Michael Phelps didn’t have a great day yesterday. Just days after the now infamous and very damaging “bong photo” made its way to the Internets, Michael Phelps learned that he has been suspended from USA Swimming for a 3 month period … as if that wasn’t bad enough news, this suspension came just hours after he learned that Kellogg’s decided to drop him from their endorsement deal … Phelps has been relieved of his spokesperson duties for the brand now that he has been deemed “no longer consistent with image” of the company — ouch!
Michael Phelps’ day grew lousier by the hour on Thursday. First he lost a major sponsor, then he got suspended. The Olympic great was suspended from competition for three months by USA Swimming, the latest fallout from a photo that showed him inhaling from a marijuana pipe. The sport’s national governing body also cut off its financial support to Phelps for the same three-month period, effective immediately. “This is not a situation where any anti-doping rule was violated, but we decided to send a strong message to Michael because he disappointed so many people, particularly the hundreds of thousands of USA Swimming member kids who look up to him as a role model and a hero,” the Colorado Springs-based federation said in a statement. “Michael has voluntarily accepted this reprimand and has committed to earn back our trust,” the statement said. Phelps won a record eight gold medals in Beijing and returned to America as one of the world’s most acclaimed athletes. He made headlines of a different kind, however, in the wake of the photo, published Sunday by News of the World, a British tabloid. Earlier Thursday, cereal and snack maker Kellogg Co. announced it wouldn’t renew its sponsorship contract with Phelps, saying his behavior is “not consistent with the image of Kellogg.” The swimmer appeared on the company’s cereal boxes after his Olympic triumph.
“Michael accepts these decisions and understands their point of view,” said one of his agents, Drew Johnson. “He feels bad he let anyone down. He’s also encouraged by the thousands of comments he’s received from his fans and the support from his many sponsors. He intends to work hard to regain everyone’s trust.” Phelps’ coach, Bob Bowman, said he believes Phelps will emerge from the experience a stronger swimmer and person. “Michael’s been through a lot and he’s learned a lot, hopefully,” Bowman told The Associated Press during a telephone interview. “I support him and I want to see him do better. I’m here, as always, to try to help him move forward. He’s learned some tough lessons and he’s disappointed a lot of people, me included.” Phelps has acknowledged “regrettable” behavior and “bad judgment.” He didn’t dispute the authenticity of the photo, reportedly taken at a house party while Phelps was visiting Columbia, S.C., in November during an extended break from training. “I certainly understand USA Swimming needed to take action,” Bowman said. “We will certainly abide by everything they’ve put down.” USA Swimming provides a $1,750 monthly stipend to national team members to help defray travel and training expenses, plus performance bonuses. However, it’s a small percentage of the millions Phelps makes through endorsements. The 23-year-old has resumed training in his hometown of Baltimore, but his plans to return to competitive swimming will have to be put on hold. Phelps had planned to compete in early March at a Grand Prix meet in Austin, Texas. Now, he won’t be able to compete until early May, which would give him a little more than two months for some racing before July’s world championships in Rome. “This is the result of a poor decision Michael made,” U.S. Olympic Committee spokesman Darryl Seibel said in an e-mail. “He understands there is accountability and has pledged to not repeat this in the future. We have offered our assistance to make certain he is as consistent and successful away from the pool as he is in it, and we are confident that will happen.” After the suspension, Phelps would be able to compete at a May meet in Charlotte, N.C.; there’s another Grand Prix competition in Santa Clara, Calif., the following month. The U.S. team for Rome will be chosen at the national championships, which begin July 7 in Indianapolis. “He’s been very good in practice,” Bowman said. “I think he feels good to be back in the water. Certainly, he’s not in very good shape. We’re anxious to get back to a really normal routine and we have,” Bowman said. “We’re moving on.”
Honestly, this 3 month suspension and loss of a major endorsement deal sounds about the right kind of punishment for a mistake like this. Only with real consequences does behavior like this actually have a chance at rectification. Since he acknowledges that what he did is wrong, he seems man enough to pay the penalty. It remains to be seen if he will be forced to lose other endorsement deals but, at this point, the punishment seems fitting to me.
I think he deserves a harsher punishment. he’s supposed to be a role model.
He shouldn’t have been punished at all. He didn’t put anybody’s life in danger. Considering 40% of the population has tried pot at some point in their life, I think it’s really hypocritical for people to look down on him for it. Get with the times.
@Shannon — of course he should be punished, he admitted the wrong doing. Despite the fact that many people wish it weren’t so, marijuana is illegal for recreational use.
He shouldn’t have been punished, it’s no one’s business but his what he does in his spare time. Especially if it is something like smoking pot. He wasn’t shooting heroin up his arm or doing armed robberies!
