The Medal Stand: Just how much is a gold medal worth?

A few links to get you through the day

It's worth millions of dollars if you can land the right endorsement deals. A few companies are already reaping the benefits from some of their Olympians' success. [ABC]

After seeing Michael Phelps' recent comments in The Baltimore Sun about how he would like to play in the World Series of Poker, the Asian Poker Tour sent him an open invitation to play in its biggest tournament next week in Macau. I'm pretty sure the 14-time gold medalist just wants to go home, but you never know. [Bluff Magazine]

What do Liu Xiang and the U.S. men's soccer team have in common? [Rocky Mountain News]

Some Chinese press members/bloggers did not have kind things to say about the London portion of the Closing Ceremony, British journalists took notice. [Telegraph]

Alicia Sacramone gets a hero's welcome back home in Massachusetts. [GateHouse News Service]

What's it like running on the track at the Bird's Nest ... a reporter shares a few interesting short stories from Beijing. [Boston Globe]

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