Michael Phelps' not such a Golden Boy anymore?

Well, I'd say that sounds like a mistake most people make about once. I'm glad he got caught, because he'll never do it again! The thing about underage DUI is that in most states, if you blow ANYTHING when you're underage, you get the DUI. So he may have been just fine to drive, but that's the law. Let's not pre-judge him.

And who among us never drank underage? If you haven't you are in a VERY small minority. It's too bad the guy has to go through this in the limelight.

And for the record drunk drivers really burn me up, too. I just think that there's some chance he wasn't really drunk and everyone gets the benefit of the doubt from me....

While he did do a bad thing.....it in no way diminishes what he has already accomplished. He made a stupid mistake. He hasn't done anything worse than lots of us have. Phelps' DUI is NOT IN ANY WAY on par with cheating in an event that you are competing in (ie. doping). What I can't see is how all of a sudden, because of a mistake that in no way reflects any diminishment of his athletic achievements, he has become a bad guy. This in a country where NBA players call do everything short of eating a live kitten in church and keep their endorsement.

I am not saying that the bottom-dwelling standards we set for NBA players (or NFL, or MLB, or any of the spoiled-rotten stick and ball types) are what we should be using as our standard measuring stick. It's just that it seems a bit premature to me to be tearing down his posters and talking about him in the same context as admitted doping cheaters.

Hmmmm. I read this story last week and it broke my heart. Mainly because I thought Michael was a responsible guy, not Jesus Christ, mind you without sin, but at least responsible. I read this and couldn't believe how irresponsible he was. I mean I know he apologized but he of all people should know that doing something like this could not only hurt his career but hurt the thousands of children who look up to him as a role model and more importantly impune his character.

I think I'm the only person who never drove drunk in my teens because I didn't touch alcohol until I was 21. Why? It was simple my mom told me not to. Now have I done some foolish things since? Yes. Am I proud of them? No!

Am I judging Michael? No. I just wish that he had made better choices. Not all 19-year-olds break the law. There are many who do not and maybe we should hightlight their feats of accomplishments instead of sweeping under the rug the mistakes of the small percentages of teens who do bad and apologizing for them.

I'm sorry but in some things we should have higher standards otherwise what's the point? If we're just going to excuse everyone for making bad choices why would anyone make good ones? I mean look at "Ray," the movie about Ray Charles. Everyone is glowing about how great a movie it was and on and on and while I don't want to speak ill of the dead - THE MAN WAS A DRUG ADDICTED SERIEL WOMANIZER PEOPLE! Just because he could play a tune and sing a song I'm supposed to love him? Come on!

Do I still want to watch Michael Phelps swim? Yes, he's an incredible athlete. But am I disappointed in him? Severly and I don't think he's my hero.

People may say that Michael's DUI proves that he's human that he's no superhero just an ordinary man. To that I say, why is failure, disappointment and deviate behavior always proof of someone's humanity? Why can't genuis, beauty, compassion and love be the equivalent to humanity. Aren't those better standards to live by? They're more difficult as well!

"To that I say, why is failure, disappointment and deviate behavior always proof of someone's humanity? Why can't genuis, beauty, compassion and love be the equivalent to humanity. Aren't those better standards to live by? They're more difficult as well! "

I think both are proof of humanity. every human is going to encounter all of them at some point in his or her life. I think we are measured by how we deal with the hand we have been dealt. The facts of a situation are what they are...what one can actually control is one's reaction to the situation. In other words, can you be diginfied in the face of disappointment, humble in the face of success, and kind in the face of adversity.

(edited to add) When we seek to elevate our role models too much, we lose sight of the fact that they are humans too and that as well as being capable of the greatness for which we admire them, they are as flawed as each and every one of us is.Who here wants his or her life subjected to the public scrutiny that accompnied fame? Who would come across as Dudley Do-Right?

1. Phelps did not, as far as I know, appoint himself as a role model. That label has been placed upon him. I never said that he should not see any reprocussions(sp) from his actions.

