"Say It Ain't So, Mike"

It'll be interesting to see what kind of fallout results from the picture of Michael Phelps smoking pot that ran in a British tabloid.

Still basking in the adulation earned through his herculean feats at the Beijing Olympics, Phelps proved he was human after all -- not because he smoked marijuana, but by being foolish enough to do so in the presence of strangers. To his credit, he issued a prompt, sincere and painfully scripted statement admitting his poor judgment.


Phelps caught a lucky break by having the news break on the day of Super Bowl XLIII. I suspect he'll catch another break from sponsors who won't toss him overboard -- unlike, say, Michael Vick -- because marijuana use is considered a pretty minor indiscretion these days.


Good crisis management? Unfortunately, probably just a sign of our times.