Robin PottratzMichael Phelps as "Sportsman of the Year": A choice as deserving as it is ironic
December 5th 2008 22:59
We are at that point of the year where various publications and television programs award the people and achievements of the year. Soon Time Magazine will name their "Person of the Year", last night Barbara Walters listed the "10 most Fascinating People of 2008" and various entertainment critics will list the best movies, music, television, and books of the year. The award that I will talk about in this post is the annual honor given out by Sports Illustrated...the honor of "Sportsman of the Year." This years recipient was someone who can now be called an American Hero, in an age of scandal throughout the paragon of sports this man was a refreshing change to the national palette. The man that I speak of...Sports Illustrated "Sportsman of the Year" is non other than Olympic Icon and winner of 8 Gold Medals in Beijing, Swimmer Michael Phelps.
This year, there would be no other option that could be as logical and as justified as Phelps. He broke Mark Spitz's Olympic Record in winning 8 Gold Medals, he was the biggest story in the world for two weeks, and in an age of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs, Michael Phelps achieved his dream with hard work, dedication, and a diet of over 10,000 calories a day. He deserves this honor based on his athletic achievements alone, however he has become a pop culture phenomenon since the Olympics. He hosted the season premiere of Saturday Night Live, he has been on every talk show, he is even featured in a commercial for the video game "Rock Band" alongside Kobe Bryant, Alex Rodriguez, and Tony Hawk.
What is interesting about Phelps' expansion into celebrity culture is that it seems as though he doesn't want that status. I don't think that I have ever seen anyone more uncomfortable hosting SNL. Every interview that he is in, he seems nervous and anxious for the questioning to be over. What makes him so likable in the "Rock Band" ads is that he gets to play around and not talk. An aspect that may be a factor in Phelps' behavior is that he is now a bonafide sex symbol despite his clearly "butterface" appearance. He simply doesn't know how to handle that and his nervous interviews may be evidence of that. He even called Miami journalist and radio host Dan Lebetard "an idiot" on the air during an interview.
Lack of public grace aside, no one can deny that Michael Phelps is officially an American Sports Legend. His Olympic achievements are unrivaled and the relevance that he brought to the Olympic games as well as the sport of swimming as a whole is beyond description. However, I think that Phelps is reluctant to become the public icon that the rest of the world wants him to be. All of that aside, Sports Illustrated is not honoring him for his profile, his comedic timing, or how many magazine covers he may have appeared on. The honor of "Sportsman of the Year" goes to the man who had the greatest impact on the world of sports and sports culture. With that criteria, Michael Phelps is simply the only choice for this award.
No matter where Phelps goes from here, one thing is for certain. 2008 has clearly been the year of Michael Phelps. From his Olympic History to his Pop Culture...lack of history...Michael Phelps is without a doubt the "Sportsman of the Year."
This year, there would be no other option that could be as logical and as justified as Phelps. He broke Mark Spitz's Olympic Record in winning 8 Gold Medals, he was the biggest story in the world for two weeks, and in an age of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs, Michael Phelps achieved his dream with hard work, dedication, and a diet of over 10,000 calories a day. He deserves this honor based on his athletic achievements alone, however he has become a pop culture phenomenon since the Olympics. He hosted the season premiere of Saturday Night Live, he has been on every talk show, he is even featured in a commercial for the video game "Rock Band" alongside Kobe Bryant, Alex Rodriguez, and Tony Hawk.
What is interesting about Phelps' expansion into celebrity culture is that it seems as though he doesn't want that status. I don't think that I have ever seen anyone more uncomfortable hosting SNL. Every interview that he is in, he seems nervous and anxious for the questioning to be over. What makes him so likable in the "Rock Band" ads is that he gets to play around and not talk. An aspect that may be a factor in Phelps' behavior is that he is now a bonafide sex symbol despite his clearly "butterface" appearance. He simply doesn't know how to handle that and his nervous interviews may be evidence of that. He even called Miami journalist and radio host Dan Lebetard "an idiot" on the air during an interview.
Lack of public grace aside, no one can deny that Michael Phelps is officially an American Sports Legend. His Olympic achievements are unrivaled and the relevance that he brought to the Olympic games as well as the sport of swimming as a whole is beyond description. However, I think that Phelps is reluctant to become the public icon that the rest of the world wants him to be. All of that aside, Sports Illustrated is not honoring him for his profile, his comedic timing, or how many magazine covers he may have appeared on. The honor of "Sportsman of the Year" goes to the man who had the greatest impact on the world of sports and sports culture. With that criteria, Michael Phelps is simply the only choice for this award.
No matter where Phelps goes from here, one thing is for certain. 2008 has clearly been the year of Michael Phelps. From his Olympic History to his Pop Culture...lack of history...Michael Phelps is without a doubt the "Sportsman of the Year."
| 55 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
Comment by James Rickard
unlucky_ fishermen.com
Angling Fish
Check this out...