The medals have been awarded, closing ceremonies have harmoniously concluded, and our regular television programming, which was temporarily taken hostage by the Olympics, has returned to us once again. Yes, the Olympics are over and the U.S. walked away with and incredible 110 medals! (Although China did outnumber us in gold!) But alas, the excitement has come to an end, so now the question on everyone’s minds is: “How much will American athletes receive in endorsements?”
Well, to start, let’s just talk about the superhero of the games, Michael Phelps. With a whopping 8 gold medals- unprecedented in a single Olympic games to date- he will surely get the nod from many companies to join their “team” to endorse their products. For Phelps, it is rumored that he will receive over $100 million for his future endorsements, which include thus far, Wheaties and Frosted Flakes cereals, the Omega watch company, and Speedo to name a few.
And how about Shawn Johnson, the U.S. Gold Medal Gymnast? Well not to state the obvious, but her endorsements won’t be nearly as lucrative as Michael Phelps’ will be (currently rumored to be at a slight $1 million and climbing). However, they will include companies like McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Adidas, and Hy-Vee grocery store chains in the Midwest. And how bout’ those two super-powered volleyball cuties, Misty May Treanor and Kerri Walsh? These two absolutely dominated in women’s beach volleyball, beating the outstanding Chinese team for gold, marking their 102nd straight win!. Collectively, they are said to be worth a whopping $50 million in endorsements. The Gorilla was moved by the best all-around athlete, world champion decathlete and Californian, Bryan Clay, who just packed in about $20 million in endorsements. So there you have it folks, just a little interesting post-games Olympic news for you. Do our beloved American athletes deserve all the fame, acclaim, and wealth? Well, that’s up to you, but the Gorilla thinks that no athlete deserves it more than an Olympian!