SO MICHAEL PHELPS IS HUMAN AFTER ALL

Guess Michael Phelps can't really be considered America's "golden boy" anymore.

Not after the photo published in a British newspaper on Sunday,
showing Phelps indulging in a little recreational smoking from a bong.

Of course, the assumption is that it was weed hitting his lungs, and
Phelps didn't insist otherwise in his public apology.

So, is a 23-year-old super star athlete smoking weed in his
off-season cause for concern?

At SI.com, one writer thinks it's certainly news, just not of the
earth-shattering variety. "College kids smoking pot isn't exactly a
newsflash. But when it's a 23-year-old Olympic record-holder, it most
definitely is news.

What was Phelps thinking? He wasn't. He was hanging out with some
buddies and getting stoned was his way of chilling out after four
years of intense training.

In USA Today writer Christine Brennan's column, the situation sounds
a little more serious. "This is a sad day for Phelps, and a sadder
day for the millions of parents and young athletes who planned their
lives around his races last August. How disappointed must they be
that a glorious hero, a person in whom they placed their trust, has
done something illegal for which he must apologize?

And this isn't just any old hero, this is everyone's Sportsman of the
Year and Olympian of a Lifetime, the man who allowed himself to be
put on the highest pedestal, the great Michael Phelps."

Is it really up to an athlete whether the public or media puts them
"on the highest pedestal?" Did Phelps "allow" that to happen?

What's he supposed to do, send out a press release that says,
"Despite the fact that I did something no other Olympian has ever
done, keep in mind, I'm only human?"

On second thought, I guess the photo took care of that.

For its part, the IOC sounds ready to move on.

As for the public, Phelps might have to work a bit harder to win back
whatever respect and admiration was lost. Already, his Google search
results are reflecting his latest troubles.

And his marketing stature could take a hit. It would have a long way
to fall, too, according to the New York Times. Since his
record-breaking performance in Beijing, Phelps has added Kellogg's,
Mazda and Subway, among others, to an endorsement portfolio that
already included Visa and AT&T.

In a "60 Minutes" interview that aired in December, Phelps's agent,
Peter Carlisle, said that Phelps could earn more than $100 million
over his lifetime.

Super Wrap-Up

Speaking of drugs, it's a little harsh that in the biggest, brightest
moment of his career, at least one writer reached into MVP Santonio
Holmes' past to make sure everyone remembers he used to deal drugs on
a street corner.

That's a reference to Holmes' activities as a youth in Florida.

I wonder whether Phelps will get the same treatment in three and a
half years in London. Will any writer reference his pot-smoking when
he wins his next gold medal? Somehow I doubt it.