NBC's Ratings Dream Alive By A Fingertip

The man they call the Baltimore Bullet might just be human after all, it turns out.
American swim phenom Michael Phelps (a.k.a. NBC's ratings gravy train) couldn't have cut it any closer at the Beijing Olympics tonight, edging Serbia's Milorad Cavic by a scant one-hundredth of a second in the men's 100-metre butterfly to win his seventh gold medal in seven events at a single Games. That allowed Phelps to match the once-thought unassailable feat of another U.S. swimmer, Mark Spitz, who went 7-for-7 in Munich back in 1972.
Phelps was fourth after 50 metres, 0.62 seconds behind, and appeared beaten until the final touch. An overhead replay showed the remarkable finish, with the American's massive wingspan getting the job done in the end.
Even then, it still seemed hard to believe. Phelps clocked 50.58 seconds; Cavic 50.59.
"I had no idea the race was that close," Phelps told NBC's Andrea Kremer afterward.
Now the chase for eight golds in the Games of '08 heads to its conclusion Saturday night with the men's 4x100-metre medley relay (10:58 p.m. ET, if you want to set your clocks).
Hard to say who's more relieved about it all, Phelps or NBC.
*****
Speaking of that crazy Olympic time ...
Anyone living in the eastern part of Canada had to heave a bit of a sigh of relief when they saw the semi-final start times for the men's 100 metres, the glamour event of any Summer Olympics.
They're set for 8 a.m. and 8:13 a.m. on Saturday. The final hits the track at 10:30 a.m.
Not the best for TV ratings. Far from the worst for anyone left sleep-deprived by these Games.
Oh, and the big rowing eights final on Sunday, in which Canada is favoured for gold? Try 5:30 a.m. ET.
Get a head start on your extra sleep now.
*****
So Ben Johnson is suing the estate of his former lawyer for $37 million, alleging Edward Futerman took advantage of his "diminished mental capacities" all those years ago after the former Canadian sprinter went from national hero to national disgrace at the 1988 Seoul Games.
Call me a cynic — and I'm guilty as charged if you do — but isn't it interesting this piece of news hit the newspapers just a day before the men's 100-metre final in Beijing?
Coincidence? I think not. Desperate plea for attention? Might be a little closer to the point.