May 16, 2009

Phelps...

... phlops.

12 comments:

Jason (the commenter) said...

Of the three, Peirsol, who holds the world record in the 100 backstroke at 52.54, wore the most technologically advanced suit.

Phelps only came in 0.47 seconds slower than Peirsol, he wasn't wearing the best suit he could, and this was only a test to see how their training was going. It wasn't Phelps, but the Althouse comment that phlopped!

Eli Blake said...

He's got to learn to deal with the pressure of the world.

I wonder how much different things would be if Michael Phelps has said this a few months ago (instead of his maudlin apology):

I'm sorry that you think that it's such a big deal that I smoke marijuana. I've worked my butt off and trained harder than most of you can even imagine, and on my own time I should have the right to relax as I want to. Obviously what I did to relax did not slow me down at the Olympics. The truth is, marijuana is something millions of people, from all walks of life use every day. In fact, the odds are pretty darn good that at least a few of you in this press room right now use it at least sometimes.

So yes, I do smoke marijuana when I'm not about to go in the pool and I'm at home enjoying myself, or at a friends house. Frankly what my personal life is away from the pool isn't any of your business, but if you insist on making a big deal out of it, go ahead. Because I don't give a rat's ass what you think about it
."

You have to wonder, if he said that several months ago whether things would in the meantime have gone better for him.

Probably not, because we are still a nation of puritans (remember that banning "dope" in the 1940's was the last gasp of a dying prohibitionist movement) but I believe things are changing on that. It is no longer an automatic kiss of death for a politician to come out and say up front that they support legalization of marijuana, and sooner or later someone besides Cheech Marin is going to be photographed with a bong in their hand and say something very much like what I just wrote up there-- and when they do I predict it will break another barrier and make future stories about who smokes what become much less important.

Eli Blake said...

Although,

while my serious and passionate side stands by what I just wrote,

my not very serious and snarky side sees too obvious a target here to ignore:

Perhaps Phelps should change his sport to the High dive.

Beta Conservative said...

I don't think the post by Ann phlopped. It was just unserious, perhaps even phluphphy.

DaveO said...

this was no phlop. Piersoll has been the dominant swimmer in this event for several years and Phelps didn't even compete in this one on his way to 8 golds in Beijing.

Christy said...

Didn't Orwell warn us about this redefinition of words to hide the truth?

Anonymous said...

Phelps seems very phlegmatic

Michael Phelps. Fred on the other hand is a maniac.

traditionalguy said...

I love Phelps. He is a very flawed winner, but he is a winner who can learn as he grows.

Unknown said...

We would all be so lucky to phlop like this.

Joe said...

So the man ranked second in the world in an event, came in second. That's a phlop?

Jeremy said...

traditionalguy said..."I love Phelps. He is a very flawed winner, but he is a winner who can learn as he grows."

A "very flawed winner?"

Because he smoked pot??

You're kidding, right?

Unknown said...

Well it might be a phlop but it's hardly a flop :)