Jay Mariotti FanHouse http://jay-mariotti.fanhouse.com Jay Mariotti FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://jay-mariotti.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif Jay Mariotti FanHouse http://jay-mariotti.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/JMar09 to Sports World: Cease Tweetinghttp://jay-mariotti.fanhouse.com/2009/08/04/jmar09-to-sports-world-stop-all-tweeting/http://jay-mariotti.fanhouse.com/2009/08/04/jmar09-to-sports-world-stop-all-tweeting/http://jay-mariotti.fanhouse.com/2009/08/04/jmar09-to-sports-world-stop-all-tweeting/#commentsFiled under:

The problem with Twitter? Aside from allowing only 140 characters of data per tweet, leaving us barely enough room to burp and fart, it provides the immediate and unfiltered dissemination of thought by people with no brains. Some of these people happen to be athletes, creating yet another distraction in a sports world with enough alcohol, weed, steroids, groupies and strip joints to go around. Now we have to deal with a daily assault of social-media madness?
More Coverage: Chargers' Twitter Cops Bust Antonio Cromartie

Take Martellus Bennett, backup tight end of the Dallas Cowboys. Going by the tag MartyBTV, he wrote the other day, "Jus took a steroid test. Mann me no likey doctors waking me up to pee. Quick power nap then prac."

Like I care. Then there's Visanthe Shiancoe, last caught in all his full-frontal-nude glory by a post-game TV camera, telling us how he's earning his salary with the Minnesota Vikings. "Zzzzzz zzzz zzzz zzz (in meetings) lol ... Introducing the staff," he posted FROM THE TEAM MEETING ROOM at 11:46 a.m.

From the no-shame department, San Diego linebacker Shaun Phillips tweeted a personal request to Oakland linebacker Kirk Morrison. "[W]heres the erin andrews video son," he asked, apparently wanting a look at the peephole perv video that shows the ESPN sportscaster naked in her hotel room. Later, Phillips asked the general public to "send me the link to the erin andrews video." If and when Andrews ever interviews Phillips, she has my permission to kick him in the groin.

Hardly a day passes anymore without a sports figure making news via Twitter. In some ways, the craze can be funny and even serve a newsworthy purpose, such as when Shaquille O'Neal congratulated rival Kobe Bryant on his fourth NBA title. Or when Lance Armstrong provided meaningful updates and observations from the Tour de France. But more often than not, it shows the damage that can be done when irresponsible dopes have free-speech access to a digital printing press.

They abuse the privilege. No, they obliterate it.

J.R. SmithTake J.R. Smith, shooting guard of the Denver Nuggets. Several of his recent posts have reflected what experts suggest is code for the Bloods street gang. In that particular lexicon, a "C" is replaced with a "K." And if both letters are in the same word, the "C" is completely eliminated. When he was released from jail last week, Smith wrote, "I just Kame home .... I kouldnt have done it with out yall." This past Sunday, he wrote, "Vegas here I kome!" Last week, he wrote, "Kant wait to get bak in the swing of things."

While in Vegas, he complained about having to leave a hotel for an immature reason: "[G]ot to change hotels ... the palms won't let me hook my xbox up." He also talked of moving there, writing, "Man I'm tired . . . going to the airport. Vegas here I Kome!" ... "thinking bout buyin a house in Vegas" ... and then, ironically, "People please watch what you say on here it gets me in a lot of trouble."

"Those are still little messages that are being transcended back to some of the neighborhoods," said Rev. Leon Kelly, executive director of Open Door Youth Gang Alternatives in Denver, in an interview with the Denver Post. "Not to say in no way is he promoting a gang. But people got to understand that a lot of these kids come from gang neighborhoods. Their friends are still involved in doing what they do. Just because one was able to get out of that lifestyle, many of them don't forget where they come from."

(Editor's Note: Smith has since deleted his account).

Others play pranks that don't amuse their bosses. Over the weekend, Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson suffered a sprained knee ligament when a defensive lineman rolled on his leg in practice. While the legitimate news media tried to sort out truth from fiction, Vikings wide receiver Bernard Berrian was tweeting that Jackson was out for the entire season. This wasn't true; the injury isn't as serious as originally thought, and Berrian was forced to issue his version of a retraction -- not exactly from the Associated Press stylebook. "Ok folks jokes over. T-Jack is fine," he said. "But, lesson learned here. DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING U SEE IN THE MEDIA!! Yes, twitter is media!!"

If Berrian worked in the traditional media, he wouldn't last past lunchtime.

