Main Sections » home

» Blogs Home

View by Sport/Subject

NFL, CFB, NBA, CBB, MLB, NHL, Other Sports, Girls, Pop culture, Politics, Sportsbooks, Vegas Life

View by Post Type

Videos, Pics, Conversation, Rants, Handicapping, Picks, Theory, Press

Post Archive

Search

Blogger Bios

About Matty O'Shea

A native of suburban Chicago and 1995 graduate of Syracuse University, Matty O'Shea has over 10 years experience in sports journalism. O'Shea is a strong believer that content is king since his early days as a newspaper reporter at the age of...

Matty O'Shea's Popular

See All of Matty O'Shea's Popular

Pregame Wire

See News Wires

Pregame Cheat Sheet

Sportsbook Spy

Matty O'Shea (see all posts from)

Forget Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt is the most impressive Olympian EVER

by Matty O'Shea on 08/20/2008 10:05 AM

Usain Bolt

Not to take anything away from American swimmer Michael Phelps and his record eight gold medals and seven world records in the 2008 Olympics, but I can't help but be MORE impressed with Jamaica's Usain Bolt. The guy today ran a FASTER 100m split (9.65 seconds) in winning the 200m gold medal today than his own world record in that event (9.69) four days ago. He became the first man EVER to set world records in the 100 and 200 in the same Olympics and first to win both events since American Carl Lewis back in 1984. His margin of victory in the 200 today (more than half a second) is also the largest since the very first Olympic race since 1900.

I visited ESPN's web site this morning and saw that 77% of the American public believes Phelps is the more dominant athlete and "fastest man alive" but I disagree and know I am in the minority here. How would you rate their performances in Beijing?

