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Watch Michael Phelps’ Curtain Of Distraction – Video

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Been Done
8 years ago

Copied from Duke 2005.

swimdoc
Reply to  Been Done
8 years ago

Copied with some random 22 Olympic medalist, no doubt.

KONA
8 years ago

Haha very funny! :-)))

SUNY cal
8 years ago

This clip is hilarious!!! So happy he’s having fun!! Looks like he has spray tan?? Haha

ASU Alum
8 years ago

The curtain seems to be distracting people’s attention from the fact that he never graduated. It’s easy to have fun in college if you don’t value academics! I wish Phelps would go back to school, so the scholar-athlete’s he’s going to coach next year won’t be taking advice from someone who shirked the challenges of pursuing an education.

SwimGawd
Reply to  ASU Alum
8 years ago

As far as I’m concerned Phelps has 18 PhD’s and various other degrees in Olympic Greatness. You should be ecstatic that you are getting the world’s greatest Olympian on your school’s coaching staff. Who knows if he will be an effective swim coach or not, but I’d take a chance on him before someone who just has a paper degree.

Daaaave
Reply to  ASU Alum
8 years ago

Totally. One time MP offered to help me prep for a swim race. And I was like, yeah right! Do I look like someone who takes advice from a challenge-shirker?! And that distracting curtain almost made me forget this ever happened! Thank you for your comment! I’m going to study now!

Daaaave
Reply to  Daaaave
8 years ago

Whoever down-voted me! You shirked the challenge of responding with words! I call shirk! Shirks are for jerks!

Irish Ringer
Reply to  ASU Alum
8 years ago

I guess I don’t accept the premise that everyone has to obtain a college degree to mentor athletes. At this point in his life he’s worth well over $50 million, so why should he stop being focused on his profession 100% and throw in some classes to get a degree just to appease people? Maybe he’ll take some classes after RIO, but amazingly enough people have been very successful in life that haven’t obtained a college education including several billionaires. I get it that he’s swimming at ASU and it’s an educational institution, but are you not welcome there unless you have a bachelors or masters degree or actively enrolled in classes? Should he just watch the games on TV… Read more »

ASU Alum
Reply to  Irish Ringer
8 years ago

I appreciate your thoughtful response. I don’t take issue with the idea of people mentoring athletes without degrees; I take issue with the idea that Michael Phelps falls into the category of “everyone.” I think we can all agree that MP is an exceptional athlete in every respect, but he’s still a person who’s growing mentally and emotionally. I’ll continue to cheer for him on his journey, but I question whether it undermines the students goals of the students he’ll be coaching who’s priority, as Bob Bowman has touted at UM and ASU, is to “get their degrees.”

Does it send the right message to students when billionaire drop-outs return to flaunt their genius and fortune? No. It’s one… Read more »

swimdoc
Reply to  ASU Alum
8 years ago

From what I’ve read over the years, MP struggled quite a bit with a learning disability related to ADHD. His mom and coach helped him navigate that. Maybe he has an appreciation for those who “because (of) their circumstances and abilities” are “exceptional” in the classroom for which you aren’t giving him sufficient credit. Sometimes the best teachers and coaches struggled themselves in the class and/or the pool.

“Education” is a very broad term and certainly not restricted to the classroom or university. I spent 27 years being “educated” in university, medical school, and hospital settings, and another 25 years teaching at medical schools. Did any of that prepare me for some of my biggest challenges in life? Not… Read more »

balmore
8 years ago

I think it is great that Michael seems to be enjoying himself and having fun. However, I would love to see this same fun/approachable attitude when he is around the younger NBAC swimmers. During the time he trained in Baltimore and now when he comes back to Baltimore from time to time to train he is unapproachable and the kids are afraid of him.

Pennsylvania Tuxedo
Reply to  balmore
8 years ago

I’m not going to claim to be in the know, but am well read and follow constantly info presented. It seems to me like he’s acting like a different person because he is a different person. It sure seems like he’s got it together post rehab, and maybe things would be different in Baltimore now.

This is in the category of good, clean fun. I want MP to have all the good, clean fun he can.

balmore
Reply to  Pennsylvania Tuxedo
8 years ago

yes- i agree he is a different person now and for the better. Love that he is having fun. Keep in mind he trained in Baltimore post rehab and didnt leave until August. He has been back in Baltimore training here and there since moving out to Arizona and he is still technically a swimmer of NBAC. He still does not interact with the swimmers outside of his group when he is in town. I just feel it is a missed opportunity to make an impact on the young swimmers with a team that he co-owns. The NBAC post grad group would meet with the age group swimmers a few times a year and talk to them and answer their… Read more »

dmswim
Reply to  balmore
8 years ago

Not trying to make excuses for him, but maybe he’s not comfortable around younger swimmers? At ASU, he’s surrounded by and interacting with college students, which may be a more comfortable demographic for him. Again though, this is all speculation.

JG
Reply to  dmswim
8 years ago

Let’s not forget…as you mentioned, he is the GOAT…not just the greatest swimmer of all time, but one of the greatest athletes of all time, in with the likes of Ali, Brady, Jordan. Would we be mad if Michael Jordan or Tom Brady did not show up and talk to our kids at their former training grounds? My guess is we would not…I’m not saying it’s beneath him, but…people probably pay nice chunks of change for his leisure time. None of the other post grad swimmers can hold a candle to his international superstar status.

JDM
Reply to  balmore
8 years ago

Somebody is mad that Phelps did not attend their kid’s goal setting meeting. Take a look at his ‘learn to swim’ foundation for children of color and from low income families. He can’t be everything to everyone. He has a right to make priorities.

floppy
8 years ago

Looks like they got Patton Oswald and Jonah Hill in on the action too!

Steve-O Nolan
8 years ago

How did…whoever that announcer was that always does swimming but isn’t Rowdy Gaines…not know that Phelps went to Michigan for a bit?

Paul
Reply to  Steve-O Nolan
8 years ago

Because it didn’t happen at an Olympics

Years of Plain Suck
Reply to  Steve-O Nolan
8 years ago

The announcer was Ted Robinson, one-time announcer for Stanford Football, the Mets, and the 49ers. Ted does a number of Olympic sports broadcasts (including swimming) as well.

Swimmer A
8 years ago

Love it

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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