The Stampede
Michael Phelps mess; overblownFriday, March 06, 2009 By Megan Muniz
A Wasted Piece of News By: Megan Muniz The controversy surrounding eight time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps has significantly hurt his god-like reputation. His popularity soared after his accomplishments in the 2008 Olympic Games and all eyes were on Michael Phelps. Now that the media has discovered that Phelps, like the rest of human kind, has the capability of doing something regrettable and not record breaking, all eyes again, are on him. For those who haven’t heard, like the inhabitants of Mars and the Amish community, Phelps was photographed at a party with a bong in his possession. Although the U.S. swimmer has not admitted to actually smoking marijuana, his career as an American hero has been damaged. The question that comes to mind, when the topic is constantly being brought up, is who really cares? Sure, smoking marijuana is not something that should be praised and although forgiving Phelps who worked and achieved more pride for his country than any other Olympian in history is a lot to ask, it really isn’t. According to junior Rob Riedler, Phelps is getting what he deserves. “He is a role-model; he is being a bad example.” said Riedler. This is a good point, considering that he has a huge fan base of all ages looking up to him. However, fact that Phelps is being punished is not the issue. The issue is that the constant publicity that is being circulated is making Phelps out to be the spawn of Satan, when the reality of the situation is that Michael Phelps is just young and stupid. Some argue that Phelps shouldn’t be treated any differently just because he is a celebrity, however if any other person would had been accused, judgment would have been less severe. In fact, no one would have blinked. Being in the public eye comes with certain responsibilities, and Phelps blew it big time. People make mistakes, the negative publicity is getting old and America should just give the guy a break. |