Commentary on Phelps and Pot...

Getting suspended is tough. Maybe he can do Shamwow commercials. Olympic divers "use it as a tawel", so why not swimmers?

I'm not disappointed in Phelps because I need a perfect celebrity on a pedestal to validate my life, I am disappointed in Phelps because I know firsthand what kind of hard work and sacrifice it takes to be a swimmer of that caliber - and he threw it away for drugs (you can justify it all you want, but it's still an illegal drug that ruins people's lives in a variety of ways).

Anyone who scoffs at the importance of a good role model doesn't work with kids. The rare person famous for his hard work and talent is now a punchline whose 10,000 calories a day are for the "munchies" not because he works 5x harder than the rest of the population.

Regardless of your views on whether or not pot should be illegal, whether or not people should be taking pics of him and sending it to the media, and what you consider acceptable as a way to unwind - he chose to risk his health, his future, and his place in history because some stranger handed him a bong full of an unknown substance and he said yes.

Why do they need a hero? Have you ever told a kid, "Do as I say, not as I do?" It doesn't fly. They're teenaged boys. They want the fame and fortune that Phelps and other athletes/entertainers have. They're human. They want to take the easy road. Some of them have had some hard knocks already. The bar has been set pretty low.

When they see someone who has succeeded with integrity, they know that nice guys don't always finish last. When they see someone who has worked his tail off, beat the odds, and stayed out of trouble, they know that they can do it, too, and that maybe it will be worth it. Teaching them to "think for themselves" and to have personal responsibility has absolutely no meaning if you can't show them success stories. Sheesh--why would they buy into a system that they've never seen work?

As for lumping Phelps with Vick and O.J.--yes, that was a stretch. The boy apologized, and that also takes cajones. But I was disappointed after his DUI. I hoped that he would learn from that. Now I won't be surprised by anything he does. (And it hasn't escaped my notice that, like many of my boys, he grew up with an absent father. Sad situation--I'd love to see that cycle broken.)

My boys don't see the news during the week. If they see Phelps story over the weekend, what should I say to them? (What if I taught YOUR son?) "Hey, kiddo--work hard, be responsible, shoot for the stars, and smoke a little pot. It won't hurt you, and it should be legal anyway. It has absolutely no harmful consequences, and shouldn't get in the way of your ambitions in any way. While you're at it, get ****faced next weekend. I'm sure you can handle it, and it will be legal in a few years..."

meanwhile the olympics accept official beer sponsorships. alcohol is the american way! yeeha! frank shorter, olympic marathon gold medalist remarked that he often thought of post workout beer during training. had he said he was getting high, he would have been a pariah. as a society we are surely selective about our buzzes.

He also got dropped by Kellogg's.
Phelps suspended from competition, dropped by Kellogg - CNN.com

This is why I called him a moron in another post. When I tried pot as a college student, I wasn't in jeopardy of losing millions or even being arrested. Tulane "legalized" marijuana on campus. He is in a totally different situation.

kellogg is not renewing his contract....kellogg, the purveyors of millions of pounds of sugar encrusted grains to our little pre-olympians!

They don't idolize Phelps or any other celebrity (or drag queens.) They are lost. They follow anyone who will lead them: "Hey! Lets go smoke in the stairwell and light the bathroom on fire!" "Hey! Great idea!"

But where are the good role models?* Lucifer Sam says they're only in fiction. As for the flesh-and-blood examples, we have to cut and paste their good parts. It makes me sad to know that there have been so many awful teachers that I can't even hug one of my students when he's upset or hurt.

I don't mean to make a mountain out of a molehill, either--Toots is right to still be proud of Phelps. He has worked really hard, and he is obviously already paying for this mistake.

* Here's a bright side: As I'm typing, I'm thinking of a few: Paul Newman. Harry Connick, Jr. Prince William--I really hope that kid continues to keep his nose as clean as he has so far! Dara Torres. Even Brangelina is making a name for themselves as philanthropists. Bill and Melinda Gates.

I don't know if any of you have heard of Micah Owings, but he's a young baseball player who was with the Diamondbacks and is now with the Reds. (2007 Silver Slugger award. Google him--crazy.) His younger brother is in the minors, and they have 3 other siblings who are all in different ministries and/or run charitable foundations.

There are a few heroes out there...

