USA Swimming suspends Phelps

[Sisyphean Fan]

I have been known to say "I am not a no." which is way different from me saying "I am a yes."

Just wondered if it was different for you - it did not confuse me.

It occurs to me also that "I agree" is commitment.

"I do not disagree" leaves a little wiggle room.

That is true, like taking a position about something, stating a point of view and standing for it.

To me, I agree means "yes, that's what I think is right, what you should do, etc.". I do not disagree mean "whatever melts your butter is okay with me".

[Sisyphean Fan]

He'd eat his hat?! A sure sign of the munchies if I ever saw one...

Just sayin'

Maybe he could compromise and just eat Alpha Dummy's hat.

Another backstory that needs some 'splainin. Bet it's a good'un.

Not a good'un at all. AD hails from The Land of Gein. Which means he's a Packer Backer.

[Jeemie]

I am amused that they suspended him for a period during which there are no swimming events at which he would represent them. Olympic trials start in June.

Good- it's a punishment commensurate with the crime.

[peacock2121]

I am amused that they suspended him for a period during which there are no swimming events at which he would represent them. Olympic trials start in June.

Good- it's a punishment commensurate with the crime.

That is another good thing to come out of this.

Punishment equal to the crime.

Him losing Kelloggs is also commensurate with his 'crime'.

[tlynn78]

I have been known to say "I am not a no." which is way different from me saying "I am a yes."

It's also different from saying "I don't care" - which is one reason I'm glad I learned that from Peaby.


t.

[kayrharris]

According to ESPN, he was going to compete in a Grand Prix meet in Austin, Tx in early March
that he'll miss.

[Estonut]

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.h ... A96E958260

The International Olympic Committee executive board said yesterday in Sydney, Australia, that marijuana and other social drugs would be added to its list of banned substances, even though they are not considered performance enhancers.

"yesterday" being 4/27/1998. So they planned to ban it after the embarrassment of the Canadian snowboarding gold medalist.

"Michael Phelps is a great Olympic champion. He apologised for his inappropriate behaviour," read an IOC statement. "We have no reason to doubt his sincerity and his commitment to continue to act as a role model."

Why would the IOC still back him if it were banned?

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid= ... g&refer=us

Marijuana is an outlawed substance in Olympic sports. First-time offenders caught using it get a two-year suspension from competition. The drug is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, which sets rules and oversees testing for Olympic-level sports.

Michael Phelps received a three-month ban from swimming competition after a photograph showing the record 14-time Olympic gold medalist inhaling from a bong used to smoke marijuana appeared in a U.K. newspaper.

The picture, taken at a college party in South Carolina three months ago, appeared in the News of the World on Feb. 1. Phelps, who won a single-Games record eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, has acknowledged the photo was authentic and apologized for his behavior.

USA Swimming, which said Phelps hasn’t violated any anti-doping rule, also withdrew financial support of the 23-year-old athlete for the duration of the ban, which started yesterday.

“We decided to send a strong message to Michael because he disappointed so many people, particularly the hundreds of thousands of USA Swimming member kids who look up to him as a role model and a hero,” the ruling body said on its Web site.

In her own article, she says he doesn't violate any rules. Later, she says "Marijuana is an outlawed substance in Olympic sports." So which is it, Nancy?

I believe it may be against the rules (and stoopid) during the Olympics, but that wasn't the case here.

[Jeemie]

I am amused that they suspended him for a period during which there are no swimming events at which he would represent them. Olympic trials start in June.

Good- it's a punishment commensurate with the crime.

That is another good thing to come out of this.

Punishment equal to the crime.

Him losing Kelloggs is also commensurate with his 'crime'.

Yes- the crime of being stupid enough to allow himself to be photographed hitting a bong.

Next time, light up in complete privacy, Mr. Phelps!

[Bob78164]

Many sexual acts are illegal in this state and others, but there is little reason anyone should care if consenting adults do them.

I'm guessing that they might actually be legal, even though the Legislature doesn't know it. In light of the Supreme Court's decision a few years back invalidating the Texas sodomy statute, I suspect that the laws to which you refer would not survive a constitutional challenge. --Bob

[gotribego26]

I believe it may be against the rules (and stoopid) during the Olympics, but that wasn't the case here.

There are no specific "Olympic" rules for anti-doping. The rules are created by the World Anti-Doping Agency - all sports Federations (which run the competitions at the Olympics) must adhere to the Anti-doping Agency standards - they can be tougher (but none are that I know of).

Cannaboids are on the banned substance list and have been for a long time. I don't know what Phelps staus for Out-of-Competition testing would have been in November - if he was eligible he could have gotten in a lot of trouble if they tested - there may be some sirt of inactive status, but if so I've never heard of it.

The list and more about WADA can be found here:

http://www.wada-ama.org/en/index.ch2

As an aside - if I were a World Class athlete I'd want as many as my competitors as possible to use pot, I've not seen it enhance performance.

[TheConfessor]

According to ESPN, he was going to compete in a Grand Prix meet in Austin, Tx in early March
that he'll miss.

That is correct. Here's a link to, and a quote from, the article that ran in the local newspaper today.
http://www.statesman.com/sports/content ... helps.html

Phelps had planned to make his first competitive appearance since winning a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics in the Texas Grand Prix on March 5-7 at the Texas Swimming Center.

[Ritterskoop]

We heard he did not really want to compete at that thing in March, and was glad to be out of it.

[Jeemie]

He's 23.

He smoked dope.

I can understand his sponsors being upset by it, but why are people on these boards so up in arms about it?

[peacock2121]

He's 23.

He smoked dope.

I can understand his sponsors being upset by it, but why are people on these boards so up in arms about it?

Who is up in arms?

[Ritterskoop]

He's 23.

He smoked dope.

I can understand his sponsors being upset by it, but why are people on these boards so up in arms about it?

Who is up in arms?

I think most of us are not.

[ulysses5019]

He's 23.

He smoked dope.

I can understand his sponsors being upset by it, but why are people on these boards so up in arms about it?

Who is up in arms?

I'm up to my arms in exfoliant.

[peacock2121]

He's 23.

He smoked dope.

I can understand his sponsors being upset by it, but why are people on these boards so up in arms about it?

Who is up in arms?

I think most of us are not.

I can't find anyone who I would call 'up in arms'. I must be missing something or have a different scale.

[ulysses5019]

Who is up in arms?

I think most of us are not.

I can't find anyone who I would call 'up in arms'. I must be missing something or have a different scale.

If you have scales try Buy Caress Evenly Gorgeous Body Wash.