Author Topic: Does Michael Phelps deserve a break? (Read 29418 times)

Balog · « **Reply #100 on:** February 06, 2009, 10:42:07 AM »

Quote from: Manedwolf on February 06, 2009, 09:50:42 AM

Jail time here. And I'm fine with that.

Yeah, Prohibition worked so well the first time.

Seenterman · « **Reply #101 on:** February 06, 2009, 10:47:55 AM »

Its so sad that so many of you eminate such a "moral supperiority" from your post when you'll never actually acomplish more than Phelps even if he goes into a pot and chetos laced coma.

Gewehr its unfortunate that you lost your older brother to a drunk driver, but is it possible Phelps was trying to be more responceable? He wasnt caught driving and smoking he was at a party, I dont know how he could have hurt anyone body, unless he dropped that huge bong on their foot or something. But maybe he did learn from his prior DWI, he wasn't driving. Do you think to repent from his prior DWI that he never drinks another drop of alchol, would you expect that from everyone who gets their first DWI?

I dont know how the fact that you've held

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a TS/SCI security clearance for over 20 years. That means you get to pee in a cup when they tell you, very often at times.

I dont know what bearing that has on this conversation other that you dont do drugs. It just comes across as sounding bitter though . . .

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Pot is about as illegal as jaywalking, in most places anyway.

Jail time here. And I'm fine with that.

When the infraction is a misdemenor doesn't the arresting officer have to actually SEE the event happen? Not some photo where you cant even see if it IS pot. Its so ironic to see Phelps being talked about like a 2nd class citizens for smoking a plant that comes from the ground yet Anti's talk about us with the same distain.

Maybe some of you guys are more like them, than you thought.

BlueStarLizzard · « **Reply #102 on:** February 06, 2009, 11:00:16 AM »

lets see.

he's 23 years old and due to his accoplishments, he has been pretty isolated fromt the real world. combine that and he's gonna due some pretty stupid stuff.

furthermore, nobody knows weither he is actually a pothead or drunk. he could just be your avarage college kid.

and college kids are well known for doing pretty stupid stuff, especially regarding drugs (both legal and illegal).

but they do grow up, usually into decent human beings that learned their lessons.

in fact, i'll bet that the majority on this board learned at least one lesson the hard way in college.

what i want to know is why the smoking of a bong at a party is making a bigger stink then the DUI? personally, i think the DUI is much worse.

Balog · « **Reply #103 on:** February 06, 2009, 11:03:55 AM »

Oddly I agree with Liz here. I could care less if he's toking it at a party, but DUI should be punished by a good horsewhipping in public.

Boomhauer · « **Reply #104 on:** February 06, 2009, 11:05:09 AM »

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Its so sad that so many of you eminate such a "moral supperiority" from your post when you'll never actually acomplish more than Phelps even if he goes into a pot and chetos laced coma.

Because winning at a sport is impressive (utterly useless, too)

I have spent my life learning actual skills that you can get *expletive deleted*it done with.

cassandra and sara's daddy · « **Reply #105 on:** February 06, 2009, 11:15:48 AM »

He has been paid 5 million dollars per year in endorsements. The 'financial freedom limit' – the limit of wealth above which you no longer have to work any more, ever – is estimated to be approximately two and a half million. This means that he can lose all his endorsements and still live happily ever after.

i think you forget agents taxes and all the various upkeep that goes with the entourage.

Finally, he still maintains contracts with four other companies that already said they won't be withdrawing. Contracts that are supposedly worth millions of dollars.

wanna bet how long he keeps em when the pr folks smell the faintest wiff of negative? start a pool ion when the next sponsor dumps the suspended swimmer. dumping him makes financial sense too much of the press stuff is already out there so the folks for whom it doesn't matter are with you and you can still seem like you give a darn and the anti folks are with you. and you can stop sending him money its a win win win

MicroBalrog · « **Reply #106 on:** February 06, 2009, 11:20:29 AM »

Quote from: Avenger29 on February 06, 2009, 11:05:09 AM

Because winning at a sport is impressive (utterly useless, too)

What's useless?