I am suprised at people like Shannon and Anna who think that this is all OK. Thank you, Trent, for reiterating that YES, he broke the law and was caught. He also broke the rules that his sport requires it’s athletes to abide by and tainted the image that his endorsing companies purchased. He is NOT just a 23 year old guy. He is a professional athlete and a business. He chose the career he is in and worked for the success he has had. He put himself in the position to be scrutinized in the way that he is and he still decided to break the law. I think that Kellogs is right for pulling his endorsement because they promote health and pot is not healthy. I think that he should be suspended from swimming because that is the rule and he is not above the rules of the competition. This is all fair. He is just lucky he didn’t have his medals stripped. People have had their medals stripped in the past for a lot less.
Losing the endorsement deal I understand though the reasoning that they dropped him because of their healthy image is slightly ironic considering the flack Phelps got when he signed the deal in the first place for promoting childhood obesity via their sugary cereals. Anyway Kelloggs want to distance themselves from dramz it’s understandable but “This is not a situation where any anti-doping rule was violated, but we decided to send a strong message to Michael”… He broke no rules they have just decided to play the parent figure which is not called for. To be honest I think Phelps and his people will have something to do with this, random crazies are asking for his head on a plate and when they see this story they will be content.
luckily, i still have that corn flakes box of his haha. hmm, suspending him? he’s lucky he has not been prohibited from participating in the 2012 olympics! well, not yet at least…
kelloggs might cause a domino effect with the dropping,but who knows. best wishes for the guy…
this is a non-issue……Bernie Madoff, now THAT”S an issue. Good thing Michael behaved like a human being so everyone has something to be judgmental about so they can forget the real crimes in the world. Love ya, but I’m disappointed in your opinion.
He’s training hard and became an athlete because swimming is his passion, not for the world sake or to save the planet. People and medias made him a “role model” when PARENTS should be the REAL models for their children. He’s human, he’s young, he’s not perfect. Besides, this just shows that you can make mistakes, drink or do drugs, and still be a nice and valuable person.
Does anybody here ever got drunk or got a ticket (this is also breaking the law..). and consider yourself the worst person on earth for that?? Come on people…
I can’t believe that any of this has even happened. What 23 year old hasn’t tried pot? And even if he is meant to be a role model, what he does in his personal life is his business. I think that whoever leaked the photo is a huge ass, as he was out of the public eye, at a private party, but someone decided to make his private experience public. It would be different if he was walking the streets doing it, but he was not.
Also, he is only 23, and he is still bound to make mistakes in life. Especially when showered with so much overnight fame. What about other celebrities who do these things? Amy Winehouse, Drew Barrymore, Robert Downy Jr, Lindsay Lohan….
God even miley Cyrus is a far cry from perfect. How she can justify racist faces as “just being goofy” is beyond me. At least Michael wasn’t hurting anyone but himself
Hi Trent, I realize you and your blog go where the story does but you’ve seemed a bit uptight (judgemental? preachy?) lately. It’s a fine line between opinion and self-righteous and it feels like you’ve been walking it the past couple days. Still a big fan of you and yours, just want to you to come back down and relax a bit. Love.
I agree with you 100%, Trent. The punishment definitely fits the crime here. He was only suspended for 3 months and is losing one endorsement deal — other lucrative companies like Visa, Omega, etc. have stated they will still keep him.
I honestly don’t understand all these people saying “what 23 year old hasn’t smoked pot” (Um, me, and I’m 29), and “what he does in his private life is his own business.” Actually it isn’t, if what he does is illegal. Putting aside all the role-model stuff, even if he was just an ordinary citizen, he could have been ARRESTED if he was caught smoking pot. I don’t think that should warrant huge jail time, but he could have gotten community service or something like that. So the fact that he can’t swim for 3 months is actually going easy on him — he doesn’t even have to go to court.
Finally, the fact that there are much worse criminals in the world (someone cited Bernard Madoff here) really doesn’t have any relevance. It doesn’t negate what Phelps did just because there’s someone worse out there! When something is illegal it’s always illegal, not just in comparison to something else. That’s why our legal system assigns punishments of different severity to different crimes.
I have to admit I have been disappointed by so many comments I’ve heard over the last few days completely dismissing what Phelps did and criticizing people who think he’s wrong. I don’t think he should be crucified for it, but he did something illegal and should pay. And considering that Phelps has had more than one DUI, I think he should reign in the “party” behavior before he slips into more serious trouble.
Punishment? plz what punishment his contract with kellogs was up anyway and I doubt they were going to renew it and as far as the 3 month suspension it’s no big deal he’s not going to miss any important swims. This is nothing but a slap on the wrist. :-)
I agree with pretty much everyone on here. Both sides. While he is just 23 and bound to make mistakes and pot really isn’t a huge deal…don’t forget it’s illegal, he did get caught and now has to pay the consequences for that. Simple as that.
