From the New York Times:
When assessing [Michael] Phelps’s performance [in Beijing], an iconic sports figure from the 1970s springs to mind — not Mark Spitz, whose record of seven golds from the 1972 Munich Games is squarely in Phelps’s sights, but the 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat.
Secretariat?
Way to diss Mark Spitz!
Spitz gets no respect. No respect at all!
...His win on Wednesday at the Water Cube was not quite reminiscent of Secretariat’s 31-length victory at the Belmont Stakes, though it probably seemed that way to the swimmers left in his wake.
...Asked last week how he was handling Phelps in the days before the biggest meet of his life, [long-time coach Bob] Bowman said, “We just basically give him a little training and try to just keep him happy.”
He made no mention of treats of sugar cubes or carrots, though Bowman has been known to feed Phelps Quaker Oats for breakfast when they are at competitions.
...On Tuesday night, Bowman was asked if he can appreciate how Secretariat’s trainer, Lucien Laurin, must have felt in 1973.
“It’s got to be pretty close,” Bowman said. “I can’t imagine it being much better.”
What a lame question!
Bowman was gracious enough to answer it, but there's a difference between training a race horse and a human being.
Comparing Secretariat and Phelps is weird.
Secretariat was an incredible ANIMAL, but I don't think the horse had the sort of self-awareness of a human being. I don't think Secretariat was able to grasp the significance of going for the Triple Crown and the winning it.
I assume that Phelps brings a different perspective to his races than Secretariat did. He's not a horse. Good grief.
Comparing Phelps to Spitz makes sense. Comparing Phelps to a horse, albeit a champion, is still inappropriate.
Maybe I should compare Lassie to Barack Obama. Lassie, the wonder dog, always came to the rescue, solving all problems, saving humanity. Lassie did what no person was capable of doing. Lassie was the savior. When all hope was lost, there was Lassie. Would it be fair to think of the fictional canine character Lassie as similar to Obama?
Should I suggest that training Obama and preparing him for the presidential race is probably like preparing Secretariat?
“We just basically give him a little training and try to just keep him happy.”
That sounds about right, doesn't it?
I think such a comparison would be terribly degrading to Obama.
It's also degrading to Phelps.
5 comments:
Here's a more positive parallel:
Once his career is over, he can look forward to being put out to stud.
Kinda like John Edwards...
-jjg
DailyScoff.com
Personally, I believe that comparing Michael Phelps to the legendary Secretariat is a compliment and very fitting, and I'm sure that Phelps would consider it such.
One needs only remember that Secretariat was the ONLY non-human athlete to be voted among the top 100 athletes of all time. That, alone, puts Big Red in a class by himself. Making a comparison of the greatest race horse ever to, possibly, the greatest swimmer ever is natural, and several sportswriters have done just that in recent days. When you look at the glide of Secretariat's legs in full thrust down the backstretch, flying without wings, it's easy to compare that to the performance of Phelps body gliding without wings just before he touches the wall in victory.
Referring to this comment made:
"Secretariat was an incredible ANIMAL, but I don't think the horse had the sort of self-awareness of a human being. I don't think Secretariat was able to grasp the significance of going for the Triple Crown and the winning it."
Oh you are so mistaken about the self-awareness of Secretariat. He was supremely aware of who he was and what his 'mission' was each and every time he stepped onto the oval. He absolutely knew the significance of going for the Triple Crown and winning it. How can you say otherwise when he won all three in spectacular fashion and proved his greatness by winning The Belmont by 31 lengths, demolishing the rest of the field in his wake ... just like Michael Phelps seems to be doing these days.
Phelps and Big Red? A definite winning Daily Double ...
That's funny, Gravelle. :)
Anonymous, I think it's weird when Secretariat has a place on lists of the greatest athletes of all time.
And if Phelps considers it a compliment to be compared to a horse, then good for him.
As to this: Oh you are so mistaken about the self-awareness of Secretariat. He was supremely aware of who he was and what his 'mission' was each and every time he stepped onto the oval. He absolutely knew the significance of going for the Triple Crown and winning it.
You believe that Secretariat understood the significance of the Triple Crown?
You really believe that?
Did Secretariat lose sleep the night before races or worry about securing a place in history?
Gee. Perhaps you should petition your representatives to enact legislation to allow horses to vote.
Such sarcastic comments, Mary .... why? Do you dislike horses that much? Or do you just feel justified carping at me for having the love, admiration and respect that I have for all of them?
Unless you know and understand horses, I can appreciate your cynicism and yes, I believe that Michael Phelps feels 'honored' to be mentioned in the same sentence as Secretariat. Do you even know who he was and what he accomplished? But don't believe me ... ask Michael yourself.
Thoroughbred horses 'know' what they were born and bred to do and they know when they win and when they lose. Quick story about Secretariat ... in the prep race just before the Kentucky Derby known as the Wood Memorial, Secretariat had an abscess in his mouth and wasn't feeling well. He lost that race. According to his owner, Penny Chenery, he was so upset with himself for losing that he went back to his stall, kicked around for awhile and then went into his corner and sulked as if to say "I'll never do that again." What happened next is history ... won the Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes.
Another anecdote to his illustrious career ... Secretariat only lost 3 races in his lifetime ... the Wood Memorial, the Woodward and the Whitney. See any resemblance here? All races began with the letter "W" ... did he know that? No, not on a human level, but perhaps on another level, he did.
Secretariat also 'joked around' with newspaper reporters who came to cover his races. One day he sasayed over to one of the reporters who was feverishly taking notes; Secretariat yanked the notebook right from the reporters hands and pranced around his shed with it before 'giving it back to him.' Another time, Secretariat took his stall rake in between his teeth and literally started to rake his own stall. Too bad you never took the time to read anything about this great horse .... there are several great books out there, plus a movie is being made about his life for the big screen in 2009.
As far as petitioning horses to vote ... yes, in a way that's true because we humans are their voice; we are currently petitioning Congress to pass a law which prohibits the slaughter of our horses for shipment and human consumption overseas. So, yes, horses will win that vote eventually.
Anonymous, what makes you think that I dislike horses?
That's ridiculous.
I am fully aware of Secretariat's achievements. I am also fully aware that comparing a human being's intellect and capacity for self-awareness to that of a horse is silly.
I love animals. I'm not disregarding their "personalities" or diminishing the extent of their abilities, but they aren't human.
I am also aware of the issue of horse slaughter. I blogged about it because I care about the humane treatment of horses and all animals.
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