We love statues here in Baltimore. We love them so much that in the space of a couple of years we erected two of them for Orioles icon Brooks Robinson, so you have to believe that it won't be long before Michael Phelps is immortalized in – and you might want to sit down for this -- bronze.
Bronze?
Really?
Obviously, since only two of Phelps' record stash of Olympic medals are bronze and 23 of them are gold, that might seem a bit odd, but a gold statue would be a tad gaudy, don't you think?
The statues of Johnny Unitas and Ray Lewis outside M&T Bank Stadium are bronze. So is the Brooks statue across the street from Oriole Park and the statues of all the Orioles legends that were unveiled behind center field in 2012.
So, it will probably be bronze, but the Brooks statue on the plaza between Russell Street and Washington Boulevard has a gold glove, so who knows?
The other question is where to put it. Since there is no major swimming venue downtown, there is not an obvious location. There has been talk over the past decade or so of creating some type of walk of fame between Oriole Park and M&T Bank Stadium, but with all the other statues arrayed around the Camden Yards complex, that seems unlikely.
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This is not a new concept. Phelps probably deserved such an honor after his terrific record-breaking medal haul in Beijing eight years ago. If you want, you can check out my column from 2012 on where Phelps should rank among Baltimore's great sports heroes.