Stop calling Michael Phelps the:
Greatest.
Olympian.
Ever.
(Also, stop writing like that. What's the deal? Can you not write in complete sentences? I get you're trying to add emphasis on the words. But that's not how you do it. The ellipsis was created for a reason. That! So write it "Greatest...Olympian...Ever." Just, please, stop butchering our poor language. Back to the other rant...)
He's not! To say he's the greatest ever just because he's won more gold medals than anyone in history is asinine and stupid. That's like saying George W. Bush is the greatest president ever because he had the most votes ever.
Phelps has been lucky and opportunistic. For one, he chose a sport where there are a lot of events. 100m free. 200m free. 200m fly. Relays. When there are that many options for swimming, you have a lot better shot of winning a ton of medals. Meanwhile, if you're a basketball player, you get one shot at a medal. There's no 3-point competition, no dunk contest and round of HORSE. (But maybe there should be...)
Also, there are more events now, also giving the opportunity to compete in multiple events and win multiple medals. The 29th Olympiad has 302 events in 28 sports. In contrast, the 5th Olympiad in 1912 had 102 events in 14 sports.
Finally, he's benefitted from better technology. They somehow know how to make this super duper aerodynamic swimwear and whatnot that makes a person go faster. You best be breaking world records right now. Plus, there's supplements and studies on what to eat. People a hundred years ago didn't have this.
Look, here's how Jim Thorpe did in 1912 when he competed in the decathalon:
He could run the 100-yard dash in 10 seconds flat, the 220 in 21.8 seconds, the 440 in 51.8 seconds, the 880 in 1:57, the mile in 4:35, the 120-yard high hurdles in 15 seconds, and the 220-yard low hurdles in 24 seconds. He could long jump 23 ft 6 in and high-jump 6 ft 5 in. He could pole vault 11 feet, put the shot 47 ft 9 in, throw the javelin 163 feet, and throw the discus 136 feet.
He got one gold medal for doing all of that. ONE! Plus, he never heard of protein shake or energy drink.
So, this is not to discount what Phelps has accomplished, because he's definitely been impressive. But to say he's the greatest ever just because he has more medals is just ridiculous.
Stop it!
