Leave Michael Phelps Alone
We’ve had our fun now. We’ve pressed the issue on how stupid it was for Michael Phelps to toke up at a college party and get snapped by citizen paparazzi. He’s acknowledged how dumb it was to do.
He’s lost some money on the deal.
And now, it’s time for everybody to leave Micheal Phelps alone.
Everyone freely acknowledges that its not the worse thing that could have happened to a superstar athlete. It’s not rape, like we saw with Mike Tyson and Kobe Bryant. It’s not even the worse thing in the realm of drugs, considering Matt Jones and Travis Henry.
But because Phelps was such a captivating story throughout the latter part of 2008, his recreational weed smoking has become a blemish on the conscience of sports fans, parents, and pundits the nation over. As if we’ve never seen worse, or haven’t done worse in our own most immature, and intimate moments.
The story is a sexy one, and the fallout is true pinup material. But, at what cost does his money, his career, and the progress of swimming need to suffer as a result of our boredom? How much holier-than-thou do we have to be to bring such hell to a guy whose biggest crime in life is making embarrassingly poor decisions? Swimming was on the verge of growing as a popular American sport, set to surpass soccer as the fourth sport we should actually care about.
That was all because of Phelps’ genius as an athlete and competitor. That was because of Phelps’ image as a regular guy and his ability to do extraordinary things in a swimming pool.
And we’re willing to throw that away on one night with a bong. As if our lives are as equally intruded upon, as complex, or as scrutinized as the life of the king of the pool.
It’s over with, folks. Leave Michael Phelps alone. Let’s become the forgiving audience we’ve always been, because our own personal hypocrisies may end up costing Phelps, and the sport of swimming, more than they ever truly deserve.
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Couldn’t agree more.
Leave the poor guy alone, millions of hard working good Americans smoke pot occasionally, and in many places in the U.S. it is not a crime. It shouldn’t be a crime, America’s Conservative and media stance on pot is absurd and needs to change. It is less harmful than cigarettes or alcohol, and is a plant. No refining, distilling, chemical adulteration…it’s a friggin naturally occurring plant like Parsley, Dill, Grass, Henbane, Hemlock, Deadly Nightshade, and on and on and on. People, even superhuman people like Phelps, enjoy it and use it responsibly, and they should be able to freely! Without persocution or prosecution!
Thank you!!!!
I won’t get into the legal ramifications of it, but to castigate the guy like this is completely outrageous.
Maybe its all a set up for him to come back strong in 2012.
Leave him alone! The only people that think pot is bad is, blues hairs that were blitzed with media convincing them that pot would make thier daughters date black guys and a host of other republican views ( stupid ); the other people that want you to think pot is bad is the pharmaceutical companies. they do not want a simple plant cutting into their profits and tha dumb ass republicans always help those who prey on the American people.
miachel phelps is my hero and everybody needs 2 get over it he just made 1 stupid mistake.