I understand what people are upset with Michael Phelps about. I just don't think people are putting it into the right words to sports heads for them to buy into the argument of "role-model" vs. Athlete. The difference is pro athlete vs. Olympic athlete for one thing. they are completely different on a few levels. the argument about good performing athlete vs. poor performing athlete also come into play on this article. below is my argument concerning both points.
1. Michael Phelps is in the wrong because he is not a pro athlete, per se. When Vick got busted, he only embarrassed him, and the ATL Falcons organization. When Pacman Jones want to "make it rain" in da club, he embarrasses only himself, the Dallas Cowboys, and Jerry Jones... except not anymore. But Michael Phelps doesn't play for a privately owned organization (that's another argument entirely). He plays for USA. he represents, you, me and everyone here. The Charles Barkley argument is moot. "you're not paying me to be a role model, you're paying me to win" Remember when he played for the first dream team, and he was making those poor Lithuanian B-Ballers look ridiculous? the difference is that he acted the fool only on the court. He still acted right off the court. All his off court drama has only come up in recent years.
2. The other argument is about Good athletes get away with more. This is entirely true. Good players don't lose endorsements or get cut from teams. some players get more than one chance.
I will use a relevant case: Olympics. Bode Miller. Once thought to be the MOST dominant Super-G skier int he world, team USA let his lifestyle choices and choice to not train with the team actually slide. he actually said on record hat he partied often till the early morning hours drunk of his ass before an actual competition.(okay, not in those words, but not far off). team USA let that slide. but then Bode Miller, seemingly choked in every Big competition we instantly shun him, and talk badly about him. Being bad in the second tier Olympics is bad enough, but bad lifestyle choices as well... you get nothing. If anything, Michael Phelps choose wisely while he was still relevant. The summer Olympics were only a few months ago, people still care about him and he's still doing commercials for all kinds of crap. He will too, for another year, or until he screws up again and gets his third strike. As soon as he becomes irrelevant, like Marion Jones was when she came out with her performance enhancing drugs, he will get crucified like Marion Jones. and then we'll give them a book deal and an Oprah interview.
Remember Lance Armstrong came up hot in multiple tests for certain drugs? he'd already won 7 tour de Lances by then... that's right, they renamed it for him. think yellow... remember that? before lance, yellow was the color of Tour de France winner jersey not much else. Not a bracelet fad. We all let that shit go, because not only was he a winner, but he also had a hot as hell wife who was also at the top of her game. It was only until he started a bromance with naked bongos Maconnaughy and spider-boy Maguire did we start thinking he was a bit off... so what does he do? announce hes gonna ride again. and we completely forget about drug tests.
speaking of McGwire. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa... NO ONE cared about drugs when they were at the height of their Homerun derby. We just wanted to see the Homeruns. And they were positively great human interest stories too. Sammy always giving big ups to mom and god with the kissy faces, and McGwire was an all American good ol boy. whats not to love?
then along come big bad Barry bonds. who is an ass hat with a baseball glove. you can be a cheater and you can be good. but you cant be an asshole about it. Do not get a reality about the harsh world of a poor millionaire that plays a game for job. that's a dream, you can be an asshole while living the dream.
speaking of dreams.
I had a dream the other day. i had a dream I was playing relief pitcher for the Washington nationals. I remember waking up and going... "hmm, this could happen" Because every kids want s to play Shortstop or 1st base for the yankees... those are hardcore dreams. but a national? who dreams about that? apparently me. here's the thing... It COULD Happen. the Natties are the worst team in a screwed up game. they cant seem to sign their college picks. They cant seem to trade their valuable guys for something valuable(Jon Rauch, Alfonso Soriano)in fact, they just let them go. They cant seem to make any waves int he FA market. we almsot had Texeira, but then baseball villain DEVIL IN PINSTRIPES come along and offers him the one thing we cant.. money.
that's the problem with baseball. the NY devils can sign anyone they want to sit the bench for millions of dollars. and still sell their jerseys. the Nats cant sell a ticket. shit, they cant GIVE away tickets. and we'll stick with Manny Acta while he makes terrible decisions late in games witha 5-0 lead and watch as the Bullpen gives up five runs on five pitches... all homeruns. swear, it felt that way last season.
speaking of bullpens and dreams..
so there i was, called in from right field bullpen to the mound and natties park. my first professional baseball game. the natties are up 3-0 in the 6th inning. I'm not even the closer. shit, all I gotta do is get this to the 8th inning and I'm good. i don't even have to strike anyone out, I just cant give up a home run. and then i hear it, the stadium announcer:
"now pitching, number double zero, "Superfudge"" well, they use my real name, but I replace it here with my pen name. yeah, I'm double zero. Milledge wears 34 already and I don't have the dough to pay for it. that's the thing, i can work for cheap. 1.5 million that's all I ask. that aint shit. i need the .5 to pay for my superagent Drew Rosenhouse. he's an awesome agent.
really, I don't remember too much, but I remember waking up, after getting lit up on the mound like christmas eve. i think I gave up like ten runs or something. and thinking, damn, for the natties, that was pretty good. and I started breaking in my glove the next day.
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