Fields: Who Cares If Phelps Smokes Dope?
BY SAM FIELDS
Guest Columnist
(Sam Fields is a Fort Lauderdale lawyer and in his youth was a champion swimmer who won a swim scholarship to college.)
What’s the real story behind the Michael Phelps bong hit dustup?
From an Olympic point of view, swimming is our most important sport. Without it our medal count would be down there with Poland.
With the exception of Mark Spitz and Johnny Weissmuller, swimming gold medalists ordinarily go back into relative obscurity within two weeks of the Games.
Phelps is the third exception.
So why the big deal about a bong hit by the Olympics’ greatest medalist?
Surely it simply can’t be because it’s criminal. Under that theory Prohibition era photos of Weissmuller having a drink should have kept him from swinging from the vines and grunting: “Me Tarzan, you Jane.
In eleven states, pot is not a crime.
President Barack Obama has made it clear that it is his plan to stop DEA goons from wasting our tax dollars to enforce the Federal pot laws in states that have decriminalized it or passed medical marijuana laws.
No more million dollar prosecutions to put Tommy Chong in the slammer for six months.
Nevertheless I don’t believe the reaction would have been different if he had taken that hit in L.A. or Amsterdam. After all, the story broke in a London newspaper, The News Of The World.
It can’t even be a public health issue especially when the loudest cries come from Kellogg’s which ended Phelps endorsement contract. This is a company that spends tens of millions promoting the kind of sugar addiction that is responsible for our obesity epidemic not to mention Type 2 Diabetes. You gotta laugh at a company that objects to people using bongs to suck pot to their lungs when its founder, Dr. Kellogg, spent his time urging America to use enema bags to shove yogurt up their butts.
No, it can’t be the law.
There was barely a grunt when then 19-year-old Phelps got a DUI. Apparently over indulging in booze and getting behind the wheel is, for some, less dangerous than a Bong Hit for Jesus.
I have not seen any scientific polling. But every click poll shows that the majority of the general public does not give a damn about Phelps’ pot use.
What is hopefully going on is the last lunge of the 1950’s cultural reactionaries reaching out from the grave to grab the world by the Speedo.
Yes, hopefully it is the last lunge.
February 8th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
I would not ruin the guy for smoking pot, or keep him from fugure competition. I do think less of him though. Sports heroes have a duty to kids and ultimately to themselves to not be potheads. Common sense is that they avoid being around cameras if they are so foolish to engage in that illegal activity. People over a certain age, Phelps is about that age, who continue to smoke pot are not responsible adults, especially those that have children and continue to smoke pot. The key to a drug free world is not to smoke anything and to refrain from alcohol. The activity is inherently unhealthy and someone who’s career like Phelps celebrates physical achievement is stupid to allow his image to be tarnished in this clearly avoidable way. The guy is a jerk and people that smoke pot more than once or twice in youth are really kind of stupid.
February 9th, 2009 at 6:53 am
Now Sam is defending pot along with atheists and child molesters.
February 9th, 2009 at 7:37 am
Who says responsible people don’t smoke pot? Not true! Ask Larry Korda. He was a pretty good judge. Certainly not as bad as some left in the courthouse who do not partake of herb. Smoking pot is much better than drinking alcohol. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anybody getting smoked up and speeding down I-95 or beating their kids to death. Pot is probably a lot better than xanex or valium. I don’t smoke anymore because I have too much to lose, if I was caught, but I resent the hell out of the fact that I can’t. A couple of tokes at the end of a long stressful day would be a beautiful, relaxing way to wind down. Pot laws are archaic and stupid. 3/4 of the time, Sam is the only person on this board that makes any sense.
February 9th, 2009 at 9:26 am
“Who cares?” Not me.
If you’re really worried about the children, spend your time supporting adequate funding for public schools, opposing tuition increases at Florida colleges, and demanding a better health care insurance system.
This is a complete non-issue.
February 9th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
I agree with yu boots, it would lhave meant my job at one time.
February 9th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Dear pothead’s argument,
In my youth I only smoked pot once or twice….a day!
February 9th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
like 90% of users one day i decided that i had had enough. I didn’t need or want the cops to control my life.
my guess is that you are a 10%er who has an addictive personality. Don’t put that problem on the rest of us who just had some fun.
February 9th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
The issue about Mr. Phelps has only to do with money and advertising.
When a celebrity signs on to endorse a product they include a “morals and behavior” clause.
I am sure that his pot smoking violated the clauses of the companies he endorsed.
So to answer your question of who cares, I would say the companies with whom Phelps breached his contracts with…
February 9th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
Half the BSO detention deputies smoke marijuana. What do you think of that, Fields? Is it right?
February 10th, 2009 at 7:48 am
How is someone ‘not a responsible adult’ if they smoke pot? Define responsibility, Phelps has brought more respect to his country and made more money than you ever have. He doesn’t have kids. Why shouldn’t he smoke? What responsibility does he have to anyone? If smoking pot wasn’t made into such a big deal by those who wish to denounce it, the picture in and of itself wouldn’t be a big deal. If he was sitting there chugging a beer would anyone be going nuts? No. Get a life and stop worrying what others do to their own bodies.
February 10th, 2009 at 9:47 am
When you sign on to an advertisement contract, you are basically the “property” of the company that you are advertising for. You probably would wish to have a Squeaky clean background. If you are stupid enough to have your picture taken while taking a hit, then you do not deserve to be paid millions of dollars to be a roll model. The same goes for Beauty pagent girls etc. Just Ask Vanessa Williams what she thinks about that one. So, do we care if he smokes pot? No, not really, but until it is legal, the people paying millions of dollars to endorse their product and act like he is the All American Superstar, have every right to take it away. the same goes for football and baseball players, however, they get paid far too much just for throwing a ball around. This guy is blowing one of his few chances “up in smoke”