ON BEING A ROLE MODEL ...

Being a role model, for anyone, is a difficult road to
walk.

Take Michael Phelps -- the guy spends how long training, dedicating
how many hours, days, months, years of his life to winning at the
Olympics, and then his endorsements are taken away from him because of
a simple snapshot.

Now, that's the right of the company - to not want to be associated
with a person who has been seen using a "bong."

It is also Phelps' right to choose whether to use said "bong" in the
fashion usually associated with it.

It is not the right of the public to hold Phelps up on some higher set
of standards than anyone else though.

Just because he achieved something greater than any human before him
does not make him more than, or less than, human.

It should be said Phelps could have perhaps waited a couple more years
to take his break, if this was indeed a break and relaxing
post-Olympics.

Spend a few more years, get the endorsement cash, then retire and kick
back.

What really doesn't make sense, is how Phelps is being attacked on all
sides for what could be an insignificant event, compared to what some
pro-football, basketball, baseball and hockey players have done.

And we've still let them play. A football player getting a sexual
assault charge barely gets any press.

(Unless it's in the CFL -- Riders GM Eric Tillman charged with sexual
assault).

Phelps could have been smarter, he'll face the consequences, but for
all the trash he's taking, it seems way overboard for the offence
committed, compared to the punishment other athletes have faced.