AP athlete of Yr: UM alums win 3 of last 6

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December 22nd, 2012 at 2:00 PM
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michelin
Joined: 09/22/2009
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AP athlete of Yr: UM alums win 3 of last 6

For 6 years, former UM students have now won half of all the AP male athlete of the year awards.

Phelps just beat out Lebron James, winning now for the second time.  Brady also won in 2007, joining athletes such as Jordan, Bird, Woods, Montana, Mays, Mantle, Dimaggio, and---another UM alum: Tom Harmon.

Note that former UM students also won 3 of the last 9 SI Sportsman of the year awards (Brady, Phelps, and Derek Jeter—who said he may yet return to UM to get his degree (see link).

 

*ADDENDUM REVISED: Is Phelps a "Michigan Man"?

The link below provides some additional evidence suggesting that

1.       Phelps took courses in marketing and management at UM for 2 years (2004-6)—and it is hard to believe he did not do at least one semester’s work in those two areas over a two year period--which technically would make him an “alum” according to most  universities’ definitions.

2.      Indeed, even if that were not the case, many of us did not do in our later careers exactly what we did or studied in school.  In fact, many who came to Michigan—like Brady Hoke—were not even students at all.  Yet, their experience at Michigan molded their characters and contributed greatly to their future successes.  Just ask Brady.

3.      Moreover, Phelps actually came to Ann Arbor because that enabled him for many years to work with the UM swimming coach.  So, from a training perspective, he was as much a product of UM as any other UM athlete.  So, not only can a good case can be made Phelps is an alum but, for all intensive purposes, a “Michigan Man.”

 

(PLEASE READ LINKS IF YOU NEED TO VERIFY THESE STATEMENTS)

 http://baltimore.about.com/od/sportsrecreation/a/MichaelPhelps.htm

ww.mcall.com/sports/mc-phelps-swim-male-athletes-20121221,0,2591614.story

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associated_Press_Athlete_of_the_Year

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Phelps

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Where_does_Michael_Phelps_attend_college

http://www.examiner.com/article/remembering-derek-jeter-s-days-at-univer...

michelin

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December 22nd, 2012 at 2:03 PM | I don't believe Phelps (Score:5 Normal)
robbyt003
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Joined: 10/25/2010
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I don't believe Phelps actually graduated from Michigan.  

“When your team is winning, be ready to be tough, because winning can make you soft. On the other hand, when your team is losing, stick by them. Keep believing” - Bo Schembechler

December 22nd, 2012 at 2:06 PM | Or even actually attended. (Score:3 Normal)
julesh
Joined: 11/28/2011
MGoPoints: 567

Or even actually attended.

December 22nd, 2012 at 2:13 PM | According to Wikipedia, he (Score:5 Normal)
Owl
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According to Wikipedia, he attended classes but did not pursue a degree.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Phelps#Bob_Bowman

December 22nd, 2012 at 2:24 PM | iPhone (Score:4 Normal)
Ty Butterfield
Joined: 09/07/2009
MGoPoints: 891

One of my friends had a class with Phelps when he was a Michigan.



(yeah I know. Cool story bro.)

"But in the tire fire that was last year's secondary he showed a little spark." - Brian Cook

December 22nd, 2012 at 2:47 PM | I had class with Phelps (Score:5 Normal)
Hardware Sushi
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Cooler story, bra.

Intensity is a lot of guys that run fast.

December 22nd, 2012 at 3:56 PM | Phelps (Score:3 Normal)
cclittle
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Seemed like a douche when him and his friends were doing Irish car bombs next to me a Charlie's.

For the record, I'm not a eugenicist.
December 22nd, 2012 at 4:01 PM | The guy likes to party, no (Score:2)
robbyt003
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The guy likes to party, no shame in that

“When your team is winning, be ready to be tough, because winning can make you soft. On the other hand, when your team is losing, stick by them. Keep believing” - Bo Schembechler

December 22nd, 2012 at 6:37 PM | But there is shame in being a (Score:4 Normal)
Brown Bear
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But there is shame in being a douche.

I poop excellence
December 22nd, 2012 at 8:29 PM | ...unless you are a douche. (Score:2)
Two Hearted Ale
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...unless you are a douche.

December 23rd, 2012 at 11:42 AM | Michigan, where we embrace (Score:1 Overrated)
LB
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Kaczynski and deny Phelps.

May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift

December 22nd, 2012 at 5:27 PM | the definition of alumnus is (Score:1 Normal)
white_pony_rocks
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the definition of alumnus is actually anyboy who actaully atended a university, although most people look at it as somebody who has graduated.

