Does Michael Phelps deserve SI Athlete of the year?

[JDKZRT]

Swimming would be a sport with your logic though if you say running is, weightlifting, etc.

I don't have a ***gin clue as to what you're trying to say......
but what I am saying is Boldt's accomplishment surpasses Phelp's accomplishment because everyone in the world can draw 2 lines in the sand... 100 meters, or 200 meters apart and try to duplicate what he (Boldt) did. You don't eveb need a pair of shoes on you feet to do it.
... tell me where the olympic size swimming pool in Honduras, Rwanda and Chad is.
As I said before, what Phelps did was spectacular,but right now....Boldt is the fastest man alive.
Sorry I hurt you feelings if you are/were a competitive swimmer.
I'm done.

 

[Camden]

Good choice for the US athlete of the year.
Worldwide choice would have to be Usaine Boldt though.

Bolt's hotdogging probably took him out of contention for the award. That kind of stuff is not what sports are about. No question what he was able to do was impressive but he didn't do it with any class.

 

[Sturgis Sledder]

You don't need an olympic sized pool to train in, there are alot of swimmers that train in the ocean. All they need is water to swim in and there isn't a country in the world that doesn't have a body of water to swim in. When I swam, we trained in a smaller town pool and swam a mile in the morning and sprints after school.

 

[Scott]

Ehhhhhhhh Mon. Jamayyyyyyca roon een dee bobe-sleeding reeses, Mon.

 

[JDKZRT]

Ehhhhhhhh Mon. Jamayyyyyyca roon een dee bobe-sleeding reeses, Mon.

Coooooooollllllll Ruuunnnnnnniiiiinnnnggggssssss!!!!

 

[Beels]

I don't have a ***gin clue as to what you're trying to say......
but what I am saying is Boldt's accomplishment surpasses Phelp's accomplishment because everyone in the world can draw 2 lines in the sand... 100 meters, or 200 meters apart and try to duplicate what he (Boldt) did. You don't eveb need a pair of shoes on you feet to do it.
... tell me where the olympic size swimming pool in Honduras, Rwanda and Chad is.
As I said before, what Phelps did was spectacular,but right now....Boldt is the fastest man alive.
Sorry I hurt you feelings if you are/were a competitive swimmer.
I'm done.

I don't agree with you on this at all. It doesn't matter which sport it is, Phelps' accomplished what no one had done since Mark Spitz. I'll bet dollars to donuts that Boldt's records are broken long before Phelps' are. Not saying Boldt isn't an amazing athlete with an unreal talent, I just believe that Phelps' accomplishments stood out more.

 

[milehighassassin]

Tiger can be "Baby" of the year... My leg hurts wawawawaaaaa

Because he played through a torn MCL?

 

[milehighassassin]

It was not only the suits but it was a "fast pool" they used lane ropes that eliminated waves and it was deeper so as to eliminate waves coming back from the bottom of the pool as well. The Olympic stages were set up in the most technologically advanced way so as there would be many records smashed in China. Does he deserve it? YES he does, he swam 17 races in 8 days and won EVERY one of them, the man trains harder than anyone else and that training paid off. The races were in different strokes, with different distances, so he had to focus on all of his strokes and distances. Plus his genetics figure into the equation as well:

I am glad you got to the part that said he deserves it. Yes there was technology at play in breaking the records, but everyone in that pool had the same advantage. He didn't wear the suite but only for a few races.

To those saying he only competed for 8 days, well go ahead and keep thinking that. He raced all year coming into this, he still had to qualify to even make the Olympics, and he has other races scheduled as well.

His butt was also up every morning at 4:00 so he could swim laps, work on his form, his start, his turns, etc. He strength trains on top of that. He probably works harder in one day than many do in one week.

 

[shortstop20]

Because he played through a torn MCL?

You must have missed the memo milehigh, according to some of the guys here:

you just hit the ball and it goes where you want it to.
the courses that people on SnoWest play on are just as hard as the courses the Pro's play on.
most pro golfers are fat and out of shape.
and most of all, it's not a sport.

Phelps deserved it this year, but Tiger will win at least 3 of them in the next decade. His best years are yet to come IMO.

 

[Sturgis Sledder]

You must have missed the memo milehigh, according to some of the guys here:

you just hit the ball and it goes where you want it to.
the courses that people on SnoWest play on are just as hard as the courses the Pro's play on.
most pro golfers are fat and out of shape.
and most of all, it's not a sport.

Phelps deserved it this year, but Tiger will win at least 3 of them in the next decade. His best years are yet to come IMO.

ROTFLMAO These are the same guys that in the same breath say "BUT that Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, Tony Stewart, and . . . now THOSE guys are athletes."

 

[Snowizard]

My thoughts of Michael Phelps (sorry, I don't know about the other fellow being discussed)
is that aside from his amazing accomplishments, I hope he doesn't fall prey to gambling, drugs (heaven forbid), or bad "love" relationships that cost him millions of Dollars, and damages his reputation.

In interviews, he seems like a real nice kid, a bit naive perhaps. Just my observation as a 37 year career college instructor.(he's 23, I consider that "college age." )
No thats not a put-down.
Hopefully he listens to his family and has honest advisors.

 

[togwotee9]

He won 8 medals. Case closed

 

[Sturgis Sledder]

He won 8 GOLD medals at this Olympics and 14 career Olympic Medals. Case closed

Fixed it for you.

 

[Aug]

yep

 

[shortstop20]

ROTFLMAO These are the same guys that in the same breath say "BUT that Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, Tony Stewart, and . . . now THOSE guys are athletes."

You're preaching to the choir. LOL

 

[Supplicate]

I hope he doesn't fall prey to gambling, drugs (heaven forbid), or bad "love" relationships that cost him millions of Dollars, and damages his reputation.

Do some research. He has already created a swimming foundation for the promotion of the sport using a portion of the million dollar prize from Speedo.

http://www.michaelphelpsfoundation.com/

and to anyone that doubts that swimming is a sport, spend time with a collegiate, or even high school level, competitive swimmer. I've never been around a group that practices more or expends more energy during their practices.

 

[HawkShot99]

I hope he doesn't fall prey to gambling, drugs (heaven forbid), or bad "love" relationships that cost him millions of Dollars, and damages his reputation.

He already received a DUI when he was 19.

 

[shortstop20]

Whoopty doo, weren't we all stupid when we were young?

How many of you guys could have gotten DUI's 20, 30, 40 years ago when they used to just let you go? Drunk is drunk no matter if it was 30 years ago or now.

 

[Snowizard]

Actually , whipper snappers,you missed my point completely, I was NOT being critical of him. I was hoping he wouldn't be taken advangage of , or go nuts throwing money away like some other sports stars, actors, or rock stars.
Maybe I could have explained myself better, in the earlier post.

I'm on the side of young people, after all they were my livelyhood for almost 40 years.
And yeah, we all do stupid stuff when we were young. No, I won't relate any of mine.

 

[bigflip13]

the only person close to him is tiger woods he one the british open with a torn acl he is pretty much amazing