I think it would be an issue if this was *before* the Olympics. He's a free citizen, isn't he? I'm not sure what his sponsors might think, though. I bet he gets the best shit.

Thank God ... he's human ... I was starting to wonder!!!
Explains a lot about his unfortunate SNL appearance though ... ;0

Phelps is a pussy. Now, if was honkin' a 6 foot bobo like I used to on a regular basis when I was his age, that might be worth a ruckus.

That does look like a nice little Graphix, though.

No it should not matter, but it probably will. Michael Phelps donated his childhood and adolescence to swimming, his success at his endeavors enriching all of our lives. I have no problem with him having some fun, especially this type of fun, which represents no danger to others, unlike the MILLIONS of guys his age and younger than drink until their blind-stupid and get behind the wheel of a car they point at the rest of humanity like a gun.

Purdes would

I used to love my bong... It will be interesting to see if his star power can outweigh the negatives, in the sponsors' minds. I think he is too hot of a commodity to be seriously affected by this. I predict a remorseful and humble apology and then a public relations blitz to highlight his charitable contributions to society.

We just elected our third president in a row who did drugs in his youth. Clearly the nation is pretty cool with petty youthful tokes. I think the media cares more than the American people do.

It matters if you want to make millions of dollars endorsing products. At that point you are in effect a representative of the company. On the other hand he is young, it wasn't hard drugs, he was honest about it, and didn't lie. I say he should get a pass on this.

It should not matter. Marijuana is not exactly a performance enhancing drug. The age group/demographic who buy Nike might buy more because of this photo.

I actually hope this might spur us to finally rethink those draconion, idiotic, and laughably ineffective laws against a plant.

Will it matter? Probably. Should it? No. Has MP made enough already through sponsorships to enable him to do whatever it is he wants for the rest of his life? I hope so.

We had a somewhat similar situation in Canada when Ross Rebagliati tested positive for Marijuana after winning the first Olympic snowboarding medal ever awarded. Wow, shocker. A snowboarder with a history of pot in his circulation. He was stripped of his medal. But it was later given back to him after the IOC decided pot wasn't exactly a performance enhancing drug...except for the Dorito eating event.

no, shouldn't matter- shouldn't put all the poor, non-white people in jail either

Guess it matters to you, Kerry, 'ratings' wise, or you wouldn't slap a big shot of it on the 'front page.' Is this The Star?

Prosaic crap like this reflects our nation's big media brains swirling down the john. Next - a picture of 'fat' Jessica Simpson? *Do her new 10 pounds matter? What does they mean?*

First, I'm not a drug user. I once took a hit off a bong and:
1) I didn't turn to harder drugs.
2) I didn't become a hardened criminal.
3) I didn't join Al Qaeda.
4) I didn't even get the fricken' munchies.

Boring but true, just like most of my life.

So, when I look at this picture I'm inclined to wonder what the heck is the big deal. So he wants to unwind a bit. I'm still thinking it's probably safer than the prescriptions his coach would ask for. Unlike Valium or Xanax, I've never once heard of a pot overdose (would that be death by Cheetos?) I wish we could for once act like adults. I'm amazed that it's the Brits who are tripping over this. I seem to recall that they blew off the same thing when it involved Prince Harry hitting the wacky weed.

Don't you wonder what Mom Phelps's rearaction was?

Makes the guy seem more human to me.

I actually like Phelps better now. Aren't hits from the bong kind of a right of passage? Isn't this completely normal behavior from a red-blooded American 23 year old?

Mishima mentioned the potential loss of sponsorship. Well, corporate sponsors are free to hire whomever they want , but if I'm the head of a snack food company or a pizza chain, I've got a whole new marketing campaign, and spokesman.

His titanium-lined extra-capacity swimmer's lungs can probably hold that smoke in forever. It would almost be a crime for him not to do it every now and then.

Isn't he like... 22 or 23? So, this is news cuz....? It's not. He wasn't arrested, right?
Boring.

1) Good to know he's human.

