Commentary on Phelps and Pot...

I love that word..usurp

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".

FT,

You are responding to my posts but I get the impression that you aren't really reading them first. I'm not "taking up" for Phelps. My original commentary and my follow up posts on this thread are intended to be more about society than Phelps.

You post about Phelps as if you really believe you know him. You know how much sense and intellect he lacks, details about his academic background and what he thinks of himself. This all seems silly to me.

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.

The attitude of many of Phelp's supporters is one of defiance, not sympathy. You're the one who is victimizing the children who have the free will to stay away from drugs given a good parental role model. Alright, well maybe in your case now I see what the problem is.

The attitude of many of Phelp's supporters is one of defiance, not sympathy. You're the one who is victimizing the children who have the free will to stay away from drugs given a good parental role model. Alright, well maybe in your case now I see what the problem is.

Parenting 101 from a pot smokin atheist. Perfect

Parenting 101 from a pot smokin atheist. Perfect

No I don't use it at all, but if I had kids you'd better believe I would teach them there's no invisible cloud being. You got that right.

He always struck me as being not so bright. I guess this proves it. What's really amazing is the money that so many companies throw at athletes to sell their products when they can't seem to form a coherent sentence.

He always struck me as being not so bright. I guess this proves it.

Right. Because if one smokes pot it proves they are not so bright?
I can assure you that many, if not most, of the people you believe are very smart have smoked pot in their 20's (or beyond)...

What's really amazing is the money that so many companies throw at athletes to sell their products when they can't seem to form a coherent sentence.

Chess players and software tycoons don't help companies sell cereal or shoes. The guys who swim the fastest and hit the shot at the buzzer do (whether or not they form coherent sentences).

geo, I think santiago's comment on the "not so bright" is apropos now that phelps is who he is, he should have thought before lighting up for all to see. I agree. Not too bright. Yes he is the fastest swimmer and best athlete.

Also, why have schools been hammering home the "no tolerance" for drugs the last 15 years? There's a reason. And if we teach our kids this in school for 12 years, then it should be the same for phelps as a role model.

It seems like a no brainer to me.

geo, I think santiago's comment on the "not so bright" is apropos now that phelps is who he is, he should have thought before lighting up for all to see. I agree. Not too bright. Yes he is the fastest swimmer and best athlete.

We know not the facts. Who took the picture? Was Phelps led to believe he was among friends/people he could trust? Was he betrayed during a private moment?

If he was surrounded by strangers in a relatively public place/large social gathering then I would agree that this was not a smart move and a big mistake and he should've thought more about the consequences.

Also, why have schools been hammering home the "no tolerance" for drugs the last 15 years? There's a reason. And if we teach our kids this in school for 12 years, then it should be the same for phelps as a role model. It seems like a no brainer to me.

This is faulty logic. Just because we have been exposed to lessons in school for a long time does not mean they are necessarily right. We were taught that Pluto was a planet. We recently learned this was untrue and was based on outdated science.

Phelps didn't choose to make himself a role model. He chose to swim. And because he was good at it others declared him a role model.

Best line I've heard out of all of this, take note parents:

"Yes Johnny when you win 8 gold medals in the Olympics you can smoke pot too"

Seems to solve the problem for 99.99% of parents.

Right. Because if one smokes pot it proves they are not so bright?
I can assure you that many, if not most, of the people you believe are very smart have smoked pot in their 20's (or beyond)...



Chess players and software tycoons don't help companies sell cereal or shoes. The guys who swim the fastest and hit the shot at the buzzer do (whether or not they form coherent sentences).

No Geo, because one smokes pot in a room full of potheads armed with cell phones who can and will take your picture and plaster it over the web thus cancelling your multi million dollar endorsement deals by virture of you violating the clause in your contract that prohibits this kind of behavior. How can you assure me that most people that I think are smart smoked pot? Because you're so smart?

We know not the facts. Who took the picture? Was Phelps led to believe he was among friends/people he could trust? Was he betrayed during a private moment?

If he was surrounded by strangers in a relatively public place/large social gathering then I would agree that this was not a smart move and a big mistake and he should've thought more about the consequences.



This is faulty logic. Just because we have been exposed to lessons in school for a long time does not mean they are necessarily right. We were taught that Pluto was a planet. We recently learned this was untrue and was based on outdated science.

Phelps didn't choose to make himself a role model. He chose to swim. And because he was good at it others declared him a role model.

