals next month. One man who I'm pretty sure will make the grade will be David Ferrer. He has had an excellent 2012 which has saw him have his best tournament at three out of the four Grand Slams, and has reached at least the quarter-final stage in each of them in the last two years. He will be a threat and with it being an indoor event, especially on a hard court, will suit his style of play and he'll be hoping he will go one step further than he managed to do in 2007 when he lost in the final to Roger Federer in straight sets.

Ferrer - Dark Horse? 

Next up, another man who had a successful 2012 is Tomas Berdych. He reached two Grand Slam semi-finals and reached the semis at the Tour Finals last year. The former Wimbledon finalist likes to compete in this competition and should qualify after this week's Shanghai Masters.

There are two final places that are really up for grabs and it will no doubt go down to the wire of the Paris Masters to decide who will make the grade and reach the Tour Finals although it looks like Juan Martin del Potro will reach the end of year tournament for the first time since 2009 and the 2009 US Open Champion will be looking to cement his place back in tennis' elite after a couple of years hampered with injury.

London's 02 Arena

At the moment, the 8th place is occupied by last years finalist, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. He will more than likely be at the tournament again, but mainly due to the unlikeliness of Nadal's inclusion. This obviously opens another place if Nadal decides not to take part and I think this will be fortunate once again for Janko Tipsarevic, who replaced Andy Murray last year after he pulled out after one game with a groin injury.

There you have it, the players I believe will be will feature in the ATP Tour Finals are: Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, David Ferrer, Tomas Berdych, Juan Martin del Potro, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Janko Tipsarevic (who won't be there if Nadal plays, which I doubt) and the two back-up players I think will be Richard Gasquet and an in-form Milos Raonic.

The Finals start in just under a months time and my tip to be victorious for the second time in London; Novak Djokovic.