2) It will matter to the extent it bothers his sponsors and therefore impacts his earnings. (Free market. Folks can associate with whomever they want. For some, his firing up the bong will be a deal breaker.)

3) The PR blitz will start as someone pointed out. Not sure if this rises to the level of the "Hey! I am going to Rehab!" line used by celebs caught in a jam and uttered the same way the Super Bowl MVP of years gone by has yelled, "I'm Going to DisneyWorld!" in commercials, but he's on some thin ice at the moment.

Yes it will - for reasons of contractual obligations.

No it shouldn't - it's one reason Mexico's domestic terrorists will drag the country closer to Columbia than Canada. Banning has not reduced demand.

Oh please. He's a 23-year-old on top of the world, of COURSE he's gonna be smokin some weed. Jeez. Even regular, everyday non-icons do it.

If he was busted for crack or drunk driving, then there'd be a ballgame. If Speedo's smart, they'll wait it out.

I just want to know who's the asshole who took and sold that photo?

Holy herculean crap! The world needs to let the poor guy get stoned. Enough of the overabundant hypocrisy and judgmental meddling in private lives.

It's not steroids, it's a plant that has a much more pleasant effect than alcohol. Who knows, maybe he was in Amsterdam ...... ;-p

It's silly if it matters but corporate sponsors can do what they want with their money -- he who pays the piper calls the tune, after all.

Remember Dunkin' Donuts dropped Rachael Ray as a spokesperson because her stylist draped her in a scarf that in photos merely LOOKED like the type people in the Middle East wear (I can't spell the name, something like kafiyeh). Some uptight souls said RR and DD were endorsing terrorism. That's how nutty this stuff can get, and corporations know that.

Shouldn't. Not at all. But it will.

Will it matter? HELL YES! Michael Phelps makes his money primarily from endorsements. BIG, BIG money. And he is not endorsing bongs. He endorses stuff that parents want their kids to have. This is his agent's nightmare. There are probably specific clauses in contracts of his that say, "if you get photo'd hitting a bong, you lose 50 million dollars." Should it matter? NO! I think Phelps is not hurting anyone. But he probably has conduct clauses which cover things much less taboo than smoking pot.

That said, he'll survive.

It certainly makes it harder for his sponsors to hold him up as a model of good health. If this had been a cigarette, what would the reaction have been?

Although his lucrative endorsements are up for grabs, now, he's a free man to do as he pleases. His performances in the Olympics (and I watched all of them) are his for history.

Besides, that might be his asthma inhaler. You never know what a good defense attorney can come up with.

It does matter. I don't care about marijuana per se, hell, I was a hippy doper surfer long before most of you were born. You can't change the fact that pot is still illegal. We do indeed need a better approach in handling that, like decriminalization. But, it's still illegal, and that means that it has to be imported illegally, garnering billions for groups and individuals who are leaving a wake of decapitated bodies and slaughtered government officials and journalists. What percentage of that filled bong bears responsibility for generations of murderous commerce? I don't know how to calculate it, it is indeed infinitesimal, but it doesn't mean the complicity is not there, even if it is ignored.

No, I don't have answers, but decriminalizing pot, even commercializing it and taxing it would be better than what we have now.

Wow! That was fast.

1_Irritated: Yes, I thought that, too. And also that "60 Minutes" interview where he fell asleep during an interview with Anderson Cooper!

Logan: Now that's a mighty fine point.

XX: I posted because I was genuinely curious what the quick, gut reaction to this would be. And, as I suspected, it was an enthralling one.

Chicago Guy: Me too.

Sally: THAT is the story I want to someone do -- profiles of the people of sell these photos, what they get for them and how they rationalize it afterward.

I still remain curious if this will matter. I'm not as sure that it's the stigma, even for an athlete, that it was 5 or 10 years ago. But maybe I've just watched too much Harold and Kumar.

Pot smoking is one of the most forbidden activities in our society. I haven't seen athletes weather the sort of shitstorm that's surely coming, without it costing them a lot of money, and having to grovel and lie to America and the world at a bunch of boo hooing press appearances.