 

edit: my keyboard is really small and i dont proof read, i am actually an alumnus though

Soon to be the #1 fitness and training center in AA

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December 22nd, 2012 at 2:05 PM | So what you are really saying is (Score:2 Normal)
1329 S. University
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1 of the last 9.

Those Who Stay Will Be Champions

December 22nd, 2012 at 2:08 PM | That boy ain't right. (Score:4 Normal)
Hank Hill
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Your title is misleading.

"Yep"

December 22nd, 2012 at 2:11 PM | an "alum" is defined in the dictionary as including students (Score:5 Normal)
michelin
Joined: 09/22/2009
MGoPoints: 479

and not just grads.(I did not want to make the title too long by writing ""former part time students who did not necessarily pursue a degree")

I did provide several links to verify that Phelps and Jeter were former students.

I stand by my title.  It is accurate.

michelin

December 22nd, 2012 at 2:15 PM | It might be accurate (Score:5 Normal)
Owl
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It might be accurate technically, but it's a huge stretch if we're being honest with ourselves. 

December 22nd, 2012 at 2:23 PM | Again, titles are meant to be succinct (Score:1 Normal)
michelin
Joined: 09/22/2009
MGoPoints: 479

So I tried to make the title brief, then clarified in the first sentence that I was talking about former students.

 

michelin

December 23rd, 2012 at 5:30 AM | I disagree (Score:4 Normal)
GoWings2008
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Phelps came to Michigan to train with Bowman, which he and a number of other swimmers also did.  He didn't come to get a degree.  So how is this any different from all those freshmen basketball players from Kentucky last year?  I would hazard a guess than neither of them went to college thinking that they would actually finish four years with a degree, so who cares what classes they took as long as they completed the minimum requirements?  

Phelps trained with the Michigan coach, the Michigan team, benefited from the school's facilities and went to Michigan classes.  I don't see that as a stretch at all. 

The Team, The Team, The Team

December 23rd, 2012 at 9:04 PM | The "taking classes" is the (Score:2)
WolvinLA2
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The "taking classes" is the key part here, and I agree Phelps should be included.  However, I don't agree with your analogy to the UK basketball players.  

The kids at UK go there in the hopes they can leave after a year to become pros.  In the meantime, they're attending the university, staying at least a little eligible and competing for their school.  When Phelps came to UM, he was already a pro.  There were no consequences for him ever even showing up to classes and he never competed as a UM athlete.  

If your point was simply that both Phelps and UK basketball players had little interest in an actual degree, then you're probably right, but that's where the similarities end.

December 27th, 2012 at 10:53 AM | Since the Olympics started (Score:2)
GoWings2008
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Since the Olympics started including "professionals" and the loose definition of pro swimming or what not, I'd agree to an extent...the lines always seemed a little fuzzy to me. 

But as far as no consequences for him ever showing up to classes...wasn't that the one way he was allowed to keep his stay in Ann Arbor the way he did? 

I read Colleen Thomas' article from back in August about it, and she has a very good point about why he shouldn't be included.  She mentions that the Wolverine community claims him as one of their own, possibly because he's the most decorated Olympic athlete ever.  I don't see any other schools as potential competition for his claims as "his school" so...although Bowman I think was associated with UMBC. 

Its a dicey subject for sure...but I appreciate your response.

Edit:  Link for the story

http://www.michigandaily.com/sports/colleen-thomas-michael-phelps-%E2%80%94-gold-not-maize

The Team, The Team, The Team

December 22nd, 2012 at 2:23 PM | There is a link button   (Score:2)
robbyt003
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There is a link button

 

“When your team is winning, be ready to be tough, because winning can make you soft. On the other hand, when your team is losing, stick by them. Keep believing” - Bo Schembechler

December 22nd, 2012 at 2:44 PM | Definition of alum (Score:2)
James Burrill Angell
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Most universities define alum as completing at least one semester of classes.Michigan follows that definition.

December 22nd, 2012 at 4:21 PM | So, I believe they are both "alums" by that definition (Score:1 Normal)
michelin
Joined: 09/22/2009
MGoPoints: 479

According to the link above Jeter qualifies “He left after that one semester (at UM).”

I believe that Phelps qualifies too, as he attended a number of classes while he served as a vol asst coach at UM from 2005-8 (and trained for the Bejing games in AA).   Although I do not have his transcript in hand, it's hard to imagine he did less than three or four classes (the equivalent of a semester) in three or more years.  And, all alumni semantics aside, by serving as a UM coach for three years--like Brady Hoke-- he more than qualifies as a "Michigan Man".  So, it is appropriate to consider him as part of Michigan history.  Accordingly, there are abundant references to Phelps in the Bently Historical library.

http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/olymp2/ol2012.htm

http://www.vpcomm.umich.edu/features/olympics/#gold

michelin

December 22nd, 2012 at 2:25 PM | If we're claiming 3 of the (Score:5 Normal)
ShockFX
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If we're claiming 3 of the last 6 like that, I'm sure Alabama is claiming 7 of the past 6.

