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I have nothing against Michael Phelps at all. I got a kick out of watching him swim to 8 gold medals and had even more fun writing about him hooking up with Stephanie Rice to potentially produce a race of superhuman aquapeople. But, I have to be honest here, I think this next piece of news may be a bad move on Phelps's part.Phelps is scheduled to kick off the season premiere of Saturday Night Live on September 13th. Now, the reason I think this might not be the best of ideas is that, well, have you seen any of his interviews?
I'll let Troy Patterson of Slate explain:
That Phelps cannot dress himself is part of his gentle charm. He is not your average sloppy 23-year-old. Rather, he seems to have stopped developing, in some respects, at about the age he started training seriously and thus resembles a sloppy 11-year-old superhuman. Not without poise, Phelps has declared events related to his record-breaking string of performances "cool," "very cool," "neat," and "really neat." In the glow of his triumph, he faces the camera with something more interesting than real humility (which is pious) or false modesty (which is dull). He's working a kind of confounded ecstasy, ducking his head as if he's slightly shy to feel so good about himself, easing his way into the idea of not trying to stifle his grins.
In other words, he's going to suck on Saturday Night Live.
But whatever, I know I'll still be watching. And since Phelps will be on SNL, it gives me a chance to pull up some of the better athlete performances in SNL history.
Like Tom Brady and sexual harassment.
And of course MJ hanging with the Super Fans (although, this is really Farley's sketch, not Jordan's).
And Peyton Manning beaning kids with a football for United Way.
And while I don't have a clip of it, Joe Montana gave the most immortal athlete line ever in SNL during a skit entitled Sincere Guy Stu where Montana played a roommate of Phil Hartman's who spoke exactly what was on his mind. The clinching line?
Leslie: Uh.. listen, we'll talk quietly, so as not to disturb you, okay?
Stu: Oh, you won't disturb me. I'll be in my room masturbating.
Stu: Oh, you won't disturb me. I'll be in my room masturbating.
Hey, if Phelps says something like that, I'll take back everything bad I said about him.
Phelps to host SNL season premiere [Baltimore Sun] via [Fanhouse]
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