Michael Phelps Challenged to Race by Chad Johnson

Who Exactly is Challenged Here?

Chad Johnson, the star wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals who likes to be called "Ocho Cinco," has challenged Olympian swimming gold medalist Michael Phelps to a race. On ESPN's "Pardon The Interruption" Wednesday, August 13, Johnson went on a tirade about Michael Phelps, stating that "the problem with Michael Phelps is there's no competition where he is."

For those out of the loop, Michael Phelps is at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics breaking swimming records (five so far).

Chad Johnson, never one to restrain himself from saying something that might be considered asinine, went on to say that he knew several people in Liberty City (Miami) that could beat Phelps in a race. He says that if Phelps went to Liberty City, he would find these people that could beat him in the inner city, people who could not make it to Beijing to compete. Johnson also stated that he was three times Charles Hadly school champ.

Charles Hadley, for those curious to know, is an elementary school in Miami, Florida. Apparently, Chad Johnson believes that his prowess as a swimmer in his pre-teen years qualifies him as a world-class swimmer on the par with -- nay, better than -- Michael Phelps and hundreds of other Olympians. And Johnson might be a decent swimmer, but this would be something to see.

Thus far, Michael Phelps has made no comment as to whether he will accept Chad Johnson's challenge. Perhaps he has something more important to do, such as getting ready to break or tie Mark Spitz' Olympic record.

But this isn't Johnson's first media exposition of his unlimited talent for making an ass out of himself.

In one outing against the Tennessee Titans, Johnson was quoted: "Tennessee is a very country-type state. Maybe I can practice on some type of country-western dance where they'll know what I'm doing."