Michael Phelps

You can let loose all you want it's your life but don't be stupid and have a picture taken!

if you're gonna let loose, make sure there's no cameras around

I personally do not see much wrong with a little recreational MJ usage, IMO it is less destructive than alcohol usage can be, but, like I said, that's strictly my opinion. I was very surprised that Phelps did this considering the old adage of "my body is a temple" that most athletes subscribe to. He is, however, young, and being in the spotlight can be stressful. I wonder if the same furor would have been raised had he been filmed drunk as a skunk? probably not as drinking is legal and he is of age, but that's not very good behavior for a role model either

He didn't do anything that many of us have never done, BUT, we did not put ourselves out there as a role model. Mark Spitz would have never done it though.

I share this opinion.

What freaks me out is the fact that they want to try to convict him, and put him in jail because of that! That is just a publicity stunt IMO - can you imagine if everybody who ever smoked pot were thrown in Jail? You might as well reserve a few states for that building, and make it a city! I don't know who took that picture, but it was pretty mean - probably snapped from a cell phone or something... Or somebody really betrayed his trust for a buck. Whoeve sent that picture - shame on you!!!
Yes, he did have a bong hit - so what? Come on!

All this does is point out how completely ridiculous it is that recreational pot usage is still illegal. And I wish someone on one of the local news channels would say that.

I've always maintained that a drunk person might shoot you, but the worst a stoner will do is eat all your cookies.

Maybe he can get the Mallomar endorsement!

i think its ridiculous what they are trying to do to him, supposedly this picture is from a college party, ok yes taking a pic was a stupid idea, but to try and convict him over it??? 1st off, give the guy a break, he just won 8 medals!
trying to convict him is absolutley ridiculous, and whoever sent that pic is a jealous P.O.S!

My thoughts exactly!! I was like OMG how are they going to try to convict someone becomes someone apparently got a pic of them smoking pot?? I know people who post their pics of smoking pot on facebook...
And besides what proof does a picture of him smoking pot serve? He could have been smoking a pipe, a hookah...no proof there was marijuana in his bong!! It's soo ridiculous! If I were him I would say the pic was photoshopped. Why did he admit and apologize? Dumb move IMO

The only thing I can think of is "Oooopsie!"

I love this bit:

According to the article, he didn't proclaim himself to be a role model, he said he wanted to be one: "I want to be a role model for young people,'' Phelps said after winning his eighth gold.

He seems pretty "perfect" to me, a much more exemplary model of humankind than most!

Let me preface this by saying that I'm really not that invested in sports figures as role models. I think raising kids to do the right thing is a parent's responsibility. Michael Phelps got photographed doing something that lots of people have done.

I just think the kid needs to be more careful. This isn't his first issue. A little over 4 years ago, he got arrested for a DUI.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/...in654380.shtml

Maybe he goes a little nuts after each Olympics.

The "kid" is going to be 24 years old in a few months. He's not a child.

Of course raising children to do the right thing is a parent's job; no one said that was Michael Phelps's responsibility. He is, however, in a high profile position in which he is actively trying to promote swimming. He's also fully aware that lots of kids idolize him. He knows that many people are impressed by his accomplishments and proud that he represented the US so well in the Olympics.

Phelps was stupid to do what he did. He's made millions in endorsement deals and he had a responsibility to those companies. Kelloggs has now dropped him. Others may soon follow. He's been suspended from competition for 3 months by USA Swimming "because he disappointed so many people, particularly hundreds of thousands of USA Swimming member kids who look up to him as a role model and hero." The worst repercussion of all is the grief this has caused his mother. She spent years helping her son pursue his love of swimming. Of all things, she's a middle school principal. Imagine what it was like for her to walk into school the day after this story broke.

I've got no sympathy for Phelps. He's been incredibly blessed but that hit was so much more important. Turns out he's just another idiot.

I'd get to have [just about] all my friends and family in one place for a change!

Sorry, but the occasional marijuana use is NOT something for people to be freaking out about. I bet there are far more people you know doing it than you would think, yet they are still respectable, responsible contributing citizens worthy of role model status. Now, if he were smoking something worse in that photo, I wouldn't have this opinion...

To dismiss him as "just another idiot" is an overreaction IMO. Yes, he's enjoyed many opportunities, but these things didn't happen to him, he made them happen through his hard work and dedication. He's given up a lot for his sport. Yes, that was his choice, but my point is that he's worked extremely hard. He's paid the price for this indiscretion, but I'm not going to dismiss him entirely. Not for one bong hit.

I'm not going to try to guess his mother's reaction to this...that's entirely between him and her, and IMO is their business and nobody else's.

I'm not "overreacting" when I call Phelps an idiot. IMO, that's what he is.

Phelps has absolutely gotten to where he is now through his own effort and determination. That's all the more reason *not* to screw up.

BTW, what he did is also illegal.

I think the authorities in SC are still trying to decide if they can prosecute him.

Forgive me, I haven't read through the entire thread since I posted.

I saw in the paper today that he's suspended for 3 months and his aide has been cut off during that time. And that Kellogg's have decided to not renew his contract.

While I never understood why pot was illegal (if you can grow it naturally, you should be able to smoke it) I STILL is illegal.

