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Michael Phelps Second Most Influential Athlete in United States

According to Forbes.com, Olympic swimming icon Michael Phelps falls behind football star Tim Tebow.

Forbes reported the news based on surveys conducted by Nielsen and E-Poll Market Research.

Tim Tebow may not even play football next year, and Phelps is retired. Influence appears to have a lot more to do with how many corporate partnerships you have, translating into commerical campaigns and extremely high visibility.

Tim Tebow made the list last year as a mainstream sports star, as did the Manning brothers. It’ll be interesting to see if Michael Phelps can make the list again next year, in the middle of the Olympic quadrennial, the quiet expanse I call the Olympic Sahara Desert….when few seem to care about Summer Olympic sports.

You can expect Michael Phelps’ star to continue to rise as we near the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has already partnered with Phelps and his Michael Phelps Foundation to promote the Rio Games. Additionally, Phelps will be far more visible on the sidelines of the 2016 Olympics, pitching products, potentially as a TV analyst, and simply standing there waving to the crowd.

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bobo gigi
11 years ago

Tim who?
You ask a French in the street who is Tim Tebow and he will probably answer you an actor, a singer or perhaps an astronaut. Seriously, I know him because I go to American sport websites very often but what has this guy done in his professional career to be influential? Another evidence there are sometimes very weird things in this world. But accordind to many young people, Justin Bieber is the greatest artist on earth today so nothing surprises me anymore.

Mead
Reply to  bobo gigi
11 years ago

The article is titled “Most Influential Athlete in the United States”, it doesn’t matter if people outside the U.S. know about Tebow, because that’s not the focus of the study.

bobo gigi
Reply to  Mead
11 years ago

Yes I can read, thank you, but can you answer to my question please? What has he done in his professional career to be influential? In terms of pure talent. In terms of accomplishments. I have the impression he’s just a simple marketing product like Justin Bieber and many others these days.

Reply to  bobo gigi
11 years ago

I agree thoroughly with this statement. Nobody in Utah follows swimming, but every single person here knows who Michael Phelps is, and what he’s accomplished. Only about half know who Tim Tebow even is. Most just know that he’s a football playa.

Jg
Reply to  Devan
11 years ago

Mormons maybe feel he outdid them by one simple telegenic action?

Praise The Lord . I gotta Tebow right now.

Cabry
Reply to  bobo gigi
11 years ago

You’re mostly right. He won the Heisman Trophy and was an incredible college player but an overall mediocre nfl player. He does a lot of charity work, is a virgin, super cute (just a fact) and the Christians love him. It’s not that much of a mystery. I for one don’t care too much about the nfl, but I have super-Christian friends and they are in love with him–only reason I know anything about him. He is a persona in a way Micheal never really became. Even Hoogenband talked about how Michael never transitioned to the next level of fame by not really having a public personality. This is about influence, right? I don’t think it’s about who is more… Read more »

Liliana
Reply to  Cabry
11 years ago

And what is “the next level of fame”, the one beyond Michael Phelps level of fame? Can you explain? Is that Kim Kardashian level? And if it is, have you ever thought about the fact that some people (Phelps included) don’t want that kind of fame?

CAG
Reply to  bobo gigi
11 years ago

He is influential not because of his athletic accomplishments but by the values and belief systems that he championed during his college career (he IS a Heisman trophy winner) as well as after he was drafted. Just being good at your sport doesn’t necessarily make you influential. Comparing him to Bieber is more than a little insulting.

jean Michel
11 years ago

I wouldn’t call Forbes as a reference on that subject ! Just ask people in the street , and they will answer u with clarity .

Liliana
11 years ago

Phelps is usually very visible during winter Olympics as well.

About Gold Medal Mel Stewart

Gold Medal Mel Stewart

MEL STEWART Jr., aka Gold Medal Mel, won three Olympic medals at the 1992 Olympic Games. Mel's best event was the 200 butterfly. He is a former World, American, and NCAA Record holder in the 200 butterfly. As a writer/producer and sports columnist, Mel has contributed to Yahoo Sports, Universal Sports, …

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