Michael Phelps D Greatist Athelete

[Swima]

That 100 fly was reminiscent of Nesty's win over Biondi in 88. THe first and only time a black man (trini born no less) stand atop the posium in olympic swimming.

Wait... is ah posey yuh say de man stand up on when he win?     Lol, I actually forget about he yes... didn't know he was born in Trini doh.  Dat like Maritza Correia, swimming for the US (sweet brownin' too).  Born Guyana, move Puerto Rico when she was small... then grow up SoFla.


I still find Phelps races compelling because I never liked Spitz and happy to see history made (especially at his expense).  I also tuning in to see if Phelps will set a WR each time.... so far he 6 for 7, but say what.

Wha bout i type posium!!! Is d hour pardnah.

Swam a few high school state champs in Florida that Maritza was at. Very talented girl. Had no idea she was born in Guyana. I am coaching a young Guyanese talent right now in trini.

[Peong]

Just because I don't accept a point as being decisive to an argument doesn't mean that I don't get the point.
I shouldn't have to explain that.

Continuing:
Phelps' greatness will be weighed down by the fact that in his sport it is common to excel in multiple disciplines, thus making it easier to win multiple medals.
If this was not the case then there would be no question that he's the greatest athlete or olympian.
He's definitely the greatest swimmer though.

I wonderin how he not burnt out by now.
He come from behind to catch that man in the 100m butterfly.

[Bakes]

I just saw a under water clip from the left side and phelps touch first ,unless NBC slow down the other guy .


BnS you doh like Spitz  how old are you ? ,he from way back in the day lol .

One ah mih friends text mih and say NBC doctor de video (in light of the 'footsteps' in de opening ceremonies) 

Spitz was before my time... but every Olympics he name comes up and he just strike me as smug and arrogant den.  Earlier in de week he was grousing how de IOC eh invite him tuh China to be there if Phelps break he record.  He's always been too much about heself fuh my tastes.

[Bakes]

Just because I don't accept a point as being decisive to an argument doesn't mean that I don't get the point.
I shouldn't have to explain that.

Continuing:
Phelps' greatness will be weighed down by the fact that in his sport it is common to excel in multiple disciplines, thus making it easier to win multiple medals.
If this was not the case then there would be no question that he's the greatest athlete or olympian.
He's definitely the greatest swimmer though.

I wonderin how he not burnt out by now.
He come from behind to catch that man in the 100m butterfly.

But it's not though.  Most swimmers generally (from the little I know) excel in one or two strokes... not three and four.  But I with yuh in dat it's certainly difficult to resolve the argument one way or another without introducing subjective factors.  The most objective measure is medal count, but that will forever be an imperfect barometer for many.

[Quags]

Just because I don't accept a point as being decisive to an argument doesn't mean that I don't get the point.
I shouldn't have to explain that.

Continuing:
Phelps' greatness will be weighed down by the fact that in his sport it is common to excel in multiple disciplines, thus making it easier to win multiple medals.
If this was not the case then there would be no question that he's the greatest athlete or olympian.
He's definitely the greatest swimmer though.

I wonderin how he not burnt out by now.
He come from behind to catch that man in the 100m butterfly.

But it's not though.  Most swimmers generally (from the little I know) excel in one or two strokes... not three and four.  But I with yuh in dat it's certainly difficult to resolve the argument one way or another without introducing subjective factors.  The most objective measure is medal count, but that will forever be an imperfect barometer for many.

I dont think it differcult to resolve atall ,he is the greatest .i think he want phelps to  win ah water polo and high diving event first ....or synchronized swimming or something ,all the strokes are totally different ,just like high jump different from shot put.

[Peong]

Yeh but check it, even if yuh good in 1 stroke, then it likely that yuh able to do two distances in that stroke, then yuh able to do yuh pet distance in a relay and a medley relay, then yuh still have the possibility of doing a relay and a medley in yuh secondary distance.
Doh talk for when yuh able to do 2 strokes.
In swimming yuh have plenty opportunity to win medals and Phelps is takin great advantage of that.

Arright he might be gettin burnt out, he only managed an Olympic record tonight.....

[Quags]

Yeah on paper it easy to think that ,but he is the first ,so it cant be that easy .Also with that train of thought Bolt should be getting some Hurdles and 400m gold medals too.

[Peong]

That is not my train of thought at all.
I sayin ppl could do it in swimming, but not in track and field.

[Quags]

daiz what making it special ,nobody coulda do it in swimming either ,before phelps .

