Comments on: Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Phelps Might Be Sorry He Mentioned Poker

By: DanM

DanM — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 23:41:28 +0000

OK, I’m buyin’ it, Jen … good points. In general I think the more non-poker-pro celebs in the poker mix the better … it’s one of the appeals of the WSOP and other tourneys is that you can get so close and, if at a table with them, have a more quality interaction than you would in just about any other case.

But I’m still sayin’ that one guy — no matter how big — won’t be any sort of poker messiah. At least not until he actually wins something big.

By: Gabe

Gabe — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:12:34 +0000

It would be huge for the game if he were a douche like Jaime Gold and ended up winning then having a split deal that he delayed in paying out.

By: California Jen

California Jen — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 01:34:41 +0000

Dan, I don’t think I’m overstating… All eyes are going to be on Phelps for the next 6 months to a year, looking to see the history-maker do something else interesting besides commercials. If he sits down at a poker table on a big network like NBC – or ESPN – it will be big news.

Lisa, no! No one will replace Mekhi…

By: Lisa

Lisa — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 01:15:44 +0000

Jen – is he the new Mekhi Phifer? ;o)

By: DanM

DanM — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 21:35:16 +0000

***it would be absolutely huge for the gameâ€¦***

btw, Jen, are you sure about that? aren’t you kinda overstating it just a bit? We’ve had lots of really big celebrities play poker before, after all. I think it would be nice for the game, and maybe extra-neato … but I don’t think there’s a human being on the planet save for maybe the Pope who would be absolutely huge for the game without actually winning something.

i could be wrong, of course. michael phelps is clearly bigger than montel williams.

By: PokerIsGame

PokerIsGame — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 21:33:13 +0000

I don’t know why, but I’m more thinking Phelps is going to choose the NBC Heads-Up Championship 2009. I think he has a tight graphic of training and stuff, and as Kevin mentioned, it will be around the time of US Swimming Championship. Or maybe he will attend both of them? Lets really hope he picks the second option

By: DanM

DanM — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 21:32:59 +0000

You know, I couldn’t help but get excited when I heard how big of a poker geek he is, too. But then I saw how many offers were being thrown at him at once … I couldn’t help but think, yo dudes, chill a bit! That guy is having so much thrown at him right now — if you thought the WSOP main event was cut-throat with sponsorship brokerings, can you imagine what it’s been like “off the felt” at the Olympics, where so many more millions are at stake?

Phelps has said how he thinks its funny everyone who is coming out of the woodwork, including old schoolmates who used to bully him, now wanting to be his friend (on MySpace or otherwise). I think the poker-biz probably put itself in the same camp. Just my gut feeling.

Perhaps if PokerStars sent Orel Hersheiser as an emmissary that would work. Or, if Stars/Tilt/Party/etc. were smart, they’d offer deals to Phelps swim-team mates whose names we don’t know. Surely there’s an American bronze medalist somewhere, right? Get those guys because they are probably being overlooked all over the place, and then Phelps would be like, yo, whatdafug, you guys are playing in the World Series? I wanna play in the World Series, too! Hook me up!

By: Kevin Mathers

Kevin Mathers — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 21:04:39 +0000

He’s more likely to appear in something like the NBC Headsup event (which will be towards the end of his break from training) than a WSOP event, which will be around the time of the US Swimming Championships in July.