The interesting thing is, this is probably not his Ganja cherry. He won 8-Gold Medals while probably having an occasional toke. Too bad High Times, Eureka California, and all of South America can't muster the same money that his current endorsements pay.

I bet you Usain Bolt has blown some green smoke a time or two too. He is Jamaican after all. Maybe if Bolt made a character reference advert for Phelps, they could shift the tide that is currently against the issue.

Doesn't bother me a bit. Wish it were legal...is it?

The issue here is the contractual relationships that Michael Phelps has with for endorsements. Sadly, those companies wouldn't be at all surprised or outraged if he were found taking performance enhancing drugs which might endanger his life and are also illegal, but this will tip his wheelbarrow over, I'm afraid. Even though those same companies are marketing to the demographics that also include stoners.

Much ado about nothing. However, the person that sent that picture in to the media... is not his friend. Now THAT is an ass-whuppin in the making.

Maybe he can get an endorsement from a bong company.

Much ado about nothing. He's 23 years old. That doesn't make him tops in the judgment department. He's a young man who is quite gifted and has been working hard since he was 11. This is far less egregious than the DUI he committed 4 years ago.

I hope that his sponsors will choose to let this go. This is not a performance-enhancing drug, he is not competing and this photo wasn't taken at a sponsored appearance.

But I agree with Harp that the person who took this photo and sold it is not Phelps' friend.

College kid does a bong... well that's news....... not.

With his lung capacity, I wonder if there's anything left in the bowl for the next guy.

Don't think it should matter - don't think it will matter. It makes logical sense that he would smoke dope here and there with all the people he's been introduced to the last few months. Was more interested in the jerk photographer and his/her motivation... altho of course it's obvious. Was this a "friend" of MP?

Seems the unspoken story is the pressure we put on young Olympic hopefuls who have to train for for years for those few minutes of performance. What really happens to them after?

I read he has ADHD and other learning disabilities. It's probably just hard for him to come down from the high of the Olympic gold medals without being high.

He has said he wants to go for more Olympic medals. Will he now be suspected by coaches, fans, press for the rest of his career, and how will that affect his split-second finishes?

well if he doesn't care about what people think of him, there is no worries. that stuff can only hinder his performance so he won't have to worry about his mister perfect routeen. for my two cents; he had millions of kids looking up to him now to tarnish all of that for a joke. he won't be laughing all the way to the bank this is for certain..pure

While it won't tarnish his rep in my eyes, I think his indulgence spells disaster on the corporate sponsorship front. After all, Phelps has been marketed as America's apple pie athlete and there's likely a clause in his numerous contracts that frowns on such behavior. Should that happen, he would be ideal as the poster child for marijuana legalization.

It shouldn't matter a bit to the Olympic Committee (unless, of course, he plans on swimming competitively ever again).

Whether or not it matters to his mommy or his girlfriend or anyone else in his life is none of our business.

Will it matter to the companies who are currently paying him millions to endorse their products? Yes, and it should. Not because there is anything wrong with pot, but because it is still an illegal drug in this country, and there aren't too many companies who are really enthused to have scofflaws as spokespeople. (Unless, of course, you manufacture radar detectors or bongs.)

Should you and me (average Americans with no personal stake in Michael Phelp's life or activities) care? Not really. God knows there are millions of people who have smoked pot, are smoking pot or will smoke pot in the future. Michael Phelps is a young guy who's got all the same urges and desire for experience as anyone his age.

What does give me a little pause is that Michael Phelps has been held out to young people as an exemplar, as someone whose drive and committment are worthy of emulation. To some extent, Phelps participated in the generation of this image. So now this "exemplar" is inhaling on a giant bong -- an activity that many in this country would call undesirable.

But Phelps's behavior isn't what I'm worried about. Phelps isn't under any obligation to continue to be a role model for the rest of his life just because he won a crapload of medals and was all the rage for a while.

