Sun-Times sports columnist Greg Couch is huge in China

" Tall, gawky white men were in Sunday in Beijing.

After the Olympics Closing Ceremonies, Chicago Sun-Times sports columnist Greg Couch and I headed onto the field at National Stadium, where the partying after the event was to continue well into the night.

Greg, who is from Denver, and I walked around and took plenty of photos of the performers in the ceremonies. Soon, though, they were approaching us and asking to have photos taken of us with them. After a while, dozens had asked.

Evidently there was also some impromptu fencing that took place, as well.

Couch and Tomlinson were not the only ones who enjoyed an influx of attention due to a case of mistaken identity. There's this video of Steve Parry, the British-born swimmer who won the bronze medal in the 200 m butterfly in Athens, trying frantically to convince the Chinese he is not Michael Phelps.