in all the hype after phelps’ 11th olympic gold medal, this question has been tossed around a little too lightly. is phelps the greatest olympian ever? everyone’s answer seems to be a resounding “yes.” i’m not about to argue that phelps isn’t great…even insanely great. my objection concerns the basis for this claim.

when stating that phelps is the greatest olympian ever, what is the evidence cited? 10 olympic gold medals…more than anyone else. ever. period. i cannot and will not argue that this is amazing. upon winning his 9th my roommate responded “9, that’s insane. i wish i could have 1!” yes, 11 olympic golds (with the hope of many more to come) are something worthy of a parade (maybe even 2 parades). this is the reason he is considered the greatest olympian ever. it was only after winning his 10th that broadcasters began addressing him with this title.
but is it fair to state that he’s the best olympian ever based solely on gold medal count? i argue that it’s not. medal count is a good indication of how good you are, but it shouldn’t be the sole indicator of “greatness” (at least all-around greatness). what about marathon runners? there is only one chance every four years for 1 medal. 1 medal per 4 years. same with soccer, field hockey, basketball, etc. there is only one gold up for grabs per sport every 4 years.

phelps? isn’t he going for something like 8 medals just in beijing? how is it fair to compare him to a marathon runner when he has the chance to win up to 8 medals every 4 years? it’s near impossible for a marathon runner or basketball player then to be considered for this lofty title. it just doesn’t work that way. it’s like comparing apples to oranges or a swingline stapler to a manila folder. it doesn’t make sense.

greatest olympian ever? it’s really impossible to assign that title…to anyone. he’s definitely one of the greatest olympians ever. perhaps even the greatest olympian swimmer ever. but i don’t think it’s fair to determine the greatest olympian ever based solely on medal count. thanks for playing. try again.

this summer’s motto of “denial and repression” is slowly being shot to shreds as my final fall semester looms in the near (very near) (undeniably near) future. i believe the count is at 3 weeks. this is all a facade to reality, however, as summer residents move into fall housing one week from today. though the semester has a few more weeks to slap me in the face and wake me up from this temporary hibernation of sorts, the crystal ball (or pickle if you’re from dillsburg, red rose if you’re from lancaster, or wrench if you’re from mechanicsburg) has begun its slow descent. time to switch gears.

on a positive note, let me mention a few things that have caught my attention the past few weeks.

the dark knight
i saw this movie at the beach a few weeks ago. awesome! i keep replaying parts of this movie in my head and can’t get over how fantastic this movie is. go see it NOW!

dusk and summer (by dashboard confessional)
i don’t think this cd got enough press when it was released in ‘06. i’m a huge dashboard confessional fan. i prefer the earlier acoustic stuff…so i didn’t pick this cd up until about 4 weeks ago (approximately 2 years late). i’m currently listening to it (which might now explain the dark undertone of the opening paragraph!) and would argue that this is one of their best cds. a must listen as the summer is reaching dusk.

spring cleaning
if you can have christmas in july, why can’t you have spring cleaning in august? that’s all i’m asking. yesterday the office i work in (marketing and pr) took the entire day and cleaned. it was amazing! if you don’t believe me, come for a visit and check out 3rd floor old main or ask any of the admissions work studies that enjoyed our little yard sale in the stairwell!

wikipedia
two days ago it was really slow at work so i had a chance to look up a few articles. the target of my search? the bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki and the accident at chernobyl. very interesting topics. check ‘em out!

cnn
i have been continually surprised how 5 minutes at cnn.com can make me feel like i’m updated w/ all the pressing issues within the states and internationally. my conclusion: the world is messed up (but still provides me w/ a good 5 minutes of action-packed entertainment).

lastly,
brett farve
i don’t know if you’ve followed this fiasco, but it’s been, well, almost as action-packed as cnn’s “latest news” section. my thoughts, shame on you green bay packers. it’s freakin’ brett farve. let the man play! how many times has he saved your organization? give the man his job back! to brett, i wish you the best w/ the jets. may your passing arm be strong and your side-step juke agile.

happy friday!

i can’t wait for monday to share this news…i’m officially done w/ classes for the summer. what, what!!! i also never have to take another science class…ever! time to relax…finally.