2. Core to what I am saying is that Phelps DUI and Kraft's cheating are two entirely different kinds of wrongs. Notice I am saying that they are both wrong. Kraft the more so because she fouled her own nest, so to speak, by wrongdoing within very thing for which she is known. The Phelps case is different because a mistake, in one's personal (as opposed to professional) life. The two actions are both wrong, but Kraft's offense is worse.

3. I never said that any of this was "OK" . It is wrong, unequivocally. What I am saying is that some perspective is needed on the seriousness of the offenses. I am saying that, while bad, irresponsible, indeed criminal Phelps actions are not as bad as Kraft's, or any of a dozen or so stick and ballers who have hit the headlines recently. No he does not deserve to "get away with it" but to villify him to the degree that some seem to want to do I think is a little over the top.

4. If you have truly never encountered failure or disappointment in your life.......well congratulations, you're a rare bird indeed. Now, perhaps we are not on the same page here. I am talking about these emotions inn the most general of terms. It is certainly is possible to make all the right decisions, and still have tha outcome of any situation not come out the way you want it to. That's what I'm talking about. And it is also possible to screw up.

5. Now, if you're saying that you are always right and never screw up then I don't believe you

(leaving Clinton bait alone)

Peas

Wow,

This thread has turned quite interesting. I have only one thing to add - wrong is wrong. There are no degress of wrongness as my mom says. That whole cardinal and venial sin thing is out of whack. So I really don't think comparing levels of wrongness is the answer here.

The fact is both Phelps and Kraft were wrong in their choices. Whether in their professional or personal lives they were just wrong. How can I expect to trust someone if they cheat on their wife but want to invest my money? It goes to the core integrity level here. You don't do wrong behind closed doors and then suddenly do right when the spotlight is on you. Wrong is wrong, period. Now that said have we all done something wrong? Yes. And at 19 I certainly have made mistakes. Do we deserve redemption? Thank you that I believe in a merciful God. So Phelps will be forgiven as he should be but from here on out held to a scrunity that could have been avoided if he had made better choices.

Well yeah.

I mean you can kill somone or you can lie. Killing seems to be the worse sin here.. But what if your lie causes the deaths of others, more than the one person you killed? (Hitler's lies come to mind). Then is killing worse than lying then? Nope. The act itself is wrong it's effect or consequences of the act that may vary in degrees. But the act is always wrong and there's no comparative for me.

I mean of course I realize that if you killed someone's family member they'd be heck of like more upset than if you lied to him but you never know what the consequences of your lie will do to them that's why you don't put degrees on wrongness. You just don't do wrong and it avoid the main reason why any wrong act is frowned upon - the consequences.

Regardless of who is more wrong or whether there are or aren't degrees of wrong.... The thing about role models gets me. Why the heck should someone be a 'role model', in terms of what you do underage or what your blood alcohol is when you get in your car, because they are a fast swimmer?! That makes no sense to me. Athletic ability does NOT equal good person! In fact in a lot of cases, they seem to be inversely related! LOL! I really think this is something very unhealthy about our society.... that celebrity=role model. Want a role model? Fathers and mothers are good candidates for role models.... teachers, superiors at work, clergy members, your friends. Not frickin' swimmers, baseball or basketball players, nor actors, singers or other public figures!!!

So to me, what Phelps did is NOT MY BUSINESS except as a private citizen who also drives a car and may one day get into an accident with a drunk driver. I have an interest in anyone who gets a DUI equally. That interest begins and ends at 'will they do it again'.

Nina Kraft, however, did what she did in sport. I admired her athletic ability and was inspired by her win. So as a triathlete and a fan of triathlon, she jipped me directly. Therefore I care (a little). She was a LEGITIMATE role model for triathletes (however, only in the water and on the road, not in any personal arena, I could give a crap less if she wants to mate with cows) and now she's proven herself unworthy of our trust. Michael Phelps is still a good, clean swimmer and I will continue to look up to him as that and that only.

Oops. Sorry 'bout that. I was getting a little wild there....

Oh and Jeff, to me it's not about whether they want to be role models. I'm aware that being a role model is lucrative and therefore desirable. I just don't get why people accept them as role models. It seems really dumb to aspire to be like someone you don't even know!!!!

And yes, I've known many wonderful, worthy role models. And none of them have very good nation-wide name recognition. :-P