The problem is that we live in a culture that so craves heroes and people to put on pedestals that we do not consider what puts people there and why, what this process of idolization does to them and to us, and whether anyone is capable of living up to the demands of the task.

Really, just give the kid a break. He did his job---better than anyone else. He is not our PROPERTY---which seems to be the thing Americans can't get their heads around when it comes to any of our "stars," any genre: sports, entertainment, political. Everyone is entitled to live their life---as long as they do not harm to others. (In truth, if they do harm to *themselves,* it is still none of our business.)

It should not matter one wit. Would he be pounced upon for holding a martini?......It would most likly not make the pages...
He has given his life to the sport and to his admirers. His choice of recreation is his business!!

Maybe it's legal where he was at the time? Benefit of the doubt?

Medicinal, perhaps?! It's his life. Choices are a bitch.

Can't see condemning this, though it is not good example to the young athletes on the rise and he is their poster child.

Best he be more discrete and stay out of the tabloids, if that is even possible. Worse stuff gets photoshopped about celebrities and athletes.

God example of the lime light turing sour.

Phaedo - we live in an age where phones are also hidden cameras. Someone could have easily taken that photo without his knowledge

I'd like to see victimless drug use decriminalized. I don't use drugs and don't advocate others do. I think it's a mistake that Michael used it here, but one he is entitled to make privately.

I think it's just as much a crime to breach his privacy in this matter unless he has been formally charged with a crime or is believed to have brought injury to someone else.

Once the matter is public, it is almost surely affect his sponsorships and maybe his membership as a representative of the US. Those issues are all about image. If the US wanted him off the team, I think that's fair. If a sponsor wants to drop him, I think that's their right. If a sponsor thinks that makes him more edgey/cool/human, I think that's their right, too.

I think it would be a serious mistake for the International Olympic Committee to care about this just because rules vary so much from country to country, and there are almost surely many who compete who have done the same and just not been caught. The Olympics are about the moment, not about lifestyle. If they were about lifestyle, we'd cut great athletes a break when they err under pressure in their one shot at success; but we don't. We judge them by that moment, and if that's the rule, we should do it consistently.

I suspect that, increasingly, the population of the US cares less about these things and it's just a matter of time before enough people die and enough new people arrive on scene that this kind of thing isn't the big deal thing it once was. Perhaps Michael will fall one side or the other of that line, or perhaps he will be the catalyst needed for a public discussion of the matter.

Cartouche's statement regarding him getting the best shit is making me laugh to hard to comment...ha!!!!! So true!!

Silly boy for getting caught.

It's dumb on his part. The only way these guys can get payback for all their work is Wheaties and whatnot, representing moms apple pie and the US. He should have been more careful where he does something like this. This is a Bill Clinton move. Once you are on camera 24 hours a day, you have to watch what you do. Which is not a moral judgement so much as a, "Duh."

well, Jane, I was one that said it did matter a bit above your post, but I'm wondering why no one has commented on the complicity issue of using drugs...or is it just such an old tired argument that it gets easily ignored. Like you Jane, I did a lot when I was a teenager, but I have a broader view now than then. I don't care what he does with his life, but regardless of what anyone thinks of whether pot use is acceptable or not, it is still illegal in this country. I don't know though, maybe he was in Vancouver when the shot was taken.

I don't think it should matter.

Kerry, I'm on it.

Boys and girls, Press Agents are scummy toads but they serve a critical purpose to Celebrity. If Tom Cruise and Mel Gibson's images can be rehabilitated, so can Phelps'.

And btw, hello? This kind of doping would definitely NOT help Phelps performance, Dude.

I believe the correct course of action is to appear on international television with a tearful apology and a religious conversion. From there it's on to public office.

It doesn't affect my image of him but apparently he will not be able to race four years after testing positive for marijuana, so he will be ineligible in the next Olympics.

