Michael Phelps is a great Olympian and I'm proud that he's won approximately 187 medals for us (take that Guatemala!). Having said that, there are two issues here. First, swimming has eight races and if you're the best swimmer you can win all of those races. The basketball team has a shot at one medal and one medal only. Is Michael Phelps really a "better" Olympian than Kobe Bryant because Kobe is only going to win one gold medal in this Olympics (presumably)?
Second, Phelps' body is built for swimming. So, there's a part of me that finds it hard to celebrate people who are extraordinarily gifted physically winning in their respective sports. I know there are other folks who are gifted physically who don't accomplish as much, but it's a fairly limited pool of people who can succeed in that arena (the "pool" pun was actually not intended, but now that I look back it, I like it).
This is why we root for Rocky. The little guy that isn't quite as physically gifted that does it through sheer will power. That's the heart of competition that I love. So, having said that, here is my annoying take on Michael Phelps medals that has been making people really angry when they watch it:
Understand that I am obviously saying some of this stuff tongue-in-cheek, but overall, I think this is a conversation worth having. And in the part of the show we didn't include here (you can watch the whole show here), I talked about why I respected Michael Jordan more than Shaquille O'Neal.
While Jordan was obviously extraordinarily athletic there were about 200 guys in the NBA with his skill set and he rose above all of them with his sheer will to win. Whereas there are about three guys in the whole world as big and agile as Shaq (there might actually be no one else in the world that big and that quick). Shaq still had to work hard and it was not a given that he was going to win any of his championships but I still respect Jordan more because it was harder for him.
Okay, that's my thoughts. Now, let me have it. Tell me why I don't understand athletics or appreciate swimming enough or tell me what an unpatriotic "lib" I am. But understand that I say all of this because of how I love competition. My favorite moments in sports are when you have two great evenly matched teams and they battle out to see who wants it more.
Finally, I understand that I am ironically taking credit away from Michael Phelps for being so great that he blows away the competition. But conversely, you have to admit, somehow claiming he is the greatest Olympic athlete because his sport has eight different races you can win medals in per every Olympics is a bit ridiculous.
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Does Phelps Really Deserve All This Praise for Winning His Gold Medals?
Posted Aug 13th 2008 5:00PM by Cenk Uygur
Filed under: Young Turks, Video, Sports
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Reader Comments ( Page 3 of 4)
31. If Phelps was Barack Obama this piece would not have appeared. I am sure hard work and dedication had nothing to do with Phelps' accomplishments, he was obviously bred for it, genetically. If you had said that about a black athelete you would have been driven off the internet. Every day in every way you solidify my opinion that you are as stupid as you are leftist.
eric at 8:33AM on Aug 14th 2008
32. Er! Are you even American? You don't sound American to me. You are obviously trying to take the glory away from a great American athlete. You know there is a time to be critical about other Americans and that is when they are competing against other Americans and not during the Olympic year. What you do during the Olympics is cheer for your country and countrymen. Let the other countries critize us and I am positive they will. If you were a true American at heart you would know that.
Mad Dog at 11:44AM on Aug 14th 2008
33. Your fat stubby body is built to write inane liberal blogs..and you and Phelps will both be paid accordingly.
Chunksadouchebag at 9:25AM on Aug 14th 2008
34. 24. I'm surprised republicans even watch the olympics. It combines two of their biggest hates - foreigners and gym.
Clif Kuplen at 1:54AM on Aug 14th 2008
xxxxx
24 comments about the olympics and the old man already opens his bigoted mouth about anything republican. Can't stand it can ya? Why don't you go play on Daily Kos they fit you much better. You can join in on the blog hoping for Tony Snow to burn in Hell, comment about how you hope Novak dies from his brain tumor,or wish for Cheney's death. Get some therapy for that Republican raping you as a child damn your a miserable old man.Kevorkian is available now I hear he makes house calls.
I know give me your best "I will kick your ass,write you song,play my band,discovered a planet,use a thesaurus,neocon,give me a reference from the 50's, quote something from tv land, and lastly dont forget to tell me to get off limbaughs dick".
samesongsecondverse at 9:26AM on Aug 14th 2008
35. Clif
I take it your lack of an answer to my question as to the type of discharge you got from the military means that you were never even in the military.
I take back my apology of calling you a "draft Dodger"
And here I thought your were brave and enlisted in the military during the Viet War, during all those years you were of draft age.
Did you run to Canada to avoid the Draft?