I agree with Trent, this punishment is very fitting. He’s not just “any 23 year old” and if he just wanted to swim for himself he could have done it at the neighborhood pool, not become an Olympic athlete. A LOT of people have invested a lot of time and money in his success. And pointing that out isn’t being judgmental. Pot doesn’t really bother me and I think this punishment is just enough. His career isn’t over, hopefully he’ll learn something and move on.
And by the way, I love how people just throw out terms like “judgmental”. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
Yup. And that was mine :)
I had quite a few friends in undergrad who at least tried pot. I never tried it myself, but I never understood why it is illegal. I pretty much think it should be treated like alcohol. Set an age limit and if you are caught driving under the influence then THROW your @ss in jail. I understand that it actually is illegal, but if you are just doing a small amount in a friend’s house then you aren’t really hurting anyone. And, yes he is a role model, but he is also 23 and these pictures were taken a year ago. What 22 year old that you know makes perfect decisions all of the time, athlete or not? I just think that people should be so harsh on him. Instead, tell your kids not to try pot or if they do, to be safe. Don’t leave it to athletes or teen stars to set an example for your kids. That’s what my parents did and like I said above, I never touched it.
imho this is a little ridiculous…. phelps wasn’t in training, he was months away from racing and he smoked a little wacky tobacky. i really wish the a-hole who took this picture hadn’t exploited it, but that’s what we’ve come to these days, isn’t it. anyway…losing the endorsements, ok, fine, kellogg’s gets rid of him, but if guitar hero drops him i’ll boycott – they have tony hawk, surely a pot head, and KOBE BRYANT – accused (yes exonerated but still) rapist and at the least adulterer, and A Rod, again adulterer… give the kid a break…he’s a ridiculously talented, generally well behaved guy. and if that county presses charges i hope they go on myspace or facebook and prosecute all of the college students holding joints or pipes or bongs or whatever as well…wouldn’t want to be too hypocritical…
LMAO@ someone saying Kelloggs promotes a healthy lifestyle. Have you seen how much sugar is in a box of Corn Flakes (don’t get me started on Frosted Flakes)? There’s nothing healthy about high fructose corn syrup. No wonder this country is fat.
It’s illegal because the government cant control who grows it, unlike cigarettes which are made in factories because so much goes into makeing them. Anyways, its not the fact that he was smoking pot, its the fact that he got caught smoking it. I agree with the “punishment” it is just a slap on the wrist. Now he has more time to pratice for the world champ. instead of waisting time at some meet in TX. Plus think of all the free pipes that are gonna be sent to his house now…LOL!
WOW, really? Probably most of the kids he’s supposed to be a role model too have already tried mary jane, or drinking, or ciggys… it’s not like he was shooting up heroin or smoking crack…. he also won 8 gold medals and I’m sure he smoked pot way before this pic surfaced.
I was never a real huge fan of Phelps. But I think this whole “scandal” is pure BS!!!!!!!!!!! Leave him alone, he doesn’t need to be a scapegoat. This country was founded on the growing of hemp. Who cares what he does in private, the person who posted the pic is the one who should be gone after, trying to get their 15 mins of fame. It’s not like he was driving drunk or shooting up. Get real people!!!!!
LMAO he just got taken down a few pegs. Hilarious.
this is ridiculous. there are much more important things to focus on in this world than whether or not someone smokes pot. please. leave it alone…it’s so lame.
Agh I think this is stupid… there are so many white-collar criminals out there who get away with stealing millions of dollars or not paying their taxes, not to mention the politicians who were recently in charge who committed all sorts of crimes and got away with it (Cheney / Valerie Blame, for example). Phelps took a bong rip, and everyone freaks out. Our priorities are WHACK.
And MJ has an excellent point… Kellog’s is a giant megacorporation that owns about a third of all the food you see in the grocery store, most of which are laden with high fructose corn syrup and/or hydrogenated oils. And they get up on their high horse about “promoting a healthy lifestyle”?? This would be funny if it weren’t so pathetic.
Wow thats insane
This is even better
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueQ3VMwAA_I
LOL nice bong placement on the corn flakes box trent!
It was his time off and he can do whatever he wants with it. I think this is so unfair-he is young and he admitted his mistake. Shouldn’t that be enough? But also, I am wondering why he took so much time off without ANY time inside a pool? He should have been swimming at some point..he cant afford to be out of shape at this point in his career!
Its crazy that people say what he does in his own time is his business. What he did was illegal and he took that risk. It doesn’t matter if pot should be legal the law hasn’t changed yet. I don’t think we should freak out over it, but a punishment is a good thing as it shows that there is a zero tolerance for drugs.
and to the person about pot and 23 year olds….i’m 23 and have never smoked anything in my life, we don’t all do it :)
Oh no. He smoked pot. WHO CARES. Give the man a break hes 23…its not at all unheard of.
