Dec 1, 2008 4:33 pm US/Eastern
Michael Phelps Discusses His Golden Future
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
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"Sports Illustrated" will name its Sportsman of the Year Tuesday and it will be no surprise if Baltimore's own Michael Phelps will receive the honor.
"Sports Illustrated" will name its Sportsman of the Year Tuesday and it will be no surprise if Baltimore's own Michael Phelps will receive the honor. So what has Phelps been doing since winning the record eight golds?
Since Beijing, Michael Phelps has enjoyed his longest break from training ever. But he's not exactly slowing down--he's building the Michael Phelps brand.
Sally Thorner reports the 23-year-old swimmer gets the red carpet treatment everywhere he goes from Hollywood to New York. It's a just reward for a guy that's been training non-stop since he was 11.
"It's not wanting to lose, wanting to do something that no one else had ever done before," Phelps said.
The cover shoot for "Sports Illustrated" was the kickoff for a marketing frenzy few other Olympic athletes have experienced.
Phelps is overwhelmed with proposals.
"It's been a crazy ride," he said.
While visiting Visa's headquarters, Anderson Cooper caught him backstage as his agent Peter Carlisle showed him a big offer on his Blackberry.
Carlisle receives 300 calls a day regarding Phelps, but he's only looking for companies that fit Phelps' lifestyle. Ten restaurant chains offered deals, but he signed with Subway because they'll market him overseas. A car endorsement with China will soon follow.
He already appears in a commercial for the video game Guitar Hero. The book will be out shortly, as will a documentary with behind-the-scenes footage of Phelps. When all is said and done, Michael Phelps stands to earn more than $100 million.
Michael's success has allowed him to buy a $1.5 million apartment in Fells Point and he plans to enjoy it. He won't resume training until January for the London Olympics in 2012.
This past weekend, Phelps made tabloid news when he brought a waitress from Las Vegas home to his mom for Thanksgiving.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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