Originally Posted by TripletDaddy (Post 252031)

I am all about Phelps. I am more interested in him than in USA basketball, actually. He is on the cusp of something truly amazing.

However, I have been glued to the Olympics since I was a kid in 84.....Los Angeles Summer Games. I caught the bug and never looked back.

My favorite things about each Olympics:

1. Watching the new and creative ways to light the Olympic flame. Does everyone remember the archer with the flaming arrow in Barcelona? How amazing was that?

2. Parade of Nations (I know many find this boring...I find it to be really cool)

3. Track and Field...esp the relays.....there is something terribly exciting about watching 4 USA sprinters pass that baton and watch them build that lead on each pass. I could do without the mugging and posing and using the American flag as a cape, which took place several years ago. That was lame.

4. Looking at the medal count and seeing the USA at the top

5. Looking at the medal count and seeing that one lone tiny nation with one medal.....maybe a bronze, maybe even a gold.....but you know that whomever it was that won the medal will forever be a hero in his or her country.

6. The National Anthem and the raising of the US flag. That never gets old for me. I love watching the atheletes....will they cry? will they be stone faced? will they attempt to sing (and mess up the lyrics?)...it seems silly....why should I feel a tremendous swell of national pride simply because an American swam a faster 100M butterfly stroke than a Japanese person? Who cares, really? I cannot explain it, but for whatever reason, the Olympics make me care.

7. The Olympic rings/logo everywhere. yes, I realize that it is a branding exercise and that the Olympics are largely about corporate sponsorship and money. However, for those that have lived in a host city....SLC, for example.....did you think it was cool to see Olympic stuff all over the place? The gigantic murals or pictures of atheletes draped over downtown buildings, the Olympic Flame burning at the local stadium, flags of nations everywhere.....you just feel like you are at the epicenter of something incredibly important and fun. Maybe others felt it to be an intrusion (traffic, crowds, etc...), but i loved being a part of it. I hope the Olympics return to Los Angeles again in my lifetime.

Originally Posted by cougjunkie (Post 252035)

I thought the archer was the atlanta games after Muhammad Ali came out?

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy (Post 252031)

I am all about Phelps. I am more interested in him than in USA basketball, actually. He is on the cusp of something truly amazing.

However, I have been glued to the Olympics since I was a kid in 84.....Los Angeles Summer Games. I caught the bug and never looked back.

My favorite things about each Olympics:

1. Watching the new and creative ways to light the Olympic flame. Does everyone remember the archer with the flaming arrow in Barcelona? How amazing was that?

2. Parade of Nations (I know many find this boring...I find it to be really cool)

3. Track and Field...esp the relays.....there is something terribly exciting about watching 4 USA sprinters pass that baton and watch them build that lead on each pass. I could do without the mugging and posing and using the American flag as a cape, which took place several years ago. That was lame.

4. Looking at the medal count and seeing the USA at the top

5. Looking at the medal count and seeing that one lone tiny nation with one medal.....maybe a bronze, maybe even a gold.....but you know that whomever it was that won the medal will forever be a hero in his or her country.

6. The National Anthem and the raising of the US flag. That never gets old for me. I love watching the atheletes....will they cry? will they be stone faced? will they attempt to sing (and mess up the lyrics?)...it seems silly....why should I feel a tremendous swell of national pride simply because an American swam a faster 100M butterfly stroke than a Japanese person? Who cares, really? I cannot explain it, but for whatever reason, the Olympics make me care.

7. The Olympic rings/logo everywhere. yes, I realize that it is a branding exercise and that the Olympics are largely about corporate sponsorship and money. However, for those that have lived in a host city....SLC, for example.....did you think it was cool to see Olympic stuff all over the place? The gigantic murals or pictures of atheletes draped over downtown buildings, the Olympic Flame burning at the local stadium, flags of nations everywhere.....you just feel like you are at the epicenter of something incredibly important and fun. Maybe others felt it to be an intrusion (traffic, crowds, etc...), but i loved being a part of it. I hope the Olympics return to Los Angeles again in my lifetime.

Originally Posted by cougjunkie (Post 252045)

Regarding Phelps he will only be 27 at the next Olympic games, can you imagine what he is going to do to just about every record out there.