And as I write this on a sunny afternoon in Chicago -- where the Bears, like other NFL teams, have warned reporters not to tweet from the practice field -- this just happened: San Diego cornerback Antonio Cromartie was fined $2,500 by the team for tweeting that the food is bad at training camp. "Man we have 2 have the most nasty food of any team," he wrote. "Damn can we upgrade 4 str8 years the same ish maybe that's y we can't we the SB we need." Yep, the Chargers can't win a Super Bowl because the food stinks. They should make him starve.

We're reaching a point in sports where the everyone's-a-writer concept is diluting trust within.Do not misconstrue this as a rambling complaint from a traditional sports journalist. I've rolled with the times -- first handing back $1 million in guaranteed money to leave a dying newspaper, then joining a progressive Web operation at AOL with hundreds of journalists, pundits, editors and bloggers. I understand Twitter and its quick-hit purpose for shorter attention spans, even if I dissed the idea when asked to perform it last summer at the Beijing Olympics. I also understand when Kevin Love, forward of the Minnesota Timberwolves, makes a beat reporter's function obsolete when he literally breaks the news that his coach, Kevin McHale, was being let go by the franchise. No longer does Love or anyone else in sports have to take a call from a writer to disseminate what he knows. He can do it himself on Twitter.

Yet we're reaching a point in sports where the everyone's-a-writer concept is diluting trust within. Monday, the Philadelphia Eagles were upset when a player anonymously leaked news that starting linebacker Stewart Bradley suffered a torn knee ligament and was out for the season. That led reporters to directly contact Bradley, who confirmed the news. This, in turn, angered coach Andy Reid, who ripped the media for violating a "pact" in which he supposedly asked reporters to make him the sole source for injury information. It's laughable to think anyone in the Philadelphia media would agree to such terms, but Reid lashed back anyway.

"I made a pact with you guys when I first got here that I would disclose to you the injuries -- just stay away from the players and stay away from other personnel in the organization and I would take care of you with that," he said. "That part was breached." He also said he would use "peer pressure" to make sure some reporters turn on those who talked to Bradley and others.

How pathetic that Reid can compete each year against Dallas, Washington and the New York Giants -- yet he wants the media to be a collective blob that serves his interests and doesn't compete for stories. Now more than ever, reporters have to protect their waning livelihoods in a crumbling profession, and the time-proven way is by breaking a story. If Reid can't respect that, I can't respect him.

But I do grasp completely why franchises want to crack down on players who tweet. The Green Bay Packers will issue their maximum fine of $1,701 to any player who uses Twitter during team activities. Running back Ryan Grant abided by the policy, writing in off hours, "Soo the word issssss...NO tweets during any team activity(which i think is fine since we are focused) but that means.only... expect tweets in the morning before we go to work, possibly around lunch time and at night once we done..i dont want that heavy fine lol." What a concept: Work by day, tweet by night. The Miami Dolphins have issued the same no-Twitter edict, and expect others to follow when the NFL expresses concerns to players about identity fraud and impersonations on fake accounts. It's one thing to promote a sport and team, quite another to let tweeting cloud focus and become counterproductive to the grand goal.

Of course, that won't stop Chad Ochocinco from obliterating the team-first priority, as usual, and tweet during games. "I'm going to really make it fun. I'm using Twitter during games, during halftime, after the games. I'm going to be taking it to the next level," Ochocinco said. "I like it because it gives me the opportunity to reach out to thousands of people at one time. It gives me a chance to get my story across when something goes wrong ... It's big for me and I'm taking it a step further. I have my own application coming out where people will be able to interact and follow me. You know more than through just the keyboard and reading my messages -- you'll actually be able to follow me and when the season starts, it's going to get even worse."

Thanks for the warning.

Tweeting, as you can see, is the self-promoter's best friend. It's also something out of a junior-high-school cafeteria. "Got NFL Total Access following me today!" wrote DeAngelo Hall, the Washington cornerback. "I'll let you guys know when to look out for it! I also have a HUGE Announcement coming up!!!"

Hopefully, that he's quitting Twitter.

JMar09 to Sports World: Cease Tweeting originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Jay MariottiTue, 04 Aug 2009 20:40:00 EST 'Yinz' Should Admit it: Pittsburgh Ruleshttp://jay-mariotti.fanhouse.com/2009/06/16/yinz-should-admit-it-pittsburgh-rules/http://jay-mariotti.fanhouse.com/2009/06/16/yinz-should-admit-it-pittsburgh-rules/http://jay-mariotti.fanhouse.com/2009/06/16/yinz-should-admit-it-pittsburgh-rules/#commentsFiled under: ,

In Chicago, Milton Bradley further endears himself to Cubdom by flipping a ball into the seats with two out, a farcical sign that 100 years without a World Series title soon will be 101. In Cleveland, the poor people still haven't won a championship in any sport since 1964 and might lose LeBron James to New York, assuming the gulls and midges don't eat him first. In Buffalo, they're not yet over the sting of reaching the Super Bowl four times and losing four times, which still trumps chicken wings as the civic identity.

