what do you think of the U.S. swim team suspending Phelps?

[Drake the Dragonheart]

I just recently saw on the news that for his usage of pot the U.S. swim team has suspended Michael Phelps for 3 months. Sorry I don't have a link to this story, or any more information beyond that.

Personally, while I could care less about the pot, that is his choice and he knows what consequences are involved, I applaud the team in showing that even 8 gold medals don't put you above the law. Still at least Phelps realizes he made a mistake.

 

[Starnerf]

As long as they start cracking down on every person who gets photographed while smoking pot, I have no problem with it. But then I don't really care either way.

 

[Gooble]

Yeah, they should definitely have banned him. You can't go making exceptions for athletes just because they're going to win you medals.

 

[Gooble]

Yeah, they should definitely have banned him. You can't go making exceptions for athletes just because they're going to win you medals.

Banned him from what? He's just suspended

Fine...banned temporarily then

 

[mokes310]

The rules are there for a reason, however, I do think that we have a flawed view of Marijuana in the US. Would one of their members had recieved similar treatment if they were caught drinking underage?

 

[D_987]

I think they have suspended him simply so the media don't attack them. He's only human, and if anyone else had taken the substance nobody would have cared.

 

[Valiance]

Honestly, I don't really see what's so bad about that.

Granted, yeah, there's still a law against it, but I don't know. You'd think that if it was so damaging and terrible, he wouldn't be able to get 8 gold medals and use it.

I don't smoke it, just an observation.

I realize this is a shortsighted view on the topic. They should have still suspended him, I just don't think that should be illegal for anyone, let alone someone with incredible skill at something.

 

[SquirrelPants]

Honestly, I don't really see what's so bad about that.

Granted, yeah, there's still a law against it, but I don't know. You'd think that if it was so damaging and terrible, he wouldn't be able to get 8 gold medals and use it.

I don't smoke it, just an observation.

I realize this is a shortsighted view on the topic. They should have still suspended him, I just don't think that should be illegal for anyone, let alone someone with incredible skill at something.

On the other hand, however, having "incredible skill" at something shouldn't make them any better of a person than you or I, respectively.

 

[Lord Krunk]

Not suspending him is as ludicrous as Celebrity Prisons.

 

[GreenDevilJF]

He deserved it is all I can say. You do the drugs, you lose. Simple as that.

Exactly what I was going to say.

 

[vfaulkon]

I'm more or less with Max on this. I stopped caring about news stories discussing a law-breaking celebrity after the 50th time the media reported someone getting a speeding ticket.

As for my stances, I'm for the legalization of marijuana in my home country, but since it's still illegal, I'm also for punishing blatant lawbreakers (especially since I go to a party college...*grumble*). And while I get not wanting athletes to get involved with drugs for the sake of competition, let's be realistic here - can pot really be concerned an 'unfair advantage' in...well, ANY athletic competition? For me, Eddie Izzard put it best:

'Performance-debilitating drugs should not be banned; smoke a joint and win the [100-meter dash], and fair play to you.'

 

[imperialwar]

i have to laugh at Phelps. Nobody is going to take him seriously anymore after this.
Yeah i won X amount of medals and i'm doper... nice touch.
He could have milked his medals for years, now advertisers arent going to want to touch him due to the image.

 

[BlueMage]

The rules are there for a reason, however, I do think that we have a flawed view of Marijuana in the US. Would one of their members had recieved similar treatment if they were caught drinking underage?

They should.

The law is the law. It may not tell us what is right, but it does tell us what is legal, and doing what is not legal is punishable.

And no, I'm not going to go into the morality of rec-drug use.