First off, this is going be completely biased and influenced by the love I have for the man that is the legend, Michael Phelps.
???By now, the world has seen the photo of my Michael taking a splendid bong rip at a University of South Carolina party with a supposed girlfriend.
???I believe the bong, not the girlfriend.
???After a snitch at the party released the photo, the press went wild with allegations. There were rumors of possession charges, jail time, lost sponsors and an ill-fated Olympic career flying around.
???I first searched for the "Michael Phelps in handcuffs" photo and came up empty-handed. Once the rumors settled and I found a reliable source of information in www.perezhilton.com, I came to my senses and realized I had been duped.
???All this publicity over a photo with a bong? Really?
???I guess the news about the failing economy and Obama taking office is getting a little redundant, but this seems more like a personal problem than a headline.
???His mom should be dealing with this, not CNN.
???Sure, there will be whispers at luncheons and cocktail parties, but her son is still America's golden boy, which earns her the "My son is better than yours" award. If that does not keep her from blowing her lid, he's an Olympian and better than that, he's a 14-time gold medalist. Phelps' pros override his cons by a long shot.
???If I even appeared at the Olympics to watch, my parents would turn a blind eye to a surfaced photo of me sucking face with drug paraphernalia.
???Luckily, most sponsors are still riding the Phelps wave and enjoying the star power that his body brings.
???The Olympic committee was a bit upset, but then if they were all peace and love, people might get suspicious.
???The media made it into a scandal when, really, it's many students' Friday night norm. It's not like he was shooting up or taking a steroid injection, which would have been a really fabulous Kodak moment.
???Heroin and steroids would have caused me to look at him differently and maybe take down my, strictly for gratuitous purposes, Michael Phelps calendar.
???But marijuana just adds a little stain to this good boy's reputation, and let's be frank, girls, we all hold a special place in our hearts for the bad boys.
???All in all, a little pot during the off-season isn't going to do too much damage to Phelps' performance in the pool. Inhaling anything, pot or not, is going to affect the lung capacity, but he says it was a mistake. Maybe Phelps was just another victim of peer pressure. I know that's the excuse I would use.
???I'm not trying to advocate drug use; drugs are bad-I went through D.A.R.E training in the fifth grade. But Phelps is 23 years old, bound to toke up, drink and gallivant around with the ladies.
???Wouldn't you use gold medal status, and abs to die for, to your advantage?
???Live it up, Michael-keep hitting the pool instead of the bong, bringing home the gold medals for the red, white and blue, taking photos in a Speedo and everyone will forget about this whole thing.
???And call me.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
