Michael Phelps' Gold Medal Spitz Take On "Sports Illustrated" Cover

Olympic hero Michael Phelps graces the cover of Sports Illustrated on newsstands Thursday. On it, he mimics and one-ups the iconic image of Mark Spitz wearing 7 gold medals that was on posters sold for $2 back in 1972.

With 8 gold medals from Beijing around his neck, Phelps smiles from beneath the label "The Alltime Olympian" The photo was taken inside an ancient temple in Beijing on Sunday night

"This one being the first [photo] of him with all eight medals, we hope that our cover will stick in everyone's mind," SI's managing editor Terry McDonell said.

Phelps also tops Spitz on the number of SI covers on which he's featured: 5-3.

Also today, Phelps addressed reports he is dating fellow swimmer Amanda Beard.

Comments

[susang]

Spitz looks like a 70s pornstar, Phelps looks like a member of the British royal family.

[CindyInIndy]

LOL

[MFM008]

Phelps is a fine young man. He looks like an average American kid. Hes a winner and he seems to have a great family. Its time for the new gaurd to take over. Good luck.

[JICC]

Average American kid, you can say that again. That is part of the problem. I cannot help but cringe every time he opens his mouth. Nothing against him and much admiration for his achievements, but it is a bit of a shame that the package is so unbalanced.

[KevinFletcherTweedy]

And to think that Spitz did it with all that 'drag' on his moustache! Congrats Michael (and Mom, too!)

[Destin]

And he didn't wear the skin cap, or the shark skin suit. But since Phelps played by the rules of the day too, he deserves as much congratulations. Just a shame we'll never be able to honestly compare the 2 atheletes, hehe. No "bench racing" I guess to put it another way. Much like F1's new points system. We'll never know now if someone could have been as good as a Senna or Fangio or Stewart.

[VosVos]

When Spitz competed they were "amateurs.­" This meant they couldn't make a penny. They couldn't hire armies to train, cook, massage, travel, plan, etc. Phelps makes millions a year and is projected to make over 20 million per year between winnings and endorsements. Torres, the 41 year old wonder, has a staff running her life. All paid for by her promotional money, etc. Great for Phelps. Yet, Spitz and Phelps are not in the same league. I suspect if Spitz had the Phelps $$ and swim suit things would be a tad different. Or better yet, if Phelps had to live in Spitz's world, no such records would be had. They are oranges and apples.

[retmarut]

Swimmers have gotten a lot taller since Spitz. Another sport of and for giants.

[rooks]

The reverse is also true. Spitz may not have been able to compete with today's athletes.

[jsinclair]

They're so much alike. I'm pretty sure that if Spitz had the chance for 8 medals back then, he would have won 8.

The "amateur" point is a really good one. It really did make it so much harder to be an Olympic athlete back then.

Is the competition tougher now, because of all the money involved? I wonder.

To get THE CHANCE to get to the top, I bet all the money helps greatly. Some very talented people may be more easily left out now, not at the Olympics, but along the way.

[taketheother]

wow they sure had that cover ready to roll - i bet bob costas has a framed copy above his hotel room bed

cavic really won

[jrb35]

Cavic didn't win. Watch the tape and get a clue.

[cjk002]

So the IOC conspired with SI and NBC/Bob Costas to make sure Phelps won so they could get this cover?

And there is no chance that Phelps would have gotten the cover whether he won or not?

Someone needs to adjust their tin-foil hat....

[politiclycorrect]

gay?i tink not

[NTO08]

And that would be a problem how? I love it when people try to portray this as problem.
Greg Louganis kicked a-- at Olympics and he is out and proud...

[rooks]

He took one on the noggin though.

[jialfpar]

Spitz always looked like he shoulda been making dirty movies.

[kotexbarbie]

yummy!

[jalapeno]

Hiding nipples is appropriate in the Super Prude, Ashamed, Whitewashed USA !

[NTO08]

I think that is so silly...wh­at do you expect from the homophobes at SI?
Wouldn't all those straight boys getting upset at the sight of a dude's nipples...­OMG!
Gay panic!

[raker]

Too bad they didn't have color film back in 1972. Too bad they don't have well-rounded elite athletes in 2008.

[KN1968]

Phelps is too ugly to be a gay icon. Spitz on the other hand......

[Halfwit]

That halter top is cute on him.

[johnnygoodwud]

dude pull your halter over a bit, your nips are showing

[Elahrairah]

First thing I thought too... all those straps make it look like a haltertop.

No way to make the photo look as good as Spitz' did with the chains, when Phelps looks like he's in drag.

[NTO08]

He ain't in drag...

[johnnygoodwud]

looks like a gay roman gladiator. terrible picture. did they have halters in roman days?

[Mykel]

People, please. Can we have an adult discussion without slandering gays, women, transvestites and the transgendered?

That said, Michael Phelps and his sponsor, Omega, cheated and the whole world knows it.

No matter how they spin it, Omega, as the official timekeeper of the Olympics, either should not have been allowed to sponsor Phelps, or they should have withdrawn their status as a timekeeper for that particular event.

[JohnInDallas]

As a gay man I think it is a wonderful picture!

[NTO08]

Let the closet cases vent.

[chrisbee]

Phelps is awesome but let's face it- he's no dreamboat.

[StanTheManic]

I'll take the Spitz 1972 performance over the the Phelps 2008 performance.

I don't recall seeing ANYONE shooting at Phelps' people.

[barbwiregrrl]

I remember very well being a little J2wish kid and seeing the the pictures of both Mark Spitz winning the gold medals and also the gun men killing the Israeli athletes.

The two contrasting images will forever be etched in my mind.

What was interesting is that Marl Spitz had swam in the Macabee games when he was a kid in Israel and he probably knew or atleast met some of the Israeli athletes that had been killed.

Note the Olympic Committee did not suspend the games while these murders were ruling the rost.

Now with that said. I think Michael Phelps is an incredibly athlete and we don't need to compare one to the other. They both are incredible.