Lazy . . . who you calling lazy?

This afternoon in the lunch room several of us were watching the Olympics and the subject of Michael Phelps came up. I couldn't believe my ears when one of my co-workers actually called him lazy for losing first place in the 200 meter butterfly yesterday by five-hundredths of a second. Five-hundredths of a second . . . when was the last time YOU lost an Olympic race by five-hundredths of a second? Yea that is what I thought!

Yes I agree that he could probably have given just a little bit more to get gold but to call him lazy - that just didn't sit well with me. I have complete respect for all our Olympians. I couldn't do what they have done to get to the Olympics let alone compete in them, so I wouldn't even begin to think to start criticizing an Olympian for not getting a certain medal.

This then prompted a bit of a disagreement in which I basically said that I consider someone who is sitting on their butt and complaining about an athlete's performance as the lazy one. I also pointed out that I was sitting on my butt so that could be considered lazy - not someone competing in the Olympics. My guess is that didn't sit well. But hey, who are we to bash someone for not getting the gold and only a silver medal. Its not like Michael Phelps is now the most decorated Olympian in the world . . . oh wait YES HE IS! Any how many gold, silver or bronze medals do you have? Again, yea that's what I thought!

Sure he isn't competing like he did 4 years ago but cut the guy some slack. He is 4 years older, and from and interview I saw several months ago, he admitted he wasn't physically or mentally in the same place now as he was 4 years ago. Do you blame him?

I was browsing article about Michael Phelps just now and found an article in The New Yorker from today about Michael Phelps, it says:  On Tuesday afternoon, Michael Phelps cemented his status as the greatest Olympian of all time in the same moment that he gave further credence to the way we have apparently chosen to see him in 2012: as a disappointment.

Seriously? Seriously! How about not focusing on ourselves for a moment and get behind all our Olympians? I personally have felt this would by Ryan Lochte's Olympics but I'm still rooting for all our Olympians, even if they don't medal. GO USA!!!!