Monday, August 18, 2008
More Phelps and Sports
What does Michael Phelps think of Michael Phelps?
I can't help it. I delibrately woke up a a little earlier than usual today to buy Straits Times because I know that that there will definitely be a report on Phelps' achievements. Maybe I should consider buying these few days because I think the report about his achievements should not last a day... Anyway, to get on with it, after buying ST, I went to get the free My Paper and Today paper for the same reason. Then, when I got home, I saw Newpaper and on a spur of moment I went to get it! So all papers in the picture are today (aug 14, 2008) papers...
Phelps, after looking bewildered and said that that was the first question that he has no answer to, blurted out, "The talent that I have, the drive that I have, the want to succeed. The excitement about the sport. I'm fortunate to have every quality that I have. And I wouldn't trade it in." Article link click here.
LOL. I know my blog is Phelps-infested these days, but I can't stop talking about him. I'm turning crazy!
LOL. I know my blog is Phelps-infested these days, but I can't stop talking about him. I'm turning crazy!
Anyway, I went crazy over newspapers today...
I can't help it. I delibrately woke up a a little earlier than usual today to buy Straits Times because I know that that there will definitely be a report on Phelps' achievements. Maybe I should consider buying these few days because I think the report about his achievements should not last a day... Anyway, to get on with it, after buying ST, I went to get the free My Paper and Today paper for the same reason. Then, when I got home, I saw Newpaper and on a spur of moment I went to get it! So all papers in the picture are today (aug 14, 2008) papers...
Wah, 4 papers in total. I dun think I have went on such a newspaper craze for a long time... And guess what? When I got home, I threw away all the sections of the ST except the sports section. LOL...
I know that Singapore's table tennis has achieved something that has eluded us for 48 years and I should be blogging about it. But after that nail biting semis, I kinda of expected that silver medal (China is just too strong collectively!) and so I was feeling that the hoo ha has gone down a little. However, Phelps looked so close a couple of times in failing his goal. And to me, my 4 years of support in him erupted another wave of emotions after that feat.
He has achieved what has been previously dubbed as "impossible". Even my idol Ian Thorpe said before that he can't win 8 golds. I have never been so happy about my Thorpe being wrong in his words!
I hope Phelps doesn't retire so soon. It will be a great loss to the swimming circle if he does. Hope he will be at London 4 years time!
Anyway, I was searching for something a month ago in my room where I found a box file hidden in a corner on top of one of my book shelves....
And when I opened it up, guess what I found?
Newspaper clippings of swimming from the last games!
4 years old of newspaper clippings! I didn't know I still had it! I was entirely shocked! (Btw, that first article you saw in the file was a more recent clipping. I just put it in before taking the picture.)
4 years ago, I remembered I was so entirely caught up in swimming (stayed to 3am in the morning to watch swimming. And mind you, I was in JC2 at that time whereby school starts at like 7.30am in the morning, so sleeping at 3am on a schoolday is no joke) that I started to cut out articles about Thorpe and Phelps because I really love them and kept them at some place which I forgot. I wanna keep some part of the Games with me... Now then I know where I had kept them all the time...
I was entirely crazy over swimming then!
I am entirely crazy over swimming now!
And my favourite is this article.
Sorry arh, dunno when the article is published. Only know it's in 2004 in ST called Clash to be the New Pool God... it's one of those articles trying to analyse whether Thorpe or Phelps is better. Like this article because it's one of those analytical articles and not those reports reporting how this this person won the race.
And my second favourite article...
For this article, I know when it's published (because it's a full 2 page article) ! It's on Aug 22, 2004 ST. It's not an article on swimming per se, but it's about different body shapes and physique for different types of athletes. I only posted the part where they were talking about swimmers. And they mentioned swimmers are tall people with long limbs (and I feel that it may hinted that swimmers have short legs... lol...)
And my favourite article for this Games is titled "Sharing Phelps' dream of a perfect score" by Rohit Brijnath (ST, Aug 18, 2008, Monday) whereby he said this about Phelps' talent.
"Maybe, we will never know, I don't want to know. Because something so extraordinary, so beautiful, should just be enjoyed not completely understood. If a genius could be explained, it would take some of the mystery out of it. It would make it seem common. It seems fitting that forever we will look back at Michael Phelps and asked: How?"
I dunno why, but I love the way he said about Phelps. He makes Phelps seems like a surreal human... btw, I read somewhere that Phelps is going to be in Beijing till Aug 21 before returning to USA. I am a little disappointed actually because I was hoping that he will stay until the closing ceremony whereby some kind of acknowledgement will be given to him at one point of the ceremony and applause to be given to him by all the athletes and audience present because what he has achieved will stay for many years to come...
And now, I am going to cut up rest of the articles of Phelps that I have in this games and keep them in the same file! Hopefully can squeeze them in cause the file is a little full... Will post the picture of all the articles for this Games when I am done with them.
Actually, I don't know why I want to post this up. Maybe inwardly I am trying to show that I really like Michael Phelps (and Ian Thorpe) and supported him for years and not someone who jumps on a bandwagon when it's hot.
Been trying to record the commentary of one of Phelps' race to put it as my message tone but I can't get it right le... it's always too soft. Anyone knows how to help me??
I know my craze in sports is unexplainable... even I myself can't explain it. I suck at sports, I can't catch a ball without it hitting my face first, I was never good in NAFA, and I can't swim to save my life (literally). But so far, I love watching soccer, tennis, swimming, gymnastics and figure skating. I dun believe that my love for them is anywhere near fake, because of the amount of research I have done to familarise myself with the sport, to know the rules and to know a fantastic athlete when I see one. I dunno what draws me, but perhaps it's the rush of emotions, the joy of the athletes and the occassion, an unexplainable passion for people who wants to challenge mother nature and themselves to push themselves higher. Maybe one day, I should work in the IOC to push the Games further... or somewhere in the sports industry whereby I know I will be passionate in.
Sighz, now I do not know what spurs me to type that previous paragraph. I do not know whether I am trying to prove a point, to prove myself right or to prove others wrong. All I know is something drove me to type that at one breath.
Ah... anyway, I missed the chance of going to Beijing to watch the games... Winter Games Vancouver 2010 will be my next target. Adeline and I briefly talked about going there to watch it, but it's a far target because the whole trip is going to easily cost me a couple of thousands. Shall wait and see...
Ok, I think I better stop. This post is getting way too long...
Cheerios.
