By Matt McCoy

Much of the talk during the Blue Jackets off-season has been about the Rick Nash move Scott Howson has not made...but a move General Manager did make, was acquiring 24-year old Nick Foligno from Ottowa. 

Foligno joined 610 WTVN's Dave Maetzold on Sunday Morning Sports Talk, as he prepared to visit Columbus to find a house, meet the staff and become acquainted with his new city.

(To listen to Foligno with Dave Maetzold click here)

"I'm thrilled...after talking with Scott Howson and (coach) Todd Richards and some of my ex-teammates who have played in Columbus and have told me all about it, I'm really excited," Foligno said. "I'm really looking forward to skating with them in hopefully an expanded role...I'm just looking forward to coming to a new team and helping out the best way I can."

Foligno was acquired by the Blue Jackets in the July 1 trade with the Senators for defenseman Marc Methot. Only five days later, he signed a three-year, $9.25 million deal.

"I want to see this thing turned around and I want to become a winning franchise and hopefully hoist a Stanley Cup in the near future," Foligno said. "Anytime you can commit to a team and they're just as excited as you are, I think it moves the ball pretty quickly. Now I'm looking forward to playing real well in Columbus and making them proud."

I feel you Michael

In no way am I comparing myself to Michael Phelps, but in his Sunday conversation on ESPN, the greatest swimmer on the planet revealed that he hates to get wet...and this is one area of which I have first hand knowledge.

I swam competitively from the age for 4 through my four years of college and I know what Phelps is talking about. It is not an easy sport and when I completed my senior year at Ohio State I vowed I would never hit the pool at 5:30 in the morning again. A quarter of a century later...I haven't.

"Getting into cold water after getting out of a warm bed is the worst feeling in the world," Phelps told ESPN. "I'm kind of the last one in the water every day."

I feel you Michael...truer words have never been spoken.

I was listening to the Dan Patrick show on our sister station AM 1230, Fox Sports Radio Monday and Patrick was discussing the Phelps conversation and said it was a 'depressing interview.' Depressing, no...honest, yes. Phelps is 100 percent right. Anyone who's ever had to swim before sunrise knows how he feels.

I give him a ton of credit. He was an Olympian at age 16 which means he's been swimming at the highest level for a dozen years...and he's done it competing in some of the more grueling events in the sport. 

Whether Phelps wins or loses in the head-to-head match-ups in London with fellow American star Ryan Lochte, enjoy it. Their rivalry is the best thing going in sports...and we won't see anyone like Phelps for the rest of our lifetime.