West Indies: Everyone's second team

Gangnam style http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0

Sorry it's a bit late but congratulations to the West Indies for winning the T20 World Cup a couple of weeks ago. They really are everyone's second team when it comes to international cricket and no wonder when you've got some brilliantly entertaining players in their squad like Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Marlon Samuels to name a few. 20/20 is their game there's no doubt and the way they approach their cricket matches that. It's an infectious enthusiasm and it's great to see so much fun being had on a cricket field in all honesty! Long may it continue and we all hope the WI can take their T20 form into Tests and ODIs.

The relentless drive of technology

Not a week goes by when the subject of a technological advance in sport is not in the news. I can only speak from someone living in the UK but the everlasting drive of technology seems to touch sport all around the world. Recently the 'blade runner' paralympian Oscar Pistorius had a small rant in a post race interview about the rules regarding his blade length and classification for amputees. On the opposite side of the sporting spectrum, the English domestic rugby union season has started and the post-match discussions have been busy with talk about the changes to the use of technology by referees to review decisions. Here we go again everyone thought.

Will there ever be a time when sport fully embraces the advance of technology and change or will we be forever trying to escape its clutches? In some sports technology plays a minor role and in others it is the difference between winning and losing. Sport is littered with debates over the use of technology, from cricket and hotspot to football and lasers on the goal line. What can be agreed upon however, is that the technology available to use for whatever is reliable. The main problem is how the sports authorities see their game going forward. Do they see the abuse and bad decisions football referees get every week as a problem or publicity? Or would they rather use fully tested techniques such as goal-line technology or replays to stop the debates ranging off the pitch?

It lies at the heart of British sporting culture, an attitude to hang back on change until the last minute because we have it so good already. Having said that, it is only football that has shown this reluctance so publicly. County cricket was going through tough times 10 years ago with low attendance and even lower interest in the domestic leagues. To battle this 20/20 cricket was introduced, a type of cricket that all kids play at their local clubs. It incorporated new technology, new methods of training, new equipment and changing rules. In the last 10 years cricket has fully embraced the advances in replay technology such as Hawk Eye and hot spot. The success of these has been so great that they have now been incorporated into the rules of game in the Decision Review System. This was a change for the better of the game, however against the old order it seemed. Ironically the introduction of all this has led to the increasing quality of all other types of cricket, even test cricket.

Technology is pivotal and in many less popular sports it plays a role just as large as the athlete themselves. Professional cycling requires the most updated modern equipment around and if you don't have that you don't win, it is as stark as that. It is no coincidence that the Tour de France winning team, Team Sky, spend a large chunk of their £15 million budget on the best bikes, materials, clothing and training facilities. Whether you like it or not technology is essential to the fabric of sport. Traditionalists will always say how sport was better when it was simple and man versus man but science and technology has changed the outside world and so far sport has totally benefitted from the influence of technology on sports science and knowledge.

The USA use technology religiously in their national sports. The book-made-film Moneyball starring Brad Pitt showed the epitome of a technology and science based culture in baseball. Whether it was successful or not is not particularly relevant but it is something that now dominates American sport. NFL is known to be at the forefront of new technology and science within sport and many European football and rugby teams in Europe have seen this emphasis and applied it themselves in training equipment like heart rate monitors and high speed cameras.

It is a relentless advance but it is a massive benefit to the quality of the sport on show and the performance of sportspeople individually. In areas like rule changes and officiating technology that is effective and efficient has got to be used in a way that increases the enjoyment of the sport and fairness of which it is being played. There are always opponents to such changes; Sepp Blatter of FIFA has been against goal-line technology for years but finally the pressure has got untenable and it will be implemented soon. Technology as a whole has a bigger and bigger role in sport and must be embraced in a away that promotes the fairness and competition of sport.

How the European Ryder Cup team shapes up

Last week Jose Maria Olazabal announced a finalised European Ryder Cup Team culmonising in the two wild card picks of Ian Poulter and Nicolas Colsaerts. The overall verdict of the team is positive - after all its the best performing European players over around 2 years. The top 7 or so European players have been almost a certainty until a few weeks ago when Sergio Garcia hit form at the Wyndham Championship. The two wildcards were also fairly simply decided. Ian Poulter was not an automatic qualifier but due to his vast Ryder Cup experience and excellence he was a certainty. The second wildcard was more complex with a few players in the mix; Colserts, Harrington and Fisher among the outsiders. Here are my profiles of the European team:

1) Rory McIlroy
McIlroy took the world number one ranking following his second major win at the PGA Championship two weeks ago, arguably the least celebrated British win ever due to the backdrop of the Olympics. This will be Rory's second Ryder Cup and one that I'm sure he's looking forward to as he gets back to his best form. Questions were raised this year when he missed 4 out of 5 cuts, specifically blaming the effect of his relationship with tennis star Caroline Wozniaki. But after dumbing down the Ryder Cup before Celtic Manor 2010 he ate his words after the event describing it as the best thing he's ever played in, lets hope he has that same excitement this year.

