PillPoppingAnimal
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2008
- Messages
- 1,827
of course its phelps, look at that bling
-
DPMC Moderators: thegreenhand | tryptakid
Olympic gold medal winner Michael Phelps caught with cannabis pipe
- Thread starter trainwreckmolly
- Start date
of course its phelps, look at that bling
AfterGlow
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2000
- Messages
- 4,544
Phelps backed by sponsors after pot photo
Speedo says 'we will do all that we can to support him and his family'
Associated Press
updated 5:32 p.m. ET, Mon., Feb. 2, 2009
MILWAUKEE - Michael Phelps doesn’t seem to be in much hot water with his sponsors following his public apology despite being photographed inhaling from a marijuana pipe.
From apparel company Speedo to luxury Swiss watchmaker Omega, several sponsors are standing by the 23-year-old swimming phenom — at least for now. Other big companies, like Visa Inc., Subway, and Kellogg Co., aren’t talking yet.
Experts say if Phelps doesn’t stick to the straight and narrow, he could hurt his chances at future endorsements. And there’s no guarantee he won’t be dropped quietly once the furor dies down.
Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here
Phelps, who won a record eight gold medals at this summer’s Olympics in Beijing, acknowledged “regrettable” behavior and “bad judgment” after the photo appeared Sunday in the British tabloid News of the World.
The paper said the picture was taken during a November house party while Phelps was visiting the University of South Carolina.
Phelps handled the situation well by apologizing and saying he regretted his actions, said John Sweeney, director of sports communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Phelps went a step further and promised “it will not happen again.”
In 2004, after the Athens Games, a then-underage Phelps was arrested for drunken driving. He pleaded guilty, apologized and again said he wouldn’t make the same mistake again.
Sweeney said if Phelps is caught transgressing a third time, he could stand to lose many sponsorships — and the public’s trust. For now, the public and his sponsors could look past it. After all, he said, President Barack Obama has acknowledged using marijuana and he still got elected.
“My prediction would be that this will pass,” he said with caution. “If it does happen again, it’ll be twice the story and it will hurt him.”
Swiss watchmaker Omega said Phelps’ actions were a private matter and “nonissue” while Speedo called Phelps a “valued member of the Speedo team.”
Sports performance beverage PureSport’s maker, which tapped Phelps to be spokesman for its first national advertising campaign, also said Monday that it stands by him but it said it does not condone his behavior.
“We applaud the fact that he has taken full and immediate responsibility for his mistake and apologized to us, his fans and the public and we support him during this difficult time,” said Michael Humphrey, chief executive of Human Performance Labs.
Hilton Hotels Corp., whose relationship with Phelps dates to 2007, likewise stuck with him.
“We continue to support Michael Phelps as an athlete whose numerous athletic feats outshine an act of regrettable behavior,” the statement said.
But former sponsor Rosetta Stone, the foreign-language tutorial vendor, which had a one-year deal with the athlete that ended Dec. 31, did not like the news.
“We do not condone his activities and are disappointed in his recent judgment,” Rosetta Stone said in a statement.
Both AT&T Inc. and PowerBar nutrition bar makers Nestle SA, two other big sponsors, quietly ended their relationships with Phelps at the end of 2008. Neither company would comment on the photo or describe the duration or value of their contracts.
Companies are getting pickier about their marketing and sponsorships amid the recession, when they need to get the most impact for what money they do spend on marketing, said Joe Terrian, assistant dean in the college of business at Marquette University.
It makes sense that, say, Speedo and PureSport would continue to support Phelps because their products are ones that he uses for his sport, Terrian said. But companies with products not directly linked to athletics, like foodmaker Kellogg and credit card company Visa, may not see him as kindly.
Terrian said that, given the 2004 incident, sponsors may look to cut their ties soon.
“Do you want to risk those sponsorship dollars when money is really, really tight?” he said. “I think that some of them will think twice.”
Visa, Kellogg, Subway and 505 Games did not immediately return multiple messages left by The Associated Press seeking comment.
