Lucky for Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson and Alicia Sacramone, Michael Phelps doesn’t break out the blush brush or accent his brown eyes with volumizing mascara. The trio of adorable U.S. gymnasts will appear in CoverGirl ads, joining the company of other famous CoverGirls like Rihanna and Drew Barrymore. The flipping, cartwheeling and swinging squad actually signed a deal with the cosmetics company before their trip to Beijing, allowing a CoverGirl team to create custom make-up looks for each of the gymnasts. The team’s silver-medal success and the individual achievements of Nastia and Shawn will mean more ads and maybe a little more moola. Kudos to CG for skipping the tacky eye shadow a la that little 14-year-old Chinese gymnast. Note: bright blue eyeshadow doesn’t make you look older, just straight out of the 80s.

President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea, the new hero of golf widows everywhere, has told his officials to lay off the tees and clubs in light of poor economic conditions, fearing it “”sends out the wrong message” to fellow countrymen. The game is extremely popular, but comes with a hefty price tag that forces a number of golfers into other countries to find cheaper options; membership to a club may cost $250K to $500K with guest passes reaching $250 per person for a weekend round. Wow, and that’s not including beer…

Physicians Formula doesn’t view the Olympics’ third place finishers as losers, just maybe a little pale. The cosmetics company plans to send all of the Games’ bronze medal winners a lifetime supply of bronzers in honor of their achievements in Beijing. Luckily U.S. gymnast Alicia Sacramone, who got bumped from a bronze following questionable judging on the vault, already seems to have the tan thing down.

Pamela Anderson might not be a great swimmer in real life but she played one on TV, and now she wants to practice a little mouth-to-mouth on America’s Olympic fave, Michael Phelps. “Swimmer’s bodies are the best and he is the best of the best. He really is. It’s the way he shakes his arms out before he jumps in the pool. . .” Sure, he’s sporting a skin-tight suit and she’s looking at his arms. Who knows, maybe he’s in the market for a couple of flotation devices.

Sure, Forrest Gump got a packed house for his ping-pong match, but for the ladies of table tennis, it’s time for a makeover. “We are trying to push the players to use skirts and also nicer shirts, not the shirts that are made for men, but ones with more curves,” noted the VP for the International Table Tennis Federation. Citing tennis players’ combos of sport and style and, let’s face it, incredible amounts of attention paid to the leggy beach volleyball gals, the federation is trying to avoid this year’s half empty stands for future events. If high school women’s sports teams wore Catholic school girl skirts, maybe we wouldn’t need that pesky Title IX law.

The first fashion meets swimming rumor popped up earlier in the week with word Michael Phelps had landed a top model, but unfortunately Phelps put the kibosh on discussing his love life. So, onto the next buzz about an Olympic swimmer out of the water and into the world of high-end fashion: Dara Torres, the 41-year-old super mom and super swimmer, may strut the runway for designer Charles Nolan. Nolan reportedly saw the doe-eyed athlete on a “Today” segment and decided she would be a fabulous addition to one of his shows. Now this is how athletes turn into models, without stripping down and baring all–looking at you Amanda Beard.

Move over Tony the Tiger because g-r-r-r-eat (or G-r-r-r-eight) swimmer Michael Phelps has inked a deal with Kellogg’s to pose on Frosted Flakes and Corn Flakes boxes. Wheaties had long stood as the go-to morning meal brand for celebrated athletes, debuting the “Breakfast of Champions” series with a 1934 box featuring Lou Gehrig, but it seems Phelps’ reputation for forging his own path in the pool applies outside the chlorinated water too. The Olympic champion’s Kellogg’s boxes will debut in mid-September, but won’t include mini medals as a shot of Phelps’ toned torso is enough of a treat.

Jennifer Lopez has earned a deserved reputation as a somewhat delusional, self-obsessed star, so it should not come as a surprise that the former Fly Girl can’t figure out why everyone seems to pay more attention to Michael Phelps’s record-breaking swimming than her triathlon training. A backstage snitch at “Good Morning America,” where J.Lo had graciously stopped by to discuss her training, says the singer/actress/egotist was overhead complaining that she “couldn’t understand why everyone is talking about that swimmer. She couldn’t come up with (eight-time gold-medal winner Michael) Phelps’ name, and then she yammered on about how she was the one training for a triathlon just six months after giving birth, and how that was the big story right now, not ‘the swimmer.’”

