Michael Phelps insists he’s more worried about the pain he caused family, friends and fans than losing money in endorsements after he was photographed with a marijuana pipe.
In excerpts from an interview with NBC that aired yesterday morning, the swimming star didn’t directly answer the question of whether he was smoking marijuana.
“It was a bad mistake. I mean, we all know what, you know, what you and I are talking about. It’s a stupid mistake. You know, bad judgment,” he said.
USA Swimming suspended the eight times Olympic gold medalist for three months after the photo was published in a British tabloid on Feb. 1. He also lost his sponsorship from Kellogg’s.
“I’ve come to realize that people want to bring you up, but more people want to bring you down. And that’s how our public is. That’s definitely something to keep in mind and keep close to heart,” he said.
He was questioned about promises he made to fans after a drunk driving arrest in 2004, which the swimmer vowed was a mistake he would not repeat.
“I’ll be the first one to admit I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life. Both, like I said, in the pool and out of the pool. I’ve never made the same mistake twice,” he said.
When asked if he considered his driving arrest and the marijuana controversy the same thing, Phelps replied: “In my eyes, no. I think they’re both immature and stupid mistakes. For me, I feel my duty is to try to help other people not make this mistake.”
The photo was taken at a party while Phelps was visiting Columbia, South Carolina, in November during an extended break from training.
“There was probably two or three people there I didn’t know,” he said. “It was a very small group. Six or seven people probably total in the whole house. Like, nothing major. You know, not like a giant college house party. It was nothing like that. It was just a small group and we were just sitting around and celebrating.”
“I’ll say that there are a lot of people out there who want to take advantage of any situation they have. ... Sometimes you learn the hard way,” he said.
“It’s not about money to me,” he said of the fallout. “So, you know, the contract side of things, yeah, I was disappointed. But, you know, I think the biggest thing is who I hurt the most. Like, if I lost money, OK. It’s not an issue with me.”
Asked what his mother’s reaction was, he said: “Didn’t scream. Clearly showed she was upset. She wasn’t reprimanding me.”
Inter on Sunday were given a letoff when they snatched a late 1-1 derby draw with AC Milan, while league leaders SSC Napoli were held by a late goal at AS Roma. Reigning champions Inter remain three points behind Napoli, who looked to be heading five clear as they led in Rome until Angelino volleyed in a stunning leveler in the first minute of stoppage-time. Angelino’s strike gave even more significance to Stefan de Vrij’s last-gasp equalizer at the San Siro. The defender forced home Nicola Zalewski’s knockdown just as it looked like Tijjani Reijnders’ opener would be enough for Milan. “I can
The Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets on Saturday did not disappoint in a thrilling midseason matchup in front of a fired-up sellout crowd of more than 18,500 fans. The top two teams in the NHL delivered with a combined nine goals, including the 877th of Alex Ovechkin’s career to put him 18 back of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record. That tied the score, the Jets pulled it out in overtime and just about everyone involved got their money’s worth out of the 5-4 game. “We knew how we were both sitting in the standings and both having real good years,” Winnipeg coach Scott
BACK-TO-BACK: The League One club, which is owned by stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, is sparing no expense to clinch promotion to the Championship Hollywood endings are pricey, even in England’s third division. In pursuit of their third straight promotion, Wrexham AFC splashed some cash at League One rival Reading to secure the services of striker Sam Smith. The Welsh club owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney confirmed the signing of the 26-year-old Smith on Friday. He is one of the top scorers in the third division. The transfer fee was not disclosed, but British media widely reported it to be about £2 million (US$2.48 million) — not extravagant, but a hefty price at this level and it would be about the same figure that
Less than a week after splashing out a world-record fee for Naomi Girma, Chelsea has spent big again to bring England midfielder Keira Walsh back to the English Women’s Super League. Walsh left European champions Barcelona after more than two years to join Chelsea for a reported £400,000 (US$496,000) on Friday. Walsh was the world’s most expensive player for two years after moving to Barcelona from Manchester City for a reported £400,000 in 2022. That status now belongs to Girma, the US defender who cost Chelsea a reported £900,000 to sign from the San Diego Wave. Still, it means 27-year-old Walsh — a technically