"That's life," Bradley explained. "These people have high expectations. I have high expectations for myself. I never made a mistake like that (losing track of the outs) in my life. Sue me."

"Something needs to be done," the Indians' Ryan Garko said of the birds and bugs that attack Progressive Field. "There's got to be a way to get rid of them. It's kind of embarrassing. We look like a bunch of kids playing on an abandoned field. It's kind of funny, but kind of not funny."

Across America, sports cities deal with unique forms of futility. How about Atlanta, which has fielded teams in major sports since the 1960s and has one championship to show for it? Or Minneapolis-St. Paul, which has only two since the '70s? Or Kansas City, which hasn't won anything since 1985 and may as well cede from the big time? All of which makes me even more amazed by the performance of the country's most efficient sports town.

Would you believe Pittsburgh as the City of Champions?

Since 1970, when the sports industry began its big boom nationally, a town currently ranked as the 26th television market -- sandwiched by Portland and Salt Lake City -- has won an astounding 11 championships between its three big-league teams. That rates behind only the New York and Los Angeles metro areas, which are represented by multiple teams in some leagues, and Boston, which owns 13 titles in that span among its four franchises. Tucked amid hills and rivers somewhere between Appalachia and the East Coast, Pittsburgh is a small, humble place with its own dialect and idiosyncrasies. When the rest of us say "you guys," folks in western Pennsylvania say "yinz." An Iron City beer is ordered as an "Arn and a shot." Anywhere else in the world, french fries are ordered and eaten separately; in the 'Burgh, the fries are stuffed inside the sandwich with coleslaw and anything else that might be laying around.

Whatever they're eating, it's working. Four months after the Steelers won their second Super Bowl in four years and sixth since the '70s, the Penguins won their third-ever Stanley Cup with one of the epic Game 7 triumphs in NHL history, a toppling of the Detroit Red Wings' dynasty in a hostile Hockeytown environment. Just as the Steelers are in a mode where they can win another championship any given season, the Penguins seem set for years with their young superstars, 21-year-old Sidney Crosby and 22-year-old Evgeni Malkin. There are towns that have waited decades just to get a sniff of a Stanley Cup, Vince Lombardi Trophy or any piece of hardware. Pittsburgh, little Pittsburgh, already is armed with an embarrassment of riches and can anticipate more glory well into the next decade.

Why there? Because it's a town blessed with sound, purposeful leadership, as demanded by hard-working people. Dan Rooney, who inherited the Steelers from his father, sticks by old-school principles and a continuity in coaching -- a formula that works in this century as well as the last. And Mario Lemieux, the cornerstone of Penguins clubs that won two Cups in the early '90s, helped saved hockey in Pittsburgh by the will of his personality and business sense, then completely lucked out and landed the No. 1 pick in the draft the year Crosby was available. With Malkin, the youngest Conn Smythe Trophy winner ever and the league's regular-season scoring champion, the Penguins have the most potent duo in sports for the next, oh, dozen years or so if they can keep both financially happy.

And the crazy thing is, all of this is happening in a town with only 335,000 residents within the city limits and 1.4 million in the market. An estimated 400,000 of those folks were downtown for another victory parade Monday, a celebration that took the same route as the Steelers. They chanted "Let's Go Pens!" and honked horns as the players waved and shot victory salutes.

"Thank you guys," Crosby told the fans. "What can I say? The support you guys have given us, the support you have showed ... You deserve to be called the City of Champions. You deserve the Stanley Cup."

Spoiled? I know I am. Pittsburgh is my hometown, and when I arrived in Chicago and started pounding on the Cubs and White Sox and Bears for not winning titles in a major market, the locals thought I was too rough on their boys. Why was I so discriminating? Maybe because I grew up in a place where Super Bowls and Hall of Famers were commonplace, where Lemieux became a hockey icon and where, until the humiliation of recent years, the Pirates won two World Series and were competitive into the '90s with a pre-steroids Barry Bonds and a scrappy, chain-smoking manager named Jim Leyland. The White Sox finally won in 2005, which brought Chicago its first Series championship in almost 200 collective seasons on both sides of town. But why was one title a big deal when Pittsburgh had won two in eight years?