A spokesman at sports marketing agency Octagon, which represents Phelps, said the athlete is taking this seriously.
“He has spoken with his sponsors to personally apologize. We are encouraged by their support,” the spokesman said.
Terrian said Phelps’s sponsors could be looking in their contracts for so-called ’morality clauses’ — ways that they can back out of deals if certain instances happen. Those became more widespread after Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant was charged with rape in 2003. Those charges were dismissed.
More companies could choose to end their relationships with Phelps quietly. And those whose ads he stars in could publicize such a move as evidence of “their goodwill and social responsibility,” Sweeney said.
But Sweeney said companies may be willing to overlook indiscretions depending on how prominent an athlete is. A minor indiscretion could get a minor athlete tossed from a sponsorship, but it could take a bigger incident to bring down a bigger athlete, he said. Considering Phelps’s unique accomplishment, sponsors still may want him.
“There’s only one of him,” Sweeney said of Phelps. “There’s only one person with eight gold medals, and there’s probably going to be one for a long time.”
link
Speedo says 'we will do all that we can to support him and his family'
Associated Press
updated 5:32 p.m. ET, Mon., Feb. 2, 2009
MILWAUKEE - Michael Phelps doesn’t seem to be in much hot water with his sponsors following his public apology despite being photographed inhaling from a marijuana pipe.
From apparel company Speedo to luxury Swiss watchmaker Omega, several sponsors are standing by the 23-year-old swimming phenom — at least for now. Other big companies, like Visa Inc., Subway, and Kellogg Co., aren’t talking yet.
Experts say if Phelps doesn’t stick to the straight and narrow, he could hurt his chances at future endorsements. And there’s no guarantee he won’t be dropped quietly once the furor dies down.
Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here
Phelps, who won a record eight gold medals at this summer’s Olympics in Beijing, acknowledged “regrettable” behavior and “bad judgment” after the photo appeared Sunday in the British tabloid News of the World.
The paper said the picture was taken during a November house party while Phelps was visiting the University of South Carolina.
Phelps handled the situation well by apologizing and saying he regretted his actions, said John Sweeney, director of sports communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Phelps went a step further and promised “it will not happen again.”
In 2004, after the Athens Games, a then-underage Phelps was arrested for drunken driving. He pleaded guilty, apologized and again said he wouldn’t make the same mistake again.
Sweeney said if Phelps is caught transgressing a third time, he could stand to lose many sponsorships — and the public’s trust. For now, the public and his sponsors could look past it. After all, he said, President Barack Obama has acknowledged using marijuana and he still got elected.
“My prediction would be that this will pass,” he said with caution. “If it does happen again, it’ll be twice the story and it will hurt him.”
Swiss watchmaker Omega said Phelps’ actions were a private matter and “nonissue” while Speedo called Phelps a “valued member of the Speedo team.”
Sports performance beverage PureSport’s maker, which tapped Phelps to be spokesman for its first national advertising campaign, also said Monday that it stands by him but it said it does not condone his behavior.
“We applaud the fact that he has taken full and immediate responsibility for his mistake and apologized to us, his fans and the public and we support him during this difficult time,” said Michael Humphrey, chief executive of Human Performance Labs.
Hilton Hotels Corp., whose relationship with Phelps dates to 2007, likewise stuck with him.
“We continue to support Michael Phelps as an athlete whose numerous athletic feats outshine an act of regrettable behavior,” the statement said.
But former sponsor Rosetta Stone, the foreign-language tutorial vendor, which had a one-year deal with the athlete that ended Dec. 31, did not like the news.
“We do not condone his activities and are disappointed in his recent judgment,” Rosetta Stone said in a statement.
Both AT&T Inc. and PowerBar nutrition bar makers Nestle SA, two other big sponsors, quietly ended their relationships with Phelps at the end of 2008. Neither company would comment on the photo or describe the duration or value of their contracts.
