Search Results for: blog everyones a winner at the olympics

Michael Phelps’ Mom Scores Big at the Olympics Too

Swimming sensation Michael Phelps is not the only one in the family who made waves at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The woman who gave birth to the “Baltimore Bullet,” Debbie Phelps, has just been crowned with the title of “Mom of the Olympic Games.” The honor was given by Johnson’s Baby and comes in the form of a hefty check the company plans to donate in Debbie’s name to her favorite children’s charity. The middle school principal from Maryland says she was honored by the award and is pleased that the money will be going to help children … Continue reading →

Olympians Turning Gold to Green

Now that the last of the fireworks has exploded over Beijing and the Olympic flame has been officially extinguished, the world class athletes that made the Summer Games such a huge success are moving onto their next mission: turning their gold medals into green. Cold hard cash—and a ton of it—will welcome golden boy Michael Phelps as he heads back to Baltimore in the coming days. The swimming super star raked in more gold medals than any athlete in Olympic history and if he plays his cards right he could be set for life. Can you say endorsements? Those eight … Continue reading →

How Do You Pronounce It?

Is it “Bay-jing,” “Bay-zhing” or “Bay-zheeng”? The 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China are rapidly coming to a close and I have yet to view a day of coverage where broadcasters are on the same page when it comes to pronouncing the host city’s name. Have you noticed this too? Brian Williams spent more than a week anchoring NBC’s “Nightly News” from a place he calls “Bay-jing.” The veteran news anchor makes a concerted effort to place the emphasis on the second syllable and he sounds as though he knows what he is doing. However, lead primetime Olympic anchor … Continue reading →

Another Athlete Role Model with an Adoption Story

Two adoptees representing the U.S. in the Olympic Games this month have met adversity with dignity, both on and off the field. My last blog was about Lopez Lomong, a Sudanese refugee who represented the United States not only on the track, but as the bearer of the U.S. flag in the opening ceremonies. Reese Hoffa represented the U.S. in the shotput. Hoffa was born in Kentucky to a 15-year-old mother who already had a two-year-old. Diana Chism, Reese’s birth mother, said she had been working 12 hours a day at a retail job but still wasn’t making it financially. … Continue reading →

Olympic Closing Ceremony—What Will the Chinese Blow Us Away With Next?

Frankly, I don’t know how it is humanly possible to top the brilliance displayed during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, but according to Chinese officials, viewers can expect another lavish production come Sunday. According to reports, several international stars will converge on Beijing to make the closing ceremony of the 2008 Olympics one of the most amazing spectacles the world has ever seen. Included in the all-star line up is world-famous Spanish tenor Placido Domingo, who will reportedly grace the stage in a duet with Chinese soprano star Song Zuying. In addition, insiders confirm that the ceremony will … Continue reading →

U.S. Runner Says Support of his Adopted Country and Family is “As Good as Gold”

After reading about the athlete who refused his bronze medal and declared this Olympics a failure because he’d wanted gold, and about other athletes who have been stripped of their medals, it’s refreshing to find an athlete who seems to have the true Olympic spirit and an appreciation of what’s important. Runner Lopez Lomong appears to have that spirit–toward the Olympic Games as well as toward his adopted family and country. “I came here for the pride and love of my country,” said Lomong. “I came here to try my best to represent the country and to be a great … Continue reading →

Athletes Stripped of Olympic Medals – Part 2

In one of my last blogs, I was talking about athletes stripped of their medals by the International Olympic Committee. Most of those stripped of their medals failed drug tests. And for some reason, most of the medal removals seem to happen in summer Olympic games. For some reason, the records I found only showed four winter game athletes stripped of their medals. Full scale drug testing by the IOC started in 1972, but anabolic steroids were not banned until 1976. If you think they aren’t serious about their non-drug use policy, let’s take a look at the first athlete … Continue reading →

Olympic Diets–The Method Behind the Madness

Even if you haven’t watched a single second of the Summer Olympic Games in China you likely know the following: A.) Michael Phelps is an American swimmer. B.) Michael Phelps has won more gold medals in these games than most other countries have since the inception of the modern day Olympics. C.) Michael Phelps ingests 12,000 calories per day to fuel his daily swims. The latter fact is the one that has sparked the most attention by regular folks who try to maintain their weight (or if they are lucky, lose a few pounds) with daily workouts. While Phelps’ diet … Continue reading →

Michael Phelps Making Waves in the World of Sports Trading Cards

How many of you knew that swimming trading cards even existed? Join the club. The average sports memorabilia collector likely has mountains of trading cards featuring the stars of football, basketball and baseball, but only a few savvy sports fans were astute enough to invest in swimming trading cards prior to this year’s Summer Olympics in Beijing and now they’re cashing—-big time. Of course, those collectors have none other than Michael Phelps to thank for making swimming trading cards mega-popular these days. According to reports, an autographed 2004 trading card of the swimming phenom, who was recently named as the … Continue reading →

Michael Phelps’ Olympic Size Diet

I don’t envy Michael Phelps’ exercise regime, but who wouldn’t love to adopt his diet? The 23-year-old swimming sensation recently revealed what fuels his intense daily workouts in the pool… and to say that the Olympic athlete puts away a ton of food is an Olympic sized understatement. Phelps says his recipe for swimming success involves eating a jaw-dropping 12,000 calories a day. That’s more than most pregnant women eat in a week. Okay, maybe not, but it is darn near close. According to nutritionists, the average man of the same age and height (Phelps is 6’4”) should be ingesting … Continue reading →