Shit looks like good ol' American Virginia tobacco to me. Is it a crime in this country to smoke Virginia tobacco from an 18 inch tobacco pipe filled with water? I'm just relieved to know our American hero ain't a dangerous marijuana addict like Barack Obama was. I mean, let's face it, we all know how that guy turned out...

sorry about that random extra phrase at the end of my comment - should have deleted it.

Just wanted to add, whatever friend leaked this photo is a total and complete asshat

It's post Olympics and well before the Games of 2012. As was said, he was honest about it. A man in his state of health is unlikely to take any kind of harm from this.

Brutal athletic training paid off with Eight gold medals at one Olympics--I'd say he's earned a little relaxation!

Being a teenager is a gateway drug.
I tried alcohol before pot and it was illegal because I was underage. The argument that pot is a gateway drug is ridiculous. I know many people who still occasionally smoke pot and have never done any other drug. I never cared for it myself but the criminalization of a drug less harmful than alcohol is at the very least, costly and a waste of government resources.
If pot was legal, this would be a health issue for phelps, not a "drug" issue.
complete. waste. of. time.

I would hope it matters - in that it helps get marijuana decriminalized. Holy cow. Why do we waste so much money trying to keep it illegal when it's not any more dangerous than alcohol (and has legitimate medicinal uses)? The government could TAX IT for cripes sakes. Talk about a stimulus package that could get us out of the hole fast!

Yeah, role model, sponsorships, blah blah whatever. It might matter, but I'm guessing it won't matter as much as it might have 10, 15 years ago.

bbd, I don't think the law on this is a bad law. In effect, this is a political crime. It's probably more dangerous to be using alcohol, and that's legal for reasons that are not in any way principled. Had Michael been seen drinking, it's laughable to think anyone would care. I think it's a travesty when anyone is arrested for the mere use of drugs, provided they aren't operating dangerous machinery, robbing someone for money to buy drugs, pushing drugs on someone else, etc.

It should matter at all. So what? Lots of people smoke pot. It makes absolutely no difference to me. Of course I'm also for the legalization of marijuana, so take that with a grain of salt.

That should read: "It *shouldn't* matter at all."

Kent, I have great respect for your brain, writing and logic. I admit to being dense at times, but I simply don't understand your first two sentences. Your first seems to be a non sequitur for what I was saying, and even if your second statement is true (I'm not saying it's not) it is still undeniable that it is in fact illegal to possess, grow, or distribute pot. It is illegal, that's the point I was making about complicity in a behavior that has consequences beyond buying smoking and getting high. I don't care if people smoke pot, other than I think there should be an acknowledgement of the shit involved in more than the mere act. I think it should be decriminalized. But my thinking that doesn't change the fact that it is illegal. If you think it shouldn't be illegal as a justification for your use of it, it doesn't change the fact, it simply indicates how you make your decisions.

I don’t think it should matter, but people like to get their panties in a bunch, so I’m sure a lot of people will…

It does make me glad that I came of age before camera phones and the internet, though.

I agree that who ever this jerk-off “friend” - who took this picture and then sold it - is an asshole. Sally, let us know what you find on that.

This merely shows how much of a religion sports in general have become. Phelps' accomplishments are stellar but his swimming prowess should not make him a de facto role model for children. Let's face it, that's the real rub. He's tarnished the role model status foisted upon professional athletes whether they want it or not. Imagine if he'd been caught getting a blowjob!

Parents need to be the role model and set the bar for kids. There's no better time than Superbowl night to say this. Responsible adults need to place sports back into its proper place as recreation... profitable, yes, but entertainment nonetheless.

Dude needs a break after all he has been through and accomplished. Who cares?

bbd, my brain may be of acceptable nature, but my editing is frequently terrible, especially when I'm in a hurry. For my posts I get my wife to proof them, which avoids most really stupid stuff... But for comments I shoot from the hip. I think there's an edit-o in that first sentence. I meant to say "I think the law is a bad law." Sorry for the confusion!

