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Single Greatest Individual Ahtletic Achievements?
August 13, 2008
First of all, don't downgrade me or judge me because this isn't "SOX" related, nor baseball, but it is a timely, and appropriate discussion, I beleive for this day and age.
The Host filling in for Colin Cowherd on ESPN radio was right, EVERYONE WAS WORRIED about pollution, the human rights people, the yadda yadda yadda, at these olympics in Beijing.... Michael Phelps (and this is a quote) "Fixed the pollution problem at these olympics." Far fetched as that sounds, what he is attempting, NAY, what he HAS accomplished even now, is a feat that in our lifetimes we'll never see again.
Now I can rattle off some pretty amazing individual athletic achievements, Steve Prefontaine, Alberto Salazar, That Wrestler guy who beat the russian last olympics (Gardner) Sorry . blanked on the name. . . Mark Spitz (of course), Greg Louganis, Carl Lewis, Michael Johnson, Flo Jo, Jackie Joyner Kersee, The Flying Finn, Edwin Moses, and the list goes on and on and on. . .
Michael Phelps, what he has done and what he is trying to achieve, I think can't be scoffed at, swept under the rug, nor laughed at. EIGHT gold medals from the same olympics . . . never been done before, he already has 11 golds in his career, which makes him the MOST decorated olympian EVER.... wow. . what a feat.
Do I think he'll get the 8 golds? the obvious answer is, if he can nail the breast stroke event (his 2nd to worst event) he'll get the 8. .(DUH!)... my gut tells me he's on a high, every race he's been in he or his team has gotten a new WR, and yeah he's on a roll. . so My gut says watch for history to be made...
The only think I can compare to this sort of gravity, this history, this pride and feeling this feat can get close to, is a Perfect Game being pitched, Winning the Master's as an Amateur, but those don't even come close if you ask me.
I heard someone on talk radio say "any team sport athlete, pro could do what these cats are doing in the olympics". . and I scoff. . . probably not, just as Ellsbury, Wake, Youk, Peddy, Dice-K and etc have specialties in what THEY do, they've been in the baseball groove for years, and they are baseball players.... take them off the field, sure some might have a nice jump shot, or some can run for ever, some can maybe even throw a football, but are they anything else but baseball players? Hmmm. . that is what they do. . . and I'll argue with anyone, take Kobe Bryant, or Tom Brady, or Randy Moss, put them in the pool, and their athleticism might give them a head start, but they will be NO match for the swimmers we have representing us, or the track athletes, or etc. . .
I welcome you all to make comments, I'm very excited to see Phelps destroy everyone in his wake, and make Ian Thorpe (who said it couldn't be done) EAT CROW. . I'm proud of Phelps Team USA, and to be an Olympics Fan.....
Dave from Oregon
-Oregon Dave
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