Top 10 Games Of The Decade - Olympics 4x100m Freestyle Relay

Our next installment of the Top 10 Games of the Decade takes us to Beijing 2008. This Olympics was particularly memorable for several reasons. The US Redeem Team won back the Gold, the US Volleyball team overcame tragedy to triumph, and the Chinese gymnasts... well, we won't go there. However, the drama and intensity (see half man, half condor above) of this event stood out above the rest. The Olympics of the 2000s will be remembered for one thing, Phelps' 8 Gold Medals. And this race might be the biggest reason why...

Who: 8 Countries (US, France, Australia, Italy, Sweden, Canada, RSA, UK)

What: Gold Medal 4x100 Freestyle Swimming Relay

Where: Beijing National Aquatics Center - aka The Water Cube

When: August 11, 2008

How: This was the 2nd race in 8 for Michael Phelps' quest to become the first human being to win 8 Gold Medals in a single Olympiad. However, the 4x100m Freestyle was going to be perhaps the toughest race for Phelps and the Americans to win. They had to go up against a powerhouse French team which included anchor man Alain Bernard who offered up this bulletin board material for everyone to soak in:

"The Americans? We're going to smash them. That's what we came here for."

For the first 3 legs, it looked like Bernard was prophetic. Even with Phelps swimming the first leg at record pace, the French had a commanding lead going into the last swimmer. Bernard would have the chance to be the hero and it was up to American veteran Jason Lezak to swim down the snooty Frenchman. The rest as they say, is history...

Lezak, the oldest swimmer on the US team at 32, proceeded to swim the fastest 100 meters in the history of the 100m relay at 46.06 seconds. Lezak's comeback, and the Gold Medal win, will always be remembered as one of the most remarkable moments in Olympic history.

Why: The significance of this race isn't just in the thrilling comeback by the Americans. This was swimming taking center stage in the national landscape. In the States, it was shown on primetime network television. Everyone, and I mean everyone, was tuned in to watch this race. Heck, people were even excited about being able to shut up the French, that's always cool! Most of all though, the people wanted to see if Phelps could break the record. We all knew that this was his one of his biggest stumbling blocks.

But, a funny thing happened, Phelps wasn't the hero... Lezak was. This was about athletics in the purest form (aside from the high-tech suits) and a hero rising up from out of nowhere. The next day, all of America and the world was talking about that race. Do you ever remember another time when swimming captivated the masses? That 4x1oom relay will go down in the history books as not only one of the most exciting swimming races of all-time, but one of the most exciting moments in the history of the Olympics, period. Ironically, this race was matched in drama by Phelps' win in the 100m Butterfly days later:

That race was cool too, and Phelps went on to his 8 Gold Medals and accolades all around the world... but he owes a huge debt of gratitude to Jason Lezak, Garrett Weber-Gale, and Cullen Jones: the 4x100m US Freestyle Team.

Others Considered:

2000 Summer - Rulon Gardner d. Alexander Karelin Gold Medal Wrestling

2002 Winter - Sarah Hughes wins Gold Figure Skating

2004 Summer - Argentina d. USA Basketball Semifinal

2008 Summer - USA d. Spain Basketball Gold Medal Game

2008 Summer - Phelps Wins Gold in 100m Butterfly

2008 Summer - USA d. Brazil Volleyball Gold Medal Game

Next up, we'll stay on the world stage again and go to Wimbydon with the Tennis Match of the Decade. I'll give you a hint, it involves that Federer dude. Until next time, bye for now.

Athletes of The Decade - #6 Michael Phelps

Our #6 Athlete of the Decade was only on the national stage for about a month this entire decade. Well, that's if you don't count those bong photos... But, when you break one of the most famous records in sports on the world's grandest stage, you qualify as an athlete that defined the decade. Next up on the list, the Sultan of Swim: Michael Phelps

Resume:

-14 Olympic Gold Medals (all-time record)

-8 Gold Medals in 2008 Olympics (all-time record)

-16 Olympic Medals (2nd all-time to Larissa Latinya)

-22 Gold Medals in World Championships

The Facts:

-5-time world swimmer of the year

-2008 Sportsman of the Year (SI)

-Has broken a world record a record 37 times

-Currently holds 6 world records

-Eats six times the normal male per day

Why He's Here:

-The Olympics define the best in athletic competition. So, it's only natural that the best Olympic athlete of this or perhaps any generation makes our list. Before Phelps, was Mark Spitz's 7 Gold Medals in one Olympics thought of as being a threatened record? Whenever Phelps swims in the Olympics, it is appointment viewing. Even if he doesn't come back in 2012, he is the most decorated American Olympian of all-time. The case could even be made that Phelps is the most dominant athlete in sports this decade. Of course, Phelps largely has Jason Lezak to thank for that 8th Gold Medal. Our Phelps clips pay tribute to that relay and first the dramatic comeback in the 100m Butterfly!

Lasting Impact:

-Much like our last athlete, Kobe Bryant, Phelps has had his share of out-of-pool instances that has taken some of the shine off of his golden boy reputation. Does this photo ring a bell? The Bonggate saga along with his 2004 DUI produce some stains on Phelps' lasting impact. Of course, not every athlete is perfect. But, the bong photos produced a hysteria not seen when other athletes get in trouble. If that was a defensive tackle or a shooting guard would there be the same outrage that was thrown towards the greatest Olympic champion of our day?

If Phelps is the most dominant athlete and greatest Olympian of the decade, then why isn't he #1? Or at least in the Top 5? Well, his Olympic pedigree works against him in this regard. Michael Phelps shows up for 2 weeks on the national radar every 4 years and then disappears again. Phelps isn't in the national conversation on a 24/7 basis like the stars of the NFL or the NBA. Sure, if he swims in a World Championship or other meet he might show up on SportsCenter, but that's about it. 14 Golds is an amazing achievement, but does it mean as much in a here & now Twittering world?

And, he swims. He doesn't play quarterback. He doesn't hit home runs. Heck, he doesn't even drive a stock car. Swimming is somewhere between poker and bass fishing in the grand sports lexicon. Swimming's stature and popularity means that Phelps isn't the breakthrough, transcendent star that he could be if he played a more consistently popular sport. At least Phelps can take solace in being the greatest swimmer, and perhaps greatest Olympian in recorded history (unless there was some superhuman Roman swimmer at the turn of the first century that we don't know about...)

Check back with RSS as we hit the Top 5 in our Athletes of the Decade Countdown! And a special Championship Game Preview coming later today of something you need to see!