He has 11 golds now, and 2 bronze, if he wins his next 3 races here he will have 14 gold medals and 2 bronze medals. In 2012 I doubt he would try 8 events again so let be conservative and say he wins 4 gold medals. Then he realistically could specialize in one or two events and come back in 2016 he would only be 31 and what if he wins another gold or 2.

We could realistically see this kid win 20 gold medals in his career.

Originally Posted by cougjunkie (Post 252045)

Regarding Phelps he will only be 27 at the next Olympic games, can you imagine what he is going to do to just about every record out there.

He has 11 golds now, and 2 bronze, if he wins his next 3 races here he will have 14 gold medals and 2 bronze medals. In 2012 I doubt he would try 8 events again so let be conservative and say he wins 4 gold medals. Then he realistically could specialize in one or two events and come back in 2016 he would only be 31 and what if he wins another gold or 2.

We could realistically see this kid win 20 gold medals in his career.

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski (Post 252056)

After Beijing, I wonder if he will have sufficient motivation to train at this level for another four years.

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski (Post 252056)

After Beijing, I wonder if he will have sufficient motivation to train at this level for another four years.

Originally Posted by Gidget (Post 252026)

I didn't quite know where to post this - so here I am. This Olympics is the first I feel I have really been into. I have admired other athletes and watched their respective competitions before, but this year I am a huge supporter of the U.S. all around. The level of these athletes is incredible and I find myself every night glued to the screen during primetime and even during the day watching every event I possibly can. Literally, everyone in our house is losing sleep just to stay up and watch swimming, it's awesome. I really want to see Phelps win 8 golds, who's with me?

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy (Post 252055)

This is a good point. Phelps could be the next Lezak....swimming one leg of a couple of relays in future Olympics, picking up a few more Golds.

That guy is set for life if he plays his cards right....

1. Motivational/Corporate speaking circuit
2. Book deals
3. Endorsements for swim gear
4. His own swim academy/school
5. Trainer/coach/consultant for future Olympic teams (hopefully just for the USA)
6. TV analyst for swimming

i read yesterday that his swim regimen includes 50 miles a week. holy crap. That guy deserves every bit of success/fame he is tasting right now.

Originally Posted by cougjunkie (Post 252071)

I read yesterday that with his endorsement deals he currently makes roughly 5 million a year. If he breaks the record that will triple.

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski (Post 252076)

Can you imagine the disappointment there will be if he falters in one these last three races?

Originally Posted by RC Vikings (Post 252088)

I love the fringe sports that you see in the middle of the morning like rowing and badminton.

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy (Post 252031)

7. The Olympic rings/logo everywhere. yes, I realize that it is a branding exercise and that the Olympics are largely about corporate sponsorship and money. However, for those that have lived in a host city....SLC, for example.....did you think it was cool to see Olympic stuff all over the place? The gigantic murals or pictures of atheletes draped over downtown buildings, the Olympic Flame burning at the local stadium, flags of nations everywhere.....you just feel like you are at the epicenter of something incredibly important and fun. Maybe others felt it to be an intrusion (traffic, crowds, etc...), but i loved being a part of it. I hope the Olympics return to Los Angeles again in my lifetime.

Originally Posted by Coach McGuirk (Post 252222)

speaking of phelps, what the hell is in the water in Beijing? I have never seen so many records broken. They are breaking the record in every event, multiple times in prelims.

They should test the water.

Originally Posted by Coach McGuirk (Post 252222)

speaking of phelps, what the hell is in the water in Beijing? I have never seen so many records broken. They are breaking the record in every event, multiple times in prelims.

They should test the water.

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy (Post 252225)

Swimmers are doping.

OR

all the swimmers this year as super amazing athletes that dedicate themselves and train hard, thus breaking world records every single day of these Olympics.

Originally Posted by cougjunkie (Post 252226)

Most are saying it is the new suits they have. They are completely lazer seamed so that no stitches are used at all.

Originally Posted by Coach McGuirk (Post 252227)

It is just crazy to see a world record fall, and half the field finished under the old record time. Just saying.

