Splash Down: Michael Phelps Discusses Marketing, "Guitar Hero"
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Phelps Says He Felt Like A Fish Out Of
Water During "SNL" Appearance In Sept. |
U.S. Gold Medal-winning swimmer Michael Phelps appeared on YES Network’s “Centerstage” last night and discussed his record-breaking performance at the Beijing Games and how it has changed his life. Phelps: “I didn’t want to be the second Mark Spitz. I wanted to be the first Michael Phelps. I wanted to do things that no one had ever done before, whether that’s win more than seven gold medals or be able to have sponsorships that no one would ever think of.” Phelps appears in an ad for Activision’s “Guitar Hero World Tour” videogame alongside Lakers G Kobe Bryant, Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez and skateboarder Tony Hawk, and he said the experience has “probably been one of my favorite, most fun commercials.” The ad spoofs a scene from “Risky Business,” and Phelps said, “I was talking to Kobe … and he goes, ‘Make sure they don’t put you in tighty whities,’ and I was like, ‘No, I won’t be in it.’ He was saying A-Rod was completely comfortable with it. I was like, ‘No, Speedos are fine with me.’” Phelps, who said he plays several videogames regularly, has a videogame of his own coming out next year, and when asked if he will play his own game, Phelps replied, “I’ll try it out for sure. Why not?” Meanwhile, Phelps said of hosting the season premiere of NBC’s “SNL” last year, “The opportunity came about and I’m not going to turn down ‘SNL.’ I can do that and then I asked my agent, ‘Wait a minute. That’s live, isn’t it? That’s live TV.’ He goes, ‘Hence the name.’” More Phelps: “I kind of felt like a fish out of water a little bit just because you really don’t see a swimmer sitting on TV telling jokes, but it was a cool experience” (“Centerstage,” YES Network, 1/12).
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Humphrey Says Three New National Retailers
Plan To Carry PureSport Products Soon |
PURESPORT: Human Performance Labs CEO Michael Humphrey appeared on Fox Business yesterday to discuss the endorsement deal that Phelps has to promote the company's PureSport product, a protein mix drink. Humphrey said, "We have incredible athletes that use (our products) successfully and that's opened the door for us to retailers like Sports Authority that carries us in all 400 of their locations. We have three other national retailers that we're about to announce within the next two weeks that will carry our products" ("Fox Business Morning," Fox Business, 1/12).
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