Fourteen gold medals will probably land Michael Phelps any number of ladies who drooled over his perfect swimmer’s physique and can look over his arguable butterface (or buttisface?). Phelps Facebook fan page has already seen countless marriage proposals and a number of offers from women offering to serve as “baby mama,” but the legendary swimmer may already have a girlfriend…or two. Rumors point to either fellow Olympic swimmer and Playboy poser Amanda Beard or Gucci, Gap and Burberry model Lily Donaldson. It seems Phelps’ devotion to his sport would steer him towards a lady with an athletic streak, but let’s not forget he is also a rich, famous 23-year-old athlete.

Protests aside, there’s speculation that the unprecedented performances of Michael Phelps are hitting Hollywood where it hurts, especially for the opening of Tropic Thunder. The film’s demographic is slanted toward the over-25 crowd who also have a greater tendency to have their eyes glued on Beijing. On the other hand, Pineapple Express had a jumpstart on the Olympics by two days, giving it an edge in the profit market (and maybe the stoners haven’t figured out the Olympics are going on yet). Luckily for Star Wars makers, it would take a nuclear holocaust and, perhaps, the double funeral of Luke Skywalker and Hans Solo, to keep them from getting their fix. Best to take some notes for 2012.

Good thing Dalhausser is so tall since that blue shirt isn’t doing him any favors. Evolutionarily speaking, red gets you noticed, though that wasn’t the only reason the world was sizing up China’s gymnasts. As monkeys evolved from more primitive primates, who could only see greens and blues, the world became a much more colorful place with yellows, oranges and reds peppering the forest. The ability to spot ripe fruit in the trees and the unmistakable red of a baboon in heat gave the primates an evolutionary edge, finding food they could easily digest and locating the ladies on the prowl. So the next time you’re trying to nab the spotlight, skip the blue for raging red. UPDATE: A study in the August issue of the journal Psychological Science has concluded that referees appear to have a bias towards competitors wearing red as well.

Anyone still discounting cheerleading as a sport may want to think again in light of new research by the University of North Carolina. With the increase in high-risk stunts and gymnastic moves, cheerleading accounts for over 65% of all catastrophic accidents among female high school and college athletes. The rise from the previously established percentage of 55% is due to new evidence revealed by the National Cheer Safety Foundation of California. The numbers are especially striking when one realizes that no other female sport has reached double-digit fatalities since 1982, but cheerleader deaths numbered 67. A high price to pay for a little pep.

…and the backlash begins. With a documentary in the making, a World Series and its own virtual version on Wii (non-alcoholic, of course), beer pong is establishing itself as the bar sport of choice for today’s drinking crowd. Though some cities and colleges are banning the game, Billy Gaines, co-founder of Bpong.com, explains that, “Beer pong is severely misunderstood. It’s a sport. It just happens to involve alcohol. People are not playing the game to get drunk but because they love the challenge of throwing a table-tennis ball into a cup with some type of liquid in it.” (Yeah, right.) From Yale to Georgetown, though, beer pong and, in some cases, all drinking games are being banned in the name of safety. (Good luck!)

Tony Hart, the younger brother of motocross freestyler and star of A&E’s “Inked” Carey Hart, died Saturday after suffering fatal head injuries during a practice at Stafford Springs Raceway in Stafford Springs, Connecticut. The 21-year-old racer’s death marks the first in the six-year history of the AMA Supermoto Championship.

Gold medal winning swimmer Amanda Beard has made a big splash before the Beijing Games even kick off–Beard peeled off her red, white and blue swimwear and bared all for a new PETA ad. The Olympian follows in the naked footsteps of Pamela Anderson and Eva Mendes, standing up and stripping down to protest the fur industry.

UK Athletics and other sponsors are making sure the taste of victory in Britain is that much sweeter. Each medalist will receive an Alfa Romeo plus cash rewards that differ according to medal and event. Track and field golds will be rewarded with receive the equivalent of about $10,000 and judo gold medalists top them at almost $40,000. The Brits aren’t alone, though, in giving a little extra incentive; rumor has it the Russians dole out almost $100,000 for the special sparkle. Well, our athletes get jobs at Home Depot, so there.