They are appreciative and sophisticated enough in the 'Burgh not to burn down the town. Shocked as many were that the Penguins stunned the Wings on the road, which ended a six-game win streak for Game 7 home teams in a Cup final, the fans celebrated with beer and much merriment. That is in contrast to Los Angeles, where eight police officers suffered minor injuries in downtown flareups after the Lakers' NBA championship clincher Sunday night in Orlando. They started fires. They threw rocks and bottles at officers. They vandalized stores. In all, 20 were arrested. Given a choice of living in Southern California or Pittsburgh, most would opt for sun, surf and sand over shutdown steel mills. Sounds like Pittsburgh is a better place to raise a family.

In the wake of Friday's changing of the guard, it's a shame the Red Wings tried to spoil the moment by sniping at Crosby. Yes, the captain was late to arrive at the traditional receiving line in which handshakes are exchanged afterward, but did he not have a good excuse? Didn't the league commandeer his services for several immediate TV interviews before pointing Crosby to commissioner Gary Bettman, who handed him the Stanley Cup? Isn't Sid the Kid still just 21 years old? It was as if the Wings, bitter after failing to win their fifth Cup in 13 seasons, needed a target on which to vent. They picked the wrong guy. No one is more humble, more respectful of tradition, than Crosby. He's the boy-next-door who literally still lives in Lemieux's house. If Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom was waiting for him, he should have asked the league to delay interviews until after all hands were shaken.

"Nick was waiting and waiting, and Crosby didn't come over to shake his hand," Detroit veteran Kris Draper complained. "That's ridiculous, especially as their captain, and make sure you write that I said that."

"I think that's one thing you should do," teammate Henrik Zetterberg added Monday. "I don't know why he didn't do it. It's disrespectful."

"Sidney was probably caught up in the emotions and everything," Lidstrom said. "He'll learn from it."

No, gentlemen, Sidney was preoccupied by protocol, something Lidstrom and the Wings should know all about. The Cup ceremony was old hat to them. It was new to Crosby. The Detroit guys look petty in criticizing him.

"It's the easiest thing in the world to shake hands after you win," said Crosby, denying any bad intentions and pointing out that he did shake hands with goalie Chris Osgood and other Wings players. "I really don't need to talk to anyone from Detroit about it. I made the attempt to go shake hands. I've been on that side of things, too, I know it's not easy, waiting around. I just won the Stanley Cup, and I think I have the right to celebrate with my teammates. On their side of things, I understand if they don't want to wait around.

"I had no intentions of trying to skip guys and not shake their hands. I think that was a pretty unreasonable comment. The guys I shook hands with, they realized I made the attempt. If I could shake half their team's hands, I'm sure the other half wasn't too far behind. I don't know what happened there. I have no regrets."

Nor should he. He is part of a remarkable story in hockey lore, a team left for dead several times in the playoffs and regular season. When general manager Ray Shero found the guts in February to fire coach Michel Therrien, who merely had produced a Stanley Cup finals appearance last season, the Penguins were 27-25-5 and five points shy of the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. Shero hired the raw, 38-year-old Dan Bylsma, not far removed from minor-league coaching, and advocated the installation of a more aggressive system that took advantage of Crosby, Malkin and the offensive talent. The result was a radical turnaround of 34-11-4, and wherever Therrien is today, even he must applaud the move.

Latest NHL Images

    Detroit Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom talks to the media before cleaning out his locker at the end of their season at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan, on Monday, June 15, 2009. (Julian H. Gonzalez/Detroit Free Press/MCT)

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    Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock answered one last question in the locker room at the end of their season at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan, on Monday, June 15, 2009. (Julian H. Gonzalez/Detroit Free Press/MCT)

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    Detroit Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom removes his equipment before cleaning out his locker at the end of the Red Wings' season at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan, on Monday, June 15, 2009. (Julian H. Gonzalez/Detroit Free Press/MCT)

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    Pittsburgh Penguins gather in downtown Pittsburgh during a parade celebrating the NHL hockey team's Stanley Cup win, Monday, June 15, 2009. The Penguins defeated the Detroit Red Wings on Friday night in Game 7. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

    AP

    Pittsburgh Penguins' Jordan Staal, left center, and teammate Phillipe Boucher, upper left, celebrate with Penguins fans during a parade celebrating the team's Stanley Cup win Monday, June 15, 2009 through downtown Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

    AP

    Pittsburgh Penguins' Marc-Andre Fleury, left, gets his turn with the Stanley Cup and congratulations from teammate Bill Guerin, right, during a celebration following a parade honoring the NHL hockey team's Stanley Cup win, Monday, June 15, 2009, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