Were you just a flat out coward to avoid the draft or did you have a good reason to avoid the draft while others went in the military?
Draft Dodger-Hmmmmm and you are so critical of others
Robert OKane at 9:56AM on Aug 14th 2008
36. How can this guy still be on the air? How can this guy think he is right when 95% of people bash him? How can AOL carry him when the things that he says are so obtuse? Listen fat boy! Go to your local ymca and swim one length of the pool (doggy style) then talk the trash that you talk. Example fat boy. Track and field pick a black runner, a sprinter for instance. Put him in the mile, then in the 400 then the 100 then the relays, of all them why cant they win all of them even though the are built to run? because people like phelps come once in a life time. Unlike Phelps people like you are a dime a dozen.
bob at 10:12AM on Aug 14th 2008
37. Yes he does!
staiano at 5:17PM on Aug 14th 2008
38. I usually never make ad hominem comments. However...you're an idiot.
By the way, "Rocky" was JUST A MOVIE. It was not based in reality; Kind of like most political pundits.
me at 10:46AM on Aug 14th 2008
39. I'm always amazed when someone questions whether this person or that person is a great athelete or the best athelete because that person has natural athletic ability. These people must think that Phelps just got in a pool one day and started swimming world record times. Do these people even have a clue how hard Phelps trains for these events?
Is Phelps the greatest Olympian of all time? In terms of I don't know but I would say that he is one of the greatest. Anyone who can dominate in their sport of choice would be considered one of the greatest atheletes of all time.
Tom at 11:14AM on Aug 14th 2008
40. The winner of the Olympics will be chosen based on their final medal tally. Phelps will be the standout based on that same principle.
That within itself makes him the "greatest Olympian" (singular) to ever compete in his given category. He'll be renowned for that until someone breaks his record.
He might not be able to heave a shot put 50' or throw the javelin the same distance. Doens't matter, he's the best of the entire assembled fields by virtue of his overall performance.
It would be hard to validate by athletic prowess which category makes an athlete the greatest "athlete" of all time
Every single man & woman carrying home gold, silver or bronze will have a lifetime memory attached to their dedication & accomplishment.
Phelps isn't the greatest athlete of all time but he should be considered the greatest of the Olympians.
He damn sure earned it....
Bobby at 11:48AM on Aug 14th 2008
41. I see what you're saying about rooting for the "average" guy - I loved "Hoosiers" and "Rudy," also. I also completely disagree with you lowering Phelps' accomplishments to being naturally built for swimming and entering more races with more opportunities for medals. What kind of false reasoning is that?? Hey, I'm naturally built for shot-putting, but I throw like a girl. The comparison to olympic basketball is especially poorly chosen. Even more so since the US decided to go with pros instead of the old college players. Now the team, if you can call it a team, is just a bunch of multi-millionaires showing their"patriotism" by playing - and using it to up their individual fees for corporate ads and to draw criticism away from a lot of their appalling behavior in the states. Yeah, that's a team to be proud of...
I say, great for you, Phelps, and all the other individuals competing in swimming, track and field, fencing, etc., that have trained hard for years to win their recognition.
As to saying Phelps is the "greatest" - sportscasting is, and always has been, about hyperbole.
Bas at 11:47AM on Aug 14th 2008
42. Once again the Airhead America shows his stupidity. He obviously has never struggled to achieve anything athletically or he might have a clue about determination the will power it takes to hit the pool every morning at 5 AM from the time you are 12 years old. That's why it looks easy, you jerk.
From the looks we get of your fat face on video, we can only imagine how big your French fry loaded ass is when you stand up. Go away.
OpenYourBlindEye08 at 12:55PM on Aug 14th 2008
43. What would happen if America had an Olympic training program akin to the former Soviet Union? Parents could choose to allow their unusually gifted child to attend a special school and train in a particular sport. It would certainly diversify the pool of athletes in certain sports like swimming and gymnanstics.
janesophie1 at 1:13PM on Aug 14th 2008
44. What would happen if America had an Olympic training program akin to the former Soviet Union? Parents could choose to allow their unusually gifted child to attend a special school and train in a particular sport. It would certainly diversify the pool of athletes in certain sports like swimming and gymnanstics.
janesophie1 at 1:14PM on Aug 14th 2008
45. Typical underachieving liberal whining. Just as the author deserves praise making the most of his God given talent to be a pudgy, cynical, pessimistic, candy ass, so does Phelps for being the most bad assed swimmer on earth.
Steve Bryant at 2:36PM on Aug 14th 2008