I have to agree a little bit with Peirsolfan on this one, that swimming needs all the attention it can get from non-swimmers, but I also understand how some of these guys must feel.
They're doing something they love, and are naturally (Along with some serious hard work) amazing at. They didn't really ask to be celebrities, nor did they really seek out this fame that's kind of been thrust on them. There are really no excuses to make for the majority of them, behavior wise (Geek, feel free to ad-lib some line about MP right here, haha), as they've conducted themselves like the public figures they've become.
I just personally, even though I'm a female and all, don't know how comfortable I'd be with all these fansites popping up about me, admiring me for my "hotness" rather than the swimming ability I work so hard for. Granted, it's always nice to be admired, but dealing with giddy screaming girls when you're trying to concentrate on a race can be a little frustrating sometimes, I'm sure. After all, it's not a movie premier, it's international competition.
No offense, of course, to any of the screaming girl-fans. I happen, on many an occasion, to be one of them, as well as being a swimmer greenly envious of Aaron Peirsol's flip-turns and arm span. It's just another point of view.
I have to agree a little bit with Peirsolfan on this one, that swimming needs all the attention it can get from non-swimmers, but I also understand how some of these guys must feel.
They're doing something they love, and are naturally (Along with some serious hard work) amazing at. They didn't really ask to be celebrities, nor did they really seek out this fame that's kind of been thrust on them. There are really no excuses to make for the majority of them, behavior wise (Geek, feel free to ad-lib some line about MP right here, haha), as they've conducted themselves like the public figures they've become.
I just personally, even though I'm a female and all, don't know how comfortable I'd be with all these fansites popping up about me, admiring me for my "hotness" rather than the swimming ability I work so hard for. Granted, it's always nice to be admired, but dealing with giddy screaming girls when you're trying to concentrate on a race can be a little frustrating sometimes, I'm sure. After all, it's not a movie premier, it's international competition.
No offense, of course, to any of the screaming girl-fans. I happen, on many an occasion, to be one of them, as well as being a swimmer greenly envious of Aaron Peirsol's flip-turns and arm span. It's just another point of view.