    AP

    Pittsburgh Penguins fans line the Boulevard of the Allies in downtown Pittsburgh during a parade celebrating the Penguins Stanley Cup win Monday, June 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

    AP

    Pittsburgh Penguins fans line the Boulevard of the Allies in downtown Pittsburgh during for a parade celebrating the Penguins Stanley Cup win Monday, June 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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    Pittsburgh Penguins' Hal Gill, center, holds his daughter Isabella as she pets a police horse following a parade celebrating the team's Stanley Cup win Monday, June 15, 2009, in downtown Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

    AP

    Pittsburgh Penguins fans line the Boulevard of the Allies in downtown Pittsburgh as Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and goalie Marc-Andre Fleury ride in the back of a truck with the Stanley Cup during a parade celebrating the Penguins' Stanley Cup win, Monday, June 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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"I think the game is meant to be played aggressively and in your face," Bylsma said after becoming the second rookie coach to win the Cup. "When you can dictate the pace of the game and where it's played, you can put teams on their heels. That's a fun way to play, and, I think, the right way to play."

It wouldn't be surprising if both teams returned to the Cup final for the third straight year. Both have to maneuver around a salary cap, but these are clearly the elite organizations in hockey. And they are the very two teams, with the requisite stars, that can attract more than the puckheads. If the NHL remains a niche league, the likes of Crosby, Malkin and Detroit's skilled pack of Euro-matons have caught the attention of the sporting masses. Now all we need is Bettman to seize the opportunity, return the games to ESPN and give his game a chance to finally grow in America, despite financial problems in several Sun Belt cities that never should have had franchises to begin with.

The epicenter of it all is Pittsburgh, always a football town and now a hockey town just a year away from abandoning an igloo-shaped relic for a new arena. It stopped being a good baseball town when the Pirates, despite playing in a beautiful waterfront park, became better known for their fire sales. The latest blunder, which sent All-Star outfielder Nate McLouth to Atlanta in early June, set off a near-mutiny among players and fans. "There ain't a guy in here who ain't [ticked] off about it," first baseman Adam LaRoche said. "They might be trying to hide it or whatever, but, hey, you get a guy [that's] loved by everybody, not just in this clubhouse but in the community, who does everything you could want a guy to do, a perfect guy to be a leader. It's kind of like being with your platoon in a battle, and guys keep dropping around you. You keep hanging on, hanging on, and you've got to figure: How much longer till you sink?"

The Pirates are headed to their 17th consecutive losing season, a dubious major league record. Obviously, they are not part of the City of Champions mantra beyond the tradition of franchise greats such as Roberto Clemente. But why should the locals care when they have the most decorated NFL team of the modern era and a hockey club destined to be remembered the same way?

So many trophies, so little population. Per capita, that makes Pittsburgh the hotbed of American sports.

Who knew?

'Yinz' Should Admit it: Pittsburgh Rules originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Dan Rooneyevgeni malkinmario lemieuxSidney CrosbyJay MariottiTue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST Props to Persevering Michael Phelps http://jay-mariotti.fanhouse.com/2009/05/16/props-to-persevering-michael-phelps/http://jay-mariotti.fanhouse.com/2009/05/16/props-to-persevering-michael-phelps/http://jay-mariotti.fanhouse.com/2009/05/16/props-to-persevering-michael-phelps/#commentsFiled under:

So, how serious was Michael Phelps about quitting the sport that made him famous -- and, um, infamous? Serious as a sheet of paper, a line dividing the page in half and headings with "pros" on one side and "cons" on the other. It was mid-March, not long after a photo surfaced of the American treasure and most decorated Olympian sucking on a bong, and Phelps was tired of celebrity, scandal and a world he no longer trusted beyond chlorine and water.

He was on the precipice: continue to endure the global spotlight or fade away as a 23-year-old retiree, which would give him plenty of time to party and lush out as he pleased. This was no insignificant decision for humankind, either. If a legendary athlete fled years before his time because he couldn't tolerate intense scrutiny, what would it say about Phelps, his priorities, the cruelty of society in 2009 and the peek-a-boo syndrome of advancing technology? Would his retreat down an escape hatch be a bigger commentary on his weariness or our obsession with gotcha tactics regarding celebs? How sad if Phelps was compelled to retire because some jerk in South Carolina sold the scandalous photo to a British tabloid, as his coach, Bob Bowman, said in an Associated Press interview.

"I was concerned that if he did quit, he did it for the right reasons," Bowman said. "Otherwise, it would just be a joke. I have told him, 'You've done all there is to do. If you quit today, you're the greatest of all time. You can walk away.' But I did think it would be bad if he walked away because of this thing. He should go on his own
terms."

