Not only did America get to know Michael Phelps up close and personal during the Olympics, we also got our money’s worth of interviews, profiles, reaction shots, and tidbits about His Sainted Mother, Debbie.
A handful of the athletes who rose to stardom in Beijing are about to find themselves richer than their wildest dreams as they get signed to endorsement deal after endorsement deal. Michael Phelps himself is likely to pull down at least $100 million this year, according to one agent, but others are also poised to bring in big bucks (though you might not be so lucky if you’re from a small country unless your name is Usain Bolt).
Apparently, though, the reflected glow of Michael Phelps’ glory is bright enough to send a few shekels his mother’s way. The Huffington Post reports that Debbie Phelps has snagged a lucrative deal with clothing retailer Chico’s to promote a line of clothing for women-of-a-certain-age called (unoriginally enough) “The Debbie Phelps Collection”. Some of the merchandise is even helpfully annotated by Chico’s with the infotainment programs Debbie appeared on wearing those items. Hmmm…is “As Seen On ‘Access Hollywood’” really a selling point for middle-aged women?
A bit more controversially, though, The Holy Mother is also on board as an endorser for the ADHD drug Concerta. This post at Beacon Broadside by Chris Mercogliano, author of the book Teaching The Restless: One School’s Remarkable No-Ritalin Approach to Helping Children Learn and Succeed, reveals that Debbie Phelps has posted this article on an ADHD-focused Facebook page (PDF) sponsored by a pediatric pharmaceutical company, wherein she recommends “medication management”. The reason this is somewhat controversial is because during the Olympics she openly discussed her son’s own struggle with ADHD and his eventual refusal to take Ritalin, and her own description of the adverse effects Ritalin had on Michael as a pre-teen. Moreover, Debbie Phelps’ own career as a professional educator lends her a fair amount of credibility in endorsing an ADHD drug, far more than her status as a quasi-celebrity confers on a collection of women’s wear.
But, hey, a buck’s a buck, right?
