Waking the Sleeping Giant

Michael Phelps isn't the most imposing athlete around. He is a tall lanky young man standing in at 6'7" in height and weighs barely 200lbs. but the shark toothed, flipper footed young man from Michigan does have something that speaks volume and that is 14 gold medals in two Olympic games.

Since the Bejing Olympics nothing has been fairy tale for Phelps. He was busted by a wandering camera phone that caught the young man doing the lip lock with a bong. It cost him a lengthy suspension and sponsorship deals. All for doing something that most young people in their early 20's do, but Michael Phelps was the most visible 22 year old's after the Summer games.

After having to sit out for an extended period of competition period Phelps did the unthinkable. He lost. He lost in the 200m freestle to Germany's Paul Biedermann. Is Michael Phelps ripe the takening of his international peers. Milorad Cavic thinks so. The young serbian thinks so much of Michael Phelps that he has been patronizing him by offering to buy the US superstar one of the high tech polyurethene body suits produced by Phelps sponsor Speedo's rival Arena. If anyone has a right to patronize Michael Phelps to the press it's Cavic as he lost the 100m butterfly to Phelps at the Bejing Olympics and still rants about how he got to the wall first. Cavic also has every right to want a rematch with Phelps. The wrong way of going about the rematch is to talk down to Michael Phelps in the media. Much like Phelps wake up a sleeping giant with his sponsors and the USOC by puffing some happy wacky tobbaccky, Cavic is doing the same by calling Phelps out.

Phelps has been rarely challenged and the potential for apathy could come into play for Phelps but not now with Cavic's bold statements. No, this is chalkboard motivational material that is the last thing the international field of swimmers needs to give to Michael Phelps. Phelps will now become more focused in his training not that he hasn't been but as a world class athlete only one can expect he will step it up to a higher level. Expect for Phelps to start out with his patented late end rallies towards the wall and stick the pedal to the medal with the rest of the field. Eight gold medals in Bejing might never be duplicated but the motivation of Phelps might be the inspiration he needs to show the world that we have yet to see the best of Michael Phelps. So get those camera phones ready to take some pictures when Michael Phelps gives up blowing a heap of smoke for blowing away the likes of Cavic and the rest of the world's best swimmers. After all, there is not one male swimmer from the 2008 Bejing Olympics who competed against Phelps to wear any gold around their necks.

Right now Mr. Cavic, scoreboard.......Phelps.