Great article! His first mess up was his DWI (Which he was underage to be drinking). One time was a mistake.. Two times is a disgrace.

I can always tell which of my friends are partaking in bad habits, because a discussion of negative impacts of these habits always brings out the word “judgmental,” from someone doing them. Yeah I think Bud and Johnny are dope smokers too.

I never said Phelps is not an athlete. I said he doesn’t fit my perspective of a true athlete. I think he can be more dedicated to his pursuit of greatness and his health. But you’re absolutely right that it’s entirely his choice. All I’m saying is that it’s a shame to see some of his potential be wasted. Sure, he’s already accomplished great things, but how do you know he’s not capable of even more?

Again, as you said, we all view life through a different perspective, and my perspective is that good health is an important part of being an athlete.

If he was having the pint of beer you mentioned on a regular basis, I absolutely would still be saying this. Perhaps you didn’t read the article closely enough.

And finally, I absolutely agree that life is too short. But if you don’t take care of yourself, it’s even shorter!

I agree it’s not the end of the world. Marijuana probably has much less impact on society than tobacco or alcohol which are both legal. But that’s a topic for another day!

The influence that icons have on society is always a tough issue to handle. On one hand, you want to give them the privacy that every human deserves, but on the other hand, their fame and riches are almost entirely based on this influence. While I don’t have a strong opinion either way about this and how it relates to Phelps’ suspension, I can at least understand the motivation behind it. In regards to kids, which this is really about, I suppose the responsibility really comes down to the parents.

I’m glad you understand that being fit isn’t always equivalent to being healthy. This is a concept that is lost on many people!

Being suspended because he “let down hundreds of thousands of swimmers?” Do you know how insane that is? Since when was he responsible for being a good role model? He’s a swimmer!

So many people complain about him smoking pot, yet I’m willing to bet you the majority of those people have smoked or drink. I think Phelps is being treated unfairly..

Anyways, back to the main point of your article. I absolutely agree that a neglectful diet is as much if not more of a sin than smoking weed.

It is interesting to see how his health will turn out. Being a runner who used to run 50-70 miles a week, it was amazing to be able to eat what ever I wanted with virtually no weight gain and what not. Obviously the crappy food’s were doing internal harm to me, but it was interesting none the less. Since quitting running however I have had to make a fairly large adjustment.

I gained 30 pounds since my move to China by simply eating the same things, with out the running. I still exercise somewhat just not as rigorous as when I was used to run. I am currently 5’9 and 150 pounds.

Great article!