[Bakes]

Yeah on paper it easy to think that ,but he is the first ,so it cant be that easy .Also with that train of thought Bolt should be getting some Hurdles and 400m gold medals too.

Peong I with Q here... I think what you saying might sound good in theory, I'm not convinced that that's how it works in reality.  As Q said, the fact that so few swimmers completely dominate in their event is one thing... the fact that even fewer dominate in every event is another that factors in Phelps' favor.  About the only distance he ent dominating in is 50m.  Nobody else has done what he's doing so clearly it can't be that easy, despite great swimmers like Spitz and Thorpe.  No woman even comes close.

But yeah.. maybe he need tuh donate some blood iand get he stones pull against some Croats in de pool before he juss hand him de title  

[TriniCana]

if ah see he ONE MORE TIME on meh TV screen ah go commit ah crime.
ah fed up see he finger nails touch dey wall before dey oder one. dey convince us ENOUGH dat is really he did touch first....LAWD and to say he going for 8 medals oui

cause ah he swimming capabilities, i ain't get to see half ah dey track and field competition.... steupse
torture boy torture 

[Swima]

That is not my train of thought at all.
I sayin ppl could do it in swimming, but not in track and field.

As Quags say, why other people not doing it then? Why the top 50 man cya win a medal in the 100. Why the only other male to double successfullywas Kitajima?Come on dawg, the man jus good. We hate to say it cause the US does rub ting in people face but d man good. He better than most who dey and and dat ehn jus those who in d water cube.  I was going and bring the hurdles analogy too but someone else beat me to it. Carl Lewis dominate the 100 200 and long jump so why is it that other men cya do it? Cause Carl was that good too, not so? So give jack he jacket nah!

[daryn]

Yeah on paper it easy to think that ,but he is the first ,so it cant be that easy .Also with that train of thought Bolt should be getting some Hurdles and 400m gold medals too.

Peong I with Q here... I think what you saying might sound good in theory, I'm not convinced that that's how it works in reality.  As Q said, the fact that so few swimmers completely dominate in their event is one thing... the fact that even fewer dominate in every event is another that factors in Phelps' favor.  About the only distance he ent dominating in is 50m.  Nobody else has done what he's doing so clearly it can't be that easy, despite great swimmers like Spitz and Thorpe.  No woman even comes close.

But yeah.. maybe he need tuh donate some blood iand get he stones pull against some Croats in de pool before he juss hand him de title 

disclaimer: I eh know anything about swimming.  In fact, what little I know is from reading Swima's posts.

it seems that every Olympics sports like swimming and gymnastics have people winning quite a few medals.  Just off the top of my head I could think of Biondi, Van Dyken and Thorpe.   Now none of these people have as much gold as Phelps or the diversity of events but I think it's a good benchmark for how much of an aberration Phelps' achievements really is if you want to talk about greatest athlete Olympian ever. 

In fact we could even look to the fact that Katie Hoff is attempting 6 events at these same games.  Is it even plausible for a track athlete to attempt 6 events?   Look at the individual events available in track: 100, 110h/100h, 200, 400, 800, 1500, 5,000, 10,000, marathon.  What is the chance that someone will even enter 4 of these events in our lifetime?

Another swimmer will repeat Phelps' achievement before a track athlete wins 4 individual golds.  I personally, would rate Phelps winning 8 (or 7 if they don't close the deal) on par with Jesse Owens and Carl Lewis  winning 4.  His overall medal count I would equate with Carl Lewis winning 9 over his career.  JMO.

People who play team sports also get the short-end of the stick when people just look at medal count.  they play for two weeks for one medal at the end.   What if Michael Jordan was 100 times better at playing basketball?  he'd still have the same number of Olympic golds.

[morvant]

greatest olympian but not greatest athlete

is he better than venus, tiger, pele, zidane,  lara, me etc.

too much variables affecting his speed to say best athlete

[Swima]

greatest olympian but not greatest athlete

is he better than venus, tiger, pele, zidane,  lara, me etc.

too much variables affecting his speed to say best athlete

I'll buy that, esp. after seeing you sweat.

[Trini Madness]

i was reading an article in de daily news and it say phelps has some kind of a hyperactive disorder meaning he possesses more energy than the normal human being.

i dont like how they saying hes de greatest athlete. greatest olympian? i 100% agree. u go put him above muhammad ali? nah...

[weary1969]

OK 8 is enough bye bye phewwwwwww