Great? Yes...The Greatest? No

This just in.

Michael Phelps is not the greatest athlete of all time. He is simply the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time. There is a difference.

First, there are 17 swimming events for men in the Olympics. Phelps won 8. That is impressive but its also unfair to give him more credit for competing in a sport that awards more medals.

Second, its impossible to compare swimming to sports that require specific skills. I am not saying that swimming is easy. It is not. But, the objective in swimming, like track and cycling is simply to get from Point A to Point B faster than anyone else. That is extremely difficult. But, it requires one to excel in one task. Other sports, like basketball; baseball; football; wrestling; gymnastics; and tennis, require the best to excel at a variety of tasks. In other words, sports are divided between ones that show athleticism and ones that apply athleticism.

Third, how many people actually attempt to swim competitively? How can you claim the title of greatest athlete ever, if few people actually attempt to beat you at your own game? The fact is, while many people swim, not many choose it as a sport. The greatest athlete must come from a sport in which many people have tried and failed.

None of this takes away from anything Michael Phelps has accomplished. He proves how much hard work pays off. Why is he the best swimmer in the world? Because he works his butt off at it. But, to claim he is the greatest athlete of all time, or even the greatest Olympian of all time, seems to be more about seizing the moment of popularity than a real possibility. Honestly, why not write about why Michael Phelps is the greatest athlete of all time? People will read it.

Bottom Line? It is impossible to choose the greatest athlete of all time but, if it were possible, that person would not be Michael Phelps.

Rabbit