Why do they give phelps all the credit for relays?

Question

Just hear me out, now im rooting for Phelps and he's helping america rise to the top. but i feel like they arent giving enough credit to the other 3 members of the team. and or making everything revert back to him. A reporter even asked Lezak if he pushed at the end of the race to help phelps get the title of most olympic golds ever. and a little offended like anyone would be, he said "im happy for phleps but the relays was a unit thing and we all worked as a team." and he's right. because if thats the case phelps could have been all 4 legs of the race i just think its unfair to everyone else.

Answer 1

I dont think that he gets all the credit i just think that its a big deal that he was on the relays.  Everyone is just so fascinated that he can do everything as well as he can.  And i think they are giving Lezak most of the credit for that one relay.  Thats what should happen!!

Answer 2

Angela Joice doesn't know anything about sports (let alone swimming) and is a horrible interviewer.

Lezak came back with a very good answer.

But I don't think everyone is as rediculous as she was. Even Jim Lampley and Chris Collinsworth gave Lezak all the credit on the 4 x 100 relay gold several times. Lezak will have the distinction of being the hero of the most exciting race of the the swimming venue in Beijing.

Michael Phelps on the other hand is getting all the attention because of the feat he is pulling off. He'll continue to get that too. After all this was 'one' of his eight golds and eight world records (after Sunday of course). Michael Phelps did lead off the relay with an American record though.

Great question...it deserves a star. Thanks,

Answer 3

It is unfair. If I remembered it right, during the 400m free style relay, the US was lagging behind France until Lezak started to catch up. He should have got more credits than Phelps. If the media won't give him that, we'll do it here!

Weber-Gale,Jones and Lezak, good job!

Answer 4

because thats what they do.. i'm sure Phelps himself is a team player, he seems liek a realyl great guy, but you're right, of course the sports media is goign to make phelps out to be the overall champion even of the relays...i mean he's got what,, 7 medals now?

Answer 5

I agree with you. I think the only reason Phelps should be given 100% credit is if he swims all 4 legs of the race. I believe that he is milking the media for way too much credit because he is trying to be the greatest olympian of all time. Don't get me wrong, I do root for Phelps but I think that he did no better than any other swimmer on his team. I just think that it isn't Phelps' fault for getting the media's attention. The media just would rather broadcast the greatest olympian of all time rather than the greatest olympian of all time's sidekick.

Answer 6

The easy answer is the media wants to broadcast the biggest story possible, and Phelps getting 8 golds is the biggest story. Like it or not, that is how the media works.

Answer 7

4x100, not so much

4x200, he won that race in the first leg - the rest of the team just had to coast