What I don't understand is how can they try to prosecute based on a picture? And him admitting it still shouldn't be grounds for legal action. A LOT of people admit to trying it in their youth. Obama for one, I think, admits to inhaling (I'm NOT bashing Obama!). I think it would be hard to try to find anyone now a days that haven't tried it at least once.

I think he made a bad choice of doing it at a party where people had cameras, but he's 24. I don't think he's a terrible person at all, but I personally feel like the suspension was warranted. And, if Kelloggs wants to drop their endorsement that is entirely their option.

Find someone who doesn't participate in some form of illegal activity though. Keep in mind that driving over the speed limit is illegal as well.

Oh, I agree completely! I know I've broken the law. Heck, I'll admit, I've experimented in the past. BUT my face was not on a Kelloggs box. If someone took a pic of me, my worst fear was the pic being sent to my parents!

I was just saying, he is a public figure now, and a role-model, and he has to take that fact into consideration. It's hard when you're 24 because I remember some of the stupid things I did back then. He did a stupid thing that was caught on film (or cell phone...whatever). The suspension was fair IMO. Any kind of legal action isn't since the only proof they have a pic.

Agreed. Kelloggs has the right to suspend his contract if they do not wish to have their public face seen partying and smoking bongs. I doubt any legal action from the state of South Carolina will hold. I don't understand how it could. It's legal to sell bongs. They sell them for "tobacco products", and a photograph won't prove what was really in there.

I don't know anything about SC law, but if it were Kentucky;

Smoking marijuana is NOT illegal in Kentucky! Really! It IS, however, illegal to possess it, sell it, grow it, and illegal to drive under it's influence. If that sounds like a Catch 22, well yeah, it is

A photograph of someone smoking something will not result in a conviction here. There has to be a testable compound or residue obtained at the scene. He did "own up" to it, but not to an investigator and without being Marandized. How things are done in SC, we'll just have to see, unless a member from there wants to help us out.

If they prosecute Michael Phelps for a picture of him allegedly smoking pot, then they'll have to prosecute about half the high school/college kids who have pictures of themselves underage drinking, smoking pot, etc on myspace. Hopefully they decide they have better things to do with taxpayers money than to pursue that.

I also agree that Kelloggs was well within their rights to cancel his contract. My guess is that there is a big ol' morality clause somewhere in the contract that he signed with them.

If you're in the public spotlight, and you're going to smoke, drink, grab butts (that was a funny picture), don't let your picture get taken.
The person who took it probably was like "see he's won 8 gold medals and he still smokes pot".
I'm a radio announcer and while I occasionally drink or do other things, I make sure no pictures of me are taken. The same goes for a coworker. It could get around and we'd have to explain ourselves.

He's 23 so i say give him a break. He just came back from winning 8 gold medals and wanted to unwind, mind you he's done a lot of unwinding from pictures we see.

maybe now he'll see that you don't need to party so hard.

Apparently they've arrested 8 people who rented/hosted the party at which the photograph was taken. They have since moved, and the police searched their new accommodations and found a small amount of pot.

Michael Phelps has not been charged, but has hired a lawyer.

In my opinion, this is all just a silly mockery of the police system. Does South Carolina not have any real crime for the cops to solve? I'm sure there's a party going on tonight with college kids smoking pot that they can catch in the act. That's better than arresting people for something that no one can really prove happened however long ago.

I'm fine with people being charged with possession...and if Michael Phelps was caught smoking pot or carrying pot around, then fine, charge him. But don't go on a witch hunt because of a silly photo.

Maybe the sherriff should start searching Facebook for all the unprotected accounts and looking at the photos. I'm sure he could find plenty of people to charge with drug use, underage drinking, public indecencey, etc, etc. Hey, read their surveys too...there are probably a lot of people who own up to speeding. Better arrest them too!

The only reason the sheriff is going after this case is because it is big on the news. Maybe he feels he needs to make an "example" of Michael Phelps. I've never been a fan of making "examples" of people. I think it is unfair to both Michael Phelps and now the 8 other college kids who are being dragged through this. Catch them in the act, and fine, arrest them. But IMO, the search of their house should never have been alllowed under these circumstances.

I saw that on the news this morning. I can't believe they're wasting tax payers money and police resources to go hunting down college students for smoking some pot with Michael Phelps in NOVEMBER. I find it absolutely ridiculous that they are trying so hard to make an example of him and this situation simply because he is a public face. It's bad enough that he's ended up banned from competitions for 3 months despite him having not broken any anti-doping rules. (I mean come on, if anything it's a performance diminishing drug. ) I really feel bad for him and the other students in this whole thing now, it's getting out of hand. I'd like to see what they had to say in order to get a warrant to search the residence of those students. That seems wrong, too.

This article is from Newsweek and is really funny ! It's called "REEFER MADNESS".

http://www.newsweek.com/id/185807

"Now here's what happened when a photo, taken in November, surfaced of swimmer Michael Phelps with a bong to his lips at a University of South Carolina party: on the morning of Feb. 7, police used a battering ram to smash through the front door of the house in Columbia where the party had taken place three months earlier. "Freeze, motherf–––ers!" the cops allegedly yelled as they rushed in, guns drawn. They handcuffed and hauled away the students inside and brought dogs to sniff the house for drugs. That same morning, the police raided another house where students suspected of attending the Phelps party lived."