article about amanda beard in USA today

RE: article about amanda beard in USA today

Frank Thompson — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 11:53:07 GMT

I was at the grocery store the other day and noticed this magazine on the rack near checkout called FHM. It had Amanda Beard on the cover and not in her traditional Fastskin II suit. It was sealed so you could not open it and had to buy it to see what is inside. I didn't buy it but found an interesting link in what Amanda is up to these days with an update of her business ventures. Being this busy I really wonder if she is going to come back to swimming. I know it has been since 2004 that she has competed in a major event. It looks like the potential (100 Million) is to good to pass up with whats going on now. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next year or so. www.fhmus.com/girls_girls_of_fhm_article.asp

RE: article about amanda beard in USA today

Former Member — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 11:31:29 GMT

I put the sales video of Ammanda Beard on my web page, scroll down to the bottom of the page swimdownhill.com/.../page3.html

RE: article about amanda beard in USA today

Former Member — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 10:52:17 GMT

Wow . . . chastise Ande for his cut and paste (probably beyond fair use but who's to quibble) and "lose respect" for someone you probably have never met (which leads to the question, how did she gain your respect "as a person" in the first place so that she could then "lose" it)? Here's my 2 cents . . . not that it is sought: 1. Swimmers should respect the hell out of her accomplishments as a swimmer. 2. She is extraordinarily attractive and seems to be taking advantage of that in order to enhance her earnings . . . gotta respect the business skills. 3. She'll be objectified. So? That's her intent. So? It's a free market . . . 4. I always think that people should save their moral indignations for things that matter . . . I don't know, killing sprees at high schools, torture of inmates, abuses by those in power . . . maybe that's just me. 5. Lighten up and have a beer dude . . . maybe head out to Woodinville and have a couple of cold ones at the Redhook Brewery or stay in town and hit Elysian Fields . . . go for a swim . . . relax.

RE: article about amanda beard in USA today

Former Member — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 10:25:29 GMT

Ande If you are going to break the copyright rules, you should do a complete job and post the pictures to get the complete effect, which is not quite achieved by the words alone (and you omitted the out of context 'teaser' quotes from the magazine layout). Its her life and career and she can do with it as she pleases. She should know that many people will objectify her as a result of this. My loss of respect is due to it appearing to me that that is her desired objective.

RE: article about amanda beard in USA today

Former Member — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 10:23:20 GMT

Originally posted by Steve Ruiter I saw and read what was inside the FHM and I have lost my respect for Amanda as a person. Best wishes to her in her endeavors. Why?

RE: article about amanda beard in USA today

Former Member — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 09:44:56 GMT

Originally posted by hofffam I like Amanda, but I really hate it when people start sentences with "I'm like....." and they're not comparing themselves to something. It is sooooo teen-talk like Lindsay Lohan and Brittany Spears. Thank heavens somebody besides me was annoyed by that. Anyhow, I hope to see her back in the water soon.

RE: article about amanda beard in USA today

Former Member — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 09:13:51 GMT

I like Amanda, but I really hate it when people start sentences with "I'm like....." and they're not comparing themselves to something. It is sooooo teen-talk like Lindsay Lohan and Brittany Spears.

RE: article about amanda beard in USA today

Former Member — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 07:38:00 GMT

I saw and read what was inside the FHM and I have lost my respect for Amanda as a person. Best wishes to her in her endeavors.