It doesn't sound like they need roll models. They need mentors. Right now they are very impressionable sheep that need a leader. They need someone to actually spend time with and learn from. Unfortunately they're not going to get that through movies or TV.

I'm not disappointed in Phelps because I need a perfect celebrity on a pedestal to validate my life, I am disappointed in Phelps because I know firsthand what kind of hard work and sacrifice it takes to be a swimmer of that caliber - and he threw it away for drugs (you can justify it all you want, but it's still an illegal drug that ruins people's lives in a variety of ways).

Anyone who scoffs at the importance of a good role model doesn't work with kids. The rare person famous for his hard work and talent is now a punchline whose 10,000 calories a day are for the "munchies" not because he works 5x harder than the rest of the population.

Regardless of your views on whether or not pot should be illegal, whether or not people should be taking pics of him and sending it to the media, and what you consider acceptable as a way to unwind - he chose to risk his health, his future, and his place in history because some stranger handed him a bong full of an unknown substance and he said yes.

How is that pedestal?

the only perfect celebrity/athlete role model that comes to mind is Tebow. But, let's be realistic. He is a beautiful soul with extraordinary talent. He ain't normal.

Most role models are just normal people with some kind of gift or talent, and they make big and small mistakes along the way. It is just what we all do. This is the most important thing we can teach our children.

Scooter - I do not blame you for your disappointment. It makes me upset too, but for different reasons. Has he really thrown it all away? now, if I was his mother, I would yell and scream and tell him he's thrown it all away. then I would cry and ask him "how could you do this to me?"... ha ha. then I would get behind him all the way and tell him he is wonderful and I love him no matter what, he needs to hold his head high always, and the rest of the world can go jump. I would frame the bong picture and use it to remind him and others of how he is only human and no better than anyone, regardless of his gold medals. after about 20 years we would actually laugh at the picture, and say what a great decision he made to smoke pot and not put a needle in his arm. but, seriously. No one can take away what he has achieved, even if he never swims again. maybe he needs a break and college and normalcy for once in his life. maybe he just needs to party his ass off for a while. somebody give him a dam bodyguard and a driver. (somehow we survived youth without hiring a driver, but something tells me he can afford one).

How about considering for just a moment Phelps and his own needs, his state of mind (as mangy said earlier). It is really something he needs to personally and privately handle, with the support of his family and friends. My heart goes out to them, especially after reading and hearing the insensitive/judgemental words in the news media by people who know very little about him beyond his athletic achievements. this is what we teach our children?

give the guy a small break.

Getting suspended is tough. Maybe he can do Shamwow commercials. Olympic divers "use it as a tawel", so why not swimmers?

Only if he needs to dry off his hands to better grip the bong.

Apparently.. pot is NOT the breakfast of champions. Tony the Tiger jsut shed a tear.

Apparently.. pot is NOT the breakfast of champions. Tony the Tiger jsut shed a tear.

a fair consequence, along with 3 month suspension from competition. these seem to be kind consequences so far. he probably needs a break (suspension). and he needs only sponsors who will back him. The Olympic Committee has his back... and this should help him most..

The U.S. Olympic Committee also issued a statement that said in part: "Michael has acknowledged that he made a mistake and apologized for his actions. We are confident that, going forward, Michael will consistently set the kind of example we all expect from a great Olympic champion."

I will be interested to see if new sponsors step up as a result of this huge story.

also, wonder why his sponsors didn't drop him like a hot potato after the DUI - he wasn't Mr. Golden then - it would have been very easy to do. the DUI was much worse in every way, resulting in arrest and probation.

Additional sponsors were in the works apparently. Phelps was currently earning $5 million annually from sponsorships and according to news reports he was on his way to $30 million annually. It was believed that he would earn a billion dollars over the next ten years.

My guess is he will lose another sponsor or two and who knows how many new sponsors he will not get now. This will likely prove to be an expensive lesson for him. I bet his other sponsors are conducting surveys behind the scenes to measure the impact and how it may affect their image if they keep, or drop, Phelps. I hope he has learned a lesson from this. Most people understand mistakes but do not support a string of mistakes.

Who knows, maybe others will initiate sponsorships with him now?
He could be picked up by NORML as a spokesperson.

1 billion in 10 years living under a microscope compared to 5 million living in obscurity. I'll take 5.

Additional sponsors were in the works apparently. Phelps was currently earning $5 million annually from sponsorships and according to news reports he was on his way to $30 million annually. It was believed that he would earn a billion dollars over the next ten years.

