SI Didn't Let American Pharoah Go Empty-Handed

As a consolation prize of sorts, and in an attempt to placate the widespread outrage over American Pharoah being passed over for "Sportsperson of the Year," Sports Illustrated did honor AP and his connections with an "Achievement of the Year" article.

It's better than nothing, I guess. Many people are upset over the AP snub, which may be a tempest in a pisspot, but you can't really blame them. What AP did this year was worthy of some kind of notice.

It is a nice article, worthy of bookmarking.

It's Serena Williams Over American Pharoah

for "Sportsperson" of the Year in Sports Illustrated's annual award.

I think Team AP deserved the award, but if any person was deserving of this award, it is Serena Williams. She is a superb athlete, probably the greatest female tennis player of all time, and one of the greatest athletes in any sport.

She deserved that award much more than Jackie Stewart did, I can tell you that.

I wasn't surprised because if Secretariat, the greatest racehorse who ever lived, didn't get the award, SI surely wasn't going to give it to American Pharoah.

I wonder if the magazine will have a separate "readers' choice" award for AP.

Will Sports Illustrated Once Again Shaft Horse Racing

and give its "Sportsman of the Year" to somebody else? That is what that magazine did back in 1973, when it shafted Secretariat, the greatest racehorse of all time, in favor of race car driver Jackie Stewart, who was great in his sport, but the reason for his getting the award over Big Red was NOT deserved.

American Pharoah, the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years, handily won the readers' poll for sportsman of the year, but what really counts is what the editors think.

The editors will announce their choice tomorrow on the Today show and on its website.

Edit: At least one billboard says that indeed he won the award:

42 Years and Counting I Have Carried a Grudge Against Sports Illustrated

I have absolutely no confidence American Pharoah and his connections will win the magazine's Sportsman of the Year. It just doesn't matter to that magazine, a magazine that gave Secretariat the shaft in 1973 in favor of a race car driver few people remember today.

So far AP is second in the voting, behind the KC Royals.

Michael Phelps [Updated]

I am not able to watch the Summer Olympics because I don't have cable, dish, or antennae service. This is a video of current Olympic superstar Michael Phelps, the hottest swimmer since Mark Spitz all those years ago at Munich.

You can bet Phelps, like Spitz 35 years ago, will make piles of money in endorsements. We may see him on dozens of commercials hawking everything from undies to iPods. We may one day be treated to the spectacle of Sports Illustrated putting him on the cover with his bride if and when he marries, just as Spitz was right after he married Susan (Suzy) Weiner in May of 1973 ( they are still together and you can click on the issue in question), and create as much criticism against the magazine as there was then, for after all there were other sports stories that week, including one featuring the fastest, greatest, and one of the most legendary sports figures of all time, and one who was literally far bigger than Spitz:

Come on now. With Secretariat winning the Kentucky Derby in record time, the Knicks defeating the Lakers, and Ernie D. having a shoot-out with the Russians, where did you find the guts to make Mark Spitz' marriage your May 14 story?

Another letter:

Thank heaven my May 14 issue was delivered before lunch. Had it arrived after I had eaten, your cover would have been that much harder to take. How could you expose that overexposed countenance while hiding a magnificent photograph of Secretariat on pages 20-21?

And this:

Mark Spitz may be worth $5 million, but Secretariat is worth $6 million. He should have been on your cover.

Another letter:

After reading your article of the legendary and mercenary Mark Spitz, I became disappointed by his attitude of cashing in on his medals. In fact, I got so disgusted I threw out my Schick razor and stopped drinking milk. Perhaps Mark is not at fault but is merely at the mercy of his agents.

Anyway, Phelps has his work cut out for him.


Update: Here is a YouTube of a clip from a recent speech by Mark Spitz where he talks about his mustache, which was a trademark of his back during his Olympic years and superstardom in the early 1970s. He shaved the thing off about twenty years ago, and I have to agree with his wife he looks way better with it off. He still looks great for being 58 years of age:



YouTube link

This is a recent AARP interview:



link

Because of Phelps' huge success, people are interested in Spitz again.