REAL MAN SPORTS

MICHAEL PHELPS AND THE BIAS AGAINST SWIMMERS

 

By MICHAEL WOODS

Sports Correspondent, Real Man Magazine

 

BEIJING, China (RM) -- Turn on ESPN or any TV or radio sports show and you’ll hear talk about Michael Phelps’ historic Olympic run.  The guy won six gold medals and two bronze at the 2004 games.  He’s won eight gold medals at the 2008 games.  He’s won fourteen gold medals altogether – five more than any other Olympian.

 

You’d think the talk would be all about how this guy could be the greatest athlete that’s ever lived.  You’d be wrong.  The talk has been all about why he isn’t the greatest athlete and that no one cares about swimming.

 

Most of these sports mouths know little or nothing about swimming.  Don’t you just love it when these talking heads opine about subjects for which they are ignorant?  You’d think they’d do a little homework, maybe review some tapes, read some books, or just plain recuse themselves from commenting, since they have nothing valuable to offer.  Yeah right.

 

If you’ve ever witnessed prejudice, here it is in all its glory.  If we were talking about football, basketball, baseball, golf – you know Tom Brady, Michael Jordan, Barry Bonds, or Tiger Woods - you’d be hearing a much different story.  The talking heads know a little something about those sports.  They may have even played them as a kid.  How many of these analysts or writers were in competitive swimming when they were a kid?  Very few, is my educated guess based on the comments I’ve heard.

 

Also, I’ve heard many of them say that Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan are better athletes.  Are you kidding me?  Let’s go over this again.  Tiger Woods does not have the record for the most major titles.  Michael Phelps is the best ever at his sport, based on the amount of titles / gold medals he’s won.  Tiger may someday hold the record for most major titles, but not yet.  In addition, even though I’m a golfer and I believe golfers are athletes, let’s be clear about Tiger – he swings a club and walks a course!  Not exactly even in the same league as to the physical exertion it takes to accomplish what Phelps has done. 

 

As far as Michael Jordan, he’s certainly one of the greatest basketball players ever – but many of these sports heads can’t even agree on that.  For example, Michael Jordan, similarly to Tiger Woods, does not have the most championships ever.  There are actually seven players who have more championships than Jordan.

 

Once again, these so-called sports ‘men’ are ruled by their emotions rather than the facts in front of them.  The proof is in the numbers.  Michael Phelps is the greatest Olympian ever – based on the numbers.  Period.  Let’s at least give him enough props to include him in the discussion of the top five of greatest athletes.

 

Do any of these guys know what it’s like to swim laps in the pool by themselves?  Do they know what it’s like to race against someone in the pool?  Do they have any concept of the kind of physical shape they must be in, in order to swim at that level?  Obviously, these guys don’t have a clue.

 

I confess, I’ve never swam competitively and I don’t watch much swimming.  But given that background, a quick review of the facts reveals the sheer and utter dominance of Michael Phelps as an athlete.

 

It’s time to leave the girlie man-crushes and the prejudice on the sidelines guys.  Michael Phelps is indubitably one of the greatest athletes ever – in any sport.

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