Who Would You Rather Be? Sampras Or Agassi

When Andre Agassi won the French Open earlier this year it didn't so much make a statement as it forced a question.

Whose career would you rather have, Agassi's or Pete Sampras'?

What means more to you, spectacular moments and adulation or sustained but unpopular excellence?

Agassi is the occasional meteor shower that lights up the night, catching our eye and making us stop in wonder. Sampras is the sun, burning brightly on a daily basis, taken for granted.

Sampras has enjoyed success at record-setting levels, winning 12 Grand Slam event titles and finishing atop the ATP Tour rankings for six consecutive years.

Agassi racked up a nice list of accomplishments himself. Australian Open? Check. Wimbledon? Check. U.S. Open? Check. No. 1? Check.

And then came the French Open, when Agassi became only the fifth player to win all four Grand Slam events in his career. He has enjoyed a taste of every major achievement Sampras has, and he owns something Sampras doesn't: a French Open title.

In addition, Agassi's accomplishments have been better received, especially among the casual tennis fans and even those who don't follow sports.

Sampras is respected; Agassi is adored. The fans applaud for Sampras and scream for Agassi.

Even on Wimbledon's Centre Court, where Sampras had won half of his Grand Slam titles, Agassi is the fan favorite. The tabloids never took to Sampras and, as a result, neither did the populace.

It's not that Sampras is dull; he just isn't flamboyant. There's no hook to him.

There's nothing distinctive about his game, either. While Agassi, for example, returns serves better than anyone, Sampras is just a great all-around player. He doesn't have the biggest serve on the tour or any other singular weapon that sets him apart. But Sampras is a better athlete than most opponents he faces and mentally tougher than the foes with superior physical skills.

After 17-year-old Phillip King of Long Beach lost to Sampras in the first round of the Mercedes-Benz Cup Tuesday night he was asked what places Sampras above the rest of the players.

"His calmness," King said.

That might be a great attribute on the court, but it doesn't make a snappy theme for a poster.

Sampras says he is comfortable with his level of fame. He's big enough to avoid waiting at the best restaurants and to get prime tee times on the world's great golf courses, but he doesn't get mobbed in public.