Before we were obsessed with the election, we were obsessed with a little thing called the Olympics. And at the center of America’s love affair was one Michael Phelps.
 

The former University of Michigan student brought eight gold medals back to the homeland and all of a sudden he was splashed on cereal boxes and offered book deals. But since then, Sarah Palin has taken over the spotlight and Phelps has faded in prominence. Still, that doesn’t mean he’s been sitting at home polishing his medals.
 

Here’s a round-up of what Michael Phelps: God of Swimming and Shirtless Pictures has been up to these days besides making ludicrous amounts of money doing endorsement deals:

- Rumor has it Phelps was paid a nice $100,000 to show up at some LA pool party for a TV network chief’s wife and swim a few laps.
 

- Instead of going shirtless, Phelps went pantsless in a recent ad for Guitar Hero: World Tour. The Olympic hero turned Guitar Hero joined other sports celebs Kobe Bryant, Alex Rodriguez and Tony Hawk to rock out Risky Business style in a new commercial for the game.
 

 

- Phelps has got himself a new girl. He’s currently dating Nicole Johnson, a Miss California runner-up. I wonder if the runner-up has a complex now that she’s dating a eight-time gold medalist?

 

- A new study of super swimming salmon has led scientists to dub these little guys the Michael Phelps of fish. This may not be about the actual Olympic swimmer, but it’s an honor nonetheless.