December 22nd, 2012 at 2:31 PM | Burn baby burn. (Score:2 Normal)
Rico616
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Burn baby burn.

December 22nd, 2012 at 3:07 PM | AP athlete of the year... (Score:5 Normal)
4godkingandwolv...
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.... is a misnomer.  It should be American athlete of the year.  Sportsman of the year for me is Leo Messi... and it's not really close. 

Do Something. If it works, do more of it. If it doesn't, do something else.

December 22nd, 2012 at 6:22 PM | But (Score:0 Flamebait)
December 22nd, 2012 at 5:19 PM | What jumped out at me from (Score:1)
maizenblue87
Joined: 06/22/2011
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What jumped out at me from the list is how many winners in the last 30 years have subsequently been tainted by scandal - Ben Johnson, Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods.

December 22nd, 2012 at 5:40 PM | Phelps in Ann Arbor (Score:2 Normal)
jasonmkeith
Joined: 12/20/2012
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If we are judging Phelps for "taking classes but not pursuing a degree", then by the transitive property, 90% of the Buckeye football team didn't attend Ohio State.

"We're not here to play school!!"

December 22nd, 2012 at 6:00 PM | I don't think (Score:4 Normal)
Balrog_of_Morgoth
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I don't think the transitive property means what you think it means.

December 22nd, 2012 at 8:26 PM | I think you mean "we ain't (Score:4 Normal)
kevin holt
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I think you mean "we ain't come to play SCHOOL"

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December 23rd, 2012 at 12:51 AM | No, it's I ain't hear two (Score:1)
allintime23
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No, it's I ain't hear two play skool.

All in for some manball.

December 22nd, 2012 at 6:41 PM | I'll claim Phelps when Phelps (Score:1)
robmorren2
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I'll claim Phelps when Phelps claims Michigan.

December 22nd, 2012 at 10:55 PM | Does he not? At the 2008 (Score:5 Normal)
WolvinLA2
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Does he not? At the 2008 Olympics he spoke a lot about Michigan, still comes back for football games, and has a block M tattoo. He made a big deal on his facebook about Michigan on "wear your school collors day."

December 22nd, 2012 at 9:01 PM | Any chance this award is (Score:4 Normal)
State Street
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Any chance this award is named after a prostitute as well?

December 22nd, 2012 at 10:21 PM | To the extent that any (Score:1)
quasioptimistic
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To the extent that you are going down the list and adding a university to associate each athlete with, then I guess we say Jeter and Phelps are UM. However, we shouldn't suggest they are similar to someone like a Tom Brady, who played a number of years and actually graduated UM.

Polonium 210 is the new dilithium.

December 23rd, 2012 at 12:10 AM | Whether Phelps is an alum or not (Score:1)
Blue in Dallas
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he is an incredible swimmer.  Still blown away by his Olympic career.

"He has no idea that Charles Woodson can jump fifteen feet in the air, come down acrobatically, and get his foot inside this football field.  Folks, you can watch football a long, long time before you see another play like that."

December 23rd, 2012 at 8:15 AM | In looking throught the links (Score:2)
UMgradMSUdad
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Joined: 07/02/2011
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In looking throught the links the OP provided, I discovered that Phelps may have Marfan Syndrome.  This article says he does not, but the fact that he gets checked every year for symptoms suggests that perhaps he has the syndrome, but it has not progressed to a point of being dangerous: http://casesblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/does-michael-phelps-have-marfan.html

December 23rd, 2012 at 6:13 PM | To me, he looks more like he has acromegaly (Score:1)
michelin
Joined: 09/22/2009
MGoPoints: 479

--a response to xs growth hormone.   However, Phelps has repeatedly passed some more than usually rigorous tests for artificial growth hormone. 

So, one must ask whether other factors contributed to this appearance.  I have heard that he has ADHD--and for some time, pediatricians believed drugs used to treat ADHD would stunt growth. So they sometimes gave growth hormone injections to children.  If that happened to Phelps, then that might have contributed to his bone growth patterns and unusual appearance.

I am just speculating.

michelin

December 23rd, 2012 at 12:01 PM | Please note the OP's revised addendum about Phelps as an "alum" (Score:1)
michelin
Joined: 09/22/2009
MGoPoints: 479

It considers Phelps' courses at UM for 2 years, his coaching at UM, and his purpose in coming to Ann Arbor: to work with the UM swimming coach.

michelin

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