McIlroy won't be criticising the Ryder Cup this time round.

2) Luke Donald
After an average 2012 and losing his number one ranking Luke Donald will be looking to go to Medinah in good form and good spirits. Donald has played 3 Ryder Cups and has a good record, particularly in foursomes and singles. Overall he has played 8 matches and lost only twice. His composure and brilliant ball striking will be hard to beat at Medinah, especially since the course is only a 30 minute drive away from his Chicago home. Although wins haven't come in abundance for Donald recently he can go into the Ryder Cup assured in his own game and in a familiar course.

3) Lee Westwood
Similar to Luke Donald, Westwood's 2012 hasn't been the most spectacular. A change of coach, an injured caddie, plans to uproot to the USA, it's been a busy year but the prospect of a Ryder Cup will instill Westwood with confidence because his fourball and foursomes record is good, 8 points from 13 matches. He has a wealth of experience in Ryder Cup golf and is acting more and more like an on-course captain.

A future European captain?

4) Justin Rose
In Justin Rose you've got a European and PGA Tour stalwart with a good couple of years moving up the world rankings. His 2011 win at the BMW Championship gave him the confidence to kick on and win rather than just contend. He brought that mental state to the WGC-Cadillac Championship this year to win. He partners well with Ian Poulter, so watch out those two taking on the Americans.

5) Graeme McDowell
2010 was a good year for the Northern Irishman. It was the year he won the US Open and the year he is remembered for sinking the winning putt at Celtic Manor. He is a grafter, cast in the same mould as Padraig Harrington, enjoys the pressure of team golf and will always pose a threat in Ryder Cups. 2011 was quiet year for McDowell but 2012 has looked much brighter. His excellent performances in all 4 majors will put him in good stead even though he has gone without a win this year.

6) Paul Lawrie
Arguably the most in form European golfer in 2012, Paul Lawrie has reignited his career with a win at the Qatar Masters, following a 2011 Open de Andalucia win. He has appeared in one Ryder Cup in his career, that being the 1999 event, which came on the back of his Open victory. He will relish a return to the Ryder Cup and Olazabal will enjoy having him on the team as another scrambler and wise head.

7) Sergio Garcia
One of the world's most popular players has come back to form at the perfect moment in 2012. Garcia has looked out of sorts for a couple of years but has finally found his feet again, in the nick of time. Team format undoubtedly makes him come alive as his cup record shows, a formidable force in pairs but less so in the singles. The fiery spaniard follows a famous tradition of Spanish players in the Ryder Cup and Garcia is no slouch compared to his predecessors of Olazabal and Ballesteros. We look forward to seeing Garcia at full throttle at Medinah, one of the most enjoyable sights in golf.

Another fiery Spaniard.

8) Francesco Molinari
Molinari has been his consistent best this season, hitting fairways and greens metronomically. He won the Open de Espana this year and looks to be in good form going into the Ryder Cup. His record of only half a point at Celtic Manor may be a worry but he has improved considerably since then, especially on his putting.

9) Peter Hanson
Peter Hanson has been a solid performer throughout 2012 with good performances in the Masters and PGA Championship. In 2010 he won twice to confirm his spot at Celtic Manor. However he has not sealed his selection as dramatically this year as in 2010 but in some ways has gained more confidence with European fans with his consistent play this season.

10) Martin Kaymer
Kaymer has certainly had a difficult 2012 and will be the player of most concern for Olazabal. His form dipped early this year when his attempted swing changes to suit the majors did not work out. However he is a talented player with a number of tour victories to his name, plus a major, and has made the squad automatically so it's not the end of the world. He is obviously still trying to find his best swing and lets hope he finds it before 25th September!

11) Ian Poulter
Arguably as Europe's trump card, Ian Poulter represents the ideal Ryder Cup player - passionate, competitive and persistent. He has personally said how he loves the "cut throat, face to face nature of matchplay" - and that's who you want on your team. He has a good record, 8 wins and 3 losses, and he comes into the Ryder Cup in decent form but with no wins to his name this year.

Poulter's ideal stage. 

12) Nicolas Colsaerts
The big hitting Belgian has grown in stature on the European Tour during 2011 and 2012. He has reached number 35 in the world after winning the China Open in 2011 and the Volvo Matchplay this year. The matchplay win was almost certainly a factor in Olazabal's wildcard choice. Another contributing factor is his length off the tee that will be necessary at Medinah to battle some of the American big hitters. As Europe's only rookie he will be hungry for success, especially as the Ryder Cup tends to produce the best in the majority of players.