My guess is he will lose another sponsor or two and who knows how many new sponsors he will not get now. This will likely prove to be an expensive lesson for him. I bet his other sponsors are conducting surveys behind the scenes to measure the impact and how it may affect their image if they keep, or drop, Phelps. I hope he has learned a lesson from this. Most people understand mistakes but do not support a string of mistakes.

Expensive??? He's going to rolling in the dough no matter what. Beyond a certain amount, net worth has nothing to do with quality of life, it's just about keeping score. Big deal. He gives up a high point total and gets his life back. Sounds like a bargain to me. We could all stand to be schooled in such a manner.

Wow, sending him home so he is bored, not working and stuck in aprtment will be a great way to keep him off the Mary Jane:roll:

a fair consequence, along with 3 month suspension from competition. these seem to be kind consequences so far. he probably needs a break (suspension). and he needs only sponsors who will back him. The Olympic Committee has his back... and this should help him most..



I will be interested to see if new sponsors step up as a result of this huge story.

also, wonder why his sponsors didn't drop him like a hot potato after the DUI - he wasn't Mr. Golden then - it would have been very easy to do. the DUI was much worse in every way, resulting in arrest and probation.

This is the most important question to me.

I enjoyed the dialogue and exchange of ideas. Thx to all.

For Phelps- at this point it simply boils down to whether or not he is willing to play the game. There is a canned formula for him to keep his endorsements and come out of this shining even brighter.

Apology- Check.

Accepting punishments levied against him (e.g. 3 month suspension)- In progress.

Letting his sponsors create distance from him- In progress.

Next he will probably need to do some sort of drug abuse program and upon completion volunteer to tell his story and become the Just Say No poster boy. Then he needs to win an event (The comeback).

This is how the game is played.

I will spare my commentary for now on what I think of the game.

I enjoyed the dialogue and exchange of ideas. Thx to all.

For Phelps- at this point it simply boils down to whether or not he is willing to play the game. There is a canned formula for him to keep his endorsements and come out of this shining even brighter.

Apology- Check.

Accepting punishments levied against him (e.g. 3 month suspension)- In progress.

Letting his sponsors create distance from him- In progress.

Next he will probably need to do some sort of drug abuse program and upon completion volunteer to tell his story and become the Just Say No poster boy. Then he needs to win an event (The comeback).

This is how the game is played.

I will spare my commentary for now on what I think of the game.

This victimization of Phelps is pathetic. The guy gave a green light to every kid struggling against the pressures of drug use. Apparently, 8 golds will buy you an ounce of sens but not sense.

This victimization of Phelps is pathetic. The guy gave a green light to every kid struggling against the pressures of drug use. Apparently, 8 golds will buy you an ounce of sens but not sense.

Which victimization are you referring to?

The guy has no more or less sense than most of us at age twenty something.
The green light was already there, FT for my kids and yours to screw up just a little or a lot long before Phelps.

If your kids try pot *because Phelps did it* then I have news for you-

They would have anyway.

this week's regular column by Peter Shelton, occasional SoWal visitor and MountainFilm MC, in the Telluride Watch:

Do You Want Fries With That Bong Hit?
by Peter Shelton
Feb 04, 2009 |






I admit it. I?m the guy who took that picture of Olympic hero Michael Phelps huffing on a bong. And then I sold it for some sweet economic stimulus to that English tabloid.

But I feel bad about it. I really do. I didn?t mean for Michael to get in trouble. I just wanted to encourage him to follow through on that deal we talked about the time he visited my grow-op out in Mendocino.

This was before he was famous, before he won his first six gold medals in Athens in 04. He was just 19, and he didn?t have the big sponsors he has now: Visa, Speedo, Mazda, McDonald?s, Kellogg?s Corn Flakes. And, of course, he hadn?t yet discovered his mystical connection to the dolphins.

I told him I was willing to take a chance on him. If he would be spokesperson for my Mendocino Medicinal, it?d be a win-win for everybody. I?d supply him with bud, my licensed, legal-in-the-state-of-California grow-op would prosper, and the acceptance of herb nationwide would get a boost. He seemed enthused at the time.