As for the issue of law, it is probably a violation of law in some places to cohabit, as well as in some places to engage in various kinds of sex. I'm told there are places where peeing in public counts as a sex crime risks branding you for life... I'm sure there are places where there are other weird laws that people violate, too. I don't disagree that they can charge him, but I do disagree that they should; I think the courts and prison system are needed for more serious things. I'm not saying he should expect to get off, but I'm saying he should get off even though he shouldn't expect it... as should others in such cases. I think the war on drugs is a political war being played out on the backs of individuals whose lives are callously and needlessly thrown away over issues that are a danger to no one.

As for losing his endorsements, I think that's a much more voluntary thing and really I think if he signed a morals clause and then didn't follow it, he's got no one to blame but himself.

I' have never been a marijuana smoker myself but I grew up in the Pacific Northwest amongst many. At that time, it was decriminalized, at least if you had under an ounce. It was more common than drinking.

I now have a friend in L.A. who smokes medicinal marijuana due to anxiety issues (he doesn't respond well to prescribed SSRIs). So,it has been no problem. It appears to me to be an issue depending on the area of the country you're in, and the laws to which you're subject. I'm convinced that some folks react more favorably to weed than other psychotropics.

I now live in the South and smoking dope would be the end of you, socially, plus you'd end up in prison.

I used to implore my friend (where marijuana wasn't legal) to utilize legal drugs to manage his bi-polar disorder, however, the legal drugs never really worked for him. In the end, his children were taken away from him (no more joint custody), and he ended up committing suicide.

You've got to wonder about the total subjectivity of the mores we're subject to.

Phelps has proved himself as a fish. We all know that fish inhale anything that is put in front of them. He deserves a bit of water that is tainted with a bit of cannibis. I am not endorsing any drug use or the behavior of Phelps, but if it swims like a fish and breathes like a fish, it is a Phish.

The only issue he faces may relate to any endorsement deals he has. Sponsors tend to be very particular about such things. If I'm not mistaken, Brittany Spears was fired by Pepsi for being photographed drinking a Coke.

What is the context of our judgment? Are we voting thumbs up or down that he should be allowed to live amongst us, or that he should be driven from the island to live the life of hermit with only his goat and burro to talk to?

I think he just blew (literally) several million dollars worth of endorsements for Nike. But, who knows, maybe Doc Martens, Harley Davidson or Tatoo will pick him up.

I'm terribly worried for the young man. If worse comes to worse, there's got to some wealthy 37 year old out there who would be more than happy to keep him as her toy boy, buying him whatever size bong he wants.

Why don't you people report on cannabinoid science for a change? The natives are not only restless, they're better informed.

Sandra No-longer-Miller, I think I love you...no, just kidding(I'm finally happily married)... but you are so RIGHT! about so many things...especially if you are also the Sandra M. who comments on regular Salon now and then.

I showed my "delinquent" son (also stamped with the scarlet letter of marijuana use) the story on Phelps just to let him know he wasn't alone in the mea culpas he was being forced to make to society.

And the thing is -- you people feel not the slightest bit of shame for your ignorance.

America's intolerance with Marijuana goes back to its humble beginnings of 1914 in the passage of the Harrison Act.

It was then, Secretary of State Williams Jennings Bryan, a devout Presbyterian with deep rooted Prohibitionist and Silverite sympathies, who pushed the act through Congress. Bryan looked upon the Unitied Kingdom's plundering of silver from China an infringement of his economic ideals on inflating money supply. The Harrison Act, when passed was purely a trade bill that goverened and taxed the sale of opiates, barbituates and amphetamines along with the basic raw materials which made up heroin, marijuana and cocaine.

Then in 1937, Pot got its big break. Marijuana received its own due with the passage of the Marijuana Tax Act. Both, the 1914 and 1937 Acts seem to have been legislative ingenuities in that they were meant to collect revenues from the governed sale of narcotics.

