A Tarnished Image

Drew Scott

    "It's sad, so much ability."

   That was the reaction of one of Michael Phelps swimming fans at the Brookhaven-Roe YMCA pool Friday. Many say they still can't believe the 23-year old 8-time Olympic Gold Medalist at Beijing openly smoked marijuana and had his photo appear in a London tabloid.

 The record breaking swimmer admitted he made a "serious error in judgment."

"How do we parents tell our kids that's not the right kind of behavior," was the reaction of another swimmer and Y member.

The lapse in behavior, though not criminal under South Carolina law, did cost Phelps a three month suspension from team USA and the loss of Kelloggs corporation sponsorship. Eventually, experts say it could cost Phelps more sponsors which have enriched him by millions in the past few months.

Still, other fans of Phelps say they are willing to accept his apology and hope he's learned from his "error in judgment."

According to competitive swimmers, Phelps reinstatement in May will still allow him time to compete in the Grand Prix of swimming in Charlotte, NC and prepare in time for the Rome Olympics in 2012.

  

Comments

[John]

Wait a second. He didn't even break a law!? All this venom and head-shaking, and his only offense was to take something that's...not in fashion in most of the country?

You know, I was willing to say that he was possibly wrong for taking an illegal substance. I can't measure how wrong, because I've never had any, myself, but it's illegal, so I'll blindly accept that it's wrong, just like I wear my seatbelt and avoid red light districts.

However, if it was legal where he did it, then he's got the right to do it, and any "punishment" is just an attack for the sake of putting on a show. It would be like a cop ticketing you for making a right on red because it's illegal in New York City, where more people live or busting up a dinner in France because they give the kids watered-down wine.