Here?s what happened that day. We were sitting on the beach out by Gualala, and Michael?s telling me about all the pressure on him to be perfect. He was just a kid, you know, but the pressure was huge, from his coaches, from his mom, and already from the media. He swam five hours a day, every friggin? day. Fifty miles a week. Talk about chlorine brain. He barely had a life, you know? Everybody telling him he was blessed with the perfect swimmer?s body, the biggest flipper feet and the hugest lungs. They expected so much. And he wanted it, too. But he didn?t know what it was.

So I fire up the ole bong and pass it over. He takes a drag, and I mean he drains the whole bowl, and then he holds it in for I don?t know how long. After about 30 seconds I bust out laughing, and he?s still going strong, like it was nothing, like he could hold his breath forever. Like he was Superman, or a fish or something. Which he was, I guess. Sort of. In the pool.

Anyway, he does finally exhale about five minutes later. And he?s got this little smile on his lips, and we pound a couple of PBRs and some chips. And then he stands up and rips off his jeans and his shirt and starts into the shore break. I followed the best I could, but you know, he?s Michael Phelps. And pretty soon we?re bobbing out beyond the break, laughing and looking at the sunlight sparkling off the water. And then we see fins.

At first I thought, Shark!, and my limbs made involuntary moves toward the beach. But Michael stroked straight out toward them with those pelican arms of his, and like that he was in with them, dolphins, arching their backs, diving and leaping over one another, ripping around. And then they disappear. Just like that. All of ?em, Michael too.

And I?m trippin? over rocks working my way back in, and looking out to sea at the same time and just tongue-tied, you know. I mean, what was I going to do, call out his name? There was nobody for miles. And I?m sitting there holding my knees and thinking this didn?t just happen, when way off I see this clean wind-milling of arms. And it?s Michael, alone, just a speck at first but comin? fast, cruising back in.

?They know,? he said when he was finally sitting beside me in the sand. ?They showed me. You have to embrace the water.? And that?s when I figured I could hitch my water pipe to this kid?s wagon, as it were.

So, Michael. If you?re reading this, I?m sorry about the tabloids, man. No harm intended. I understand you had to say what you said, that it was just a youthful indiscretion and that you promise your sponsors and fans that you won?t do it ever again. You had to say that, you?re on the friggin? corn flakes box. I know that. But I was hoping maybe we could rekindle our friendship. You know, hang out, fire one up, maybe go for a swim.

You could go in a different direction, sponsorship-wise, if you wanted to. Instead of Speedo, see, you could go with Da Kine board shorts. And instead of McDonald?s you could endorse Alfalfa?s markets or something. Instead of corn flakes, you could lend your name to a granola. See what I?m sayin??

You could be the man, Michael, the truth-telling man. Our last three presidents admitted to smoking pot. Half the people on the planet smoke weed. They say it isn?t a performance-enhancing drug. But you know better. You and the dolphins.

oh come on. we're talking common sense here. you can teach, or you can preach or you can put your head in the sand. or you can just open up a little honest dialogue, and let the discussion flow. let the kid answer his own questions. believe me, kids are smart. they already know the answers. If kids get to talk about Michael Phelps and pot, they get to learn a little more about people and the world, and they get to answer questions about themselves in the process.

I've found that generally, the best teachers (parents and/or classroom teachers) allow children to answer their own questions (especially older children). the parent/teacher can direct the conversation and set a constructive/postive tone, help provide some facts, but children feel awesome when they have reached their own conclusions (they may not always be the best conclusions, but typically they are pretty on target. and who is to say they are wrong?). Teach the child to think. and be kind to others in the process (ie., try not to judge). and they will learn to love discovering many things about their world and themselves. because they discovered it themselves. we didn't do it for them.

No really! I've witnessed some really bad parenting in my life. Read my bottom signature line. And I know kids are smarter than many adults give them credit for.

I wish I'd had more of a dialogue with my parents about many things when I was young. I was mostly talked "at" and "dealt with". I had to learn too many things in my life by myself, and I made a lot of mistakes that could have been prevented with a modicum of reasoning.

We all make mistakes when we're young, but good parenting like the things I've read in many of your posts are not all that common and can prevent much pain in a childs life.

Accept the complement and consider yourself one of the good ones. I do.

No really! I've witnessed some really bad parenting in my life. Read my bottom signature line. And I know kids are smarter than many adults give them credit for.

I wish I'd had more of a dialogue with my parents about many things when I was young. I was mostly talked "at" and "dealt with". I had to learn too many things in my life by myself, and I made a lot of mistakes that could have been prevented with a modicum of reasoning.