The Chinese government is trying to get its populace to clean up its act for the upcoming Olympics. Lists posted in public spaces discourage people from asking foreigners their age, salary, religious beliefs and political leanings, quite common questions for the culture to ask in what foreigners would consider a short period of acquaintance. Other posters were issued explaining the etiquette involved in addressing persons with disabilities after Beijing received complaints about language used in a training manual was criticized for offensive terminology. Perhaps calls for Tibetan independence prefaced with the word “please” would be more effective.

As the old adage goes, if you love someone, let them go…apparently, the Packers aren’t lovin’ Brett right now. Here’s the thing: Favre doesn’t want to be a distraction at camp (Um, too late.), the Packers say they won’t let him compete for the QB job with Rogers (So what would he do?), but they don’t want to release him for fear he’ll be signed by Minnesota or Chicago (Ooooh, a real quarterback for the Windy City!). Seriously, has he not been offered a sweet commentator position yet?

Have you heard that an Internet auction house for baseball cards is offering infamous, and missing, Cubs fan Steve Bartman $25,000 to come back to Chicago and face his fans? SportsBuy.com announced through the press that they are trying to locate the much despised Cubs fan. Bartman became notorious for his ball interference in the 2003 National League playoffs. Security escorted him out and he went into obscurity ever since causing Cub fans to wonder what happened to him. SportsBuy announced that they will give the cash to Bartman if he signs a photo which will immediately be auctioned off on SportsBuy.com with the net proceeds going to Chicago charities. It’s a chance for Bartman to help the city that he hurt so much not to mention make a little money in the process.

Don’t worry (you few and far between American) soccer fans, the next World Cup is still on for South Africa in 2010; this particular World Cup will be taking place in Melbourne, Australia this December, though. Begun in 2003 and now involving more than 40 countries, this league is comprised of homeless or long-time unemployed street players. “It gives…the players a focus but also a sense of achievement,” commented George Halkias, the national coach for Australia. “Every training they go to, every time they do maintain that set of standards, they look back and think they’ve achieved something.” Participants noted that it wasn’t often they were given a chance to prove their country proud, but that the program has given them, if not professional soccer skills, then a new outlook on life.

The Beijing Olympics already have some people not pleased and not one medal has even been awarded yet. Citing “safety reasons,” the Chinese government has prohibited bars from serving “blacks” and Mongolians and from placing tables on the sidewalks. Officials say the ban on serving certain people is justified because they want to ensure a successful games without drugs and prostitution. Other bans include street musicians and the buying of medicines that contain “stimulants” without a prescription. Yeah, this should really bring the world together: discrimination and no music…have fun!

The man whose noggin miraculously sprouted an extra like 8-inches may head (pun intended) to the Yankees. Sources say former Giants slugger Barry Bonds has entered into formal deal talks with the Yankees, but that the contract would likely include various protective clauses as Bonds may miss some playing time due to a perjury indictment and recurrent injuries. Look for Jason Giambi to roll out the welcome wagon and celebration syringes.

If Nascar is a little too fast-paced for you, Rome may be offering a classic(al) alternative: chariot racing. A Roman historical society is trying to bring back the races around the Circus Maximus in October, reenacting the ancient sporting event. Representative of Vadis al Maximo, Franco Calo, reported that, “According to our calculations, the Circus Maximus area could hold up to 35,000 people. If possible, we hope to involve charioteers from all over the world.” Not a sport for those with weak stomachs, drivers and horses, though greatly lauded in ancient Rome, had very short lifespans. No word yet on any interest in reviving Coliseum events.

Roller skates replaced hooves and baseball bats took the place of sharp horns as the Big Easy Rollergirls rumbled through New Orleans in their own version of Pamplona’s famous Running of the Bulls. Hundreds of people donned in white with red scarves accessories ran through the French Quarter Saturday dodging the roller girls who came armed with ferocious feistiness, plastic bats and horned helmets. The second annual event also featured Elvis impersonators on scooters and likely quite a few people still drunk from the night before.

Are you teetering on middle age, but don’t have the cash to fund some mid-life crisis purchases? Consider a different direction and get a little inspiration by taking a look at some impressive accomplishments of athletes over 40, including impressive feats by Martina Navratilova, George Foreman and Nolan Ryan. Skip the Porsche and start training for a marathon.