RE: article about amanda beard in USA today

ande — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 04:41:33 GMT

here's her interview Take a victory lap with The World's Sexiest Athlete “After my last FHM shoot during the 2004 games, people were like, ‘Wow, she’s grown up,’” says the now 24-year-old Amanda. “And it’s not only because I was in a sexy bikini but I also took on my own business ventures and I’m really in control of what is going on around me.” That control has turned her into the Tiger Woods of swimming. Amanda gets a cool $15,000 per speaking engagement. She has signed a $1 million contract to advertise Speedo’s Axcelerate line. Throw in endorsement deals with Oroweat Bread, Red Bull and Penta water, and a signature line of fragrance products, and Amanda can earn up to $100 million by 2010. Is there anything she can’t do? “I can’t stop laughing every time I hear someone call me the World’s Sexiest Athlete,” she says. “I don’t look in the mirror and go, ‘Wow, I’m sexy.’” Amanda, perhaps you should take a look at these photos before you decide. Do famous guys constantly ask for your phone number? Sometimes, but it’s embarrassing anytime a guy asks for my number indirectly. That’s not cool. If you want to go out on a date with me, ask me. I’ve had famous guys try to go through my agent, but I’m stingy with my number. Would you have been able to hang out in Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s pit before winning an Olympic gold medal? That sounds dirty. You shouldn’t say that since my ex-boyfriend Carl Edwards races against him. I’ve been in his pit a lot. Actually, I had liked NASCAR for a long time, but obviously while I was dating Carl I had more of an emotional attachment to it, more of a “please don’t crash and die” kind of attachment. Like, when I’m swimming and I’m competing, I don’t even care. I’m completely calm, but when I was with Carl, I was a nervous wreck every race. I don’t run the risk of dying while I’m swimming. So after the race, I was always like, “OK, it was a good race because you’re alive.” You once said you wouldn’t date a guy shorter than 6-foot-4. Aren’t race-car drivers short? He’s one of the taller drivers on the circuit, so it was OK. He’s like 6-foot-1, so he passed the height test. But as a general rule, race-car drivers are very short. I would never date a guy who was shorter than me. Why is a famous Nextel Cup driver an ex-boyfriend? I’m a really laid-back, chilled-out person. I’m a surfer girl from Southern California, and when you date a race-car driver, there’s so much stress. Race-car drivers are too intense for me. There’s no way you could get me to jump in a car and go 200 mph around the track slamming into people. You have to be an intense person to handle those race cars, and I’m not. What’s harder: winning a NASCAR Nextel Cup race or a gold medal? Definitely winning a gold medal is harder. I think that’s way hard, because you get that opportunity only once every four years, so if you screw up for one race, you’re screwed for four more years. In racing, if you don’t do well in one race, oh well, there’s another one a week later. Give us some of the stranger requests you’ve received since the 2004 Olympics in Athens. I’ve been asked to do a couple of reality shows. I’m not really ready for that kind of stuff yet, because it cuts into my training, and I don’t want to be known as a “has-been.” The Surreal Life wanted me. I think it’s a hilarious show and I love watching it, but wait until I have some crazy meltdown at a race first. Have you finally allowed yourself to skinny-dip in a pool? I just got a pool in my backyard. It’s so private, why would you wear a swimsuit? Now it’s annoying to swim when I have to wear a bathing suit. I’d much rather be in the pool naked, but most of the time I’d get in trouble. I told people there’s a “no swimsuit” rule for my pool. I don’t know if people will go for it, but I’m having a bachelorette party this weekend, so we’ll find out. A bunch of naked girls in my pool. Isn’t that perfect for FHM? Maybe we’ll all have a pillow fight afterward. Yes, yes it is. Do you walk around the house naked? The thing that’s great about my house is that it’s very private. You could lie out with no clothes on. I can walk around the house naked anytime, and I definitely take advantage of that. Being naked is no big deal in my house. Have you ever gotten it on in a swimming pool? Not yet. Never gotten naughty in a pool. A car? Who doesn’t get naughty in a car? But I’m not giving you any stories. There are no G-rated stories when it comes to that stuff. I’ll just say this: It’s much easier in the back seat. There’s too much stuff to maneuver around in the front seat. Let’s turn to swimming. With no free time, is the Beijing Olympics in 2008 a realistic goal? Oh, I’ve still got skills. I’ve got mad skills! I’m still motivated to swim. I love it. I have fun when I’m in the pool competing. The one place I feel completely at home is in the water. Like, I feel weird when I’m out of the water because I’m really clumsy on land, but as soon as I jump in the pool, it’s so comforting. I might as well be a mermaid. I’ve been doing it for 20 years now, and it still feels good, so yeah, my goal is to definitely compete at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. And it would be hard to leave any job that requires you to wear a bathing suit every day. I feel very comfortable in a bathing suit, but I think people don’t understand. They’re like, “How can you pose in bikinis and little skimpy outfits?” I’m like, “I go to the office in a two-piece swimsuit.” It’s not weird for me at all to hang out in a bikini. As soon as you put clothes on me, I’m like, “What’s going on?” I feel awkward in clothes. So me in a swimsuit, swimming in a pool, I’m happy. I mean it. On land, I’m so clumsy. I’m all Three Stooges combined into one. Finally, did you get a world of grief for telling us last time you wedge your swimsuit up your butt? I get made fun of for that constantly, but I don’t care. I still wedge the swimsuit up my butt. That’s not going away until my butt is way too big and just doesn’t look good. That’s a problem I’ll have to deal with one day. When I stop swimming, then I’ll have to worry.

RE: article about amanda beard in USA today

Former Member — Wed, 06 Apr 2005 05:26:59 GMT

Amanda I think has more medals for an American breaststroker and I think also made more olympic teams for a breaststroker. How many breaststrokers placed in the olympics in a non-breaststroke even-the 200 IM?. So, if she leaves the sport of swimming to make money I think its her decision.

RE: article about amanda beard in USA today

Former Member — Tue, 05 Apr 2005 13:26:58 GMT

Bottom line: This is the good ole' US of A. Work hard, win, make lots of money. Good for Amanda.