We all make mistakes when we're young, but good parenting like the things I've read in many of your posts are not all that common and can prevent much pain in a childs life.

Accept the complement and consider yourself one of the good ones. I do.

I can totally relate (limited dialogue with my parents), and I would guess most people can also relate to this statement. back in the day, parents just couldn't talk to their children. I do think this has changed quite a bit. for lots of reasons: we're older parents (wiser, experienced, educated), we aren't all repressed in religious or other ways, we have access to help or resources, we are more grounded and open minded and able to admit and accept that our children are just people who will make mistakes, we want a meaningful and lifelong relationship with our children, we are not willing to stick our heads in the sand and hope for the best, etc.

thanks for your kind words.

Awesome. Lots of posts on a thread about a overpaid celebrity smoking pot. Sweet.

Oh. And apparently I heard that people actually need this stuff for....I don't know serious side effects of chemo, or severe eye issues, or ummmmm, many other medical issues.

Or that many people, including children die because of the drug trade. But let's talk about Phelps. Awesome.

Pat yourself on the back. Maybe just maybe if we talk about this enough it will open up the public's eye to understand that pot isn't so bad.................whatever. I hope there was some good dialogue, I didn't read all of the posts. It wasn't worth it, not if started by the Phelps story. Seriously. This is politics and current events, not gossip.

There are BIGGER FISH TO FRY. People rot in prison over this issue, people die because of this, but apparently when a swimmer gets busted, we talk about his sponsors.

We need real dialogue.

How about

Daily Kos: White House: DEA Raids in Medical Marijuana States Will Stop

There are a million more stories like this, millions.
Keep it real.

Awesome. Lots of posts on a thread about a overpaid celebrity smoking pot. Sweet.

Oh. And apparently I heard that people actually need this stuff for....I don't know serious side effects of chemo, or severe eye issues, or ummmmm, many other medical issues.

Or that many people, including children die because of the drug trade. But let's talk about Phelps. Awesome.

Pat yourself on the back. Maybe just maybe if we talk about this enough it will open up the public's eye to understand that pot isn't so bad.................whatever. I hope there was some good dialogue, I didn't read all of the posts. It wasn't worth it, not if started by the Phelps story. Seriously. This is politics and current events, not gossip.

There are BIGGER FISH TO FRY. People rot in prison over this issue, people die because of this, but apparently when a swimmer gets busted, we talk about his sponsors.

We need real dialogue.

How about

Daily Kos: White House: DEA Raids in Medical Marijuana States Will Stop

There are a million more stories like this, millions.
Keep it real.

If you didn't read all of the posts, how do you know there was no serious dialogue about the subject in this thread?

Which victimization are you referring to?

The guy has no more or less sense than most of us at age twenty something.
The green light was already there, FT for my kids and yours to screw up just a little or a lot long before Phelps.

If your kids try pot *because Phelps did it* then I have news for you-

They would have anyway.

I don't know your story in your 20's but this guy has way less sense than the average bear. He took one class at Michigan and quit because it was too hard. Now he's hitting the bubbler with the USC swim team because he thinks he's a rock star and he has the intellect of a bag of rocks. Stop taking up for a guy who deserves every bit of scorn and ridicule coming his way. I know (more than you can possibly know) that a lot of people in the swim world think he's an idiot for his current predicament. Wake up and quit taking up for the guy like he's some kind of hero and future spokeman for the pot smokers of America. If anything, he's the poster boy for why they call it "dope".

I don't know your story in your 20's but this guy has way less sense than the average bear. He took one class at Michigan and quit because it was too hard. Now he's hitting the bubbler with the USC swim team because he thinks he's a rock star and he has the intellect of a bag of rocks. Stop taking up for a guy who deserves every bit of scorn and ridicule coming his way. I know (more than you can possibly know) that a lot of people in the swim world think he's an idiot for his current predicament. Wake up and quit taking up for the guy like he's some kind of hero and future spokeman for the pot smokers of America. If anything, he's the poster boy for why they call it "dope".

You could sense the undercurrents when USA Swimming suspended him even after the IOC gave him a pass. Swimmers have a hard enough time getting attention during the off years; it makes sense that they would be ticked off that he squandered this opportunity for himself and for the sport. I wonder what Mark Spitz, motivational speaker, thinks? It's pretty clear by the way that Phelps won't usurp him in that arena.