Take a deep breath, everyone.No, not you Michael. You've done enough heavy breathing recently.
Unless you've been in a post-Super Bowl coma, you've likely heard about the news that pictures of Michael Phelps smoking from a bong have been circulating all over the web. Smoking? Marijuana? Good lord. How dare he?!
Now, I'm not saying it's OK to smoke weed. I recognize that it's illegal, that Phelps is being paid trillions of dollars by every company known to man and has a responsibility as something of a role model. I realize all of this. But, I also realize that he's only 23. And, by and large, 23 year old people do stupid things.
Let's not condemn the kid for doing something that it seems like nearly every person has at least tried by the time they've turned 25. And, if you haven't smoked weed, which is obviously fine, there's no way you haven't done something alarmingly stupid. That's part of growing up, part of being a twenty-something.
Sure, are the stakes higher for Michael Phelps, record setting Olympian, than Scott Spinelli, live at home part-time employee? I'd imagine so, if only slightly. But, if there's one thing I can't stand, it's hypocrisy.
I hate when people are all up in arms when they find out that a college athlete didn't go to class or take his school work seriously, when we all know what really goes down on college campuses more often than not. I hate when we find out that an athlete smoked weed and we pretend that A) it doesn't ever happen and B) get on our collective high horses to preach down to them about how bad it is, when, most of those people have done it.
Again, don't get me wrong. I'm not advocating smoking pot. All I'm saying is, before we crucify the kid, just be fair about it. He's just that, a kid. A kid that made a mistake and apologized for it.
Live and let live, I say.
Sorry, but I couldn't disagree with you more. Your point is well taken about kids making mistakes, but, he is in the public eye more than you or me or any other typical human being. With all the people he must pay to be advisers or deal with his public image and endorsement potential you would think that he would be more careful. His smoking weed has much more implication or repurcussion that me or you I would think. Poor judgement or stupidity or a mistake or being youthful doesn't cut it when you are in the public forum. If he was that stupid then he deserves whatever he gets or loses from this minor transgression as you put it. Like it or not he is held to a different standard and he should have realized that before he put the bong to the tongue.
ReplyDeleteHe may be young, but youth is not an excuse for this illegal and foolish behavior. It is too bad that he did not seem to have gotten this message after his DUI several years ago.
ReplyDeleteFor whatever his excuse, whether he felt entitled because of his success/wealth/new found superstar status or because of his youthful age, there is no excuse for his illegal and foolish actions. Isn't he being paid millions and millions of dollars because of his athletic achievements that have made him a "role model"? Doesn't he realize that in this day and age of cell phone cameras that there is the possibility of every one of our actions becoming a You Tube moment? What was he thinking? I guess that's just the point. His thinking was altered even before he smoked the substance that is used to cloud one's judgement.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/02/AR2009020202973.html
ReplyDeleteGreat article by above anonymous. Here is a line from that article...."From Breaststrokes to Breasts-Tokes: How I Spent My Summer Olympics Vacation" by Michael Phelps.
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