You’d think after all the pressure the world put on him to win 8 gold medals at the Olympics people wouldn’t be so judgmental about taking a bong hit in order to chill out. I’m 20, I’ve never smoked pot, but come on.
Only thing He’s guilty of is getting caught!
i think this is BS. let the kid relax for once. obama admitted to smoking pot. i am dropping kelloggs.
This was all over CNN yesterday. I think the whole thing is crazy. YES pot is illegial, we all get that. But so is underage drinking and scores of “role models” in Hollywood are shown all the time making their way out of bars and nightclubs that they are clearly too young to get into. Half of them even end up in rehab for said behavior before they hit the legal drinking age. No one condems them in such a way. We still go and see the movies and buy the merchandise and whatnot. The guy won 14 freaking gold medals and shattered records and has devoted most of his 23 years to the rigors of training. He probably missed out on a lot of the normal college experience to become the champion that he is. He never tested positive for any drugs or anything when he was training or competing and he did say he planned to take time off afer the Olympics and just chill out. Clearly he did that. I don’t fault the guy for having a little fun. I think there are very few people in the world who can say they’ve never done anything illegial. I think people need to calm down about this. Kelloggs is stupid, so is the USA Swim Team. He’s suspended and from what? So he gets a longer vacation!
Oh and back to the CNN thing, while they were talking about this big breaking news, the ticker was reading off actual important events going on in America and around the world. People need to reevaluate what’s important, especially CNN.
corn flakes are probably worse for your body than pot……… and yeah, he did something illegal…(and totally NON-VIOLENT)…. but it’s something that shouldn’t be *that* illegal – – – There are PLENTY of STUPID laws (old ones) still on the books, but people don’t get punished for them. In Mississippi, it’s still a law that it’s illegal to live together as married if you’re not… There would be a lot of people in trouble if that law were actually being enforced. Just because it’s A Law doesn’t mean it’s right. ALSO: if you’re famous, you’re expected to uphold a certain image… so if you’re going to smoke pot or something, you should probably be A LOT more discreet.
He did something wrong and it affected his image. I agree with previous posters about how he is a business. What he does on his personal time will affect his business. He’s not in jail or being whipped. Its not a punishment but a business tactic. He’s supposed to represent the American ideal and instead made some serious mistakes. People expect more from an Olympian than we do from a stoned celebrity. So, he lost an endorsement deal- cant sell cereal to kids with a pothead. But actually Kellog’s might be underestimating the pot head demographic. Munchies, right? Or maybe Filibertos can claim him now. And for the record Im a stupid college kid who hasnt tried drugs or would be stupid enough to do something damaging with cameras all around at some random party. C’mon Phelpsie!
what about corn syrup? that its made from corn and is fine in moderation?..
hahaha i couldnt resist.
i dont like phelps… or pot. so bah to the whole issue
This is ridiculous. A) He’s doing what he loves (swimming) He never asked to be put in the spotlight.. if he wanted to be famous he could of gone into acting or the music industry. B) banning someone from doing something in their SPARE time (not swimming season) is stupid…. just as you don’t mix work with pleasure. He did this on his own time and he shouldn’t be apologizing for a photo that some jerk posted. He didn’t ask to be a role model for anyone, he just became one overnight. 98% of the population, has or smokes weed. I bet the guy who dropped him from the endorsement deal smoked pot at one time…or still does it. Keep in mind the guy is only 23 years old. He still young, living life,and having fun. And it’s a lot of pressure to live up to all these expectations. So everyone’s punishing him for one wrong doing? People shouldn’t be smoking pot but at the same time it’s not the end of the world-get over it. Focus on bigger issues like starving kids in africa or war zone victims.
why do you american’s act like a bunch of stupid red necks when it comes to weed. a 30 year study has shown no connection between smoking cannibus and lung cancer. and yet you morons continue to make such a big deal. why don’t you guzzle down some liver damaging booze and smoke some cancer causing cigarettes instead! FOOOLS!!
Maya…. as much as I hate sentences that start with “why do you Americans…” blah blah blah… I have to say that I totally agree with all else you said, on this subject…… I TOTALLY think that ALCOHOL is WAYYYYYYYYYYYYY worse – and cigarettes too!! By the way – did you guys know that it’s been recently admitted that there’s fucking MERCURY in our high-fructose corn syrup.. which is used in ALMOST every kind of food?? (Not in ALL brands high-fructose corn syrup, but in at least about 60% or more)…. There’s way more important issues that need attention…. like Michael Jackson’s face….
p.s. not ALL Americans are ignorant, red-neck assholes.
but I’m mostly concerned with what’s in our foods and drinks.. stuff that doesn’t even NEED to be in there!! That pot he was smoking was probably cleaner than our cities’ drinking water…. uhg.