Unfortunately, these awards don't come with a physical medal or trophy, a stipend or lucrative endorsement contract; in fact, they are worth just the bytes of computer storage they are stored on. They aren't being presented in front of one's peers or millions of fans. They aren't being written by a sports expert or a person particularly accomplished at any sport. (Well, I think I can beat Barack Obama's score of 37 in 7 bowling frames.) But I honor these individuals for their commitment to excellence, their inspiration to millions of people beyond myself, and their sportsmanship.
The latter point is especially salient in the aftermath of Swedish wrestler Ara Abrahamian, whom showed contempt for his fellow athletes and the spirit of competition by dropping his bronze medal and refusing to participate in the award ceremony. I didn't see the match or the disputed call; I can only imagine, after a disputed call in Athens, training 4 long years for another shot at the gold, to be frustrated again. Injustices happen in life; I think all of us wish others would validate our efforts. If we do our best, it is enough. But our response to adversity must be worthy of ourselves and our sport.
American Male Athlete
Michael Phelps. Yeah, I know: major surprise here. An unprecedented eight gold medals, 7 world records. He was involved in two of the most thrilling races in Olympic history: Lezak's improbable come-from-behind victory over Bernard at the end of the 400-meter freestyle relay, and Phelps' almost imperceptible come-from-behind victory over Cavic in the 100-meter butterfly.
As impressive as Phelps' achievements were, three things come to mind.
First, after the Athens Olympics with 8 medals (6 of which were gold), 19-year-old Michael was arrested in a Maryland suburb for DUI. Funny thing about being the world's most famous swimmer: when you screw up, you become the world's most famous drunk. If you kill or injure someone under the influence, you become every parent's example of a gifted person who had everything going for him and threw it all away because he lacked discipline in his private life. To his credit, Michael took responsibility for what he did, and I heard some of the public service spots broadcast in the local area.
Second, I remember after one race during these games when he broke a record, he looked glum and said that he could have done better. Some people would have been satisfied with a win, never mind a record; Phelps was applying a higher, personal standard.
Third, there is the improbable fact that Phelps called his shot--8 golds in 8 events. It wasn't that surprising a goal; he also entered 8 events in Athens, and every athlete enters an event with the goal of winning it. Since he won 6 of the 8 events then, it was only natural he would seek redemption in Beijing, although repeat victories are easier said than done, with one or 2 of the Athens wins by close margins. Phelps had to swim with no room for error multiple times daily, had to depend on the efforts of other swimmers in the relays, and knew that each world-class competitor was not only gunning for the gold but to be known as the one whom stopped Phelps' perfect streak, to have put the brash American in his place.
Final note. There are rumors that Michael Phelps may earn tens of millions of dollars in endorsements, including a bonus in a current deal for achieving his gold medal run (the latter, if true, would seem to violate the amateur spirit of the games.) Mark Spitz pointed out the importance of Michael Phelps' responsibility in serving as a role model for millions of boys and girls starting out in the sport. Michael Phelps has discussed his DUI case as an isolated case. He needs to apply that same focus and discipline he demonstrates in the swimming pool to everyday life. We are all equal on the roads; Michael Phelps is not above the law. If he intends to drive, he needs to limit himself to one or 2 drinks, not within an hour of going back on the road; otherwise, he needs to find a sober family member, friend, or fan to drive, or simply hail a taxi, which he can afford as a multi-millionaire. America believes in giving people a second chance, but if it happens again, as far as I'm concerned, Michael can watch the London Olympics from his prison cell.
American Female Athlete
Dara Torres. Again, this may be an obvious choice; NBC ran clips on the 41-year-old mom of a 2-year-old daughter, the oldest female swimmer to have ever competed. Dara Torres has medaled in each of 5 Olympics since 1984 (not competing in 1996 and 2004).
Of her incredible 3 silver medals, the most astounding is the fact she lost the 50-meter freestyle, the swimming equivalent of the world's fastest woman, in a photo finish with 24-year-old Britta Steffan. Dara has also had 2 operations since last December, but she achieved her personal best time.
Adorable 2-year-old Tessa's mom may have lost the gold by the same margin Phelps won the 100-meter butterfly (.01 second, the least measurable difference), but she has the heart of a true champion and serves as a shining example of what people are capable of doing with the right preparation and attitude, despite one's physical age.
Honorary American Olympian
Mark Spitz. I knew that there would be a rite of passage moment just like lifetime home run king Hank Aaron was approached with Bobby Bonds closing in on his record. Spitz' 7-gold-medal run during the 1972 Olympics seemed unassailable. With Phelps' 6 golds at Athens at the doorstep of the Spitz record, it was clear that Phelps had a good chance of meeting or exceeding Spitz' record at Beijing.
I wasn't quite sure what to think about Spitz' claim that if they had offered a 50-meter freestyle at Munich, he would have won that, too, or the fuming by Spitz at not being invited by the IOC to be at the Beijing Olympics to be suitably recognized and to witness the events firsthand. Beijing was not about Mark Spitz; it was more about passing the torch to a new generation. Was Spitz attempting to rain on Phelps' parade by damning him with faint praise?
It turns out I misjudged Spitz. The Associated Press reported Spitz as saying, "It goes to show you that not only is this guy the greatest swimmer of all time and the greatest Olympian of all time, he's maybe the greatest athlete of all time. He's the greatest racer who ever walked the planet....Somebody told me years ago you judge one's character by the company you keep, and I'm just happy to be in the company of Michael Phelps. That's the bottom line... I'm just pleased that somebody was inspired by what I had done. He's entitled to every second of what's occurring to him now."
Wow. I have never read a more articulate, selfless tribute of one athlete to another. In my humble opinion, Spitz' statement is the most eloquent example of sportsmanship I have ever seen or heard and is the instant gold standard.
As I listened to NBC's Bob Costas try to goad Mark Spitz into identifying which athlete would have won in an epic match race across time with Spitz and Phelps in their primes, I was pleased and not surprised by Spitz' suggestion that he would have done everything in his power to win and not simply concede the race to Phelps. This doesn't contradict Spitz' tribute. It is the mark of any great competitor and true champion not to seek an easy victory over the mediocre but to test one's mettle against the best.
Final comment. While I was completing my graduate school studies in the 1980's, there was a popular drinking game called "Hi, Bob!", which mocked the overused greeting in the 1970's "The Bob Newhart Show". I have to wonder, after hearing the various interviews following the seventh and eighth gold medals for Phelps, whether the revised drinking game might focus on Michael's favorite phrase "loss for words". Really, Michael: in visualizing your success at the Beijing Olympics, you never envisioned a reporter asking you how you felt now having achieved sports immortality? A mere writer such as myself would have probably said something like, "It's exhilarating, as if I've scaled the summit of Mount Olympus, looking down on the earth below."
