Phelps-gate

Smoking the indo, by the window is sticky
Mad Izm - Channel Live/Krs-One

So multiple Olympic gold winner Michael Phelps, the man who set a record with 8, count them 8, he could give one each to that woman with the octuplets, gold medals in swimming in one Olympic setting was photoed hitting some chronic, taking a hit from the bong this past weekend.

To his credit Phelps seems to have claimed responsibility for his actions and that's commendable but still.

Well to be honest, and let me get this out of the way I'm not making up excuses for Phelps, he's an idiot, but I think the young man is just enjoying himself. Not that I saying this is in any means the right way to enjoy yourself just that the man was in training for years for his gold medal feat and now he has tasted success and fulfilled his dream he's wilding out with his new found stripper girlfriend and enjoying some 'erb and hitting the strip clubs. I mean all the man was doing was swimming up and down and down and up for years like some sort of trained seal, now he's on top of the game and living the high life. (pun intended)

No seriously not to give him a pass by any means but you can see he's probably just letting down his hair here after the strict regime he was on for years and he probably as a pampered athlete is really pretty immature. Plus he has big money endorsements now too so take immature add money and you know where that leads. Yep, insert Paris Hilton cutout.

That said still I am a little surprised by how muted the reaction is to this misstep by Phelps. I thought they had him big up as a role model and all that. I would have assumed that at the least a few of his sponsors would take him to task for being a jackass and getting photoed smoking even if it was only that one time he was sparking an L.

A "Next time at least make sure no cameras around you moron" or a we don't want our wholesome goodness tainted by a druggie like you comment so we are withdrawing sponsorship. I mean especially given this economic climate and a company could find an out like a morality clause for one of those big celebrity contracts and save some money I figured they would use it. So far though not one sponsor has come down on him. Wow!

Instead the ranks have closed and everyone has said is just youthful indiscretion forgive him. First time mistake, coulda happen to anyone, cuhdear we will forgive him etc etc. What gives here?

What about those other athletes who get caught smoking a lil spliff and the book is thrown at them. Why just last year NBA rookies Chalmers and Arthurs were caught with weed at orientation camp and had the book thrown at them and the press get up in an uproar and claim how much eediat and fool they were to be doing that and how they needed to be role models and set examples and was embarrassing the league etc etc. And it wasn't even like we had no pictures of them sucking a glass pipe.

So how come Phelps getting an ease?

And what about all the no-name not so famous youth that get arrested for weed possession nobody don't come out and say well they just kids, they immature, they was just experimenting, give them a ease. Naa star we throw the book at them call them druggies and addicts and point and warn our young girl children to stay away from them cause they aint going turn out nuh good.

So how come Phelps getting an ease?

I know the medals are golden but are they some type of currency that you can redeem for a vote of confidence or two excuses to escape public rebuke? If so I know O.J is probably wishing he had about two or three a dem right now.

They say well weed don't positively affect you as a sportsman it likely to negatively affect you so is all right, youthful indiscretion we give you a pass but you know my mind wonders what kind of reception a fella like Usain would have gotten if he was caught smoking up?

I don't think it would be the same but who knows.