I heard the news about Michael Phelps being caught with a bong, saw the picture, didn't think about it too much but knew that for him, his life as he knows it will be over, for some time any way.

He has gotten caught in that spiral that will spin out of control just like it has for other star athletes who have gotten caught having too much fun., or in other words, getting high.  While I'm not a fan of getting high, I can understand why people do it.  Heck, I've drank a few and felt tipsy, , yes tipsy, never drunk.  [I've been full blown drunk only once in my life, I was 18, never again, and at 43+, still haven't been)!   The spiral that young Master Phelps has gotten himself into is one that happens from time to time to those out there who have shown their prowess and are placed on a pedestal by others who can only dream to do what he has done.  

So while the world flipped out on the fact that Phelps was caught with his pants down, literally, puffing away (or inhaling away) at one of those things, that thing that the news people seemed to have confused and couldn't name correctly.  I then heard that the Sheriff in North Carolina (or was that South Carolina?) was considering charging him with something, I thought that was preposterous because not only didn't he have any breathalyzer test, or see him do it, just the picture.   First off I couldn't believe that they were thinking of  charging him because it was a photograph, that could have been doctored. I thought to myself, the guy is young, how old is he, 18?  He was just having fun and blowing off steam! 

Then I considered that this guy has grown into the role model for hundreds of little swimmers-to-be out there, heck, he should have known better than to do that outside of his home!  When you're an athlete and you're really good at being an athlete, you're going to be placed on a very high pedestal, you're going to be looked up to by not just those little ones under three feet, but those grown ups over five feet as well!  You're going to have all the accolades coming to you.  You will have endorsement offers, money thrown at you from all angles, everyone will want a piece of you!  And now, in the midst of all this, he chose to 'let his hair down', he did what many young people before him as done before, at least the ones who got into doing stuff like that!

This evening I read that he's been suspended, to teach him a lesson, or send him a strong message according to the USA Swimming Federation.  He will also not be able to swim in an upcoming competition.  Now, he's lost the financial support of one of his sponsors, Kellogg's.

Considering that he's someone who has such a strict physical schedule, and who needs his wits and strength to do what he does, I'm surprise that he would even consider putting any type of drugs in his body.  Smoking Marijuana might be fun for some people, and make you feel good in the moment, however, over time, use of it can cause serious damage.  So yes, I was surprise, and disappointed that he has fallen like so many before him.

Despite my disappointment, it is the first time he's been caught in an uncompromising position, wouldn't a strong reprimand or suspension without causing him to lose his sponsors be a better thing?  Then again, I guess this is the only way to teach him a lesson.  You can't be a role model and then mess up so badly, and not pay for that, right?