Lost Olympics?

Paul Newberry works for the Associated Press. I don't really know anything about him but if he is the guy AP assigned to cover Michael Phelps at the Olympics then he must be talented and know his stuff. It is Newberry's article that Yahoo.com and SI.com linked to after the race. I am sure it will appear in newspapers across the country.

His lead?

"His Olympics looking lost, Michael Phelps decided to flap those gangly arms one more time."

Really?

So the idea is if Milorad Cavic had decided to just push his fingers forward instead of up that Phelps, with six gold medals already under his belt, lost his Olympics.

Harsh world we live in.

For a least a week, Phelps has made swimming must watch TV. His quest has transcended the Olympics. Lots of people like me would watch any way but Phelps has become appointment viewing. But if he had come up short in that race or if he falls short in his final race-- how does that erase all he has accomplished? He is the greatest swimmer of all time. What makes Phelps so remarkable is that he is so good in every stroke. To think that if he wins just seven golds and one silver that he failed could only happen in America. Have we become that jaded? We are watching something special and remarkable yet it is like many, not just Newberry, who want some reason to tarnish it. I don't care if Phelps had lost that race. I don't care if the U.S. doesn't medal in the last race. What Phelps has done is so remarkable, it can't be tarnished.

I mean Muhammed Ali lost five times. Ty Cobb hit .366 for his career which means he failed nearly 64 percent of the time. Joe Montana lost an AFC Championship game. Tiger Woods has won 14 majors but he has lost 37. Carl Lewis was awarded nine gold medals but he lost the 200 meters in 1988 to teammate Joe DeLoach.

Phelps has rewritten the swimming record books. To not win eight medals doesn't change any of that. Newberry's lead was a poor choice but one I am sure his editors believe. It is the nature of the beast.

UPDATE
ESPN has a more positive version of the same article.