Michael Phelps is an Idiot
Nov. 9th, 2004 10:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vernacular_lifeDude, you had EVERYTHING and have thrown it away doing one of the dumbest things ever....yeah, you owned up to it, but how frickin' stupid can you get?!? Like a 2005 Land Rover wouldn't be noticed on the Eastern Shore of Maryland........
Olympian Phelps charged with drunken driving
Baltimore County teenager was arrested late Thursday
By Sara Neufeld and Laura Barnhardt
Sun Staff
November 9, 2004
Olympic champion Michael Phelps drove through a stop sign in Salisbury last week, according to police, and into a drunken-driving charge that some analysts say could tarnish his gold-medal image.
The Baltimore County teenager, who won eight medals in the Athens Olympics, was pulled over late Thursday, arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, police said.
After Maryland State Police released information on the arrest yesterday, Phelps offered an apology.
"I made a mistake," the Towson High School graduate said in a telephone call to The Sun. "Getting into a car with anything to drink is wrong, dangerous and unacceptable. I'm 19, but no matter how old you are, you should take responsibility for your actions, which I will do. I'm extremely sorry for the mistake that I made."
He declined to answer further questions, including whether any of his endorsement deals are in jeopardy.
Ryan Schinman, president of the Platinum Rye Entertainment consulting firm, said the arrest is "a huge blow," even if Phelps is never convicted.
"He made a name for himself not only in the pool, but with his squeaky-clean image, which is hard for corporate America to come by these days," said Schinman, who consults for Fortune 500 companies.
Phelps' endorsements from such "family-oriented" companies as McDonald's could be jeopardized because they likely contain morality clauses, Schinman said. But he added that some companies may make allowances because no one was injured.
Marc Ganis, president of Sportscorp Ltd., another sports marketing and consulting firm, said that although he doesn't think Phelps' current endorsements will be affected, the arrest will "tarnish his image."
Mark Lepselter, president of New Jersey-based Maxximum Marketing, said the long-term impact will be minimal so long as Phelps doesn't have future problems. For now, Lepselter said, "I don't think this is going to be a major blow to his career ... . I don't think there are many people who have not made some mistake along those lines when they were 19."
Phelps' work with children - which includes his "adoption" of Riverview Elementary School in Halethorpe - creates unique problems for those trying to educate youngsters about the perils of alcohol and drugs, said Michael Gimbel, director of substance abuse education for Sheppard Pratt Health System. He said, "It's easy for kids to look to celebrities and say, 'Everybody's doing it.'"
Phelps, two years shy of the drinking age in Maryland, was behind the wheel of his 2005 Land Rover at 11:30 p.m. Thursday with two friends as passengers when he failed to stop at a stop sign at Route 13 and Bateman Street in Salisbury, police said.
A trooper pulled him over and "observed signs indicating the driver may be operating under the influence," according to a written statement from Major Greg Shipley, a state police spokesman.
Phelps was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while impaired, violation of a license restriction and failure to obey a traffic control device, police said. He signed the traffic citations and was released shortly after 1 a.m. Friday.
Police described the Olympic star as "fully cooperative" during the incident. They said Phelps' Land Rover was released to a friend who had not been drinking.
Police would not say whether Phelps took a blood-alcohol test and, if he did, what his blood-alcohol level was.
Under Maryland law, driving under the influence of alcohol is punishable by a maximum of a year in jail, a $1,000 fine and 12 points on a driver's license for a first offense. Driving while impaired carries a maximum penalty of 60 days in jail, a $500 fine and eight points for a first offense.
Phelps, a Rodgers Forge resident who trained for the Athens Olympics at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, made international headlines in his quest to win what would have been an unprecedented eight gold medals in swimming. The media gave detailed accounts of his life in and out of the pool, including his mammoth breakfasts at Pete's Grille in Waverly and his choice of low-slung swim trunks.
After he won eight medals - six gold and two bronze - Baltimore County welcomed him home as a hero, naming a street in his honor and hosting a parade and festival.
In an interview last night, Phelps's longtime coach spoke about the pressures that come with celebrity.
"When you're Michael Phelps, you don't really fit in anywhere," coach Bob Bowman said. "You don't fit in with adults just yet. You're still 19. You don't really fit in with kids your own age who are in college. It's very hard to know where you are in the scheme of things."
Bowman said he hopes last week's incident will serve as a learning experience for Phelps and others.
"Nobody should feel sorry for him because he chose his behavior that night," Bowman said. "But I hope people can stand behind him when he's down just like they stood behind him when he was on top of the world."
Sun staff writers Ryan Davis, Lisa Goldberg and Michael Dresser contributed to this article.