Fortunately for Phelps -- and his legacy in sport and life -- he did not run from the problems he created. He woke up one spring day near the bay in Fells Point, his hip neighborhood in Baltimore, and realized that his love of swimming was overpowering his disdain for the public eye. "I don't know what it was, if it was something that happened that night during sleep or what," Phelps said the other day. "I don't even know if it was a change of heart. I remember the sunlight was coming into my room. It was the sun that woke me up. And I just realized that I still have a passion for this. I thought: 'Why am I even contemplating quitting? I want to swim another four years.' "

I'm pleased he was awakened by the sun.

We need Michael Phelps to keep swimming and competing in his twenties. We need him to spend the next three years and three months focusing on the London Games, where he should win a few more gold medals and then retire to a rich life as an ambassador for his country and sport. Assuming his 2012 Games include another gold rush, adding to the 14 he amassed in Beijing and Athens, Phelps can minimize the bong shot as a mistake in a young man's life -- forgivable in the grand scope, if not completely forgettable. "I might have a change of passion, a change of heart, and then I'll stop," he allowed. "But I think that now my heart is where I want it to be, which is in the pool.

"I feel like I have unfinished business. There are still things I want to accomplish before I'm finished in the sport. I'm not going to be done until I do that, and I think I can do it in the next four years."

Michael Phelps Snapshots

    Olympic swimming gold medalist Michael Phelps swims in the men's final 100-meter backstroke during the USA Swimming Grand Prix Series Charlotte UltraSwim in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, May 16, 2009. Phelps placed second with a time of 53.79 seconds. Aaron Peirsol won the race with a time of 53.32 seconds. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

    AP

    Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps follows through on a stroke during the men's 100-meter backstroke final during the 2009 NC Charlotte UltraSwim at the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, Saturday, May 16, 2009. (Jeff Siner/Charlotte Observer/MCT)

    MCT

    Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps reaches out to shake hands with Aaron Peirsol following the men's 100-meter backstroke final during the 2009 NC Charlotte UltraSwim at the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, Saturday, May 16, 2009. (Jeff Siner/Charlotte Observer/MCT)

    MCT

    Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps shakes hands with Aaron Peirsol on the awards stand following the men's 100-meter backstroke final during the 2009 NC Charlotte UltraSwim at the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, Saturday, May 16, 2009. (Jeff Siner/Charlotte Observer/MCT)

    MCT

    CHARLOTTE, NC - MAY 16: Michael Phelps follows Aarron Peirsol to the start of the Men's 100m Backstroke final during the Charlotte Ultra Swim at the Charlotte Aquatic Center on May 16, 2009 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Phelps finished in second place behind Aaron Peirsol. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Phelps;Aaron Peirsol

    Getty Images

    Olympic swimming gold medalist Michael Phelps swims in the men's final 100-meter backstroke during the USA Swimming Grand Prix Series Charlotte UltraSwim in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, May 16, 2009. Phelps placed second with a time of 53.79 seconds. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

    AP

    Olympic swimming gold medalist Michael Phelps, left, shakes hands with Olympic gold medalist Aaron Peirsol after Peirsol won the men's final 100 meter backstroke during the USA Swimming Grand Prix Series Charlotte Ultraswim in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, May 16, 2009. Peirsol's winning time was 53.32 seconds. Phelps recorded a time of 53.79 seconds. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

    AP

    Olympic swimming gold medalist Michael Phelps dives at the start of the men's final 100-meter backstroke during the USA Swimming Grand Prix Series Charlotte Ultraswim in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, May 16, 2009. Phelps placed second with a time of 53.79 seconds. Aaron Peirsol won the race with a time of 53.32 seconds. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

    AP

    Olympic swimming gold medalist Michael Phelps, left, shakes hands with Aaron Peirsol after Peirsol won the men's final 100 meter backstroke during the USA Swimming Grand Prix Series Charlotte Ultraswim in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, May 16, 2009. Peirsol's winning time was 53.32 seconds. Phelps recorded a time of 53.79 seconds. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

    AP

    Swimmer Michael Phelps smiles as he is being interviewed after losing in the finals of the 100 meter backstroke during the Charlotte UltraSwim Grand Prix at the Mecklenburg Aquatic Center in Charlotte, North Carolina May 16, 2009 . REUTERS/Chris Keane (UNITED STATES SPORT SWIMMING HEADSHOT)

    Reuters



With his rejuvenated attitude augmented by a new goatee, Phelps returned to competition and the media swarms this weekend at the Charlotte UltraSwim event in North Carolina. He blew away the field in the 200-meter freestyle and 100 butterfly, flopped in his attempt at a new challenge in the 50 freestyle, then lost to world-record holder Aaron Peirsol -- his first defeat in almost a year -- in the 100 backstroke Saturday night. But how he fared didn't seem nearly as important as the fact he was in the pool and racing for the first time since his epic Summer Games performance -- and three-month suspension by USA Swimming. Only family and friends knew how close Phelps was to chucking it all. To see him re-embracing his craft, only weeks after his decision, is an important story.

