Racing a Shark ... or Jumping it? Hmm...

GRATEFUL GIRL'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Okay, so unless you live under a rock ... or beneath a subway system ... or within the side of a mountain, you know that last night the great Olympian and arguably all-time fastest/best swimmer on planet earth raced a great white shark.

Because even Ariel and all her little friends under the sea got the memo that Michael Phelps was going to swim against Bruce (or whatever his real name is) the shark to help the Discovery Channel kick of SHARK WEEK 2017.

And to draw in viewers.

And to get like a bazillion gagillion dollars in advertising.

And put Michael Phelps' name back out there since last summer's Olympics have been over for a while now -- and he retired shortly after they ended. Either way.

Last night in the cold waters off Norway, Michael Phelps raced alongside Bruce in a man versus nature head-to-head like no other. Ooh, except that he didn't. Well, not really.

First of all, the "race" was pre-recorded. It was merely being shown for the first time to the public last night.

Secondly, the two didn't actually race. Michael just donned a tail fin and tried to best Bruce's time in a 100-meter open water sprint. Bruce went 36.1 seconds. 

Michael, whose swim included the superimposed footage of Bruce's swim sometime before Phelps entered the water, came up exactly two seconds short.

That's not a huge disparity in this match-up, by the way, given the factors and elements at play. If a competitor beat Michael in a pool by that much, however, he would have fallen so far from grace he'd need Ryan Lochte to give him pointers on getting back on top, Capisce?

I don't think anyone expected Phelps to win. It's a GREAT WHITE FLIPPING SHARK, people, come on!

But the point is, many of us watched anyway; knowing full well that our guy was probably going to get beat. We still watched and hoped. And sure, we wish Phelps could have beat old Bruce into the ocean's deepest depths. And yeah, we feel a little slighted that the hype was a little bogus because it was misleading showing all those promos of an actual lane-to-lane contest. 

But, at the end of the day, we humans are a pretty hopeful bunch. Plus, here in the good old U.S., we always want to beat out the other country, yo. Finally, it's the American way to root for the underdog. Even if he's --you know-- a person.

So you go, Michael! And if you want to race a dolphin or an eel or sting ray someday; I'll be there for you. Heck, if Usain Bolt wants to race against a Cheetah ---he'll never win, of course--- but I'll cheer him on the whole way, too; all, like, seven seconds.

Go, Team People!


​Ps 95:8 R. Alleluia, alleluia. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 12:38-42 Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you." He said to them in reply, "An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights,  so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.
PHOTO = https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2017/07/24/michael-phelps-didnt-actually-race-a-real-shark-on-tv-and-viewers-arent-happy/?utm_term=.5b4e43ebf1d1

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