Companies are getting pickier about their marketing and sponsorships amid the recession, when they need to get the most impact for what money they do spend on marketing, said Joe Terrian, assistant dean in the college of business at Marquette University.
It makes sense that, say, Speedo and PureSport would continue to support Phelps because their products are ones that he uses for his sport, Terrian said. But companies with products not directly linked to athletics, like foodmaker Kellogg and credit card company Visa, may not see him as kindly.
Terrian said that, given the 2004 incident, sponsors may look to cut their ties soon.
“Do you want to risk those sponsorship dollars when money is really, really tight?” he said. “I think that some of them will think twice.”
Visa, Kellogg, Subway and 505 Games did not immediately return multiple messages left by The Associated Press seeking comment.
A spokesman at sports marketing agency Octagon, which represents Phelps, said the athlete is taking this seriously.
“He has spoken with his sponsors to personally apologize. We are encouraged by their support,” the spokesman said.
Terrian said Phelps’s sponsors could be looking in their contracts for so-called ’morality clauses’ — ways that they can back out of deals if certain instances happen. Those became more widespread after Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant was charged with rape in 2003. Those charges were dismissed.
More companies could choose to end their relationships with Phelps quietly. And those whose ads he stars in could publicize such a move as evidence of “their goodwill and social responsibility,” Sweeney said.
But Sweeney said companies may be willing to overlook indiscretions depending on how prominent an athlete is. A minor indiscretion could get a minor athlete tossed from a sponsorship, but it could take a bigger incident to bring down a bigger athlete, he said. Considering Phelps’s unique accomplishment, sponsors still may want him.
“There’s only one of him,” Sweeney said of Phelps. “There’s only one person with eight gold medals, and there’s probably going to be one for a long time.”
link
Huaca
Greenlighter
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2009
- Messages
- 899
Michael Phelps Diet Secret Revealed: Weed!
February 1, 2009 by Joe Dimeck
Remember when Michael Phelps said he eats 12,000 calories a day as part of his training? Well, based on a photo that was printed in a British tabloid, it appears Phelps’ ability to eat so much is the result of a performance enhancing drug, marijuana.
His typical wake-and-bake breakfast consisted of a five-egg omelet, two cups of coffee, three fried egg sandwiches, three chocolate chip pancakes, French toast with powdered sugar, and a big bowl of grits.
The photo surfaced after Phelps attended a party in South Carolina on Nov. 6, where he was propositioned by what can only be murdering rapists to go in a back room and smoke marijuana.
According to sources at the party, Phelps understood exactly what he was doing, ripping the bong just as well as he swims.
His publicist begged the tabloid, News of the World, not to run the piece, but they did, prompting Phelps to make your standard, ass-saving PR statement.
Phelps said: “I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment. I’m 23 years old and despite the successes I’ve had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again.”
There are many things wrong with that paragraph, but let’s stick to the most important issue, and that is the fact that Phelps repudiation is not only insincere, but completely unnecessary. We live in a time when the majority of the population understands many of the claims made against marijuana since the 1930s have been either made up or were grossly exaggerated.
Phelps spent much of his life busting his ass to win 14 Olympic gold medals in a sport that people only kind of care about every four years. If he wants to smoke pot, let him. The fact that this is an issue baffles me. I understand he is a role model, but as a role model, he should be honest with the public. He should say, “Yea, I smoke pot, but so what? I can still swim faster than any other person in the world, and they probably don’t even smoke pot. I’m very motivated, as my 14 gold medals and various other accomplishments will tell you. Besides, I’m 23. I should be smoking pot. That said, for all you little kids out there who look up to me, don’t just go and smoke pot because I do. For one, wait until you’re atleast 18 since pot can be damaging to people whose brains are still developing. Not only that, but ease into it, and if you don’t like it, don’t feel the need to do it just because your friends do. After all, nobody likes being around a kid who gets high and is either annoying or really paranoid and scared.”