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy (Post 252232)

My poorly veiled answer: dopers.

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy (Post 252031)

However, I have been glued to the Olympics since I was a kid in 84.....Los Angeles Summer Games. I caught the bug and never looked back.

Originally Posted by Flystripper (Post 252253)

Phelps as asked that they run extra tests on his blood. Tests that are not required by the Olympic committee.

Originally Posted by Flystripper (Post 252253)

Phelps as asked that they run extra tests on his blood. Tests that are not required by the Olympic committee.

Originally Posted by SteelBlue (Post 252254)

Me too. I have so many great memories from the '84 games...

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy (Post 252261)

Dara Torres did this, too.

There is a clever strategy involved here....

Dopers often use substances like the cream and the clear....illegal, but unknown, so not technically on a list of banned substances.

By volunteering for blood testing a few months ago, Dara was being shrewd.

If nothing comes up on the test, she can continue to use the designer dope without much fear.

If the test turns up the foreign substance, she can deny knowing how it got there and then simply get clean before the games. She won't be disciplined because the designer dope is not on the list of banned substances. Also, I believe I read that voluntary testing is not actionable.

It would be interesting to note whether Phelps asked for these tests this week or last month. I have no clue.

I hope he isnt a doper. After all, Spitz also broke 7 WRs in one week, and that was 27 years ago, when designer dope was likely tough to come by...so being clean is definitely possible.

But too many of them are smashing records this week.....no way they are all clean.

Wasnt there a Spanish cyclist who was busted this past week for doping in the Olympics?

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy (Post 252261)

Dara Torres did this, too.

There is a clever strategy involved here....

Dopers often use substances like the cream and the clear....illegal, but unknown, so not technically on a list of banned substances.

By volunteering for blood testing a few months ago, Dara was being shrewd.

If nothing comes up on the test, she can continue to use the designer dope without much fear.

Originally Posted by Coach McGuirk (Post 252264)

Living in Southern California at the time at age 11, my favorite memory of the 84 games? gouging McDonalds for the gold, silver, bronze game that they had going. When the USSR backed out we all won so many free freaking big macs I was eating there for months.

Originally Posted by Flystripper (Post 252266)

Dara Torres also asked that they save her blood for any future tests that they come up with.

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy (Post 252281)

The numbers seem fishy, though. And we have a history of cheating/drugs in almost every major sport.....as well as in the Olympics.

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy (Post 252261)

Dara Torres did this, too.

There is a clever strategy involved here....

Dopers often use substances like the cream and the clear....illegal, but unknown, so not technically on a list of banned substances.

By volunteering for blood testing a few months ago, Dara was being shrewd.

If nothing comes up on the test, she can continue to use the designer dope without much fear.

If the test turns up the foreign substance, she can deny knowing how it got there and then simply get clean before the games. She won't be disciplined because the designer dope is not on the list of banned substances. Also, I believe I read that voluntary testing is not actionable.

It would be interesting to note whether Phelps asked for these tests this week or last month. I have no clue.

I hope he isnt a doper. After all, Spitz also broke 7 WRs in one week, and that was 27 years ago, when designer dope was likely tough to come by...so being clean is definitely possible.

But too many of them are smashing records this week.....no way they are all clean.

Wasnt there a Spanish cyclist who was busted this past week for doping in the Olympics?

Originally Posted by Gidget (Post 252409)

I did hear about Torres being heckled for asking for more tests. Btu I din't know the info. on designer dope, so thank you. I really hope that Phelps isn't doping, that would really wipe out all the reasons why I posted this thread to begin with. You think he would given all the hype around him, and not to mention the lack or privacy? Again, I would be so sad if he was.

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy (Post 252424)

Anyone else notice that of the 10 Golds the entire US contingency has earned thus far, half of them come from Michael Phelps? And he will likely add more in the next day.

Originally Posted by Gidget (Post 252428)

Our family was just talking about this! Yes he IS a freak of nature I, for one, join you - I think he was born to do this, no drugs, no dope, it cannot be explained.

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy (Post 252424)

Anyone else notice that of the 10 Golds the entire US contingency has earned thus far, half of them come from Michael Phelps? And he will likely add more in the next day.