Aren't actors and writers and poets and astronauts useless, too? And room decorators? Couldn't you live in an undecorated room? Who are you to judge what's useless? If he gets paid for it, it's clearly useful to whoever is paying him.

Seenterman · « **Reply #107 on:** February 06, 2009, 11:23:04 AM »

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Because winning at a sport is impressive (utterly useless, too)

I have spent my life learning actual skills that you can get *expletive deleted*it done with

Are you a world class anything? Gold metalist reader? Olympic class driver?

I wouldn't call his skill it useless eathier, Coast Guard would probably like someone who could swim that fast, Lifeguards would probably like to train with him but I guess life guards and Coast Guard resuce swimmers have usless skill compared to your actual skills.

Hawkmoon · « **Reply #108 on:** February 06, 2009, 07:24:37 PM »

Quote from: Seenterman on February 04, 2009, 10:19:45 AM

I think I just realized why this is such a big deal!

All of these people that are actually upset about this are just mad that Michael Phelps smoked pot but is still better than them.

I'm not one of the people who are upset, but I nonetheless see a logical disconnect in your argument.

Let's say I am upset about this. And let's say I have never done any form of dope (which happens to be true). I readily concede that MP swims faster than I do -- but (a) swimming wasn't my sport, soccer and basketball were my sports; and (b) I'm more than 40 years older than MP. I don't see that his ability to swim faster than I can in any way makes him "better" than I am ... except at swimming.

MicroBalrog · « **Reply #109 on:** February 06, 2009, 07:35:38 PM »

That's not the issue.

To become a world-class guitarist or swimmer requires a giant effort, and expending enormous amounts of time which could have been otherwise spent becoming, say, a CPA or a car repairman. If you succeed, it pays off incredibly, but the odds are stacked against you - look at all the failed sportsmen, artists, and so forth that haven't succeeded but that can't have a decent life because they spent time and effort chasing after such success that would have been better spent getting a 'real job'.

It takes a certain grade of guts to try that, knowing the odds.

Beagle · « **Reply #110 on:** February 06, 2009, 08:13:48 PM »

Quote from: Gewehr98 on February 06, 2009, 01:45:47 AM

Also, is there a particular reason why are you taking a decidedly pointed jab at me?

I'm sorry you see it that way. I don't mean to be "taking jabs" or personalizing anything. It's just that your obvious anger toward Phelps seems out of proportion. I simply don't understand why seeing some stranger taking a bong hit at a party is upsetting to some people.

cassandra and sara's daddy · « **Reply #111 on:** February 06, 2009, 08:16:14 PM »

i couldn't care if he smoked anything, unless i was paying him to be my public spokesperson. and he was stupid enough to pose for a picture. who took that picture anyway? was not a friend

Headless Thompson Gunner · « **Reply #112 on:** February 06, 2009, 09:49:06 PM »

Quote from: Seenterman on February 06, 2009, 11:23:04 AM

Are you a world class anything? Gold metalist reader? Olympic class driver?

Explain to me how that has any bearing on, well, anything.

Beagle · « **Reply #113 on:** February 06, 2009, 11:31:04 PM »

Quote from: Headless Thompson Gunner on February 06, 2009, 09:49:06 PM

Explain to me how that has any bearing on, well, anything.

The fact that the finest swimmer the world has ever known apparently smokes pot points to the fact that pot isn't the monstrous thing it is made out to be. I personally do not enjoy it -- gin is my drug of choice -- but think it should be fairly obvious by now that recreational pot smoking isn't any worse than recreational alcohol consumption.

cassandra and sara's daddy · « **Reply #114 on:** February 07, 2009, 12:15:25 AM »

once you get past it being illegal and the fact that its illegality causes there to be certain behaviors associated with the getting and selling that sometimes have bad side effects. for all kinds of folks

Manedwolf · « **Reply #115 on:** February 07, 2009, 05:51:20 PM »

Quote from: bluestarlizzard on February 06, 2009, 11:00:16 AM

and college kids are well known for doing pretty stupid stuff, especially regarding drugs (both legal and illegal).

but they do grow up, usually into decent human beings that learned their lessons.

