Michael the Magnificent
This is not about college basketball, but looking at what Americans have watched over the last week. You go to the candy store, go to pick up newspapers, run over to grab a cup of coffee, everyone is talking about Phelps Mania. Yes, Michael Phelps put on a show in Beijing. He went eight-for-eight in gold, baby!
Now the question is out there … is he our greatest athlete ever?
Let's take a look at it.
He has the most gold medals of any athlete in Olympic history. Phelps passed several great athletes when he got his 10th gold earlier in the games. Think about names like Carl Lewis, Mark Spitz and a handful of others who had nine. Think about it …14 gold medals over two Olympiads. My friends, that is astonishing!
When you think about the competition between Spitz and Phelps in the pool, it is all about the clock. Phelps just shattered world record after world record. Of his eight gold medal wins, seven established new world marks. Yes, I know he had help in the relays, but re-writing the record book time after time is impressive.
He was really Michael the Magnificent, with apologies to Michael Jordan. Phelps was amazing, incredible, unbelievable and unbeatable.
When looking at the greatest athletes in the world today, the name Tiger Woods would have to be in consideration. You think about basketball players like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant because of the agility and mobility displayed.
Phelps is in another world. Nobody could compete with him.
I am a basketball lover and I have tremendous respect for their athleticism and ability to be Baryshnikov in shorts. I still have to pick Phelps as the premier athlete out there today. You have made a believer out of me.
