Much has been made of what will happen to Michael Phielps outside of the swimming pool.  Of course, NBC has been rumored to be offering up big bucks to keep Phelps as a presence at the Olympics for years to come.  But, Michael Phelps certainly could use more than a few extra Subway commercials or serving as Rowdy Gaines' understudy to stay relevant in his post-Olympic career.  Enter… Hank Haney?

Apparently Phelps' first foray into the media will be as the latest subject for golf instructor Hank Haney's show on the Golf Channel.  Following in the footsteps of Charles Barkley, Rush Limbaugh and Ray Romano, Phelps will start shooting this fall for the new season of the show.  The Haney Project even foreshadowed this series of events in a previous season.  From the network press release, Michael Phelps had this to say:

"As I enter this next chapter of my life, I think I will be able to shift my competitiveness to anything I put my mind to and golf is one of the things I want to focus on. If I have a goal of dropping a certain amount of shots, or working on my short game or putting, those things are going to keep me motivated and fire me up and keep me excited. I want to play all the world's great golf courses, but I'd like to play them well. I'm excited about this project with Golf Channel and I’m looking forward to working with Hank and see what we can do together on the golf course."

And before you ask, yes ever-present mother Debbie Phelps is scheduled for at least a cameo amongst others in Phelps' inner circle.  That's not a joke, it's literally being promoted by Golf Channel.  Really though, The Haney Project is the perfect place for Phelps to tip-toe into his post-Olympics career.  He'll get a chance to get comfortable in front of the cameras outside the pool on a semi-reality show.  His golf game can't be worse than Charles Barkley, so it's unlikely he'll embarrass himself too badly.  And, as a side bonus, Phelps's golf game is bound to improve… at least that's what conventional wisdom would dictate.

Just one word of warning Michael.  I hear Hank Haney isn't the best with keeping secrets.  If you want to partake in any post-round activities, you may want to be careful.

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