Be Like Mike

Phelps Dominating News Cycle With Record Golds

The Beijing Games have become the Michael Phelps Olympics. His accomplishments are dominating the news cycle and media coverage, he leads all morning shows today and is on the front page of most global dailies. There is a report that NBC is now giving “serious consideration to airing Saturday's prime-time Olympic coverage live in all time zones due” to Phelps' potential eight Gold Medals. And now the swimmer has clearly morphed from sports star to pop-culture celebrity, as Team USA basketball players are going out of their way to cheer him on. NBC's Jim Lampley says, “The story is Phelps, Phelps and more Phelps.” NBC’s Alan Abrahamson called him “the greatest American athlete of our time.” He is being called the “new American Idol.” Visa is out with a new congratulatory ad for him, and his agent Peter Carlisle says that while Phelps’ “marketability is pretty well sealed," he notes that some of Phelps' deals are up after these Games.