it may have been an insult he wasn't invited, but he sounds like an arrogant ******* in this article

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=afp-oly2008swimusaspitz&prov=afp&type=lgns

wow. his a-hole meter was definitely cranked up to high for that interview. Spitz needs to realize the world doesn't currently revolve around him. i could see where they determined it might be an overpressured sideshow if they bring him in to watch Phelps every move. if Phelps ties or breaks the record, then bring him out (if he's interested) and pay him his due respect. in any case, this thing is about Phelps right now. not Spitz.

[This message has been edited by Bob the Enzyte Guy (edited 8/11/2008 5:15p).]

Spitz really hasn't grown up....it is amazing to read.

that sounded like something you would hear from an arrogant 21 year old, not a grown adult

I met Spitz at NCAA's in Austin when I was 16 years old. He was an arse hat then. I doubt he has changed much.

Spitz retired to early to cash in on fame and money that never quite panned out for him.

He's got to be bitter.

What a ****. If he played his cards right, he maybe could have gotten a few endorsements with Phelps after this was over.

I agree with Spitz. Someone should have asked him if he wanted to attend and be part of it.

New Army lives at Reed Arena

[This message has been edited by JJxvi (edited 8/12/2008 10:23a).]

Isn't there a famous picture of Spitz in the pool with his seven medals? I can very clearly see the picture in my head but a google search didn't turn it up in the first 10 pages.

Am i just making this up?

quote:

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You don't go to the Olympics just to say, I am going to go. Especially because of who I am,

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Uh, thousands of people do it every Olympics, not sure why you can't?

chip, you mean this one?

Well, it can't be that one because every freakin picture of him has those 7 medals around his neck...

not for long

quote:

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Spitz said it would have been a great idea if he could be the one presenting the gold medals to Phelps, who has for years been candid about his ambition to eclipse the mark of seven golds.

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C'mon, get serious.

quote:

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I agree with Spitz. Someone should have asked him if he wanted to attend and be part of it.

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It has nothing to do with Spitz. It's about Phelps. It is his time and his moment, alone.




[This message has been edited by SB in H-Town (edited 8/13/2008 9:21a).]

I did not see a damn thing wrong about what Spitz said.............some of you are waaay to touchy!

The guys is a stud and he has a point regarding the IOC inviting him to Bejing to watch part of history being made (wich he is part of).

I think it would have been awesome to have Spitz present Phelp each medal that he wins.

That would be bad ass.

Given his attitude (and history of being an attention hoar), I have no doubt he'd smile/smirk if Phelps managed to fail in the quest...and that would not be a good thing to show the world on TV.

I think Spitz should be there whether he goes on his own dime or not.

Yes it could easily have been either the IOC or the USOC.

But Spitz hasn't mellowed as he aged. He was/is a stud. Every swimmer my age (almost 50) remembers his swims and total world domination. But he is also a whiny baby and has irritated swimming people his entire life.

He isn't poor. He could on his own make a huge public statement if he came to Beijing - no matter how - and celebrated Phelps' accomplishments. Instead he says he could have won 8 golds if they had the 50 free. Most swimming experts believe Phelps would NOT have won it. Dave Edgar or Jerry Heidenreich were better pure sprinters and likely would both have beaten Spitz.