Good Reads: Michael Phelps and more

I was sick of Michael Phelps before the Olympics and now I find myself rooting for him. His desire to take on Thope and Pieter von Hoogenlongname, in a race that he was a longshot in was refreshing and maybe a little inspiring.

I do find the media's revisionist history interesting. The same people that were hyping his quest for eight golds as realistic are now making it sound like it was never possible. I think its mostly because sportswriters, myself included, don't know anything about swimming.

Anyway on to the links:

Starting with Phelps...
Many of the big names seemed focused on the pool including:
Adrian Wojnarowski
Bill Plaschke
Dan Wetzel
Bryan Burwell
I liked this Burwell line:
So how refreshing was it to see that Phelps found a higher joy in pursuing greatness, rather than seeking the easiest way to cash in on that $1 million bonus that athletic apparel company Speedo had promised if he equaled Spitz's record?
Jay Mariotti
Jeff Jacobs

Other Olympica...
Not sure why this was newsworthy, but I found it amusing
Posnanski on Courtney McCool

Ian O’Connor said men could learn from women in basketball

Dick Vitale needs a dose of reality.


South Florida Sun Sentinel on Greek Baseball experience

Stateside...

USA Today on ESPN

Mitch Albom on Joe Falls
I liked this passage:

He told me once how, when he was lamenting his job to a New York City boxing writer, the man asked him to name an auto plant in Detroit.
"The Rouge," Joe said.
"OK," the guy said. "Do you know what the men at the Rouge plant did this morning? They got a cup of coffee, maybe a doughnut, and they sat down to see what Joe Falls had to say in the sports section. Do you know what a privilege that is?' "
From that point on, Joe said, "I never complained about my job."