Copyright © 2004, The Baltimore Sun
Olympian Phelps charged with drunken driving
Baltimore County teenager was arrested late Thursday
By Sara Neufeld and Laura Barnhardt
Sun Staff
November 9, 2004
Olympic champion Michael Phelps drove through a stop sign in Salisbury last week, according to police, and into a drunken-driving charge that some analysts say could tarnish his gold-medal image.
The Baltimore County teenager, who won eight medals in the Athens Olympics, was pulled over late Thursday, arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, police said.
After Maryland State Police released information on the arrest yesterday, Phelps offered an apology.
"I made a mistake," the Towson High School graduate said in a telephone call to The Sun. "Getting into a car with anything to drink is wrong, dangerous and unacceptable. I'm 19, but no matter how old you are, you should take responsibility for your actions, which I will do. I'm extremely sorry for the mistake that I made."
He declined to answer further questions, including whether any of his endorsement deals are in jeopardy.
Ryan Schinman, president of the Platinum Rye Entertainment consulting firm, said the arrest is "a huge blow," even if Phelps is never convicted.
"He made a name for himself not only in the pool, but with his squeaky-clean image, which is hard for corporate America to come by these days," said Schinman, who consults for Fortune 500 companies.
Phelps' endorsements from such "family-oriented" companies as McDonald's could be jeopardized because they likely contain morality clauses, Schinman said. But he added that some companies may make allowances because no one was injured.
Marc Ganis, president of Sportscorp Ltd., another sports marketing and consulting firm, said that although he doesn't think Phelps' current endorsements will be affected, the arrest will "tarnish his image."
Mark Lepselter, president of New Jersey-based Maxximum Marketing, said the long-term impact will be minimal so long as Phelps doesn't have future problems. For now, Lepselter said, "I don't think this is going to be a major blow to his career ... . I don't think there are many people who have not made some mistake along those lines when they were 19."
Phelps' work with children - which includes his "adoption" of Riverview Elementary School in Halethorpe - creates unique problems for those trying to educate youngsters about the perils of alcohol and drugs, said Michael Gimbel, director of substance abuse education for Sheppard Pratt Health System. He said, "It's easy for kids to look to celebrities and say, 'Everybody's doing it.'"
Phelps, two years shy of the drinking age in Maryland, was behind the wheel of his 2005 Land Rover at 11:30 p.m. Thursday with two friends as passengers when he failed to stop at a stop sign at Route 13 and Bateman Street in Salisbury, police said.
A trooper pulled him over and "observed signs indicating the driver may be operating under the influence," according to a written statement from Major Greg Shipley, a state police spokesman.
Phelps was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while impaired, violation of a license restriction and failure to obey a traffic control device, police said. He signed the traffic citations and was released shortly after 1 a.m. Friday.
Police described the Olympic star as "fully cooperative" during the incident. They said Phelps' Land Rover was released to a friend who had not been drinking.
Police would not say whether Phelps took a blood-alcohol test and, if he did, what his blood-alcohol level was.
Under Maryland law, driving under the influence of alcohol is punishable by a maximum of a year in jail, a $1,000 fine and 12 points on a driver's license for a first offense. Driving while impaired carries a maximum penalty of 60 days in jail, a $500 fine and eight points for a first offense.
Phelps, a Rodgers Forge resident who trained for the Athens Olympics at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, made international headlines in his quest to win what would have been an unprecedented eight gold medals in swimming. The media gave detailed accounts of his life in and out of the pool, including his mammoth breakfasts at Pete's Grille in Waverly and his choice of low-slung swim trunks.
After he won eight medals - six gold and two bronze - Baltimore County welcomed him home as a hero, naming a street in his honor and hosting a parade and festival.
In an interview last night, Phelps's longtime coach spoke about the pressures that come with celebrity.
"When you're Michael Phelps, you don't really fit in anywhere," coach Bob Bowman said. "You don't fit in with adults just yet. You're still 19. You don't really fit in with kids your own age who are in college. It's very hard to know where you are in the scheme of things."
Bowman said he hopes last week's incident will serve as a learning experience for Phelps and others.
"Nobody should feel sorry for him because he chose his behavior that night," Bowman said. "But I hope people can stand behind him when he's down just like they stood behind him when he was on top of the world."
Sun staff writers Ryan Davis, Lisa Goldberg and Michael Dresser contributed to this article.
Copyright © 2004, The Baltimore Sun
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no subject
Date: 2004-11-09 03:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-09 03:52 pm (UTC)Still, how stupid! I know how ditzy I was driving at 19 with a bunch of friends in the car & WASN'T drinking.
They wouldnt' say if he took a breathalizer and if so, what it read as.....
no subject
Date: 2004-11-09 03:51 pm (UTC)