Michael Phelps...Doh!

[StillAWarrior]

So, a picture surfaced showing Michael Phelps smoking pat at a South Carolina college party.  (http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/swimming/news/story?id=3876804).  What an idiot.  That's going to be an expensive toke.

This is stupid on so many levels.  First, he shouldn't be smoking pot.  Second, when will celebrities learn that they shouldn't be doing this type of crap at parties where they don't know everyone there?  I'm not condoning the behavior even if he's at a party with only friends, but it takes a special kind of stupid to walk into a party on a college campus when you're a celebrity and engage in behavior that will make it's way onto the front page of a newspaper.  Even legal behavior at parties can hurt your public image (think Matt Leinart/funnel), but this is totally nuts.

As a parent of young kids who swim and really look up to Phelps, I'm just really disappointed.  I hate to have to explain this kind of thing to them.

I'm also a disappointed in his public statement:  "I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment...I'm 23 years old and despite the successes I've had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again."

Again, as a parent of young kids, I really wish they would have chosen a word other than "youthful."  Smoking pot is not "youthful" activity.  Bad, bad word choice.

[chapman]

It's a word choice, get over it.  Did he really have to pull out a thesaurus to find the word "immature" to appease you?  He had a DUI at 19, which is much worse than this.  It's causing him enough trouble, and could cost him in endorsements.  He's only human, and he makes mistakes, and he has to pay for them like anyone else (more actually).  Isn't that enough of a lesson to teach the kids?  What will you do when they find out that every single band they listen to does drugs, or when you send them to MU where over half the kids have smoked pot prior to arriving on campus?

[Skatastrophy]

He's an adult (23 years old) and wasn't harming others.  This should be a non-issue, especially when compared to the drunk driving arrest he had before the olympics.

I completely agree that it was a foolish move on his part and it will most likely impact his endorsements, but I really think that drunk driving offense is 100 times worse than smoking a little pot at a party.

[StillAWarrior]

It's a word choice, get over it.  Did he really have to pull out a thesaurus to find the word "immature" to appease you?  He had a DUI at 19, which is much worse than this.  It's causing him enough trouble, and could cost him in endorsements.  He's only human, and he makes mistakes, and he has to pay for them like anyone else (more actually).  Isn't that enough of a lesson to teach the kids?  What will you do when they find out that every single band they listen to does drugs, or when you send them to MU where over half the kids have smoked pot prior to arriving on campus?

Relax Chapman, I am over it.  Frankly, I won't lost any sleep over it, but it is unfortunate.  As someone with a PR background, I just think "youthful" is a really poor word choice.  The entire point of releasing a statement is to demonstrate regret for your actions -- whether real or contrived.  If that's the reason you're releasing a statement then yes, I think you should pull out a thesaurus to make sure that the words you choose convey the message you're trying to convey.  And yes, I will use the consequences of his actions as a lesson for my kids.  And I agree that the drunk driving offense is more serious.

[4everwarriors]

What an idiot. He'll learn these decisions will impact his wallet. Guess he just didn't smoke his opponents. Way to f-up prosperity, congratulations Michael.

[GuyIncognito]

Looks like at least two of the sponsors are sticking with him.

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/swimming/news/story?id=3878675

I really can't blame Speedo. There's no bigger name in swimming for endorsing their equipment.

[MU86NC]

it shouldn't be illegal in the first place...nice looking pipe!
Swimmers and weed go hand in hand...

[MilTown]

I think the only issue here is that he should be a bit more careful. If you are gonna smoke pot, just do it at home with your closest friends. Other than that, this is such a non-issue. I think this may actual help with his endorsements. He doesn't seem like such a swimming machine anymore. It makes him a bit more real.

[jdiamon2]

I'll bet he's going to get some endorsement deals with Men's Wearhouse now...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Zimmer

Whatever.  Good for him.  i'm going to go roll a blunt, do my law school homework, and then smoke that blunt in Phelps's honor.

Maybe I'll reflect on how much success I've had in life because I haven't wasted my time getting drunk on the weekends, and instead I've spent it smoking a little weed and going on long distance runs.

[RawdogDX]

Many major cities have passed resolutions over the past two years stating that enforcement of pot is the LOWEST law enforcement priority. 
Meaning that if you are in chicago and J-walking while your friend is standing on the corner smoking a J you are the one who the cops should stop and give the ticket to.
Do you think a picture of him J-walking would have gotten this kind of pub?

And if you are concerned about your kids getting hooked on drugs I'm assuming you know not to let them have any caffeine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw4IZwxtglE

[rugbydrummer]

Drugs are dumb and can cause you to do even worse things.
Celebrities, sports superstars, etc., are role models whether they want to be or not.

People who are celebrities should not be caught doing dumb things.  PERIOD.

Why are you even acting like it's no big deal?  Most people that do drugs don't have their lives together, so I think it's fair to be concerned about this international Olympic superstar acting like a horse's rear end.

I guess it's just goes to show that people are only human and everyone makes mistakes.  But jeez, he sure was trying.

[IAmMarquette]

Drugs are dumb and can cause you to do even worse things.
Celebrities, sports superstars, etc., are role models whether they want to be or not.

People who are celebrities should not be caught doing dumb things.  PERIOD.

Why are you even acting like it's no big deal?  Most people that do drugs don't have their lives together, so I think it's fair to be concerned about this international Olympic superstar acting like a horse's rear end.

I guess it's just goes to show that people are only human and everyone makes mistakes.  But jeez, he sure was trying.

I wish they'd legalize marijuana, just so pot heads have nothing to talk about.