Michael Phelps DUI News Prompts Twitter Responses
Photo by Griffin Scott
PHOENIX, Arizona, September 30. IN the hours since the news broke that Michael Phelps was charged with driving under the influence and speeding in Baltimore, the swimming community has taken to Twitter to let their opinions known. We’ve embedded many of them below.
Thankful it was the cops and not a tree, wall or other car that stopped him. Lets be quick to pray, slow to judge.
— AthletesInActionSwim (@AIASwim) September 30, 2014
As much good as one person can do for our sport, they can also do a lot of damage. So frustrating #PhelpsDUI
— cathy durden (@CathyDurden) September 30, 2014
Why, when you have all the money you could possibly need, drive drunk? Call a cab. Get a ride home. Call your limo driver. #Phelps #DUI
— Lauren Neidigh (@L_E_Neidigh) September 30, 2014
This makes me so sad not only because it was a bad decision but because it was a DANGEROUS one. We have to take care of each other, guys.
— Eve and Candace (@EveandCandace) September 30, 2014
Ugh
— Rowdy Gaines (@RowdyGaines) September 30, 2014
Just stinks for the sport of swimming.But he will become smarter from this. Luckily he did not hurt himself or someone else @RyanLochte True
— Erin Quinn (@ErinQuinn11) September 30, 2014
Wel well well, Michael phelps. Nothing has changed, has it?
— Kelsey Forbord (@KelseyForbord) September 30, 2014
I'm taking a social media break for the next day or two, friends. There are things I don't want to see. #disappointed
— Claire Murphy (@ClaireAnne12) September 30, 2014
Speaking from experience, it's not surprising Michael Phelps got 2nd DUI. Man needs help but who has ever told him he's anything but a hero?
— Tim Cowlishaw (@TimCowlishaw) September 30, 2014
Just stupid "@SwimmingWorld: Michael Phelps Charged With DUI In Baltimore @MichaelPhelps http://t.co/Gaip5eXWZv"
— Anthony Pedersen (@SwmCoachAnthony) September 30, 2014
“@SwimmingWorld: Michael Phelps Charged With DUI In Baltimore @MichaelPhelps http://t.co/VO3z8x5qtk” bad move
— Tori Glascock (@tcglascock) September 30, 2014
Not a good day, folks. Take this news as a lesson learned. It takes 20 yrs to build a reputation & a bad decision to ruin it. #SwimFit
— Swim_Fit (@Swim_Fit) September 30, 2014
@GrangerTalley They need to throw the book at him. Absolutely inexcusable.
— Adrienne Washington (@AdrienneQW) September 30, 2014
Well…no one is perfect–not in sports, not in reality & definitely not in decision making. We're all thinking bout cha Michael.
— Clayton M. Billion (@ClaytonBillion) September 30, 2014
Ok phelps got a dui. He also smoked weed. He is human (and part fish) and makes mistake. Also he won america like 74 gold medals. #FreeMike
— Anthony Brown (@Abrown796) September 30, 2014
@MamaPhelpsH20 @HilaryPhelps No words, just hugs.
— Adrienne Washington (@AdrienneQW) September 30, 2014
There is a larger lesson here than just how foolish it is to drink and drive. Mike could easily be thinking that generally he was just damaging himself.
In fact, the press is always looking for easy, simplistic ways to cut down “heroes.”
When he did the #1 100 fly swim in the world this summer it didn’t even make it into the list of the about 25 little blurbs in the web version of the local paper (azcentral.com = Arizona Republic).
His DUI stunt was the LEAD story this morning.
Seriously? You think the media looking to “cut down a hero” is a larger lesson than the fact that driving drunk driving nearly twice the legal speed limit is dangerous, stupid, and he it is only a matter of luck that he or more importantly someone else wasn’t killed by his reckless and stupid decision? Any cutting down of a hero here is Mike. He just be thankful that it is just for a DUI, and not something far worse. Suppose the media is also the bigger story to you in the Adrian Peterson and Ray Rice stories too.