Life after London 2012

Well it's over. The days after the weeks before. We've seen it all, triumph and disaster, greatness and disappointment. But as we withdraw back to normal life we can safely say it was an unforgettable experience and one that is unlikely to happen in our lifetimes again.

It all ended with a pretty crazy closing ceremony last night consisting of Russell Brand, The Who, George Michael and an inflatable octopus among a few things that set the Olympic stadium alight. It was another show spectacularly put on by the London organisers and a fitting conclusion to a magnificent 2 weeks of sport. Sport at its most pure and competitive; no spoilt brats, no arrogance, just the results of unimaginable hard work and dedication over the years.

Great Britain put on a show worthy of the greatest sporting event in the world and London was a picture of colour and excitement due to the brilliant range of venues draped around the capital. But as is the case with most big sporting events the decoration and entertainment are the side-show compared to the sport taking place. The pure dedication on show was something to behold and it is this that will form the solid foundation for the legacy formed after the Games. Watching Mo Farah push himself over the line for 2 gold medals and seeing the GB rowers force themselves into exhaustion to win would inspire anyone. These games were about athletes willing to focus on a single goal and do everything to achieve it - in Mo Farah's case uproot his family abroad to improve his training. Or Katherine Grainger who had to endure 3 silver medals in previous games before one final push to get her sought-after gold in London at the age of 36.

This was the people's games. A games in which its end result was due to the sum of its smaller working parts. Those parts being the endless families and groups of excited fans filing into the Olympic venues, the security and the 70,000 volunteers transiting the Olympic spirit to the swathes of people coming from their normal home life to experience it. Crowds were turning out at 10am to watch qualifying heats in the Olympic stadium when previously it would just be the knock out stages that drew all the crowds. The passion to support not just the home athletes but everyone on show is common in Britain and it seems this attitude spread to spectators of all nations.

The people who made the Games

The performances at London 2012 more than lived up to our expectations. The sporting greats of Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps lit up the games, particularly Bolt who defended his 100m and 200m crowns, the first time it had been done. Phelps meanwhile concluded his Olympic career as the most decorated Olympian ever with 22 medals in total. Chris Hoy became the most successful British Olympian ever, overtaking Sir Steve Redgrave by taking his tally to 6 gold medals and one silver.

For Team GB overall however it was the most successful Olympic Games in history with 29 golds and third place in the medal table, an amazing feat proportionally compared to China and USA. 'Super Saturday' was our best day culminating in Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis and Greg Rutherford all getting golds. It was an atmosphere around the country never seen before, like the country had all come together to push them faster and further to win gold. We also excelled in sports we expected; them being cycling and rowing especially. What was even more refreshing was how Team GB excelled in other sports no one knew much about like taekwondo, showjumping, dressage and triathlon. But when it came to the crunch everyone got behind the team and I've no doubt the support of the London crowd pushed them the fraction more to achieve their potential.

Jennis delivered under huge home-games pressure

The Olympics always throws out some amazing and inspiring moments. Remember Derek Redmond getting helped to the finish line by his dad in the 1992 400m? One of the most astonishing at London has to be Manteo Mitchell of the USA running in the 4x400m relay with a broken leg.. Drogba watch and learn.

Now all that's left of London 2012 is the legacy. The whole reason we won the bid to host the games in the first place. Many things during the last 2 weeks will have inspired not only sportspeople to work harder for their dreams, but also the every day person living the daily grind. You see people silently travelling to work everyday but during the games people were talking, chatting about the latest hero, comparing stats and exuding collective optimism. The power of sport is immeasurable in some ways, only when the dust settles and the last bit of Olympic advertising is taken down will you be able to see the legacy of the games. How many children will take up new sports? Will schools put more emphasis on sport from now on? Will more girls be encouraged to play sport?

We won't know for some time and indeed the 'legacy' put forward by Lord Coe actually started back when London won the bid. It will be interesting to see the results but what will be pivotal is how facilities are utilised by schools and clubs throughout the country. Facilities ensure sport can be played to better and better standards and there lies the problem with school sport. Kids play for a little bit when they're interested or forced to but it's not made part of their lifestyle when they get older into secondary school and beyond, where good facilities make the difference. The cynics will say the hysteria of the games will burn out in a few weeks and months but I think the magnitude of Britain's accomplishment here will make a lasting impact on the way sport is viewed in this country, especially Olympic sports. Lord Coe promised and he delivered, leaving vivid memories of Bolt, Ennis, Ainslie and Hoy emblazoned in our minds. All this inspiration has to go somewhere right?