RE: article about amanda beard in USA today

hrietz — Tue, 05 Apr 2005 10:28:19 GMT

I think that this is great for Amanda, for swimming and for female athletes. She definitely needs to take advantage of her opportunities NOW. She is the best female 200 *** swimmer in the world NOW but may not be in 2008 or even by the end of the summer. I'd love for Amanda to continue through 2008 but I'm sure the more that she delves into these other frontiers the more difficult it may be to continue to find the motivation to train at the level necessary to be the best. She already has made three Olympic teams, has an individual gold medal as well as three individual silvers and an individual bronze, is a world record holder and a world champion. She even has won an NCAA title. After accomplishing all of this I don't blame her for choosing photo shoots, appearances and developing cosmetics over several hours of training/day. It will be interesting to see her decisions over the next couple of years...

RE: article about amanda beard in USA today

Former Member — Mon, 04 Apr 2005 16:38:44 GMT

The more attention that is brought to swimming the better. Amanda isn't competing this week because she hasn't trained enough. I think she has a great head on her shoulders and knows that if she does't capitalize on her marketability now she might not have the opportunity down the road. If I was Amanda and making millions off of endorsements I would find it laughable that a professor asked if I wanted to be more than middle management. I also probably would have just done the assignement, but whatever. I think she is very ambitious she has stated again and again that she wants to finish her degree because she'll need one to get a job. (an article actually somewhat mocked her saying something along the lines of yeah, speedo is going to turn her down, she's got seven Olympic medals, but no degree?! no she can't work here). Amanda wants to open her own boutique, and has for years, all of this is a stepping stone towards doing that. She is getting herself assoicated with fashion and cosmetics. She also will be making a lot of money which could fund a boutique. I say power to her. I certainly wouldn't turn down those opportunities. I hope she sticks with swimming and we see her get even more gold in Beijing. She's a fierce competitor so I don't doubt it. But even if she never gets in a pool again (which I'll bet a years salary she will) she will still have 7 Olympic medals - a lot more than Anna K who was always just a pretty face and a decent player. Amanda became a phenomenal swimmer first! Rock on Amanda, I think she's awesome!

RE: article about amanda beard in USA today

Former Member — Mon, 04 Apr 2005 12:08:03 GMT

Originally posted by ande i don't think amada will ever live paycheck to paycheck ande Precisely. And that is the way it should be. Work hard, swim hard, and take advantage of opportunities that present themselves to you.

RE: article about amanda beard in USA today

Former Member — Mon, 04 Apr 2005 08:49:38 GMT

Would it be better to be a world record holding swimmer and live paycheck to paycheck after your glory days have come and gone?

RE: article about amanda beard in USA today

Former Member — Mon, 04 Apr 2005 08:40:47 GMT

I have to agree with everything that has been said on this board in regards to Beard's business venture bringing more attention to swimming. As an advertising student, one of the key things we learn about is branding. Branding means that you know a company and what they make, and are loyal to it. When someone says Keebler, and you automaticaly think "Crackers," that's branding. Celebrities now a days have made themselves into brands. When people hear Jennifer Lopez, they immediately know who she is and what she does. They know that she is a savvy business woman, singer and actress. You can ask any younger person and I bet some of them would say "I want to be a singer, just J.Lo." Amanda is a swimmer first and foremost. The rest is simply extra. She will always be the swimmer who started her own business. So hopefully, down the line, she will have made enough out of her brand, that when you ask a younger person they'll say " I want to be a swimmer, just like Amanda." Just because she decided to take on other things to make a life for herself after she retires from swimming, doesn't make her a bad person or an egomanical maniac. ~Kyra

RE: article about amanda beard in USA today

Former Member — Mon, 04 Apr 2005 08:19:18 GMT

I think that Amanda Beard's current and future business ventures outside the pool are likely to do more for swimming's public visibility than anything she's done (or will do) in the pool. Of course, swimming success opened up these opportunities, but even if she never swims another stroke she will always be referred to as "Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard." So, she may be more valuable to the sport of swimming as a businesswoman than she has been or could be as a competitor. As my father likes to say, she should make hay while the sun is shining.

RE: article about amanda beard in USA today

ande — Mon, 04 Apr 2005 06:29:02 GMT

i don't think amada will ever live paycheck to paycheck ande Originally posted by 330man Would it be better to be a world record holding swimmer and live paycheck to paycheck after your glory days have come and gone?

RE: article about amanda beard in USA today

Former Member — Mon, 04 Apr 2005 05:09:21 GMT

Originally posted by ande I say you go girl. amada is stunningly lovely and the best 200 breastroker ever unlike anna k who's not ranked that high but is highly hyped ande I could not agree more. Any legitimate business that Amanda starts, runs, or is associated with will only bring more attention to her sport of swimming. I find it hard to believe that somebody can honestly think that a swimmer with savvy business sense provides no benefit to the sport. BTW, I think Phelps is far more cocky than Amanda will ever be. Perhaps he has a right to be, I am not sure.