Honesty, folks, is the way to fix the drug problems in this country. However, admitting wrong doing when no wrong has been done only perpetuates old and detrimental stereotypes that were conjured up by people who would shoot your first born child out of a cannon if it made them money.
http://ronebreak.com/2009/02/01/michael-phelps-diet-secret-revealed/
February 1, 2009 by Joe Dimeck
Remember when Michael Phelps said he eats 12,000 calories a day as part of his training? Well, based on a photo that was printed in a British tabloid, it appears Phelps’ ability to eat so much is the result of a performance enhancing drug, marijuana.
His typical wake-and-bake breakfast consisted of a five-egg omelet, two cups of coffee, three fried egg sandwiches, three chocolate chip pancakes, French toast with powdered sugar, and a big bowl of grits.
The photo surfaced after Phelps attended a party in South Carolina on Nov. 6, where he was propositioned by what can only be murdering rapists to go in a back room and smoke marijuana.
According to sources at the party, Phelps understood exactly what he was doing, ripping the bong just as well as he swims.
His publicist begged the tabloid, News of the World, not to run the piece, but they did, prompting Phelps to make your standard, ass-saving PR statement.
Phelps said: “I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment. I’m 23 years old and despite the successes I’ve had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again.”
There are many things wrong with that paragraph, but let’s stick to the most important issue, and that is the fact that Phelps repudiation is not only insincere, but completely unnecessary. We live in a time when the majority of the population understands many of the claims made against marijuana since the 1930s have been either made up or were grossly exaggerated.
Phelps spent much of his life busting his ass to win 14 Olympic gold medals in a sport that people only kind of care about every four years. If he wants to smoke pot, let him. The fact that this is an issue baffles me. I understand he is a role model, but as a role model, he should be honest with the public. He should say, “Yea, I smoke pot, but so what? I can still swim faster than any other person in the world, and they probably don’t even smoke pot. I’m very motivated, as my 14 gold medals and various other accomplishments will tell you. Besides, I’m 23. I should be smoking pot. That said, for all you little kids out there who look up to me, don’t just go and smoke pot because I do. For one, wait until you’re atleast 18 since pot can be damaging to people whose brains are still developing. Not only that, but ease into it, and if you don’t like it, don’t feel the need to do it just because your friends do. After all, nobody likes being around a kid who gets high and is either annoying or really paranoid and scared.”
Honesty, folks, is the way to fix the drug problems in this country. However, admitting wrong doing when no wrong has been done only perpetuates old and detrimental stereotypes that were conjured up by people who would shoot your first born child out of a cannon if it made them money.
http://ronebreak.com/2009/02/01/michael-phelps-diet-secret-revealed/
foodisgood
Bluelighter
- Joined
- May 24, 2007
- Messages
- 285
He won't get banned.Weed and alcohol are damn sure not performance enhancing substances.Imagine if he went in the pool drunk and stoned?I do believe he would come last in race.Also at the moment he isn't competing.If he was busted using stimulants then things would be very different.![:\](https://bluelight.org/xf/BL_Images/Orig_Emoji/wrygrin.gif "wry grin :\")
a couple years back the olympic committee took away a snowboarder's gold medal after he tested positive for weed. Granted, he tested positive after the olympics but I still wouldn't count anything out at this point. In all reality I don't think the olympic committee will do anything, but that will only be because they are smart enough to know how much publicity Phelps brings them.
PinkStrawberries
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2008
- Messages
- 394
"Pot head wins 8 olympic gold metals"
woohoo!
woohoo!
Dragynfyr
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2006
- Messages
- 2,263
foodisgood
Bluelighter
- Joined
- May 24, 2007
- Messages
- 285
If i remember correctly, I believe he tested positive during the games but after he won rather than several months after the fact. Besides, in this day and age when there are more people complaining about the olympics replacing their favorite tv shows than there are people watching them, I can't imagine the olympics cutting their best marketing athlete.
ranunky
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2007
- Messages
- 1,281
phr
Ex-Bluelighter
- Joined
- May 25, 2004
- Messages
- 36,682
^
Most likely a lot. Maybe they should have considered the offer made by Phelps' people. I'd imagine that in the long run, that would have made more business sense. It's not like anyone actually recognizes them for breaking this story.
