So the Richland County, S.C. cops are looking into possibly charging Michael Phelps for the picture of him taking a hit out of a bong. Unbelievable.
All this appears to be is an elected official, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, trying to make a name for himself off Phelps. According to the AP story, Lott styled himself as a Miami Vice-type narcotics officer as he rose through the ranks to Sheriff. Long hair, sports car, the whole bit during the time Miami Vice was popular.
Is there that little crime in that county that they're going after Phelps? I don't think Phelps should be afforded any special treatment because he's fast in a pool, but to me the picture hardly warrants an investigation.
I can't believe Phelps smoking pot has generated this huge of a buzz. I mean, I can believe it because I understand our fascination with celebrities, but to me Phelps getting busted for a DUI years ago should have given sponsors more of a pause than this.
But alcohol is more acceptable to the older generation, although alcohol and cigarettes have killed millions more than marijuana.
What's next, investigating Barack Obama for admitting he got high when he was in high school?
They already went after Barack!!! Folks are still writing stories about his brother in Africa! If there is a man with the middle name of Barack - he is getting investigated! If you can spell Barack with the number of letters in your name - you are getting investigated!!!
Phelps blew it...literally. The man is young and dumb, but jail...no.
It was a dumb thing to do and I don't espouse smoking pot. However, no way does it deserve jail time. South Carolina might just be the worst state for doing such a thing. This is a total non-story in, say, California.
Roman, are you advocating legalizing dope? Visit wwww.abovetheinfluence.com to learn of what smoking a bong does to your mind.
It doesn't matter what Obama confesses in terms of his drug usage because it was so long ok it can no longer be prosecuted. That's not the case with Phelps. The photo depicts a date well within the statute of limitations for SC. Mounting an investigation is the right think to do. It's not about sending Phelps to jail for 30 days. It's about getting him to accept a plea bargain in exchange for information that can lead to the dope supplier at the party.
I don't see any smoke so maybe he can say that he was using the bong to show how he holds his breath while under water. I have never smoked a joint but it is someone else's choice if they want to do drugs. Whatever. To me it's not a big deal what he does. He shouldn't be a role model in the first place. Parents should be the better example. He shouldn't be prosecuted just because of a picture. Someone is looking for publicity.
What a great way to waste the tax payers money!
I agree Roman. Anyone who has ever toked a few times knows the absolute hypocrisy and absurdity of this whole issue. Phelps got high at a college party? How outrageous! What is this, the 1950's? Can all of us please start getting real about drug use? They still lock people up for this stuff for Christ sake.What insanity. As for Phelps, can you imagine what his life has been like since he won that 8th gold medal? He is the man (and continues to be treated as such) everywhere he goes. He's 23, who could blame him for showing up at a frat and mixing it up with some college kids? Sounds pretty fun to me, lets all stop being so judgmental. Plus, I would challenge anyone in the world to beat him in the pool.
Jaun, you either watch too much Law & Order or not enough. Do you honestly think just because he dropped in on a frat party he would know where the drugs came from? Did you go to a SB party and ask who supplied the beer? As far as him being a role model goes he owned up to what he did unlike someone else that claimed he didn't inhale. And Living just north of the SC line I can assure you Sheriff Lott has plenty of crime to keep him busy without having to worry about a pic of Phelps taking a hit from a bong.
Its not like he didnt pay his taxes!!
that not a bong, it's a medical device that measures lung strength. Phelp's was just showing students how powerful an olympic athlete's lungs are. seriously, America's war on drugs is a waste of resources and a smoke screen to disguise the abuse of legal drugs such as tobacco, alcohol and prescription drugs. to discuss the issue with honesty and intelligence is not possible in the present political climate.
All I know is given his lung capacity, I would not want to be the one who tokes after him... there would be nothing left.
Re Obama and his great tax cheater friends, geez Blago doesn't look so freaking dishonest now. He simply seems to be keeping up with the Joneses.
Speaking of Joneses... Perhaps Obama could take the spotlight from his Cabinet appointees by announcing a major initiative to investigate the medicinal vs. the casual use of pot. This could rival Pres. Clinton's ill-fated "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that continues to confound the armed services. Obama could name his policy, "Don't Bogey on the Tokie." Phelps could be the national spokesperson.
"He has great lung capacity" -Tommy Chong.
The photo was taken sometime between 2004 & 2008. Phelps already had plenty of stardom including endorsement deals. I can't imagine an athlete on that strict of a diet & regiment not knowing what was in the bong or who supplied it.
Comparing dope to a beer is just plain stupid. Dope is illegal because it's far more addictive than booze & it causes far greater impairment in a far shorter amount of time with a far less dosage.
