Spitz’s Spite

Before we touch on the epic nature of this Mr. T during the A-Team years impression Mark Spitz is putting on, so much dap goes out to Barney for his coninued and thourough coverage of these XXIX Olympiad. Dude couldn’t be doing a better job with his "What to Watch For" as well as his analysis of the games (specifically Phelps). Well done sir. On to (ya boy!) Mark Andrew Spitz.

In case you aren’t in tune with the inner workings of the Olympic diatribe (and I most certainly am not) the news around the Cube, and the entire Village for that matter, is Mark Spitz’s resistance to show up to the Beijing Games. Presumably, Spitz wants nothing to do with Phelps potentially (and most likely at this point) breaking his record of 7 Gold Medals in a single Summer showing. Now that Phelps has already conquered the two events that were thought to be his most difficult (the 400-meter individual medley and the 4×100 free relay) it is only a matter of time before he will conquer the ultimate goal of 8. The one thing standing in his way though is fatigue. With two more finals tonight and another three before its all said and done, the test of time will be Phelps’ greatest opponent. That said, I have no doubt that Spitz’s record is going into the pool drain faster than that stache he sported back at the ’72 Munich games.

Personally, I take issue to athletes that don’t show up to see their own records getting surpassed. Whether it’s Hank Aaron (whom I consider to be a top three all-time player) last year in San Fran, or Spitz in Beijing, these guys need to swallow their pride and acknowledge the coming of a new age. You’ve had your time in the spotlight, and now its someone else’s turn. It’s a fact that athletes with records such as Aaron and Spitz are among the most competitive people on the face of the earth. That’s what got them to where they were. But records were meant to be broken (except for Dimaggio’s 56 and the Lakers’ 33. Those will never be touched), that’s why we as a culture continue to watch Swimming during the Olympics and never any other time during that four year gap period. Simply so that we can see new world records, and more Gold Medals won for our Nation. It’s time for Spitz to man up and make that trip out to smoggy sweatshop that is Beijing. If not for himself, than at least for the millions of Americans who will admire him that much more.