Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time with 22 total medals, and is now making headlines for his second arrest driving under the influence. In the early morning hours of Oct. 2, 29-year-old Phelps was arrested in Baltimore for driving under the influence. Police said that Phelps was driving 84 mph in a 45-mph zone and failed sobriety tests after a night of gambling and drinking at a casino. His blood alcohol level was just about twice the legal limit. He tweeted on Oct. 5, “I recognize that this is not my first lapse in judgment, and I am extremely disappointed with myself.”
Ten years ago, Phelps received a DUI and was sentenced to 18 months of probation. In addition, back in 2009, a photo of Phelps taking a hit of a bong surfaced on the Internet and USA Swimming suspended him for three months.
Phelps retired after the 2012 London Olympics, but decided to come out of his 18-month retirement in April to possibly swim in the 2016 Olympics in Río. Now, after a short comeback, Phelps is checking into a six-week inpatient program for his recent problems. Hopefully, USA Swimming’s suspension of him for six months will allow him the time to work through his recurring struggles.
The question most people might ask Phelps is, “Why?” Why come out of retirement if you are just going to resort to old habits? Why didn’t you learn from your mistakes? The answers to these questions are not simple. Many professional athletes like Phelps are held to a higher standard and don’t always have the education or maturity for the responsibilties this position brings. Phelps attended The University of Michigan from 2004 to 2006 and didn’t swim for the team because he was already a professional swimmer who had an endorsement deal with Speedo. He went there to train with his coach, Bob Bowman. Phelps focused more on swimming than academics. He was never a student-athlete, looking to compete at a high level as well as get a degree. That is where one problem lies with high-level athletes. They never have a quality education to prepare them for a career following their athletic career.
However, in the face of this recent scandal, it is important to remember that we don’t know the full story. Alcoholism is an actual disease that requires diagnostic and holistic treatment. That being said, Phelps never had a typical childhood and needs to grow up. He sacrificed a normal teenager’s life for fame and medals. This is a problem for star athletes. What do you do after your short career ends? Phelps seems to lack skills other than swimming. His arrogance reveals that he thinks because he is invincible in the pool he can be invincible on the road. Some say that your true colors come out when the going gets rough.
Luckily nobody has been hurt by his recklessness, unlike situations involving other athletes in the news recently. Comparing the punishments given by the NFL to Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson with USA Swimming’s six-month punishment of Phelps, it’s not hard to see that the NFL has some work to do. USA Swimming immediately gave Phelps what I believe to be a justified punishment. The face of its sport let it down again and will be punished accordingly. Phelps’ career will likely be over. Rice was originally given a two-game suspension for knocking out his wife. Yes, you read that correctly: two games. Considering that USA Swimming has given Phelps a six-month suspension, Rice’s punishment seems even more ridiculous. Now, after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has “reviewed” more information about the case, he has changed Rice’s punishment to a suspension and the Baltimore Ravens have cut him. The NFL needed additional information before suspending Rice?
Basically what I’m getting at here is that the NFL should be taking notes on how USA Swimming operates.Phelps says that he is, “going to take some time away to attend a program that will provide the help [he] need[s] to better understand [him]self.” We can only hope that Phelps and the NFL learn from their mistakes. Thinking about Deter Jeter, who recently retired from a legendary career with the New York Yankees, we can wonder how he managed to stay out of the negative spotlight in the city that never sleeps. Jeter, like Phelps, also never graduated from college. Maybe there are no easy answers. Still, it seems like USA Swimming did the right thing with Phelps, unlike the NFL with its players. •