Every pothead I knew of at UM dropped out before finishing.

MicroBalrog · « **Reply #116 on:** February 07, 2009, 06:08:33 PM »

Quote from: Manedwolf on February 07, 2009, 05:51:20 PM

Every pothead I knew of at UM dropped out before finishing.

Phelps didn't.

BlueStarLizzard · « **Reply #117 on:** February 07, 2009, 06:22:23 PM »

Quote from: Manedwolf on February 07, 2009, 05:51:20 PM

Every pothead I knew of at UM dropped out before finishing.

ok. there IS a diffrence between a person who occasionally takes a few hits off a bong and a pothead, and i strongly doubt that MP is a pothead.

for the record, i know several honest to goodness potheads (as in guys who get stoned EVERY day) that are very successful.

cassandra and sara's daddy · « **Reply #118 on:** February 07, 2009, 06:26:05 PM »

in my high school we had 4 national merit scholars. all of us smoked dope three of us a lot of dope, what i would refer to as problematic usage. most folks out grow it or use moderately or safely. a few don't that would be me. i hada quit using altogether. hada quit booze too even more so. i would suspect folks that smoked pot might not have been forthcoming with you maned forgive my making that character assesment

Beagle · « **Reply #119 on:** February 07, 2009, 07:54:01 PM »

My closest friend, about to turn 60 years old, smoked large amounts of marijuana in college, and was also heavily into psychedelics, hallucinogens, and just about everything else you can think of. He has advanced degrees in math, physics, and engineering, has 17 patents to his name, and is currently earning mid six figures as a patent attorney.

So I don't automatically dismiss marijuana users as "potheads" and "losers".

cassandra and sara's daddy · « **Reply #120 on:** February 07, 2009, 07:56:22 PM »

very true but on the flip side i often wonder what we woulda done if we'd been less burned out.

MicroBalrog · « **Reply #121 on:** February 07, 2009, 08:00:55 PM »

In my experience, the sort of person that'll screw himself up on drugs will do the same with drugs not available. I had a friend who use to steal leaves from junkies and smoke them. Then the junkies went away... he started sniffing gasoline.

Beagle · « **Reply #122 on:** February 08, 2009, 01:53:29 AM »

Quote from: cassandra and sara's daddy on February 07, 2009, 07:56:22 PM

very true but on the flip side i often wonder what we woulda done if we'd been less burned out.

I don't know what else to ask of a millionaire with multiple degrees and a bunch of patents. I smoked a grand total of half a joint in my life and I don't have a million dollars, multiple degrees, or any patents at all. I think MicroBalrog may have a point, and I think the inverse may also be true: losers are going to be losers whether they smoke pot or not, and the same holds true for the "winners".

Strings · « **Reply #123 on:** February 08, 2009, 01:56:19 AM »

I honestly think that, if you research it, the "winners" you're talking about are something of an anomoly. Not to say that pot smoking makes someone a loser, but rather that pot smoking (and other drug abuse) is an activity that attracts people who would tend to qualify as "losers" in our society...

MicroBalrog · « **Reply #124 on:** February 08, 2009, 10:20:10 AM »

Quote from: Strings on February 08, 2009, 01:56:19 AM

I honestly think that, if you research it, the "winners" you're talking about are something of an anomoly. Not to say that pot smoking makes someone a loser, but rather that pot smoking (and other drug abuse) is an activity that attracts people who would tend to qualify as "losers" in our society...

97 million Americans are estimated to have tried marijuana at some time. You think America has that many losers? I doubt it.

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Author Topic: Does Michael Phelps deserve a break? (Read 29418 times)