Phelps chose to cash in on being a role model. Do you think these companies give a damn if he can swim? They give a damn because of the status that swimming has given him. They consider him a role model.

No Geo, because one smokes pot in a room full of potheads armed with cell phones who can and will take your picture and plaster it over the web thus cancelling your multi million dollar endorsement deals by virture of you violating the clause in your contract that prohibits this kind of behavior.

If this is what happened and this is what everyone means by "Phelps isn't bright" then I would agree and you win this portion of the debate- the one I care the least about.

I never meant to get caught in an argument about Phelps IQ but rather to have us all take an honest look about our faulty judgement on this subject.

How can you assure me that most people that I think are smart smoked pot? Because you're so smart?

This thread wasn't intended to be about me being smart or not anymore than it was intended to be about how bright or not Phelps is. My points are about society demonizing a plant without fully understanding why they have done so.

To answer your question- the stats on how many people have tried pot support my assertion.

We know not the facts. Who took the picture? Was Phelps led to believe he was among friends/people he could trust? Was he betrayed during a private moment?

If he was surrounded by strangers in a relatively public place/large social gathering then I would agree that this was not a smart move and a big mistake and he should've thought more about the consequences.



This is faulty logic. Just because we have been exposed to lessons in school for a long time does not mean they are necessarily right. We were taught that Pluto was a planet. We recently learned this was untrue and was based on outdated science.

Phelps didn't choose to make himself a role model. He chose to swim. And because he was good at it others declared him a role model.

He was surrounded by the USC swim team demonstrating for a host of college swimmers how cool he could be in their presence. The picture was sold to a London Tabloid. If you care who took the picture, take a look at the roster and do the math. Phelps better hope he keeps his sponsors because with his educational background, his only other option might be as an age group swim coach. But, parents don't usually trust their children to pot smoking high school graduates on overnight swim trips. That's one reason (among many) it was a really poor choice on his part.

Best line I've heard out of all of this, take note parents:

"Yes Johnny when you win 8 gold medals in the Olympics you can smoke pot too"

Seems to solve the problem for 99.99% of parents.

Saturday Night Live - Really?!?: Michael Phelps - Video - NBC.com

"If you want someone to stop smoking weed, don't give them three months off."

If this is what happened and this is what everyone means by "Phelps isn't bright" then I would agree and you win this portion of the debate- the one I care the least about.

I never meant to get caught in an argument about Phelps IQ but rather to have us all take an honest look about our faulty judgement on this subject.




This thread wasn't intended to be about me being smart or not anymore than it was intended to be about how bright or not Phelps is. My points are about society demonizing a plant without fully understanding why they have done so.

To answer your question- the stats on how many people have tried pot support my assertion.

Do I count if I didn't inhale?

a young guy who won eight gold medals smoked pot.....so did your last three presidents....put it in context

a young guy who won eight gold medals smoked pot.....so did your last three presidents....put it in context

Those presidents weren't professional athletes - that's my personal issue with it. (a sentiment apparently shared by other former swimmers)

Do I count if I didn't inhale?

Yes- You and Slick Willy.

Phelps chose to cash in on being a role model. Do you think these companies give a damn if he can swim?

Yes, I do. If he couldn't swim, he wouldn't have gotten the endorsements in the first place. If Michael Jordan couldn't play basketball there would have been no Air Jordans for Nike.

They give a damn because of the status that swimming has given him. They consider him a role model.

So how is this different than giving a damn if he could swim?
It is because he swam so well that corporate America took notice and society elevated him to "role model" status.

This is what the sequence looks like to me.

20 something dude swims faster than anyone else ---->

Put him on the cover. Put him on the cereal box. Use his image in as many media messages as possible as quickly as possible to sell our stuff to the American people who will be unable to see this guy as a 20 something who swims fast but rather they will see him as a "role model" . ---->

Self fulfilling prophecy. Dude becomes a "role model" to those exposed to media messages ----->

20 something proceeds to act like a 20 something (as most 20 somethings do because they ARE 20 somethings) ------>

This comes to our attention and we freak. "How could he behave like a 20 something? He isn't a 20 something. He gave up his right to be a 20 something when he agreed to swim fast and cash checks. He was our role model and now my kids are screwed. Where have you gone, Joe Dimaggio?"

This thread is starting to need a spliff.

Yes, I do. If he couldn't swim, he wouldn't have gotten the endorsements in the first place. If Michael Jordan couldn't play basketball there would have been no Air Jordans for Nike.




