Phelps' Heart of Gold, Lochte's Grill of Mold...

Most of my friends know I'm nuts about the Olympics.  To say I love them is quite the understatement. I've been finding it comical that Pittsburgh still seems to be a little more crazy about the Pirates than they are about this once every four year worldwide event that makes HISTORY everyday for two weeks!  Definitely not discrediting America's favorite pastime, because I love the Pirates AND baseball too...but just sayin!

Anyways, the 2012 London Summer Olympics has certainly had my heart racing more than ever before in the past decade, when it comes to the swim events.  I love Michael Phelps, who doesn't?  Who can say anything bad about Michael Phelps? Sure...he went through his crazy phase where he decided he was going rogue from his athletic destiny and smoked the reefer for a bit, but who hasn't gone through that phase!?

When the summer games first started and we watched the qualifying races, I'm admitting I was nervous.  Phelps wasn't dominating?!  I thought "Is this a foreshadowing of the rest of the week!?", "Is he too old for this?!", "Should he have quit while he was ahead?" AND "What is going on with this crazy Lochte character????!!!"

After watching NBC's first post race interview with Ryan Lochte and hearing him blatantly say he thinks he is world's best swimmer, and Phelps' time is over, I knew this dude was not going to be my NEXT decade's Olympic heartthrob.   But I think his cocky-ness is JUUUUUST what Phelps needed to make his comeback.  He lit a small fire under Phelps' little speedo, and at this moment I was indeed confident that my Phelpsy was going out this year with a great BANG!

I mean, just look at this guy.  I'm all about the U.S.A. and admire his patriotism, but he's a bit much.  And when it comes to tact and humbleness, Lochte surely doesn't win the gold in this department.  Seriously, don't you think it's hard to muster up respect and pride for the person who admits on national television that he pees in the pool every time he hops in?!  Even IF Michael Phelps does this too, I think he finds much more respectable things to discuss with the media - like his favorite breakfast meal, or his love for his mother and sisters, or how honored he is to represent our country!!!! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! LOOOVE HIM! (Evie, If I could arrange your marriage, Phelps would be my first pic for you. Evie Phelps. I like that.)  

I mean, 11 Olympic medals is quite the accomplishment.  Ryan, you are talented and are accomplishing a LOT more in life in these two weeks than I will in a lifetime, BUT...here in a few months I'm going to remember that YOU pee in the pool...not how many Olympic medals you've won.  Funny how the jokes not gonna be so funny then, eh?

And here we have our noble steed.  Basking in his final moment of winning his last individual Gold Medal (which was also a THREE-PEAT!) representing his country...his 21st Olympic medal and 17th GOLD! He just looks so grateful...and humble....oh I love him.  I love a man who gets teared up with emotion.  I'm an emotional basket case and cry all the time, but a dude that cries when the moment is right, sigh...

Lochte, we know, luck didn't get you to the Olympics....you swam there (I actually really like that commerical, but even AT&T couldn't totally calm down his cocky 'tude.).  You are talented and really nice on the eyes, but take some mental notes on your number one competitor...a little etiquette can go a long way.  So maybe NEXT time, you won't have to swim to Rio, that takes too long.  Just take a plane, so you have some extra time to take some pics of yourself with Phelps and post them online! YUM!