Enough Already

It seems that I cannot turn on my television without seeing Michael Phelps try to explain (again) how sorry he is for smoking marijuana. I'm not sure when this party actually happened or when he was captured smoking pot, however, I do know that I am sick of hearing about it now.

To me, at least, what he did was completely idiotic. After all the fanfare and recognition he won in Beijing and after having his fact plastered all over billboards and in commercials, he would actually be stupid enough to do something illegal at a party with virtual strangers. Sure it's sad that a person his age cannot trust the people he hangs out with, but if you don't want to get caught doing something like this, don't do it--especially if you're one of the most recognized athletes in the world.

I will give him some credit, he's only 23 and is still growing up. We've all heard and told ourselves even that people make mistakes when they're still young. However, it does not take much to learn from other celebrities and athletes who have been exploited by people who they consider friends or confidants (Remember the Italian man who gave intimate details of Lindsay Lohan's sex life or Oprah's ex-boyfriend who is selling stories about her former crack cocaine usage).

I get it, Michael, you're sorry. Maybe you're not so much sorry for actually doing drugs, but more sorry for the millions you could potentially lose. Maybe you're caught in that awkward place between being a celebrity or a "normal" person. You need to pick a side and stop playing the victim when you know that, while most 23 year-old men could get away with this, you cannot.

Finally, it seems to be the best way to tackle this situation is to stay out of the public eye for a little bit...not be on every news station seemingly every minute.