So how is this different than giving a damn if he could swim?
It is because he swam so well that corporate America took notice and society elevated him to "role model" status.

This is what the sequence looks like to me.

20 something dude swims faster than anyone else ---->

Put him on the cover. Put him on the cereal box. Use his image in as many media messages as possible as quickly as possible to sell our stuff to the American people who will be unable to see this guy as a 20 something who swims fast but rather they will see him as a "role model" . ---->

Self fulfilling prophecy. Dude becomes a "role model" to those exposed to media messages ----->

20 something proceeds to act like a 20 something (as most 20 somethings do because they ARE 20 somethings) ------>

This comes to our attention and we freak. "How could he behave like a 20 something? He isn't a 20 something. He gave up his right to be a 20 something when he agreed to swim fast and cash checks. He was our role model and now my kids are screwed. Where have you gone, Joe Dimaggio?"

OK - you win. I think Phelps was set up and photographed smoking weed from a device that all first time, recreational users enjoy (Like the CNN anchor said - he can't possibly be a stoner). Some freshman swimmer enticed him for the first time to put his lips inside of a bong and then nefariously snapped a photo. How could Phelps be expected to overcome the peer pressures exerted by 18 year olds at a party at which he was the star? He was led astray by the other "bad" kids that no one knows. Children can't possibly understand the pressures that come with being a high school graduate and collecting millions of dollars through use of his name. Kids would smoke weed too under the same work pressures and abundance of young co-eds who want to party with the man. How dare corporations, consumers buying the endorsed products and parents of the USC swimmers expect something better. He is, after all, an intellectual midget just trying to get his party on. Feel better?

OK - you win. I think Phelps was set up and photographed smoking weed from a device that all first time, recreational users enjoy (Like the CNN anchor said - he can't possibly be a stoner). Some freshman swimmer from England enticed him for the first time to put his lips inside of a bong and then nefariously snapped a photo. How could Phelps be expected to overcome the peer pressures exerted by 18 year olds at a party at which he was the star? He was led astray by the other "bad" kids that no one knows. Children can't possibly understand the pressures that come with being a high school graduate and collecting millions of dollars through use of his name. Kids would smoke weed too under the same work pressures and abundance of young co-eds who want to party with the man. How dare corporations, consumers buying the endorsed products and parents of the USC swimmers expect something better. He is, after all, an intellectual midget just trying to get his party on. Feel better?

I still am not buying it that you are reading my posts before you respond.
Your words are written for someone who believes Phelps was entrapped into smoking weed. Someone who would like to naively think that the photograph shows him smoking pot for the first time in his life. Someone who believes that Phelps is an angel who was surrounded by bad kids at a party who pressured him into partaking. Someone who believes that Phelps got high because he gave in. Someone who believes that Phelps is either smarter or dumber than the average 20 something.

That ain't me, FT.

I believe he smoked pot for fun and that it ain't a big deal.

I believe that someone who smokes pot on occasion isn't morally wrong any moreso than someone who drinks Budweiser or swallows Prozac.

I believe it is regrettable that someone decided to snap a picture of Phelps and then sell it.

I believe that we have better choices for role models than athletes and entertainers and that parents are ultimately responsible for teaching their children right from wrong, truth vs. fiction and how to think for themselves.

I believe that most who demonize a plant do so because they believe this is what they are supposed to do not because they have applied thier own logic, reason and fact.

I believe that most people don't know or don't care that pot became bad because it threatened an industry so that industry started a propaganda campaign and lobbied the government to make it illegal.

I believe that most people don't know or don't care that the government's "war on drugs" does not work (but still believe it should be continued).

I believe that Phelps made a foolish mistake which is that he put himself in this situation. Not because he inhaled the smoke of a plant from a waterbottle. But because he did it in a way that jeapordized his meal ticket.

I believe that Phelps is not much smarter or dumber than anyone else in their 20's despite the fact that he is rich and famous.

I believe that it is none of my business if Phelps smoked pot or got a DUI.

I believe I should stop now.

Those presidents weren't professional athletes - that's my personal issue with it. (a sentiment apparently shared by other former swimmers)

I'll bet you're not familiar with this story about Doc Ellis. LSD and the No-Hitter

Of course he pitched a no-hitter - he couldn't see the catcher's mitt most of the time and can't remember most of the game. I'm surprised he didn't walk more than 8 batters. :roll:

I am not impressed by this guy's actions either - he could have killed someone w/ those wild pitches.