I'm not against medicinal usage of dope to treat pain, but it's got to be heavily regulated & supplied by the govt. There can be no legal private market for it.
*corrected Roman*
I thought it was that scene from Austin Powers where he denies that it is his Swedish Pump.
Phelps: "It’s not mine... honest!"
Im no expert, but isnt there suppose to be smoke in the tube too?
Yeah Jaun I guess from now on whenever I go to a party I'm going to find out every detail about everything at that party. I'm even going to ask for a list of ingredients in the brownies, who made them, what farm did the eggs come from, were the chickens organically fed and if the cocoa beans used to make the cocoa for the chocolate flavoring was grown in columbia. I guess I shouldn't take anything for granted anymore. OK who snorted the powdered sugar off the top of the brownies? I'm betting it was culzie LMAO
Tim, I gotta kid now, I havent sniffed powdered sugar in years.
Actually, when I was a kid, I snorted a bunch a pixie sticks with a friend, because we thought it was cool...maybe thats what your thinking of??
Culzie I just spit my coffee all over the monitor reading that! I can just see you snorting a grape pixie stick and walking around with a puple nose LMAO!
....Phelps can endorse Rohr
This is the dumbest and most uninformed statement I have ever read....
"Comparing dope to a beer is just plain stupid. Dope is illegal because it's far more addictive than booze & it causes far greater impairment in a far shorter amount of time with a far less dosage."
MADD...SADD...AA....You
NORML, Baby!!
When the "best friend to a pusher", Hitman, says something factual I might care about his opinion. Until then, if any of you are in doubt visit www.abovetheinfluence.com. There, you will find the factual comparisons about drugs including booze.
Alcohol destroys lives...pot just makes you gain 25 lbs!
Alcohol has ruined the lives of millions more people than pot.
Pot is a rather passive drug when compared to alcohol. How many people have been murdered by raging pot heads? I don't know the answer to that one, but I do know that raging drunks are prolific, and the damage they do has been well documented.
They get behind the wheel and kill thousands of people every year. They get beer muscles and pick fights for no reason whatsoever. They batter their spouses and children, and feel really bad about it the following day; especially if they have to spend it in jail without anything to drink.
When pot smokers get upset, they eat a box of cookies, wash them down with a quart of ice cream, and sleep it off.
I've been around a few years now, and I can't recall many stories about police being summoned to a house because of domestic violence attributed to some guy taking one hit too many off his bong.
Legalize it and you could remove the criminal element from the equation entirely, while reaping the financial benefits of the tax dollar bonanza that it would generate.
Personally, I haven't smoked pot since I was in my early 20's but I know many people that do, and they're a pretty mellow bunch if you ask me. My guess is that the biggest damage they do to themselves is to their lungs. Then again, the idiot Nanny State society that we live in is Hell bent on criminalizing the use of tobacco.
I guess the Taliban could solve all of those problems for us. Maybe we could live under Shiria law like they used to do in Afghanistan. They enforced these strict rules by growing poppies, and selling heroin, but why quibble about that if we could rid ourselves of all these pot heads that are ruining our country?
This story is about POT, poor decision making and jail. Anyone doubting the negative impact of drinking must be drunk or planning to get drunk.
Phelps has been plastered all over the screen wearing those gold medals and he is a role model. One might say "America's Darling". That photo above sent all of those looking up to him a subliminal message; "see you can still win AND smoke pot or do drugs". No matter what his intention was. Its undone with one "toke" all of these messages that "live above the influence" have spent a fortune trying to reach our kids. Folks like Kelloggs had to drop him. Its a mess, and he just does not seem contrite or sincere with his apologies. Yes its unfair because Phelps is just a young dumb jock, but those in his life (making a fortune off him) should have gotten through to him. And his lackluster apology shows that they have not. I listened to a PR spinmeister on ESPN concerning this debacle and they pointed out the lack of seriousness with which its being handled.
SI reports that A ROD tested Positive for Steroids in 2003!
Following up Culzie's breaking news:
A-Rod should be stripped of his MVP just as Jason Giambi should be stripped of his back from 2000--an MVP race that was controversial enough that Frank Thomas didn't get it.
Is there some way to get rid of Bud Selig? He certainly doesn't deserve the salary he gets let alone just being baseball commissioner. What a sham!
That's right Gig.
I don't see why the 2000 MVP award can't be retroactively given to the guy who actually deserved it; Frank Thomas.
And the same for the runner up to A-Rod.
