I am really in an inflammatory mood and am going to say a couple of things on my mind.
First, regarding Speedo's sponsorship of Phelps three words come to mind that they might consider using in their next media blitz for selling suits to worshipers of the sport: Loser, poor sport and quitter.
Loser: in my mind, Phelps finished second in the 200 free but the average Joe sixpack will call that a loss. Hence, loser.
Poor Sport: it's been mentioned already in another thread that Phelps wouldn't even look at Biedermann after his loss. And we vilified Kitajima for his behavior? Hmmm.
Quitter: Bowman says he shouldn't swim until the suits are banned and Phelps says Bowman knows best. It's great to stick by your sponsor but shouldn't good ethical values trump your coaches view on occasion?
Second, regarding the 'great coaches' opinions: Schubert wants to place an asterisk by all records with the new suits. Bowman says it's all right to go back to 2007, before the LZR was introduced.
Doesn't that mean that all Phelps medals at Beijing are invalid? Or, at least, should have a star by the listing? How does Mark Spitz feel about that? What about Ian Thrope's comment that Phelps could never beat Spitz' record? Since Phelps is the Speedo poster boy for the LZR and, as noted elsewhere in the Forums, beat Crocker's record in a full body suit shouldn't he be ashamed?
My opinion of the whole lot has dropped tangibly. Personally, I'm ashamed to have cheered for Phelps during his career. He embarasses me...
Doesn't that mean that all Phelps medals at Beijing are invalid? Or, at least, should have a star by the listing? ...
No - he won those races, he won those medals - maybe based on the current comments about what records, which suit, and when they are "official WR", the records he set in Bejing may be "invalid", but in most Olympics not all the winners set WR.
Phelps lost for the first time in 4+ years, he's pissed - he knows he didn't train enough, the suits tech has caught up and surpassed the LZR and he got beat by a guy who wasn't very much on the radar - Biedermann swam a huge race, immense from start to finish - did the suit give him the extra 1.22 sec - maybe, more than likely. If they were to have raced in LZRs it could very well (likely?) have been a different result.
Maybe that is the level playing field everyone talks about - everyone gets to wear the same suit at these - be it a LZR, Jaked, plain old lycra - someone make a decision, make the suit makers bid for the rights like the networks bid on the television rights. Or just outlaw the suits, make it final, make the definitions mean something -Fina should stop this silly back and forth idiocy.
Phelps is just like everyother athlete who has worked hard and enjoyed great sucess - when they fall or stumble they are generally angry - hopefully at themselves. If you cheered him for this long, I don't see that his acting human and in the moment should really change that.
Doesn't that mean that all Phelps medals at Beijing are invalid? Or, at least, should have a star by the listing? ...
No - he won those races, he won those medals - maybe based on the current comments about what records, which suit, and when they are "official WR", the records he set in Bejing may be "invalid", but in most Olympics not all the winners set WR.
Phelps lost for the first time in 4+ years, he's pissed - he knows he didn't train enough, the suits tech has caught up and surpassed the LZR and he got beat by a guy who wasn't very much on the radar - Biedermann swam a huge race, immense from start to finish - did the suit give him the extra 1.22 sec - maybe, more than likely. If they were to have raced in LZRs it could very well (likely?) have been a different result.
Maybe that is the level playing field everyone talks about - everyone gets to wear the same suit at these - be it a LZR, Jaked, plain old lycra - someone make a decision, make the suit makers bid for the rights like the networks bid on the television rights. Or just outlaw the suits, make it final, make the definitions mean something -Fina should stop this silly back and forth idiocy.
Phelps is just like everyother athlete who has worked hard and enjoyed great sucess - when they fall or stumble they are generally angry - hopefully at themselves. If you cheered him for this long, I don't see that his acting human and in the moment should really change that.
