RIO DE JANEIRO — One of the interesting things about covering the Olympics live is that we're largely oblivious to how NBC is presenting the Games at home.
For example, I did not see the footage of Michael Phelps glowering in the waiting room as his rival, Chad le Clos, bopped around with a goofy grin on his mug.
Thus, I did not realize #PhelpsFace had become a thing until I woke up and looked at my phone this morning.
That said, the footage was pretty great, more like something out of a boxing movie than a swim meet. And it does speak to the differences that have made Phelps-le Clos a compelling rivalry in the sport.
Le Clos grew up hoping to emulate Phelps as a swimmer, and then he actually beat him four years ago in London.
That race has stuck in Phelps' craw, and le Clos has periodically fanned the flames by talking trash in the years since. The swimming world was titillated last summer when le Clos took shots at Phelps after laying down a world-best time in the 100 butterfly. Phelps came back later the same day with a faster swim in the same event.
On Monday night, Phelps commented on the now-famous NBC footage of him and le Clos from the waiting room before their 200-meter butterfly semifinal.
"Everybody has their own race strategy and what they do, and if that's his, that's his," he said. "I honestly was trying to focus on what the guys in the heat before me were going and tried to not really even pay attention. He had a tough double tonight, some decent swims. Tomorrow's race I would expect will get a lot of hype."
Note his use of the term "decent swim" for le Clos' silver-medal performance in the 200-meter freestyle.
Whether Phelps will fully acknowledge it or not, it seems the old lion is eager to slap down his 24-year-old foe.
In a sense, #PhelpsFace was an apt summation of its owner. He's a legendarily focused competitor who tries to keep his mind blank in the moments before a big race. And he thrives on perceived challenges to his throne.
As Phelps said, the 200 butterfly final tonight should be fun.