RE: article about amanda beard in USA today

ande — Mon, 04 Apr 2005 04:44:51 GMT

if amanda wants to go for the 2008 olympic games, the challenge she's going to face is How many outside commitments she is going to accept? How much are those engagements going to interfere with her training? When she's talking to a corporate crowd about what it takes to be great for $15,000 a pop she's not in the pool doing what it takes to be great. It's hard to stay in shape training in hotel pools. as an example my friend josh davis, made the olympic team in 1996 at age 24 and won 3 gold medals in atlanta, on sometimes spotty training he made the 2000 at age 28 olympic team and broke the american record in the 200 free but he missed making the 2004 olympic team for the 4 x 200 relay at age 32. he swam a 1:49 which is really great, he made the semis but he didn't advance to the finals. I believe if he trained more consistently he might have made the 2004 team. But he had business obligations, a family to support and he decided to move from Austin to San Antonio. Ande Originally posted by justforfun I think that Amanda Beard's current and future business ventures outside the pool are likely to do more for swimming's public visibility than anything she's done (or will do) in the pool. Of course, swimming success opened up these opportunities, but even if she never swims another stroke she will always be referred to as "Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard." So, she may be more valuable to the sport of swimming as a businesswoman than she has been or could be as a competitor. As my father likes to say, she should make hay while the sun is shining.

RE: article about amanda beard in USA today

ande — Sun, 03 Apr 2005 12:24:46 GMT

I say you go girl. amada is stunningly lovely and the best 200 breastroker ever unlike anna k who's not ranked that high but is highly hyped ande

RE: article about amanda beard in USA today

mattson — Sun, 03 Apr 2005 09:29:44 GMT

Originally posted by hooked-on-swimming I do not see how by creating a cosmetics line Amanda Beard contributes to swimming.Hey, I did not say that is wrong of her to do that...I did say it was smart business-wise...I just want her to stay "cool" if you know what I mean, not corrupted by money, 'cause it looks like she is getting very cocky(you get that vibe by her comment about how laughable the idea of "getting a real job" sounds to her , etc. That's strange, I read that section and had almost the opposite reaction. Beard is aiming for being co-owner of a company, and the business professor is trying to motivate her to aim for a position "better than middle management". That would be like a local coach suggesting Beard should swim with them, because the coach could teach her to make (Masters) short course NQTs! :) (Hmm... that's not as funny as I intended. I just remembered that the reigning gold medalist for the 50 free had tied for 3rd in his age group at the Indy SCNationals. :eek: :D ) As for the first part... The average Olympic age has been getting older, as more swimmers are continuing to train past college. One point brought up (by Hall at the Racing Club web site, for example), is that most swimmers don't have the resources to train full time. Now we have Beard, who may be in a position to make a living that will support her for life. (No guarantee, many business ventures fail in that first year.) She has stated how much she loves swimming. This could be a real opportunity for her to be able to train at the highest level, for as long as she wants. (And another data point to see how much or how little swimming speed drops off as you age.)

RE: article about amanda beard in USA today

Former Member — Sat, 02 Apr 2005 17:44:41 GMT

All sports have their commercialized stars to various degrees. People like Tiger Woods for golf and Jeff Gordon for NASCAR promote all kinds of products and rake in lots of money doing it. Even though commercialization spoils the ideal image of the pure athlete who only loves the sport, it also brings more attention to the sport. Good or bad, the public responds to flashy commercialization more than to idealism. Amanda Beard's ventures are probably good for bringing attention the sport of swimming. And she has worked hard in the past to get where she is now, which is more than can be said for a lot of pop stars who just lucked out.

RE: article about amanda beard in USA today

Former Member — Sat, 02 Apr 2005 17:43:03 GMT

That article was not about promoting swimming, it does not even come close to it...And the rest of the world - no, it is not as celebrity-struck as America and no, not a lot of junk goes overseas...

RE: article about amanda beard in USA today

Former Member — Sat, 02 Apr 2005 15:19:59 GMT

I hate to sound like a jerk, but that has to be the most ridiculous commentary I have read on this board in a long time. Give me a break! I don't understand how people on here can get so cynical about good news. Here we have a swimmer WHO HAS DONE A LOT and wants to do more. She hasn't changed a bit, but comparing what she is doing to Spears, et. al. is a bit of a stretch. Let her have a chance to make a living promoting herself as well as a sport that we all participate in. If you are really "Hooked on Swimming" you would find this article a breath of fresh air. If this is a problem with "Americans" all have to say is that the rest of the world must be just as idiotic, they buy all this junk that we put out more than we do. You tell me who's worse the ones producing it or the ones who buy it?