[Latest Update] Michael Phelps defeats world record holder Ryan Lochte in the 200 meter IM to grab his 16th gold. He also will be awarded a bologna sandwich by Sebastian Coe. Phelps at 27 proclaimed the greatest Olympian ever as I type this by the BBC announcers as the American flag is raised for Phelps.
Already, London 2012 has served up a fair share of Olympic gaffs and misdeeds. If these Olympics are the very first so called “social media Olympics” the UK picked a very bad digital time to host. Or maybe they picked the wrong chief. Lord Coe’s coming off as snooty when asked about Michael Phelps being the greatest Olympian, is this week’s PR Goofy.
Just about every newspaper on the planet has now run the story. Headlines like; “Sebastian Coe: Phelps not greatest” (Via ESPN), “London 2012 Olympics: Michael Phelps not the greatest Olympian, says Seb Coe” (Via The Telegraph), and “Phelps “probably not” greatest Olympian: Coe” ring of bad form and bad PR for anyone in a position like Coe’s at LOCOG. Stating the obvious, that Phelps is the most decorated…
By all accounts so far former Olympic champion Sebastian Coe may not even consider anyone but a Brit as the greatest. Coe is quoted as having offered these suggestions for the seating chart on Mount Olympus:
“I could throw out a whole series of names, I could throw out Steve Redgrave, I could throw out domestically Daley Thompson.”
Could you now? No doubt the Queen Mother or one of her private secretaries (yes, royalty sometimes need several) Edward Young could get on Coe’s list, for now it looks like Coe’s biggest claim to fame outside his immortal fame as one of the greatest middle distance runners ever, is having convinced the Queen to do a commercial.
The story goes, Coe related Danny’s Boyle’s idea of Daniel Craig as Bond and the Queen as her majesty, for the opening segment. And that’s it. Michael Felps is the Olympic equivalent of a bologna sandwich, and anybody who is British “might” be the world’s greatest Olympian.
Michael Phelps – World’s greatest?? Bologna sandwich? No Way.
Why the big deal? Seb Coe, most people might have thought, should have been above such comment. Sure, Britain’s Olympic ambassador, or even Nike’s (Coe is on the footwear giant’s board), is entitled to his opinion. Maybe power corrupts some things? Maybe time and distance finally distances us from proper form? Who can say? Whatever cause one of Her Majesty’s Knights to show bad form here, it does not sit well.
Michael Phelps, Jesse Owens (whom Coe reportedly mentioned), Carl Lewis, Al Orter (one mentioned by this writer), every pub and sports bar on Earth argues their favorites, it’s true. But, every sports pub in the UK is not held to the same standard, nor should they be, of the likes of a former member of Parliament and a superior athlete holding four Olympic gold medals himself. Heroes should be above this sort of thing.
Vancouver saw the Nodar Kumaritashvili death and insult tragedy-fiasco, the President of the IOC with foot in mouth disease. Now London inches toward its own petty infamy. Racism, bad manners, and more. Still, the events, the athletes in most cases, are as always – extraordinary.
Lucky for Olympic officials and sponsors, huh? A bit of PR advice for his lordship.
“We are thrilled that Michael Phelps distinguished himself so, here in London. As to whether or not he is the greatest Olympian ever, it is not within my power to crown such a hero. He is without a doubt among an elite group of athletes indeed.”
I know, America’s champion being a bologna sandwich sounds better.
Credits: Sir Sebastian Coe image – Courtesy Wikipedia. Michael Phelps via his Facebook.
About Phil Butler
Sir / Marm
May i take umberance at such words and tone used by our Field Marshall of the London 2012 games. I and a lot of humble Brits do not agree or share Lord Coe’s uttereances that Michael Phelps is not the greatest Olympian of all time.
I find it in poor taste that Michael Phelps a great athelete should be called a Bologna sandwich, the guy is not from Bologna and as far as i know has no connection with Bologna, does not have a diet of Bologna sandwiches or anything Bolognese including spaghetti.
I am sure Lord Coe would not like to be called a fish face even though he does not diet on fish or sequence his mouth muscles in a similar manner. All i can say Michael is if you are reading this please accept my apologies and that of the millions of Brits who witnessed Jessica Ennis’s fantastic performance to say we dont agree with Sebastian’s Coe words.
I feel if we can get a petition going Lord Coe would realise how strongly people feel about this and probably intervention by her majesty with a visit by Michael to Buckingham Palace would put things right and keep the special US-UK relation on track. As far as i’m concerned Michael Phelps is the best Olympian ever, i have been lucky in my time to see Mark Spitz swim and never did i think he collection of swim medals would be broken, who is to say whether in another thirty years time Phelps record might not be broken?
Yours, a true sports fan
Baz Ward
@Baz,
Well, Lord Coe did not exactly use the term bologna sandwich, I use the metaphoric reference (as you no doubt guessed). What Coe did do was embarrass himself with the community he HAS to hold more dear than the one frequenting Buckingham Palace. Once and athlete, sort of thing. Michael has gone on to eclipse any other athlete ever, and while some argue the number of medals available to swimmers – this argument does not hold pool water.
Phelps, like the other swimming champions, has to compete against the world’s best in each event. The demands are grueling, the training so extensive. If Usain Bolt ran in the 100, 110, 120, and 150 backwards, the sprint medley front and backwards, and the water hazard 200 meters in the dark, you see the point. Then he, Carl Lewis, Jim Thorpe, even Sebasitan Coe could total up – should they choose to engage in so many titles.
And I am a Track & Field man. So, having watched my contemporaries swim all afternoon long, into the weekend, and attend a billion swim meets (Central Florida back in the day), I have my own fast twitch muscle fiber athletic view. Swimmers may just be the most amazing athletes of all.
I remember watching Sebastian Coe back in that time. He was extraordinary in ever sense. And I absolute hate excellent people when they are at their worst. So there is the honest truth from my side of the pond.
Always,
Phil