On Saturday, a report from "News of the World" (a UK tabloid) published an alleged picture of Michael Phelps holding a bong and smoking weed, which immediately made waves across the internet. Admittedly, the picture wasn't perfect and there was no guarantee that it was Phelps in the photo, until Phelps admitted yesterday that it was him holding the bong.In a statement released to The Associated Press, the swimmer who won a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Games conceded the authenticity of the exclusive picture published Sunday by the tabloid News of the World.
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."
The nice thing is that -- unlike many steroid abusers -- Phelps has simply admitted that he got caught. That, in my mind, goes a fairly long way towards helping Phelps rehab a clearly damaged image.
Some folks have stated that the media's making too big a deal out of this; yet I don't think it can be overstated just how much Phelps might have cost himself in terms of endorsement money over the past few months.
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