He should be concerned with people taking his photos in uncompromising situations. He's lucky it doesn't look like he'll lose a lot of $$ from this.
Funny how this is a bigger issue than him driving drunk while he was under 21. (Not that driving drunk under 21 makes it a bigger deal...)
Most likely a lot. Maybe they should have considered the offer made by Phelps' people. I'd imagine that in the long run, that would have made more business sense. It's not like anyone actually recognizes them for breaking this story.
He should be concerned with people taking his photos in uncompromising situations. He's lucky it doesn't look like he'll lose a lot of $$ from this.
Funny how this is a bigger issue than him driving drunk while he was under 21. (Not that driving drunk under 21 makes it a bigger deal...)
Transcendence
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2006
- Messages
- 2,505
Phelps Disciplined Over Marijuana Pipe Incident
By JULIET MACUR
Published: February 5, 2009
The Olympic swimming sensation Michael Phelps, who was photographed inhaling from a marijuana pipe, has lost a major sponsorship deal and has been suspended from competition for three months.
Skip to next paragraph
Enlarge This Image
Daniel Acker/Bloomberg News
Kellogg said it would drop its endorsement deal with Michael Phelps after a photograph surfaced in a British newspaper showing him inhaling from a marijuana pipe.
Related
The Lede: Kellogg Drops Phelps and a Drug Bust Ends a Sumo's Career (February 5, 2009)
Kellogg, the food company, said Thursday that it would not renew its contract with Phelps when their deal expires at the end of February. It would not disclose the value of its contract.
Later Thursday, USA Swimming suspended Phelps for three months.
“Michael’s most recent behavior is not consistent with the image of Kellogg,” Susanne Norwitz, a spokeswoman for the company, said in a statement.
USA Swimming publicly reprimanded Phelps, who won eight medals at the Beijing Games, temporarily withdrawing its financial support to him and barring him from competition through early May. Phelps receives a monthly stipend of $1,750 from the organization. The national and world championships will be held in the summer.
“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 hero,” the organization said in a statement.
Phelps’s agent, Drew Johnson, also released a statement, saying that Phelps accepted and understood the decisions. “He feels bad he let anyone down,” the statement said. “He’s also encouraged by the thousands of comments he’s received from his fans and the support from his many sponsors. He intends to work hard to regain everyone’s trust.”
Darryl Seibel, a spokesman for the United States Olympic Committee, said Thursday that U.S.O.C. officials were willing to work with Phelps to ensure that he does not repeat his misstep.
Kellogg, which has featured Phelps on its Frosted Flakes and Corn Flakes cereal boxes, is the first company to drop Phelps after a British tabloid last weekend published a photograph of him inhaling from a marijuana pipe.
Phelps, 23, admitted that the photo, taken at a student party at the University of South Carolina, was authentic. He subsequently apologized, calling his behavior “inappropriate.”
Several of Phelps’s sponsors — including Speedo and Omega — have accepted his apology. Others, including Visa and Subway, have not taken a position.
As it stands, Phelps’s actions have already put a dent into his sponsorship spoils, which some marketing experts say could reach $100 million in his lifetime.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/06/sports/othersports/06phelps.html?em
By JULIET MACUR
Published: February 5, 2009
The Olympic swimming sensation Michael Phelps, who was photographed inhaling from a marijuana pipe, has lost a major sponsorship deal and has been suspended from competition for three months.
Skip to next paragraph
Enlarge This Image
Daniel Acker/Bloomberg News
Kellogg said it would drop its endorsement deal with Michael Phelps after a photograph surfaced in a British newspaper showing him inhaling from a marijuana pipe.
