Michael Phelps will give first television interview since bong controversy to Matt Lauer

It looks like Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps is going to do some TV time now in an effort to rehabilitate his marijuana-tarnished image.

On Friday, he will seen in a taped conversation with one of the softest interviewers in network TV, Matt Lauer, of the Today show. (Remember Lauer in the kitchen with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin eating her mooseburgers and lobbing one softball after another in her direction?)

NBC is billing the session, which will also be shown Sunday night at 7 on Dateline, as Phelps' "first interview since the photograph of him allegedly smoking marijuana made headlines around the world."

source