Via the Huffington Post, I found this nice little dity about Michael Phelps. It turns out that some business gurus think that Phelps could cash in on up to $40 million dollars in endorsement deals! That's $5 million per gold medal! Now, I'm not bringing this up to in any way impunge the character of Micheal Phelps. Phelps is without a doubt the most gifted athlete in Olympic history and he seems like an all around good guy. He endeared himself to me in 2004 when he gave up his spot in the medley relay so Ian Crocker, one of his biggest rivals, could have a chance at gold. That was a selfless move of pure class, and he deserves to be commended often for it. Moreover, Phelps' success will turn a lot of young people on to the great sport of swimming. It's just disappointing that Phelps' performance in Beijing will likely result in the rampant commecialization of a sport that has remained fairly pure throughout the years. However, this commercialization is indicative of the system, and Phelps should not be blamed for bringing it about.
Photo used courtesy of Flickr user nataliehehring.com August 12, 2008