Related
The Lede: Kellogg Drops Phelps and a Drug Bust Ends a Sumo's Career (February 5, 2009)
Kellogg, the food company, said Thursday that it would not renew its contract with Phelps when their deal expires at the end of February. It would not disclose the value of its contract.
Later Thursday, USA Swimming suspended Phelps for three months.
“Michael’s most recent behavior is not consistent with the image of Kellogg,” Susanne Norwitz, a spokeswoman for the company, said in a statement.
USA Swimming publicly reprimanded Phelps, who won eight medals at the Beijing Games, temporarily withdrawing its financial support to him and barring him from competition through early May. Phelps receives a monthly stipend of $1,750 from the organization. The national and world championships will be held in the summer.
“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 hero,” the organization said in a statement.
Phelps’s agent, Drew Johnson, also released a statement, saying that Phelps accepted and understood the decisions. “He feels bad he let anyone down,” the statement said. “He’s also encouraged by the thousands of comments he’s received from his fans and the support from his many sponsors. He intends to work hard to regain everyone’s trust.”
Darryl Seibel, a spokesman for the United States Olympic Committee, said Thursday that U.S.O.C. officials were willing to work with Phelps to ensure that he does not repeat his misstep.
Kellogg, which has featured Phelps on its Frosted Flakes and Corn Flakes cereal boxes, is the first company to drop Phelps after a British tabloid last weekend published a photograph of him inhaling from a marijuana pipe.
Phelps, 23, admitted that the photo, taken at a student party at the University of South Carolina, was authentic. He subsequently apologized, calling his behavior “inappropriate.”
Several of Phelps’s sponsors — including Speedo and Omega — have accepted his apology. Others, including Visa and Subway, have not taken a position.
As it stands, Phelps’s actions have already put a dent into his sponsorship spoils, which some marketing experts say could reach $100 million in his lifetime.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/06/sports/othersports/06phelps.html?em
This may be the big step in de-sensitizing the conservative and general public about marijuana use. If I were Norml or many other orginizations supporting marijuana decriminalization, Id be contacting his sponsors, and doing anything I could to make sure they dont drop his endorsements. This will go away quietly, but the impact of sponsors staying on board with him could last a lifetime. Eventually, I do believe the de-sensitised public starts getting elected and before you know it, we will have our recreation to ourselves without fear of life changing law trouble. Atta boy phelps, load it up milky like.
phr
Ex-Bluelighter
- Joined
- May 25, 2004
- Messages
- 36,682
Can't say I've seen anyone (on tv or in the press) argue with "it's just marijuana."
Also, none of the successful people who have admitted past use came to his defense. Not that they should, but there has been desensitization recently, as seen by various laws passing for decrim, and by polls. Sad thing is, no elected representatives are picking up their constituents' fight.
rant*N*rave
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2008
- Messages
- 3,330
This is such, such bullshit. A guy wins 14 gold medals and yet a bong rip makes him a villain... He obviously knows what the fuck he is doing with his body and his health. So leave him the hell alone!
I_get_down 86
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2009
- Messages
- 115
"He inhaled deeply"..this article makes me sick. The man won 8 gold medals..let him do whatever the fuck he wants. I hate the the media, their all pigs just like cops.
If Micheal Phelps wanted to smoke with me I would be honored..and there would be no cameras involved.
If Micheal Phelps wanted to smoke with me I would be honored..and there would be no cameras involved.
Johnny1
Bluelight Crew
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2003
- Messages
- 3,290
I just wrote Kellogg's a goodbye comment on their website. I said if Michael Phelps wasn't good enough for them, then I'm not either.
Fuck Kellogg's. For me this means no more Famous Amos cookies or Rice Krispies treats. Check their website for a list of their products: www.kelloggs.com
Fuck Kellogg's. For me this means no more Famous Amos cookies or Rice Krispies treats. Check their website for a list of their products: www.kelloggs.com
PriestTheyCalledHim
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2005
- Messages
- 14,724
I find it fucked up that they're flipping out over him smoking pot but nobody said anything when he drove drunk and was 19.