Philip Hersh

Philip Hersh grew up in Boston but has lived in Evanston, Ill. since 1977. He has worked at the Chicago Tribune since 1984 and has focused on international sports and the Olympics since 1987. For 10 straight years, the German sports publication, Sport Intern, named Hersh among the 100 most influential people in world sports. Prior to joining the Tribune, Hersh worked for the Baltimore Evening Sun, the Chicago Daily News and the Chicago Sun-Times.

Comments

[Douglas H.]

Forget about Phelps for a moment, you are totally ignorant about the sport of swimming. You should be fired or at least never allowed to comment on the sport of swimming again. As punishment, I suggest a two mile run and some stretching and calisthenics, followed by 1000 meters of each stroke and a couple-a-thousand meters kicking; that's pretty much my workout as a twelve year old. This is not to say I think track and field are not difficult sports.

[jeremy]

philip hersh, you are an idiot. if you haven't read this article, http://cw11.trb.com/wpix-phelps0813,0,3349629.story, take a few minutes to read it. sure everyone is entitled to their own opinion, which i do respect. but "it is easy to win mulitple medals in swimming"?!?! obviously someone has never raced their friend for a few laps in an Olympic-size pool, or any pool for that matter. swimming is NOT EASY and can be, on some levels, considered harder and more toll-taking on the body than most track events, as it involves the whole body working, not just the legs... really philip, before you go around throwing entire sports under the bus, try it out yourself you moron. it might just be more of a sport than you think, and michael phelps just may be more of a man than you.

[Phillip Suttle]

Thank you for saying in print what I have been saying for days. "Enough about Michael Phelps, already!" No one could possibly be overdoing it, would they? Oh no.
Of course, NBC has been the worst, since their network has been carrying the games. But plenty of other empty heads have bought hook, line and sinker the unbelievable hype that always pollutes the Olympic Games.

[Enrique]

Your articles are not only negatives but sound from a repressed and frustrated "couldn't be an athlete". Your should do your "homework" better before writing. Michael Phelps have help the Olympics and America. You have a responsibility to write all the facts, not just articles with your negatives opinions. You are just a party pooper, killjoy. Trying to take the shine from people's best moments.
Its just sad you are getting paid for this.

[Jan Tavares]

Re: Your comments on Michael Phelps

You obviously know very little about the sport of swimming. What you saw happening to so many other competitors like the people who took 2nd to him is what is typical in swimming. It is very difficult to win at the Olympic level in that sport. For one thing, it is a hugely popular sport with a large number of people doing it world wide. The competitive pool is deep and another teenager suddenly appears on the horizon with the best time in the world. This man set world records as he won. He won races with tactical skill that he seemed to have lost! There are no track people that could win the 100, 200, 400, 800, mile, High Hurdles, 400M hurdles; etc. all in one meet. This is obviously an attempt to sell papers with hubris. But it is what I expect from a paper that lies: The L.A. Times. The response, folks...hey...it's the L.A.Times.

[John Smith]

Philip Hersh could be the worst, most uninformed writer of all time. He simply tries to place negativity in a positive moment, hoping to create some kind of response that will "brighten" his dull and dreadfully lonely life.