read more: 2008 Olympics, Conversation, Michael Phelps, Other Sports, Usain Bolt

22 Comments:

	posted by Jeff Bonds on 08/20/2008 11:15 AM Definitely Bolt - The Chargers should sign him
	posted by Johnny Detroit on 08/20/2008 11:29 AM Can't be Bolt. Not an American.....The media here will never give the props to a foreign athlete. Reason we are slipping in everything because we have this " USA #1" idea across the board. If some little asian dude was cleaning house in ping pong and winning all the medals we would not even care.
	posted by Matty O'Shea on 08/20/2008 11:46 AM I think you're wrong. The fact that people like me are acknowledging Bolt as the greatest is reason enough. My point in writing this was to see if others who are die-hard sports junkies agree with what I'm saying. I could care less about the American public and media's view. My mom even texted me every time Phelps won a gold medal because she got to watch his events live on NBC, and I rolled my eyes every time. Nobody is more impressive than Bolt.
	posted by Johnny Detroit on 08/20/2008 12:19 PM I think I am 100% right based on the ESPN poll. We care about Phelps because he is American. Bolt has to do something people haven't done in 100 years for us to notice. The Chinese are smoking us on gold medals. How many people who are in love with Phelps no ANYTHING about the Chinese athletes?
	posted by thehitman on 08/20/2008 12:35 PM IMO, Bolt was the most impressive athlete in these Olympic games, however, Phelps' overall dominance and training in a sport was incredible to me. Of course Americans are going to raise Phelps above all...he's a hero to some of us
	posted by Johnny Detroit on 08/20/2008 12:56 PM Phelps is my hero cause he banged alot of hot chicks locally. Some friends of mine player poker with him and said he is a really laid back cool cat. But off to my kid's soccer and tae kwon do.
	posted by Matty O'Shea on 08/20/2008 1:20 PM Have fun JD - it seems like you are agreeing with me LOL
	posted by rmarquez33 on 08/21/2008 11:00 AM I just look at it as both being equally impressive in their respective sports. Phelps is the most decorated olympian ever. His dominance in this olympics was unbelievable. Usain Bolt (Short for Lightning Bolt)...world records speak for themselves. This guy outstanding. I just take it for what it is...Phelps...fastest man in the water.....Bolt....fastest man on land.
	posted by Johnny Detroit on 08/21/2008 11:20 AM I think it is impossible to say who is the best. Phelps had the benefit of playing in multiple events so he won tons of medals. What about the volleyball chicks? They did not lose ONE SET and have rattled off like 10+ straight wins.
	posted by Matty O'Shea on 08/21/2008 11:29 AM JD may have said it best - how were they NOT the #1 seed?
	posted by Johnny Detroit on 08/21/2008 11:42 AM Sorry, 100+ wins. At one point I remember seeing they were on like a 105+ winning streak.
	posted by steeltown12 on 08/21/2008 11:53 AM I'd have to agree with both JD in that the American media will never recognize a foreign athlete as being the greatest, A perfect example is Ian Thorpe the Australian swimmer who was dominant when he was swimming and at that time was considered one of the greatest swimmers ever, yet over here nobody knew him. It's not so much the medal haul, but where you come from, and the States isn't the only country like that
	posted by Matty O'Shea on 08/21/2008 2:52 PM Again, I could care less about the American media. That wasn't the topic of this blog. You are supposed to either agree with me that Bolt is more impressive or not using your own brain. From an Australian newspaper: FIVE days ago it would have been unthinkable. After Michael Phelps defied 108 years of Olympic history to claim eight gold medals in Beijing, who could possibly imagine anyone usurping him as the man of these Games? It was as likely as lightning strike twice in the same place. Hello Usain Bolt. With two of the most breathtaking runs witnessed, the Jamaican behemoth has wrenched these Games from Phelps' grasp.
	posted by Carpet Dave on 08/21/2008 2:59 PM Love what Phelps did, but his accomplishments, as crazy as this sounds, were almost expected. I knew nothing about Bolt before Beijing, but to see him dominate the way he did, that huge frame just leaving the field in the dust...amazing. Maybe it's becuase I enjoy track more than swimming?? Micheal Johnson got me hooked when I was a youngster.
	posted by Matty O'Shea on 08/21/2008 3:07 PM Thanks for using your own brain Dave.
	posted by basewinner on 08/22/2008 8:56 AM Definitely Bolt - he is unreal. He just shredded the fastest guys in the world There was no doubt from the start of the race super impressive
	posted by Matty O'Shea on 08/22/2008 8:58 AM And I see he just won a third gold medal with another world record in the relay. Three races. Three gold medals. Three world records.
	posted by Johnny Detroit on 08/22/2008 9:05 AM Sorry, all of you are wrong. The greatest ATHLETE is Bryan Clay who won the decathlon. Bolt or Phelps? How about neither. People should save their bias. The worst was when ESPN made Jordan the #1 athlete. Here is a guy that could barely play minor league baseball and was an above average golfer, but greatest athlete? Using my brain, I would say trying to say a person who is only great in ONE SPORT as the GREATEST ATHLETE is silly. Even using the Phelps and Bolt debate, what Phelps did was equal if not more. Granted, Bolt smoked the records, but Phelps doing multiple events in one day at the distances he did would be like a track star running one event after another. Like I said in an earlier post, the greatest athlete ever was Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig: www.youtube.com/.../g2_y_bh-p0Y&hl=en&fs=1
	posted by Matty O'Shea on 08/22/2008 9:09 AM JD, you keep misreading my blog title. I am opening up the debate of the most impressive, not greatest Olympian.
	posted by Johnny Detroit on 08/22/2008 9:13 AM And Matty the discussion has turned into an open debate. I lost track of your point 15 posts ago :)
	posted by Matty O'Shea on 08/22/2008 9:19 AM I get that, but I'm not wrong here based on my opinion from my initial argument and see people have backed me up.
	posted by bryan on 08/23/2008 9:28 AM I think Bolt was more impressive, but I also don't know that much about swimming. I just can't get past the benefit the swimsuits provide now. Anyway, I made a debate site about this very topic. Who is the King of Beijing: Phelps or Bolt? I linked your article there and I hope you'll stop by to check it out and share your opinion. www.squidoo.com/michael-phelps-vs-usain-bolt