Swimmer Michael Phelps took home his 17th career medal last night as the U.S. team took the silver in the 400-meter freestyle relay in London, putting him just one away from tying the mark for most career medals (held by Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina). Phelps still has five more events to go in London, and will undoubtedly get at least one if not two more medals.
Will that make him the greatest Olympian ever?
That's the question that the extremely bland Ryan Seacrest asked Phelps in a taped interview that NBC managed to air during the middle of the opening ceremonies in the Olympic Stadium Friday night (pre-empting what was said to be a moving tribute to "mortality") Phelps' response? Ask him after the games.
Give him credit for being honest, but also extremely cocky. And arrogant. And that's why more than a few people weren't sad when he finished in fourth place on Saturday night in the 400-meter individual medley.
Speaking of the Olympics, there was that crew of local folks trying to bring the 2012 Games to Tampa Bay and Florida, and on Friday night they gathered at a Tampa sports bar to watch the opening ceremonies and reminisce about what might have been.
This morning in Tampa, Republican Senators John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Kelly Ayotte will be speaking about potential major cuts to defense coming down the road. Ayotte previewed her comments in an appearance on CNN yesterday.
The announcement that Bill Clinton will be at the DNC in Charlotte is getting a lot of attention (perhaps too much? After all, Clinton gave a big speech at the last DNC in Denver for President Obama in 2008). But what about the platform all of the Democratic delegates will be voting on in September? Will there be a plank in support of same-sex marriage?
This article appears in Jul 26 – Aug 1, 2012.