Then the Boggs Act, and the Daniels Act, and the Narcotics Control Act, and the Drug Abuse Control Act, and the magna carta of all stupidity, the Controlled Substances Act, were subsequently passed without a dime of money collected in the process. Instead, one would have to believe there is at least a trillion dollars somewhere in the past spent imprisoning users, dealers, etc. all stemming from failure to govern law that is meant to legalize the distribution in exchange for receipt of tax revenues. Proper legalization means little to no black market; new collection of significant tax revenues; no dealers (as they would not be able to compete with a registered system of farmers, producers and the State and Federal Gov'ts new charged chaebol); less violent crime (no gang land territory management); less incarceration and that means I don't have to support a sixteen year old kid rotting in jail for possession of a few joints. The list of benefits goes on.

As for the Michael Phelps story, noting the U.S. Gov't's stand in its nearly disengaged authority over the alcohol, tobacco and firearms industries - legalizing production of addictive boosters in cancer sticks and a green light for the distribution of blunt force trauma (alchohol), its an absolute disgrace that media commentators like Bob Costas don't have the decency to tell their network "I'm not running that copy."

Someone should have told Dick Ebersol and the boys at NBC/GE to get out their urine test kits and send samples to God. The audacity of piety in this day and age. At least God (or George Burns, take your pick) wouldn't have put it on the planet Earth if it wasn't good for you.

Our ideals and morals as they pertain to the vilification of a pot smoker, and the "legality" of its use. as opposed to a bar fly getting lit up and torched into the blue light are symptomatic of a Republic on the verge of extinction. Much like the Government now must purchase toxic crack from banks run amok, it would be wise to legalize controlled substances and collect a much needed tax, originally prescribed by the founding fathers of the constitution of American drug policy.

Michael Phelps, being a role model, did the right thing by immediately addressing the issue as he did. He certainly didn't need to apologize for his personal lifestyle. Why should anyone for that matter, in these comparable regards. If it is truly a Budweiser/USA typology to keep with the spirit and standard of drinking responsibly, I find it appauling that such measure isn't extended for a smoke and a pancake too. At least Phelps isn't smoking the crack that Wall Street's bankers seem to be on these days. So, here's to Michael Phelps, a guy who has more gold around his neck for the U.S. than any other Olympic athelete in the history of U.S. sports. Lift up your hookas and hope for the best.

I'm part of the public and I have an opinion and I don't give a shit what he does on his day off. I wish I could swim two full laps in the pool without getting winded. Hey! Maybe I should start smoking weed again.

It doesn't bother me, but I imagine he will lose his sponsorships, particularly those that are targeted to kids (how many parents of small children will be OK with seeing a known pot smoker on their kids' Frosted Flakes box?)

I feel especially bad that he's just learned the lesson that NO ONE is truly his friend now. Everyone wants to profit off of him. That's quite a burden to carry.

I dont smoke pot. I am not philosophically opposed to it, but I made the decision for practical reasons. The illegality and the difficulty in having a mainstream career caused by its use. Phelps is part of that world, and beyond it. I dont recall what he is worth, but I think it is in excess of 100 million dollars. I would be SO DISAPPOINTED if he apologizes. It is his choice, of course. But I hope that he stays true to himself. I hope he says, this is who I am right now, and I have enough money to make it.

I just saw on the news that he has already apologized. That is disappointing.

Said this on another post but bears repeating: One conclusion seems inescapable: If you can smoke pot and yet bring home eight Olympic golds, break scads of world records, and generate millions in endorsements (a system which I think is more crooked than potsmoking, but never mind), exactly what damage is pot supposed to do, and why is it so bad?

Lisa, as a data point, Obama says in his autobiography that he used pot long ago, and he's still made his share of people proud.

This is a big deal and it should be, thanks to the 2,000 pound Gorilla in the room.

When athletes admit to pot use (or get busted), the media goes wild. Talk show hosts call athletes "thugs," (media/society's favorite racist code word for "young black males") accuse them of "falling down as role models" and drag their reputation through the mud. Of course, this usually happens to young black athletes.

