Michael Phelps Finds Romance At the 2008 Summer Olympics?
August 22, 2008 by Michelle Smith
Filed under Relationships
In a house where the female-to-male ratio is 3-to1, the most exciting aspect of the Olympics for my family was Michael Phelps. My girls and I – we are Phelps Phans. We watched volleyball, race walking (great athletes, but really made us giggle), gymnastics, fencing, you know, the non-Michael events, but swimming, it was clearly the highlight for us.
My teenage daughter, Bay, and her friend Kimm, stayed up watching swimming until the early morning hours and walked around with photos of Phelps as the wallpaper on their phones. They sent each other Phelps photos on the computer, called themselves his girlfriends, they kept a timer going so that they were ready for any swimming event, they taped his interviews and events. They have a plan to save money so that they are able to see him compete in the next Summer Olympics. These two have Phelps Phever something fierce.
Today, while researching Algebra questions with Bay, we saw a headline proclaiming,”PHELPS SUCKS FACE WITH AUSSIE” – with a story from New York Post. We clicked over and read about the alleged hook-up between Michael Phelps and fellow gold medal swimmer, Stephanie Rice, of Australia. The Post’s Page Six reports that “The pumped-up pair clinched and swapped spit at a celebratory bash outside the Olympic Village.”
“Swapped spit”? Could there be a more unappetizing way to describe kissing? Well, perhaps “tonsil hockey,” that one is definitely gag-worthy.
Bay did not react well to this newest Michael news. I wonder if I can talk her into turning her Olympic savings plan into a Bay needs some new wheels savings plan?
Tell ya what… I hardly believe a thing the NYPost says. It’s like Manhattan’s version of the Enquirer most of the time.
I know he’s a great athlete. I personally feel he’s a genetic freak (in a good way). But from the neck up there’s NOTHING doin’ for me. LOL
Did you ever see the movie “Big Fish”? Remember the giant? Yeah… that’s what he reminds me of. Bah. Tell Bay to get the wheels… that’ll take her much farther in life.
We like his head.
Too much perfection on one man, that’s off-putting to me. I like the big ears and the smile. I’ve always been a fan of tall and lanky, too.
I also appreciate that he’s a kid who has some unique challenges (ADHD) and he’s gone beyond that to become an incredible athlete. My favorite student, at the school where I work, he has the same diagnosis and just getting through the lunch hour every day is a challenge for him. I think that caring about this kid, it’s sort of tied into my being a fan of the achievements of Michael Phelps. I would love for my little friend to be successful and proud of himself – I’d love to see one of those goofy smiles on his face, too. I realize that he’s not going to win any gold medals – this boy wasn’t even able to walk until his was 4 – but I’d like to see him reach his own personal goals.
And yes, I realize that the NY Post Page Six is a gossip page, that’s why the title is a question and not a statement. Even the Enquirer gets it right sometimes – they broke the John Edwards story.
I’m not saying he’s not extremely talented, or that he doesn’t deserve the medals. I’m also not taking away anything from the fact that he’s overcome some issues to get to where he is today.
I’m just saying that on a purely physical level, he doesn’t “do it” for me. You said that Bay and Kimm were calling themselves his girlfriends – all I said was that I didn’t find him physically attractive. His skill and determination never came into play in my statement. And yes, those are VERY attractive qualities, but none of them are physical attributes – they’re personality attributes. BIG difference.
Now, in keeping with the theme of this site, and dating, isn’t physical attraction part of a relationship? If the girls were just really into him for his skills alone, I doubt they’d pull out the girlfriend thing… they’d be fans, supporters, what have you. Of course, this is based on my own knowledge of teenage girls and celebrity crushes, and of course everyone’s entitled to decide what’s physically attractive about another person themselves… which is why I said he’s not, to me, attractive. That’s all.
And the Enquirer and other tabloids like them have been suggested to have been responsible for the death of Princess Diana, too. Still support them?
Oh, I don’t think of myself as a tabloid supporter, I was just pointing out that one instance that the Enquirer got something right. Who would support something that figured into the death of anyone?
The girls – Kimm and Bay – they like the whole Phelps package. They like the way he looks in his Speedo (normally not a fan of those) and the way he swims.