Did Michael Phelps Really Win The Gold In The 100-Meter Butterfly?

It was close.

Too close to call maybe?

The question is, "Did Michael Phelps actually win the 100-meter butterfly final?"

This love affair with Phelps is well-deserved, considering the guy has done nothing but win 7 Gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, seemingly with no problem, racing and contorting his body to World Record after World Record.

This time though, Phelps had a problem, and that problem was named Milorad Cavic of Serbia. Cavic, a Californian who swam for Serbia and was criticized in the past for wearing a shirt that bared, "Kosovo is Serbia," was game as can be for his showdown with Phelps.

He wasn't expected to challenge, and neither was anybody else in a race that was so characterized by Phelps that many people didn't even know another American, Ian Crocker, was also in Saturday's final.

Cavic, like many other swimmers, had the dream of beating Phelps and had much to say before Saturday's Final.

"I think it would be good for the sport and good for him," Cavic said. Beating Phelps being good for the sport? Losing a million dollars good for Phelps?

Not hardly.

By capitalizing on 7 golds, Speedo, one of Phelps sponsors, promised him a million smackeroos, some in which should go to Jason "the Comeback Swimmer" Lezak for that epic relay performance.

Cavic also added when asked if he was targeting Phelps, "C'mon, Do I want to make a rivalry of this? Sure, why not? But I would never disrespect Michael Phelps."

Lot of respect for a legendary competitor, but nobody imagined what millions of us witnessed last night at the infamous Water Cube.

Phelps entered the pool area, his usual ear-buds in his ear and extremely focused look on his face. He has to be somewhat fatigued by now, but he refused to show that to us viewers.

Phelps has now turned into the prime Roger Federer or Tiger Woods of swimming; a sure thing every time he hits the water. This is his prime Olympic stage, and he isn't supposed to lose.

It was like when "Iron" Mike Tyson lost to James "Buster" Douglas in that never-to-be-forgotten bout overseas, and his career was lost with it. I cried, I was 9 and a die-hard Tyson fan.

I'll never forget that night, and I can promise you, if Phelps would have lost Saturday to a largely unknown competitor, some 9-year-old girl would have taken my place and cried her eyes out.

Get out the Kleenex.

Phelps looked like he was starting to wear down and show a little disinterest once he squatted down into the pool, and across from him his competitor Milorad Cavic was ready to make history.

Ian Crocker looked just a tad-bit freaked-out, as his anxiousness was obvious as a woman's size 12 sneaker.

Phelps was well-aware of the comments made by Cavic about him, as his coach made them the over-hyped "chalk-board" material. You don't need that when you're racing for a million dollars.

If that isn't material enough, maybe you should change your name to somebody wealthy like Oprah Winfrey.

Anyhow, when the gun blew to start the race, everyone was in contention as they raced to the middle of the 50-meter pool.

Phelps wasn't pulling away, and the NBC commentators became noticeably antsy in their speech.

Now turning at the wall, Phelps pushed away and emerged for his butterfly over the water to see that he was losing, and not to Crocker.

Everyone in the Cube rose on their feet to watch this impossible, stunning development, as once again the Americans were losing in a Gold medal race, and this time there was no Lezak to assist Phelps.

He would have to go at this one alone, and as the last 25-meters came upon him, Cavic still held on to a small lead with Phelps expectedly moving-in fast.

The commentators exclaimed, and the Cube was on fire as both Cavic and Phelps reached for the wall.

It seemed as though Cavic had the edge, and he lunged to the wall arms straight as if he were just reaching for an impossible upset with his fingertips his new best friend.

Phelps threw his arms forward in a fast, aggressive way as NBC wasted no time showing the Phelps banner as the winner of the race.

"HE DID IT!!!" NBC commentators yelled, as Phelps celebrated in his usual lackluster arm raise as if he'd won a bag of Swedish Fish and not a Gold medal.

Cavic looked stunned, and I was left wondering did Phelps really win that race.

As replay after replay didn't look convincing, somehow the commentators seemed so sure of something that looked very questionable to me.

It appeared that Phelps' aggressive thrust of his arms made it too difficult to tell when Cavic hit the wall with his leisurely reach, and that may have been his demise.

Nevertheless, there isn't conclusive evidence that Phelps won, but Cavic seemed to think so when asked how it felt to beat Michael Phelps.

"I didn't beat Phelps," he said. "Perhaps I was the only guy at this competition who had a real shot at beating Phelps one-on-one."

Perhaps you were, but Cavic shouldn't be so willing to concede something that he downright earned. His country Serbia wanted to appeal the results, but Cavic didn't feel it was necessary.

"I would just drop the protest," he said. "I'm stoked with what happened. I'm very, very happy."

Stoked to lose a battle that would cement you in swimming history? That race was a little too tough to call, and every time I look at the replay of it I cringe in disbelief.

Regardless of whether Phelps won or lost that race truthfully, what matters is what the bigger heads who prevail say, and they say Phelps won by 1-1ooth of a second.

Final Times-

Gold- Michael Phelps: 50.58

Silver- Milorad Cavic: 50.59

A race that close to call doesn't seem fair to Cavic, but does it matter?

It's Michael Phelps.

The guy who should have the 2008 Olympics changed to the 2008 Phelps Games. Even his female swim counterparts are a little overwhelmed by the shadow he casts.

Katie Hoff, who's won three medals in five events, had this to say:

"I don't really think it's fair," Hoff said. "Michael doing what he's doing is incredible, but it kind of makes the rest of us look …"

She didn't finish that sentence, but I'll do it for her: invincible.

And by the skin of his fingernail, Phelps continued to do just that on Saturday, despite the fact that Cavic may have been the 100-meter butterfly winner.

But when your opponent is stoked to lose to you, I guess that speaks for itself.

Despite what the naked-eye reveals to you.