U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps shown here at a news conference ahead of the Pan Pacific swimming championships in August was arrested Tuesday morning in Baltimore on suspicion of DUI. It was Phelps' second arrest for driving under the influence as he previously pleaded guilty to driving while impaired after a 2004 arrest.(Photo Rick Rycroft AP)
Michael Phelps was once suspended for three months because of a photo. Now that he has been arrested for the second time in 10 years for driving while under the influence Phelps should immediately be suspended by USA Swimming for at least a year with the very real option for the banishment to extend through the 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games.
In other words USA Swimming in concert with the U.S. Olympic Committee should be telling the 29 year old Phelps who has built a multimillion dollar career out of being a role model to children and young adults that because of his unconscionable behavior it is entirely possible he has swum in his last sanctioned meet.
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Actions this awful especially from a repeat offender approaching his 30th birthday deserve that kind of severe punishment. Phelps should be seen today first and foremost as a drunk driver not an Olympian.
That said it actually would be preferable for Phelps his family and his representatives to act first. In his role as a spokesman for so many U.S. brands and as an undeniable American sports hero Phelps should announce that he is taking himself out of his sport for at least a year. He probably won't do that but he should. His sponsors should follow suit and suspend any association with him.
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Phelps clearly should be focusing on his legal and personal troubles. He should not represent his country in any manner not after what he did. Early Tuesday morning he was arrested on DUI charges after allegedly going 84 mph in a 45 mph zone while illegally changing lanes inside a Baltimore tunnel.
This was an act of horrid judgment stunning immaturity and utter lack of control. He is lucky he didn't kill himself a family a father a mother a child.
Zero tolerance is a term we're hearing a lot these days in the NFL on another subject. We should be hearing it today from USA Swimming as well. It is a privilege not a right to represent your nation as an athlete. Phelps just gave up that privilege.
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