The American Spectator

SKIN GAMES br> Re: R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.’s In Michael Phelps’ Skin : /p>

Interesting article by R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr. In short, Mr. Tyrrell is a bona fide purist — a distinction he clearly earned. And maybe the IOC should ban such ‘outfits’ but the harsh reality are these:

Artificial skins are allowed (even coarse to mimic a shark!)

The benefits are negligible.

An Olympic swimmer is certainly distanced from an Olympic near-miss swimmer with or without such assistance.

I asked one of Phelps’ early coaches about those special suits a year ago. His response was simply “either the swimmer’s got it or they don’t…the suit will not win the race.”

The same discussion regarding swimming attire can be lent to running shoes. Compare the ‘typical’ track star’s shoes to those from the same Rome Olympics. Heck, compare/contrast Abebe Bikila’s barefoot win in 1960 to today’s top runners. It is what it is. If everyone is wearing shoes, the guy with the Jack Purcell’s doesn’t stand a chance with the guy wearing Asics’ GEL-Kinseis.

p>Phelps’s achievements are monumental. Suppose everyone in the pool loses .5 seconds not wearing the space-swim-suits. The margin of victory remains the same. And Phelps remains the greatest of Olympic athletes. br> — Kevin Scally /p> p> PAT ON THE BACK br> Re: Diane Smith’s letter (under “Doppelganger”) in Reader Mail’s If Slogans Were Jobs : /p> p>Amazing. Scrolling down, reading the start of the next letter, ‘n I say to myself, “self, there’s another terrific Diane Smith letter.” And it is. Or Ira, Beverly Gunn, or several others with distinctive writing styles or wonderful ways of thinking. Yet, it’s the substance, along with style; no Pabulum Puke letter writers here, the most stimulating bunch of contributors of any publication I’ve been privileged to come across — even those with whom I disagree. And I thank you. br> — frost /p> p> I nominate Diane Smith’s letter as the best you have ever printed. And go ahead and Google “frim-fram sauce and shifafa on the side.” You will learn a lot. I did. br> — Glen Hoffing br> Shamong, New Jersey /p>