Phelps v. Spitz

I'm going to try to keep this short, I've got stuff to do, but this question has been circling too long and needs a final answer. Here we go.

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Since Phelps grabbed gold #8 and WR #7 at the Beijing games people have been asking who would win head to head in a prime versus prime matchup with Mark Spitz. Phelps has been asked, Mark Spitz has been asked, every nimrod commentator that NBC is using to cover the games has been asked (and yes, most of the commentators they're using are JV quality at best).

To even approach that matchup you've got to assume a couple of things:
- Spitz prowess translates to current day.
- Spitz shaves, gets a swim cap, and trades the Speedo for something more modern.
- Spitz could have posted times like Phelps has done, clearly the WRs that Spitz posted were nowhere near the times Phelps is putting up.

Manage to get them both in the same era in their primes and then you've got a race. In terms of sheer physical tools, Phelps has an edge, taller, longer arms, flippers for feet (I'm surprised the Chinese or French didn't protest that his ankles have a greater range of motion than most people).

Clearly both are great athletes, both had a fire to win that most do not and were willing to train like few can endure. I didn't get to see Spitz race, wasn't alive then, but have a hard time thinking that he could have matched Phelps in a broad grouping of events. In one or two specific disciplines and distances? Probably. Across a program of 8 events? Probably not. That's what is so shocking about Phelps, in an era with much greater parity in competition (everyone swims for a US collegiate team regardless of where they're from) Phelps just went out and dominated the world. Spitz dominated, but did so at a time when few countries had the resources, training facilities and techniques in place to have truly competitive athletes in swimming.

And one final thing. I'm not sure who Spitz had swimming relays with him, but he didn't have Jason Lezak. Let's remember that every time Phelps needed someone to answer the bell in a relay the 32-year-old Lezak broke out the swim of his life (even if they were overshadowed by Phelps performances).

I also want to say that Spitz has been extraordinarily gracious to Phelps. I watched the interview NBC did with both men after Phelps' final race. A report earlier in the games was that Spitz was offended because no one invited him to come to Beijing. If he was, he got over it and showed great class in deferring to Phelps and heaping praise on him. That was the only time I've ever been less than impressed with how Phelps responded. He was cordial, but should have showed greater deference and appreciation for what Spitz accomplished in his own era. I do give Phelps some slack, he was about 15 minutes removed from the medal ceremony, probably hadn't really had a chance to collect his thoughts. Spitz had been at home in Detroit collecting his for a week.