Swimfan

Last few things (well, maybe) about Michael Phelps in the Olympics:

1) Was this the best athletic performance you've ever seen? Growing up, I always wondered what it must have been like to watch Spitz do his thing in 1972 - I was just short of a year old, so if I saw it live, I don't recall - and now I don't have to wonder anymore. Feelin' lucky that I got to see the new standard being set. This was one of two sports records I always figured was completely safe. The other? Well, I got to see that one broken, too - in person, no less.

2) He was so focused on his mission that, as he said during a news conference this weekend, he didn't even know what the outside of the swimming venue looked like. I like that. Although he should go take a look - that Water Cube thing is damn cool.

3) The video of his .01 second win over Mike ("Let-me-say-something-stupid-to-fire-up-the-best-swimmer-in-the-world") Cavic was shown ad nauseum over the weekend on NBC, but if you're not sick of seeing it, here's a neat slideshow of still images that shows again how much ground he made up in the last few meters of the race.

4) Wonder what the city of Baltimore is going to name after him, and whether city leaders will do something soon or wait until after London 2012.

5) How about this for the Democratic party ticket: Obama-Phelps '08?

That's probably enough.