Phelps Not the Greatest, Check The Books

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We're all celebrating the multi-medal Olympic superman Michael Phelps of the U.S. Men's Swim Team. Great, congratulations.

He's a great athlete, but I'm far from saying he's the greatest, like every numbnuts in the sportswriting world is proclaiming before the Beijing Games are even halfway over. I have yet to be convinced he's a better Olympic athlete than Carl Lewis, Rafer Johnson, Wilma Rudolph, Muhammad Ali or Jim Thorpe. And the likelihood is that Tyson Gay will be the story of the XXIX Olympiad before it's all done, anyway.

But I think it's time to give props to a cat who's defying all the stereotypes, being only the second brother to make an Olympic swim team: Cullen Jones. The New York-bred tigershark was an integral part of the Men's 4x100 relay win this past weekend and is considered a world-class swimmer in the same class as Phelps. Check him out and shout him out.

Latest Olympics Pictures

    Australia's eventing team members Lucinda and Clayton Fredericks share a hug after receiving their silver medals from Princess Haya, second from left, as Sonja Johnson stands at left, during the medals presentation for the equestrian team Eventing competition during the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

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    Japan's Yoshiaki Oiwa rides Gorgeous George during show jumping portion of the equestrian Eventing competition during the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

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    Gina Miles of the Unites States celebrates her silver medal in the equestrian Individual Eventing competition during the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

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    Great Britain's Kristina Cook celebrates her bronze medal in the equestrian Individual Eventing competition during the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008 with Princess Haya in the foreground. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

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    British rider Mary King with her horse Call Again Cavalier perfroms at the jumping of the Eventing Individual at the Beijing 2008 Olympics Equestrian in Hong Kong, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

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    British rider Mary King with her horse Call Again Cavalier perfroms at the jumping of the Eventing Individual at the Beijing 2008 Olympics Equestrian in Hong Kong, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

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    Germany's Hinrich Romeike receives a hug and his gold medal for the individual Eventing competition from Princess Haya during the medals ceremony at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

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    Gina Miles of the United States rides McKinlaigh during show jumping portion of the equestrian Eventing competition during the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008. Miles won a silver medal in the individual Eventing competition. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

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    Australia's Clayton Fredericks rides Ben Along Time during show jumping portion of the equestrian Eventing competition during the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008. The Australian's won a silver medal in the team Eventing competition. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

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    Empty seats surround fans as they watch the Rainer Schuettler of Germany against Novak Djokovic of Serbia during first round men's singles tennis action at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

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