Phelps ushers in big swimming boom

I just got back from the Farmington Aquatic Center, where I went for a swim. No, no I didn't. Instead, I talked with FCAT's husband-and-wife coaching duo of Trever and Brandyn Gray. Since the Olympics, the Four Corners Aquatic Team has nearly doubled in size, going from less than 40 swimmers to 70. I'd call that a good month.

I'm pretty sure that Michael Phelps guy has something to do with it.

Check Thursday's paper for the full story.

Speaking of Michael Phelps, Steve Bortstein was talking about Vince Young on his show this morning (wait, that transition doesn't quite work, does it? Let's just run with it). Steve, whose beloved USC Trojans will lose to Ohio State 34-23 on Saturday, raised an excellent point about today's promising young athletes being given everything on a silver platter.

It's obviously true. Not for every youngster who can throw a 90-mph fastball or run a 4.3 40, but the majority of them. Adding my two cents, I believe a bigger problem is that these athletes are never told "no." It's basically a foreign word, because a lot of these guys and gals have never heard it.

Which is why they break laws (think sexual assault), cheat in school or use steroids. Nobody's ever told them they can't do it. Nobody's ever told them no.