Ok, so this is my first blog, ever. Im a newbie blogger, as well as a newbie swimfan! But I'm learning my way thanks to my FB friends. Man how cool is that? I have to give credit to Candace, Eve, and Gold Medal Mel Stewart. Their vlogs, blogs, comments, have been the best education any newbie swimfan could receive! Also the original Phelps Phive girls: Annabel, Amber, Xesa, Priya, and Sabine. They started something that's become important to so many people. I started watching swimming during Athens Olympics. Beijing pushed my curiosity into full blown interest. Phelps, Lochte, Grevers, Lezak, Torres, Soni, Hoff, Biesel, Jones, GWG, all amazing Olympians. I'm proud to be a fan!
With everything going on in the swimming world right now, I dont really feel like commenting on that because I've basically blown up walls on Facebook talking about Michael Phelps and all he's going through right now. After seeing the photo I have to say that the longer I see it, the more I realize how embarrrassing that picture must be. It truly was a private moment that should've stayed private. I can only imagine how either Michael or his friends and family cringe when they see it or hear people talk about it. The Phriends agree that it's amazing how people bring it up like it's the most important news story of the day. And although we love all MP, all the time, we know that people will run this story repeatedly. Probably more than any of Mike's Olympic achievements.
But I have that kind of shrewd hope that not only will Michael get through this difficult time in his life, but if he plays the cards right, he can turn this momentum into something positive. I believe in the all publicity is good publicity ideal. For celebrities, if critics are gonna throw stones, let them use those same stones to make a platform you use for your advantage. I know that some situations do not allow this way of thinking, but on average it's a good method. And in Michael's case, this method is useful.
He said he wants to change the sport of swimming. In other words, put swimming on the map in the USA, the same way it is in Australia. In case you dont know, swimming is HUGE over there. I give it a similar popularity to hockey or basketball in USA. In any case, in a weird way, Michael is doing just that. Americans love a good controversy. So something like this recent issue will turn more attention to swimmers and swimming. The World Championships in Rome will be televised. That's mainly due to Michael's Beijing performance. Anything that Michael does that brings attention to him, will in turn bring more attention to swimming. I'm not naive, I know that negative attention is not the best way to promote anything. But I do know that fellow swimfans will relish the opportunity to promote this amazing sport.
So in summation, I am proud to be a Michael Phelps Phan, Phriend, and supporter. I wish him nothing but the best and I can't wait to see him compete alongside Ryan Lochte and the other amazing swimmers! BTW I am also a Reezy girl. I can't help it, it started around the same time that I was getting to know Phelps. However, that's a blog for another day!
