I was listening to Michael Phelps today, and wow does he do a good job of settling the media. He did something wrong, he knows it, and he confesses in no time with a statement to the press. No wonder this guy didn't lose all of his endorsements, and how humane the response has been to his unfortunate maturity level as far as social fun goes. This has caused him quite the ordeal. So what can we get from this?
Let me mention that first of all, you should never put illegal substances into your body, furthermore, you should never put foreign substances there that are not normal (like smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol).
Why does America or the World forgive Michael Phelps for what he has done? He confessed his mistake and let everyone know that it was exactly that, a mistake. It is also notable to mention that hearing his live, on camera interviews has showed that he is genuinely disappointed that he did this (NOT only disappointed that he was caught). How many times do you make mistakes? Hind sight tells me that I err more often than I don't, not in an illegal manner, but there is errors in a lot that I do, so much so that I can't even list them all here. I believe that when a mistake is made, confessing your mistake as soon as you notice it is the most admirable and honest thing to do, it also lets me sleep better at night.
Barry Bonds was caught and is now in bigger trouble because he insisted on lying, though the public knows what the truth is, they by know means accept the way that Bonds handled it. Mark McGuire, well I thought he was a shoe into the Hall of Fame, but his 5th year retired, 6th and 7th have now gone by with no consolation.In the news recently, as soon as it was announced another big star in Alex Rodriguez was mad, but he did face the audience, so will he go to the Hall before Mark does?
So what can we take away from this? With the exception of Lance Armstrong and Michael Jordan, there aren't many more prestigious athletes these days as Michael Phelps. Especially on the heels of the steroid allegations in professional sports, much of the previous prestige has dwindled into little. It is best to be honest and up front and know that it may not be the easiest thing to face up to, but it is almost always the best way to go about it. Will you just refer to Mr. Phelps as "just another dope", or can he be what he really is, "just another child that made a dumb mistake"? I hope that he goes for 8 more in the next Olympics (though he has only said he will go for fewer). I am behind Michael, are you?