Michael Phelps.... Deserving of the hype?

[Occhidiangela]

So, I'm a sports fan. I love football, I like baseball, Hockey interests me, I hate basketball, and every 4 years I'm enthralled by the Olympics.

Watching the fishman swim made me think that he could possibly be the most dominant athlete in a solo played sport. The only person in my mind is Tiger Woods, but even he wins less than 50% of the 'major' events that he plays. Is anyone this dominant?
On the other side of this, Does Phelps deserve the accolades, the praise, and the status? I'm curious what other people think, as my father an I had a lively discussion over lunch. He thinks it's overblown, because it's swimming (and not a sport to him).

Phelps didn't start the hype. He does most of his talking with his hard work and performance. He seems to handle the attention with grace and a sunny attitude, which is good, given the media spotlight on him, and what is probably some self inflicted pressure to succeed.

Rather than ask if Phelps deserves hype, the guy is good, we might rather ask if the hype makers ever inhale. If ever there was a class of people who need to avoid caffeine, something I don't generally endorse, they are it.

Occhi