Photo: Shark Week / Twitter
Looks like the great white shark is greater than Michael Phelps — a CGI shark, anyway.
As part of their opening night for Shark Week, The Discovery Channel advertised the Olympic swimming legend going head-to-snout against a great white shark to determine which of the two is faster in the water. We even covered it like the outstanding journalistic beacon we are.
In the weeks leading up to the broadcast, the hype made it seem as though Phelps would jump in the water and test himself against a real-life eating machine. Well, that’s not what happened, and people got super emotional about it.
People Are Sad That Michael Phelps Didn’t Race A Real Shark
Instead of putting Phelps in the water with a real shark, they (as expected) used computer-generated imagery to make it look as though he was racing the feared fish in open water. The Olympic gold medalist was basically only in a contest against Bruce from Finding Nemo.
The moment of glory for #TeamShark!!! #PhelpsVsShark #SharkWeek pic.twitter.com/NWYp1CwiRa
— Shark Week (@SharkWeek) July 24, 2017
Turns out Phelps is two seconds slower than the shark, but it wasn’t even a real shark, so we’ll chalk that time up to two imaginary seconds.
Look, we get it. Shark Week is a big deal, and you can make it bigger by marketing a dude who collected more Olympic gold than anyone ever. But when you make it seem like you’re going to throw him in the water with carnivore, don’t be surprised when people on Twitter inevitably say “WTF BRUH” when you don’t deliver the real thing.
As you can see, folks did exactly that.
Do better. pic.twitter.com/3sCMjJnvqo
— Lisa (Santacruz) Horton (@lisam_horton) July 24, 2017
This is fake news
— BENNETT?? (@BennettMarlow) July 24, 2017
https://twitter.com/TriciaOfMice/status/889291829748928513
https://twitter.com/formalcloud/status/889467293809352704
That was the biggest waste of time ever.
— Jenny (@Jen1210) July 24, 2017
When you find out Phelps didn't race a real shark. #SharkWeek pic.twitter.com/uaQb7ZDddA
— D.T. (@Darlene26811165) July 24, 2017
https://twitter.com/CarPanthersNews/status/889291055077699587?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fuproxx.com%2Fsports%2Fmichael-phelps-racing-shark-farce-twitter-upset%2F
https://twitter.com/nicoleee_adams/status/889290903042609156?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fuproxx.com%2Fsports%2Fmichael-phelps-racing-shark-farce-twitter-upset%2F
https://twitter.com/MegDownSouth/status/889278691364175876?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fuproxx.com%2Fsports%2Fmichael-phelps-racing-shark-farce-twitter-upset%2F
Me pretending to be ok with Michael Phelps not racing a real shark pic.twitter.com/QnCF98NfBB
— Gabi Palamone (@Yo_Gabi_Gabi__) July 24, 2017
Don't say Phelps is racing a shark if you're not going to put him against an actual shark #PhelpsVsShark #SharkWeek pic.twitter.com/qy1mlApUiz
— breyanna davis (@breyannachenal) July 24, 2017
I hope people learned their lesson for when someone comes at them and says they’re going to make a guy swim with a shark. I know I did.
https://twitter.com/LordFonzz/status/889317279074312192
h/t Uproxx