"I was real excited," Phelps said of his return. "It didn't matter how I felt, I was excited just to race. That's the most important thing. I still have that drive and that passion to race.

"I'm definitely ahead of where I thought I would be. After taking that much of a break, I didn't know what to expect or where to really put myself. So I'm very pleased. This is an excellent start to hopefully building off this and getting ready for the summer."

Said Bowman, who was thrilled at Phelps' times in his victories: "Mentally, he's the best ever. We make a big deal about his physical [attributes], and it's there. But it's the way he approaches the race, the way his brain works in competition. That's the way you would like every swimmer to think."

Phelps was shocked that almost 100 media members ventured to an event normally covered by a handful of swimming writers. Such is the star power of one of the planet's most viral celebrities. In a sport that matters to the masses only for two weeks every four years, he remains hyper-relevant because folks are intrigued in his private life, including rumors about strippers and reports that he is dating the controversial beauty queen, Miss California Carrie Prejean. They care about Phelps as much in Britain, France and Japan -- all represented by media at the meet -- as we do in the U.S. "It's kind of weird," he said. "I feel like there's more pressure than Beijing. I didn't even see this many cameras in Beijing."

Though he wondered at one point why five TV camera people were trailing him, Phelps handled the media onslaught with the same charm and thoughtfulness he generally exuded in China. The Charlotte crowd received him warmly, which Bowman said was significant. Gradually, Phelps wants to regain trust in the public and reach out to people as friends, but the process will take time. Admittedly, he feels scalded by fame and its pitfalls. "You always have to be aware of who your real friends are," he said. "Your guard always has to be up. Wherever I go, I am very aware of everything around me."

At least he laughed upon realizing there was a small hole in the back of his swimsuit Friday. If the hole was any larger, oh, would the Internet creeps have had a field day. "I was hoping it wasn't going to rip when I bent down at the start," Phelps said. "But it was all good. We got that all straightened out and fixed."

In his mind, any attention is good attention for swimming, which falls off the map like most Olympic sports in non-Games years. Phelps won't be seeking eight gold medals in London, but he is experimenting with the 50 and 100 free and 100 backstroke, three events that weren't part of his package last August. In the 50 free, which isn't part of the London plan at present, Phelps lacks the "explosive power" to dominate, according to Bowman. He barely qualified for the final, then chose to scratch, explaining that he's using the 50 to help prepare his stroke for the 100 free. "I don't even know how to swim the 50. I don't really know what to do," Phelps said. "My head position the first 25 was not too good. I was too deep. I had a giant wave over my head."

In the end, of course, everyone wants to know about the bong and how he has coped. He was asked at the press conference if he thinks the public is prepared to forgive him. "That's a question I should be asking you guys," Phelps said. "I don't know. As I said before, it was bad judgment and a very stupid mistake. It's something I've already learned from and something I'll continue to learn from. Hopefully, I can help people never make the same mistake."

One of his new friends from the music world, rap mogul Jay-Z, makes a good point about double standards. "You look at all these people who graduated from Princeton and Harvard, who are supposed to be pillars of the community -- every day, [they're] in the newspaper arrested for some kind of financial fraud," he said. "Then you look at someone like Michael Phelps. He's 23. What's he gonna do? He's a kid. He's going to experiment."

He experimented. He got caught. He paid a heavy price.

Now, it's back to work. "I wake up. I eat. Go to morning workout," he said. "I come back and take a nap. Wake up, eat some more."

Never has something so mundane sounded so mature, productive ... and important.

Props to Persevering Michael Phelps originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Sat, 16 May 2009 21:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>michael phelpsMichaelPhelpsJay MariottiSat, 16 May 2009 21:37:00 EST Quitting Would Damage Phelps' Legacyhttp://jay-mariotti.fanhouse.com/2009/02/06/quitting-would-damage-phelps-legacy/http://jay-mariotti.fanhouse.com/2009/02/06/quitting-would-damage-phelps-legacy/http://jay-mariotti.fanhouse.com/2009/02/06/quitting-would-damage-phelps-legacy/#commentsFiled under:

So now he's threatening to seek an escape hatch, not compete in the 2012 Olympics -- you know, take his Speedo LZR Racer trunks and 14 gold medals and swim home. That would be a regrettable and rather cowardly backstroke by Michael Phelps, who finds himself at an unexpected crossroads in his charmed life and needs to make a mature decision to counter his reckless immaturity.

