In a Discovery Channel Shark Week special, Michael Phelps took to the open water to go head to head (well, kind of) with a simulated great white shark.
Even with a monofin on Phelps lost to the great white shark by 2 seconds. It came as a surprise to many viewers that Phelps was not racing side by side with an actual shark – rather, against a simulation. Many fans were disappointed in the race, expecting Phelps to have been racing next to an actual shark in open water.
Sportscaster Dan Patrick was having none of it. In a segment on the Dan Patrick Show he said that he was surprised that there were so much hype surrounding the race, noting that a Phelps vs. Ledecky race would have been much more intriguing.
“What did people really think here? I would rather have watched Phelps race Katie Ledecky than this silly shark event.”
Patrick also noted that a Ledecky vs. Shark race would have been more interesting, saying that she might even be able to beat the shark.
“I want to see him race Katie Ledecky now, she’s more dangerous than a shark” said Patrick. “She might be able to beat the shark.”
Both Ms. Ledecky and Mr. Phelps are sublime, once-in-a-lifetime, human athletic marvels. Why would anyone want even to suggest involving them in a 21st century farce sinking beneath the level of B. J. King vs. Bobby Riggs?!?!
If Mr. Patrick even watched whole hour of this Discovery Channel program rather than just the Shark Week teaser, he would have realized that there was at least something of value to be learned from the effort–a bit of reasonable science at the focus of the hour (studying swimming behavior of the Great White Shark, an aquatic marvel in its own right) as well as getting a peek at the strategy and technology used to suss out the details in setting up… Read more »
Who is Dan Patrick? Why is their an article about him like it’s common knowledge to know who he is? Simmer down you no body
Boom-Shaka-Lacka – Dan Patrick is incredibly well-known and famous. He worked at ESPN for 18 years as a Sportscenter host, has his own television and radio show (both nationally syndicated), writes for Sports Illustrated, and co-hosts NBC’s Football Night in America. His show has 390,000 followers on Twitter.
In fact, his show is on the Olympic Channel immediately before swimming finals.
The fact that he knows who Katie Ledecky is and is talking about her is good for swimming.
Braden, Thank you for that comment. You are absolutely correct–this is great for swimming. If we want to grow our sport we should be very interested in what he says. And thank you Swimswam for highlighting Dan’s comments.
Anyone who thought Phelps would be in the water with an actual shark was an idiot. Besides the obvious danger to the GOAT, you can’t exactly train a shark to race on command.
And we care what Dan Patrick has to say …. Why?……
Think about it. Swimming’s biggest event is happening in Budapest, but people in media are rather talking more about Phelps jumping……er “racing” the CGI shark. Dan Patrick is 1000% correct. Thank you Dan.
A publicity stunt swim off would be awesome for the sport. Kind of a re-make of the famous Bobby Riggs vs. Billie Jean King. Build it up with weeks of trash talk. Get Shaq in on the action. Put Shark Week to shame. Battle of the sexes. Lots of proceeds to charity You could even have the men’s soccer team do an 8×50 relay concurrently to see if they could keep up. Pack the stadium. It would huge.
For all you purists who are going to… Read more »
People!!!! Don’t you all remember about 2 or 3 years ago at the Mesa Grand Prix in Arizona when Phelps and Ledecky logged the exact same time in the 400 free albeit in different heats, of course. Phelps jokingly asked her if she would like to do a swim off, and of course she accepted. Sadly, it never happened. I commented on this website that it should definitely be staged kind of like a reprisal of the famous Bobby Riggs vs. Billy Jean King match. Of course, I was criticized for it.
So, Dan Patrick knows a lot more than you naysayers. He is correct. It would be great for swimming.
Hmmm I maybe in the mile since I doubt phelps has ever really trained it at an elite level?
He’s like 2nd all time for 15-16 year olds I think he was low 15 minutes but I might be wrong
At a random meet in 2007 he went a 15:34.18. Short course he was 15:01 when he was 17 years old. I think now if he trained for a little he would beat her. She’s amazing, but the GOAT is, well, the GOAT
No the real GOAT is roger federer. Remember the GOAT likes grass and Wimbledon is played on grass.
goats like grass lmao.
And dude is still whipping guys younger that him at 36 years old in a brutal sport like tennis.
Need something like Shaq vs Phelps for the sport