Olympic hero Phelps collects eight gold medals, but really wants a Picks title

If you lived on planet Earth this summer, you know who grabbed the most headlines in the sports world. It was U.S. Olympian Michael Phelps, who set a record with eight gold medals in eight swimming races in Beijing. He now owns 16 medals (14 gold, 2 bronze) from the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympic Games, but his quest for success is not quite complete.

"What I really want out of life is a title in the world-renowned Sunday Football Picks," admitted the 23-year-old swimming sensation, who eagerly followed the Week 1 results online on Sunday. "I love football, I love competition, and I want a shot at that Mark character and the rest of those goofs."

Mark did leap into first place in the 2008 season opener by amassing a 10-3 record, hoping to achieve Picks gold for the fourth time in his career. Deej, QT and Trevor are all close behind at 9-4. Phelps claims he went 11-2 – even predicting the Bears' incredible 29-13 upset of Peyton Manning and the Colts – but his picks are not being accepted.

The Picks Oversight Committee reiterated Tuesday that members must be family by either blood or marriage, and Phelps clearly doesn't meet the requirement. But Phelps claims he's the long lost brother of Mark and QT, and therefore qualifies for Picks membership. His 6-foot-4, 195-pound frame does resemble the lanky build of Mark and Trevor.

"How do you think Trevor cleared 6 feet tall at age 12?" Phelps asked. "He takes after his amazing Uncle Michael, that's how."

While Phelps considers appealing the ruling of the Picks Oversight Committee, he said he might have an easier way into the family's longstanding Sunday tradition. This week he's sneaking away from his Saturday Night Live gig and flying to Las Vegas to meet up with D.J., who's visiting family there for a month and rebounding from a recent breakup.

"I hear she's turning 21 on Friday, so I'm ready to crash that party and become her new boyfriend," Phelps said. "If a blood test won't get me into this league, then a marriage license certainly will. If D.J. is anything like her mother, she'll be wild about getting her hands on my powerful body."

More likely, Phelps will have to settle for his swimming achievements and skip the football thing. His domination in Beijing gave him more gold medals than 196 of the 205 countries that participated. Phelps earned gold in the 400-meter Individual Medley, 4x100-meter Freestyle Relay, 200-meter Freestyle, 200-meter Butterfly, 4x200-meter Freestyle Relay, 200-meter Individual Medley, 100-meter Butterfly and the 4x100-meter Medley Relay.