The source is actually a screenshot, which lacks depth, of NBC's footage. Although you can clearly see where Phelps' swimming teammate Ryan Lochte piloted the yacht directly into Cavic's left hand. (This is visible only in the left-hand corner of the HD feed.)
"• Global head of sponsorship management for VISA Inc.: "The objective of Phelps' sponsors is to expand Michael's presence in other markets." (Source: Washington Post, August 18)"
A feat that would have been wholly impossible if he just won a piddly seven gold medals.
"• FINA official cheers for Phelps and promises: "(Phelps) would have won the race no matter what." ("No matter what"!? I mean WHAT THE HECK IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN???)(Source: San Francisco Chronicle, August 16) "
It means exactly what it sounds like. If Michael Phelps contracted the gout minutes before the starting pistol, he still would have won the gold medal, because the person who determines the winner is actually a 29-year-old graduate student who works at the University of Michigan library.
"• Jay Mariotti: "Let's make something clear: It wouldn't have been good for sport, swimming or anyone but Cavic had Phelps lost. Losing his final individual race would have been one of the great letdowns in sports history." (Source: Chicago Sun-Times, August 16) "
Quoting Jay Mariotti, without a hint of irony, in a conspiracy theory. Now that takes balls. Pure, brass, balls.
"• Cavic: "If we got to do this again, I would win it." (Source: LA Times, August 16)"
Inherently false, given that Omega has already rigged the next race.
The only flaws in this mysterious website's reasoning is he leaves The Stonecutters completely out of the mix. Didn't you hear their latest stanza in their official secret society song?
Who controls Olympic clocks?
Who owns most of Omega's stocks?
♬ We do! We do!
Who designed the Speedo suit?
Who thinks Phelps's sister's cute?
♬ We do! We do!
Article comments
1 - Chris "UZ" White
Saw this on /sp/ a while back, it was hilarious to read through.
.001 indeed.
2 - Tan The Man
Better to make a site like that now than never...
3 - sdfdf
talk about perfect rigging...
and timing for that matter.
4 - Andy Marsh
I knew it was rigged!
Hey Matt, take out the extra "with" in your profile....or don't.
5 - Christopher Rose
Good catch, Andy. I'll sort it out for him. Thanks.
6 - Andy Marsh
That's what we're here for right?
On another note...I find this very hard to believe...everybody knows that these olympics are only rigged for the Chinese anyway!
7 - Todd Ford
I know this blog post is all tongue-in-cheek and what not. I wanted to comment on that close finish between Phelps and Cavic though. For people unfamiliar with swimming, that must have seemed impossible. For people who follow the sport almost daily though, it was a textbook finish. I watch swimmers come from behind to win races at the touch at almost every meet. Knowing how to touch the wall was repeatedly the difference between making the U.S. Olympic team and watching the show on TV during the Olympic Trials in Omaha. It has been the difference between countless state champions and state also-rans at the high school level. My own daughters have won and lost races by .01 seconds based on finish technique -- even at age seven.
With that finish, more than any other single moment during the Olympics, Phelps proved both his mettle as a champion and that he is one of the most supremely well coached athletes in the world. No stroke is more about timing at the finish than butterfly (and rules are in place forcing over the water arm recovery for this reason) and, while watching the race live, I had lost hope until I saw Cavic start gliding and Phelps go for that one last quick stroke. I knew he was going to win at that moment -- and so did Phelps.
8 - Dr Dreadful
All the Olympic sailing events are rigged.
[sting]
9 - Kati
I absolutely have to agree with Todd Ford's comments. Swimming is not the only Olympic event decided in fractions of seconds. When you compete in a sport that is decided by such minutia, your form and skill in racing have everything to do with winning or losing. Watch how sprinters manipulate their bodies approaching the finish line. It's because a decision to thrust your chest forward versus your head can make all the difference.
10 - Hello World
People in many place of the world generally write 0.01 rather than .01. So the name of the website is probably ok.
Second, please don't feel sorry for that Cavic Serbian guy. Both he and his organization have probably got enough "compensations" by now for not blowing things up further.
11 - Much Later, Just Like Omega
Do not count on "compensations" for Cavic and his organization. In today's "neo-Maoist" black-white US & European media, being Serbs makes them vulnerable enough for blackmailing in this kind of situations: "To whom 'The World' will believe - 'The Champion' or 'The Serb'?"
Besides, the whole touch-pad/boxing-pad situation is ridiculous. They all obviously should return to catching the metal bar at the finish and visual referee decision, like half a century ago. At least, it is not to expect that metal bar producers would sponsor "The Champions".
And BTW: knowing what moves are not allowed in butterfly - does that makes any difference for making the U.S. Olympic team?