Phelps' Legacy Extends Beyond Golden Eight

Photo Credit: Associated Press

How many times do people set out to do something seemingly unattainable, with the entire world against them, and reach that goal with perfection?

The number eight, a lucky number in China, proved to be just as lucky for Michael Phelps as he completed his quest for 8 Gold medals in Beijing. The United States set a world record in the 4x100 medley relay on Sunday morning, giving Phelps his 8th and final medal. Phelps' feat of athleticism, handling pressure, and durability will surely be remembered, but that's only the beginning.

Michael Phelps now deserves to be in the conversation of some of the greatest athletes of all-time. Names like Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Wayne Gretzky, Pele, Johnny Unitas, and David Beckham.

Why these athletes? Because they are the ones whose athletic performances and dominance transcended and elevated their sport and inspired others to try to follow in their footsteps.

Ask Sidney Crosby who was one of his inspirations to start playing hockey in Canada. I'm sure "The Great One" is at or near the top of the list.

Many African-Americans became Dodger fans in the 1940s and 1950s because Jackie Robinson helped end segregation in the Major Leagues. He inspired Hank Aaron (among many others) to pick up a baseball bat and glove and head to the diamond.

Johnny Unitas won "The Greatest Game Ever Played" in front of one of the largest TV audiences ever in the 1958 NFL Championship over the New York Giants. Surely, Joe Namath was one of many who was out passing a pigskin after watching.

Magic Johnson's fast break and Michael Jordan's amazing athletic ability inspired thousands of youngsters in the 1980s and 1990s to ask their parents for a basketball  and hit the playgrounds for a pick-up game of hoops.

And while soccer hasn't reached the level of acceptance in the US as it has around the world, Pele and Beckham upon their arrival in America (or being shown on TV) made the number of minivans and moms around the soccer fields increase in number.

I put Phelps right with them. The legacy of his performance goes beyond the swim times and the medals. He is among the greatest athletes in history. He might reach 20 career gold medals if he chooses to swim (and earns) six more gold medals four years from now at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

The interest isn't just from the US swim fans. Jason Kidd, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Kobe Bryant were at the Water Cube, and watched in anticipation with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair as the relay team swam their last race. This is a man who has captivated the WORLD. His post-race press conference included questions from reporters from the Caribbean, South America, Great Britain, East Asia and the Middle East (yes Al-Jazeera).

Bob Costas noted on the final interview that on Facebook Phelps has passed the likes of Miley Cyrus, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Will Smith amongst others on the number of fans. That number now stands above 525,000, almost double what it was three days ago and more than 10 times what it was earlier this week.

People are paying attention. I'm sure thousands of kids in the United States and or around the world (it may even be more) are asking their parents for a swim cap or goggles or a swimsuit for their next birthday or for Christmas. Many will be going to pools the next few weeks and trying to race their friends in the freestyle hoping to be like Michael Phelps.

In his interviews Phelps has show his maturity and humility, despite being just 23 years old. He's appreciative of his teammates, and knows their performances were just as important in his winning the relay gold medals. He's earned the respect of his rivals, because of the way he conducts himself and how much admiration he has for all of them. Michael Phelps wants to elevate the sport of swimming, and over the past week he has done so through his abilities in and out of the pool.

I'm not a parent, but I believe that a number of parents would be quite happy if their child viewed Michael Phelps as an inspiration and a role model.

Perhaps McDonalds should update the old "I Wanna Be Like Mike" campaign commercials from the early 1990s with Phelps as a way of completely introducing him to a new generation of young athletes.

Then again, maybe Phelps said the message better himself that "I didn't want to be the next Mark Spitz -I wanted to be the first Michael Phelps."