This week Michael Phelps put new meaning into the phrase, “Man, you hit that like a champ!”. British tabloids released a photo of Phelps hitting a bong at a house party while visiting the University of South Carolina. This isn’t the first time that the fourteen time gold medal winner has slipped up (you may recall his DUI in Maryland four years ago). Let’s be honest, this doesn’t exactly make him Ricky Williams. Phelps may be chronically (no pun intended) guilty of being a young man. A young man learning some hard lessons about the baggage that accompanies celebrity.
When asked about the incident, Phelps responded, “I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner that people have come to expect from me.” Does this express remorse for being caught? Certainly. Remorse for his actions? Not so fast. The swimmer has a slight reputation for enjoying his downtime. Is this a one hundred million dollar offense? For the college age Olympian, hardly. It is quite common for top flight athletes after long periods of training to cut loose during their off season.
The media’s ‘Oh my God, anyone but him!’ reaction seems quite contradictory in an era where athletes are carrying guns into clubs and lying to grand juries. Allow me to quote the wordsmith Sir Charles Barkley in saying that, Athletes are not role models.” Yes, he is an Olympian. He is also twenty-three years old. Phelps may be the golden boy, but if Kobe Bryant can get tied up in a sexual assault scandal (outside of his marriage I might add), and can still sell me Nike’s- perhaps we are overreacting. I quote New York Post writer Andrea Peyser stating, “A man who makes potentially a hundred million in endorsement deals as a pitchman for products that pay big bucks for wholesome images- the dude sells Kellogg”s cereal for God’s sake!- should refrain from public intoxication and the endorsement of illicit drugs. “
Maybe she’s not completely off base, but when did a bowl of Wheaties ever taste better than after a couple of bong hits?
yes!
My room mate this summer plays soccer at the university of South Carolina and he told me that Micheal Phelps has a good friend down there and that it very common to see Mr. Phelps “cutting loose” at a couple campus parties from time to time.
I mean why not? It’s not like this guy had the opportunity to have “the college experience” in his life. Being a great athlete is both a blessing and a curse…depending on the way you look at it.