The olympics routinely strip medal winners of their jewelry, sometimes years after they've retired. And although I think that the entire IOC is a corrupt organization, they are nevertheless unhesitant when it comes to suspending big name stars, or even banning them for life.
Meanwhile, if Roger Clemens wanted to pitch in August for a team that was on the cusp of a playoff spot, I doubt he'd be rejected. Pacman Jones is still eligible for next season, and wait until you see the market for Michael Vick now that he's been "rehabilitated".
As Gig so aptly put it, "What a sham!".
That's right Gig.
I don't see why the 2000 MVP award can't be retroactively given to the guy who actually deserved it; Frank Thomas.
And the same for the runner up to A-Rod.
The olympics routinely strip medal winners of their jewelry, sometimes years after they've retired. And although I think that the entire IOC is a corrupt organization, they are nevertheless unhesitant when it comes to suspending big name stars, or even banning them for life.
Meanwhile, if Roger Clemens wanted to pitch in August for a team that was on the cusp of a playoff spot, I doubt he'd be rejected. Pacman Jones is still eligible for next season, and wait until you see the market for Michael Vick now that he's been "rehabilitated".
As Gig so aptly put it, "What a sham!".
Here's the 2000 MVP race stats between Frank Thomas and ADMITTED steroid propelled Jason Giambi:
GP H R 2B HR TB RBI BA OBP SLG
F. Thomas 159 191 115 44 43 364 143 .328 .436 .625
J. Giambi 152 170 108 29 43 330 137 .333 .476 .647
Not counting GP, Frank take Giambi in five stats, whereas Giambi has just three. They tied in HR. Yes, I did acknowledge the differentials in each stat category. Still, I think Frank edges Giambi WITHOUT thinking about one player being on steroids!!!
Combine this with the fact that both the Sox and A's finished 1st in their divisions (the A's were actually in a virtual tie with Seattle). The Sox record was 95-67 whereas the A's were just 91-70.
Neither team had a significant advantage in it's pitching staff although the A's were headed by Tim Hudson and had other burgeoning stars like Zito and Mulder. The Sox staff was headed by Mike Sirotka! This was a very controversial and perhaps political MVP selection even back then. Now, it's time for Selig to do the right thing and strip Giambi's MVP and give it to Frank Thomas. By the way, many feel that Frank is an "iffy" Hall of Famer (I don't agree that there should be any question). However, if he has that third MVP, he's in on the first ballot. In other words, this could be huge for Frank.
The dumbest thing I've read in this thread is that smoking pot should be legal because alcohol creates drunk drivers & drunk drivers create misery.
Drunk driving is the result of irresponsible behavior. The drug of choice doesn't change that fact.
You can drink responsibly. That's what BAC is all about. Based on your ht & wt you can manage how much you can drink vs how long you have to wait before being able to drive.
It's very difficult to smoke pot responsibly. In terms of impairment, just 1 joint is equivalent to 3 beers, but there's no BMC scale to determine how long you need to wait before driving. My guess would be 1/2 a jt over an hr's time, & then wait an hr before driving. If that's considered responsibile pot smoking, who's capable of doing that?
As far as addiction, it's completely different. Alcohol addiction is not related to the buzz. It's a chemical dependancy that is easily screened & managed. It's in your genes. Pot addiction is related solely to the high. As far as we know there is no chemical dependancy so it can't be easily screened or managed. What's worse is that because it's related to the high, you are more likely to combine your pot smoking with other drugs to enhance your high.
So imagine a fan at Wrigley smoking 4 jts & drinking 4 beers during the game. That's what it would be like if pot were legal. If he didn't pass out, he'd be a danger to himself & others.
Who the heck just sits there and puffs down 4 j's in one outting. Juan, thats like 2 weeks worth of pot for some people.
Also, no one is arguing that it should be legalized (except maybe Obama who is against the crackdowns and is waiting until Bushs guys terms are up) but, we are just saying that it is'nt as HARMFUL as Alcohol can be in "Most cases".
Obviously, anything abused can be bad. Even Pixie sticks!!
lmao.."Reefer Madness" actually reached someone..wow..that's scarier than a highway full of drunks and Asians
stop talking...you're embarrassing yourself immensley...
Pot is decriminalized in 13 states already (to grow and to use) and will be nationally very soon..and lifting the prohibition will follow...
and like I said...Phelps can endorse ROHR
ROHR...Gold Medal Glass for your Gold Medal Sessions
It's GRRRRRRRREAT!!!
Sherrif has 8 Arrested in Phelps' Bong-a-palooza!
http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9814127
* Moral of this story is....DONT TRY TO SELL A USED BONG ON EBAY!!