The two most recent pot fiascoes in my memory were the Josh Howard (of the Dallas Mavericks) radio interview and the (pre-dogfighting) Mike Vick airport bust/non-bust. The media killed those guys. They have to do the same with Phelps or we'll all be exposed to the racism in our media and our (sometimes subconscious) racist reactions to the news that the media feeds us.

Now, that being said, the proof is in the pudding. The actual last pot story that I remember was Brad Miller (Sacramento Kings), a white dude. Not surprisingly, his failed drug test received far less media scrutiny than Howard's, even though Miller is arguably the higher profile player.

Phelps needs to lose his endorsements. At least that's what happens when young black athletes go afoul.

As a marketer, I'd bet serious cash that it won't matter. The only thing that could hurt him is if he tested positive for banned substances while competing, or if he was arrested for drug possession. By the time London rolls around, this will be forgotten just like his DUI was forgotten before Bejing. He might not cut any endorsement deals right now, but with this economy even Tiger is being dropped (Buick dropped him).

It shouldn't matter, but it will. It'll probably matter most to sponsors. Once monies are accepted for services, he does have some sort of unspoken responsibility to act in a certain moral manner. Fortunately, he doesn't seem to be the type of young person who's bent of drug use. Considering the life he's led, in terms of his physical training, and understanding that he wants to continue a life as an athlete, I'm guessing it was more along the lines of just some of the "not so smart moves" that people make. He'll probably lose some endorsements, but I think it might be a bit of overkill to start running evening news reports AGAIN on athletes and drug usage. As long as he was 100% clean during the Olympics, he should be alright.

Kent, I hope you're right. I hope it does blow over. As I commented on Sally Swift's blog, I think his drunk driving charge was much worse and that seems to be forgotten. The public needs to realize that these people are no different than we are. No one is perfect and 100% squeaky-clean.

This is one of those scandals that grows out of people supposing there's some "moral" component to our obsession with fame.
We all celebrate Phelps and take pride in his wearing our colors, but he's not a flag pole. People are uncomfortable that their shiny "role model" doesn't live up to the so called values they want to foist on his accomplishments.
"Don't smoke dope kids, it'll rob you of ambition and discipline ...like Michael Phelps.
Don't smoke dope kids it will ruin your lungs and rob you of the ability to compete ...like Michael Phelps"
Funny how stories like this never make people think that their assumptions about drug use might be faulty.

He'll take a hit (sorry for that) from the sponsors and that's unfortunate, but please lets not continue with the charade that celebrities and the corporations that invest in them are our partners in parenting.

Lets just de-criminalize marijana, can we now? pretty please? with sugar?

I have no idea why this would be a big deal. I feel like the news services are bored and want something to be SHOCKED by and this was chosen.

A kid drinking and smoking weed. Yeah. That's never happened before. Boooring.

The real crime is the Madison Avenue induced pathetic apology from the kid. "It will never happen again"...of course it will and who cares!

Newsflash...athletes are human...they curse, they fight they do drugs...they kill! And our unrealistic expectations as a country are not all together blameless....build em up...tear em down.

Michael Phelps is a kid after all who never got to be a kid. He's accomplished more than you or I will in our lifetime. And he did it in difficult circumstances...seriously what more could you ask for?

If this was my kid I would be on my knees thanking god everyday.

I wonder how many millions this will cost him in lost endorsements. Yikes!

Barry, not all pot smokers are participating in an industry of murder and mayhem. Most pot sold in California is raised in California, in either Berkeley or Humboldt County. No wake of decapitated bodies. That doesn't change the fact that pot is illegal, but as Kent points out, lots of ridiculous thing are illegal, including, in some backwards towns, getting blow jobs, having anal sex, being black after sun down within the town limits.

Snorting coke didn't seem to hurt Kare Moss's endorsements. Some of her clients fled, but more came to the table to replace, and her earnings reached an all-time high. If Phelps experiences any backlash from smoking a bong, it won't be because of the illegality but rather the fearful hypocrisy with which so many Americans view all matters drug- and sex-related.

Love this article

http://www.theagitator.com/2009/02/01/a-letter-id-like-to-see-but-wont/