King’s Column: National hero Michael Phelps is a powerful marketing tool

By Stephen King, Sports Editor.
Target never used to be such an ominous place. Not until the life-sized cardboard cutout of Michael Phelps arrived in the book section. At first glance, it seemed logical to assume that J.K. Rowling had created a new warped character in her Harry Potter series, and it was being displayed. But no, it was the hero of the 2008 Olympics, Michael Phelps, shamelessly promoting some item I didn’t need. Nevertheless, I purchased