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Old 08-17-2008, 03:24 PM
 
Location: The 719
17,932 posts, read 27,351,852 times
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Greatest Athlete Ever? Subjective argument.

Holder of 8 gold medals in a single olympics? Fact.
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Old 08-18-2008, 09:45 AM
 
6,762 posts, read 11,606,015 times
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Breaking News!!!!

Michael Phelps stripped of all 8 gold medals after failing medical examinations. After extensive urinalysis, blood tests, and most importantly, visual inspections, Phelps has tested positive for being non human. Thats right, he tested positive for being a fish!
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Old 08-18-2008, 10:46 AM
 
Location: The 719
17,932 posts, read 27,351,852 times
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Ha Ha! Pretty funny. You had me kind of worried there for a sec. I already knew he was a fish though. If he tries to slam dunk a basketball, his knees explode or something like that.
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Old 08-18-2008, 11:04 AM
 
Location: Indiana
270 posts, read 1,158,474 times
Reputation: 231
i think that he has gills that is why he has such an underbite, the gills push his jaw forward. You know like Kevin Costner in waterworld.

it has already been said he is probably not the best athlete in ever but he is the best ever at what he does no denying that. you cant really compare with other sports
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Old 08-18-2008, 10:41 PM
 
Location: Drury Lane
825 posts, read 2,812,742 times
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Cool A few observations.....

I heard his mother say his teachers told her when he was young "not to expect much from him" and that he was "hyperactive." Some teacher somewhere must feel real silly...how's that foot taste.

My wife pointed this out....kinda weird...he looks a little like Timothy McVeigh.

Another announcer asked Jason Lezak about what it felt like to win the race for Phelps or something to that affect. She really pushed the issue that his part of the relay was only so important because it helped Phelps get a gold medal. It was a team effort to win a relay race not the Michael Phelps show.

The greatest athlete thing is too subjective a question.

I think I've got Phelps Fatigue...time for the fall shows to come on.
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Old 08-19-2008, 12:05 AM
 
Location: yeah
5,717 posts, read 16,314,042 times
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That guys does less swimming in one Olympiad than a soccer player runs in a game.
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Old 08-19-2008, 10:39 AM
 
3,031 posts, read 9,072,442 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lola8822 View Post
Did I mention he's hot? lol

I can't agree with that. LOL But it's weird. If the camera catches him at one angle, I think he's nice looking. Another angle and I think he's just weird looking.

As far as the doping accusations, it aggravates me. Dara Torres is 41 and made the Olympic team so she must be using illegal substances. Michael Phelps accomplished something no other swimmer has done so he must be using illegal substances.

Why don't the gossipers who spread this kind of stuff talk about Dara and Michael's training routine? I doubt 99.9% of us would have the drive or ability to devote single mindedly to training, development and competition as these two athletes.
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Old 08-19-2008, 02:54 PM
 
249 posts, read 608,779 times
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I don't think you could discount Phelps as potentially the greatest athlete ever. We really don't know what his capabilites are with any other type of sport. Overall athleticism would include balance, coordination, strength, power, endurance, technical skill.

Forget all the gold medals and world records ... Phelps's ability to warm up, perform at his peak, cool down, rest and recover, then do it all over again in less than an hour is a testament to his level of conditioning - both mentally and physically.

With that in mind, I think you'd have to consider him at least in very select company as far as a conversation about the world's greatest athletes.

My vote for a general class of athletes that are superior to pretty much all others has to go to male gynmasts though. They have incredible power, balance, flexibility, coordination, and kinesthetic awareness ... always knowing exactly what their bodies are doing in the middle of multiple flips and twists. As well ... considering how different each gymnastic event is and how each requires different athletic attibutes ... hard for just a power lifter, endurance athlete, football player, etc to really measure up.
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Old 08-19-2008, 02:56 PM
 
Location: Laguna Woods, CA
198 posts, read 352,933 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fighting For Air View Post

My vote for a general class of athletes that are superior to pretty much all others has to go to male gynmasts though. They have incredible power, balance, flexibility, coordination, and kinesthetic awareness ... always knowing exactly what their bodies are doing in the middle of multiple flips and twists. As well ... considering how different each gymnastic event is and how each requires different athletic attibutes ... hard for just a power lifter, endurance athlete, football player, etc to really measure up.
Just curious....why just male gymnasts?
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Old 08-19-2008, 03:05 PM
 
249 posts, read 608,779 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by krudmonk View Post
That guys does less swimming in one Olympiad than a soccer player runs in a game.

Wrong ... factor in all the warm ups and cool downs and he's putting in a hell of a lot of yardage every day of competition. As well ... running is a lot easier than swimming so there's really no comparison. World class athletes running a mile = under 4 minutes ... swimmiing a mile = under 15 minutes.

Swimming 400 yards generally equates to the same amount of time that it would take to run a mile, if you make swimming vs. track comparisons. 50 swim sprint = 220 track event; 100 swim sprint equals quarter mile track event; etc.
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