Everyone reading this entry has done something in their past they are not proud of, and I mean each and every one of you.
Whether you stole a pack of gum from a convenience store or hit a parked car without leaving a note, you felt guilty the next day. But you learned from your mistakes, and hopefully you earned the forgiveness of those you hurt.
So many of the people we honor and respect on a daily basis have done stupid and terrible things in their past, but it seems we’re willing to turn a blind eye to it as long as they’re in the warmth of the limelight. We have granted passes to presidents, actors, musicians, athletes, writers, etc.
It’s a fact that Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards has smoked or snorted anything and everything that could alter his mind, including his father’s ashes, and he is still a worldwide treasure. Before the Super Bowl, reporters seemed to forget about the restraining order against Arizona Cardinals star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald for alleged abuse against a former girlfriend. And how many photographers does Sean Penn need to assault before he serves any significant punishment?
This writer is not above the scrutiny. I have both Avril Lavigne and Bananarama in my iPod, yet I contribute to society and lead a shame-free life. Well, almost.
So why is Michael Phelps taking such a beating for the photo that shows him hitting a bong?
If I had the time and subsequent desire, I would poll 100 people to find out how many have tried marijuana in their youth, and I would be willing to bet the computer I’m using over half would say they have at some point in their lives. I did when I was 19, and I got so sick you couldn’t lift my head out of the trash can with an overhead crane. I’m now 29, and haven’t even thought of touching it since. I don’t condone the usage of marijuana, but I understand that most college-aged kids are going to try it. That’s just the way it is.
According to News of the World, the British paper that published the picture, Phelps engaged in drug usage while visiting a female student at the University of South Carolina in November, just months removed from his record-setting eight gold medal performance at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
Think of it this way, while we were having fun with our friends, Phelps was in the pool. When we played baseball in the summer and football in the winter, Phelps was in the pool. When we, as teenage boys, picked up our first guitar to try to land some chicks, Phelps was in the pool. Phelps has been in the pool for so much of his life, he’s dealt with more shrinkage than George Costanza. Phelps has sacrificed so many hours of his personal life so that he may excel for this country for just a few minutes at a time in the world’s water, shouldn't he deserve our forgiveness, too?
My girlfriend and I enjoyed watching the Beijing Olympics, but what got us to the TV so late at night in the first place was the possibility of Phelps doing something no one has ever done before in a modern Olympiad, and his remarkable performance captivated the entire nation. An average of 28.7 million viewers tuned into NBC during the first week of the Olympics, which featured Phelps’ historic run. After Phelps was done, the average viewership dropped to 23.3 million, still a respectable number.
Phelps has apologized for his actions, calling his behavior “youthful and inappropriate,” and the International Olympic Committee and two of his biggest sponsors have accepted. But you know what’s funny? This story is making people forget that Phelps was busted for drunk driving when he was 19. In my opinion, drunk driving is a much worse offense than smoking dope. When you get stoned, all you want to do is flop on the couch, grab a family-sized bag of Doritos and a two-liter of Pepsi and let the dulcet notes of “Dark Side of the Moon” wash over you. That’s a lot safer than getting behind the wheel of a car after you’ve crushed a 12-pack. Since his underage DUI is not what we’re buzzing about, I’ll assume we’ve forgiven Phelps for it, so let’s just exonerate him for this weed thing and move on.
Who else got this nation out of its seat during the Beijing Olympics? How about 22-year-old Jamaican sprinter Usain “Lightning” Bolt, who smashed records in the 100m and 200m races, and made it look easy. His awesome performance, mixed with his fun-loving personality, made him the next-biggest attraction at the games next to Phelps. Being from Jamaica, would you be at all surprised if there’s a picture of Bolt floating around somewhere puffing a joint the size of a yardstick while jamming to “No Woman, No Cry” as a teen? And if there was, would we even care?
Phelps has to live with what he’s done, and I know he’s embarrassed and ashamed over the whole incident. But do you really think we’ll hold this against him when he hits the pool in London in 2012? I doubt it, especially since weed totally jacks up your short-term memory, dude.
****AG****
Keywords: marijuana, Michael Phelps, Olympics