Thursday night, he was punished by the very country he made so proud in Beijing, suspended from competition for three months by USA Swimming. It's a bombshell decision by the sport's governing body, certain to furiously stoke the ongoing arguments about a national sports hero and whether he should be allowed to smoke marijuana in his downtime. In my mind, this is precisely the right call by the federation, necessary after Phelps embraced the idea of being a role model for children only to let them down by leaning into a bong at a college house party and leaving us with a disappointing image.

Mr. America has soiled himself, making us wonder if he has become another burned-out stoner who can't control his partying. Maybe you and I plunged into the same sort of activities in our early 20s, but none of us was Sportsman of the Year and the most acclaimed Olympian ever. If he cares about children as much as he claims, Phelps will understand and learn from sanctions that also include a stoppage of financial support by USA Swimming. He can go one of two ways, either turning a negative into a positive or letting the negative bury him by retiring from competition. Whether he realizes it or not, the incident's effect on his ultimate legacy hangs in the balance.

"This is not a situation where any anti-doping rule was violated, but we did decide to send a strong message to Michael because he disappointed so many people, particularly hundreds of thousands of USA Swimming member kids who look up to him as a role model and a hero," the federation said in a statement. "Michael has voluntarily accepted this reprimand and has committed to earn back our trust."

But has he?

Just a day earlier, in an interview with his hometown Baltimore Sun, Phelps suggested that the post-China scrutiny on his life has been too much to bear -- and that he might bypass the London Games because of it. "This is a decision of mine that I'm not going to make today and I'm not going to make tomorrow," Phelps said. "It's going to require a lot of time and energy and a lot of thinking for myself -- but also talking to Bob (Bowman, his coach) and talking to my family and just deciding what I want to do.

"Yeah, there are still goals that I have in the pool, 100 percent. But I'm not going to let anything stand in my way. If I decide to walk away, I'll decide to walk away on my own terms. If it's now, if it's four years, who knows. But it is something I need to think about and decide what I want to do."

To Phelps' credit, he apologized quickly and didn't try to cover up the bong photo, which inevitably was published by a sleazy London tabloid. He also says he doesn't smoke marijuana regularly, telling the Sun, "This was stupid, and I know this won't happen again. It's obviously bad judgment, and it's something I'm not proud of at all. I will say that with the mistakes that I've made in my life, I've learned from them. Every one of them. And I've become a better person. That's what I plan to do from here. It's definitely not what I wanted, and it's clearly not what my mom wanted."

Then why run away from 2012? The last time Phelps slipped up, with a drunk-driving arrest following his Athens medal haul in 2004, he vowed to overcome it by focusing on his swimming. But now he has a dope issue, too, which means he might have a problem much larger than a guy getting high one night at the University of South Carolina. What he must do, actually, is embrace swimming like never before, return to serious training and eye London with the same intensity and commitment that he eyed Beijing.

"It makes me happy," Phelps said of being back in the pool, where he was interviewed. "It's a part of me I've always had, and I've always been happy doing it. I like getting up in the morning and having something to do. On Monday, we get back to two-a-day (practices), and I'm looking forward to that. I feel more comfortable here. This is my home."

That way, he can reconnect with a nation of fans who are more than willing to forgive him if he's sincere about getting serious. "I think this is like the DUI, in that it's something I can talk more about and make sure that nobody makes the same mistakes I made," he said. "What I've gone through in the last week, no one wants to go through."

The latest fallout came from Kellogg Co., which announced Thursday that it was dumping Phelps as a spokesman after plastering him across its Corn Flakes and Frosted Flakes boxes after the Olympics. His bong behavior, the company said, "is not consistent with the image of Kellogg." Curiously, other sponsors were eager to support him, including Visa, Speedo and watchmaker Omega. That reflects the divided opinion surrounding Phelps, who also is backed by Dara Torres, the 41-year-old comeback star who won a silver medal in Beijing. "I see him as a kid trying to grow up in the most intense spotlight known to any athlete. He has apologized, and what else can he do?" she told the Associated Press. "The thing I hope is that people realize Michael is still a person and not just a swimming hero.

"He didn't let the USA down at the Games, so we shouldn't let him down. Knowing Michael the way I do, I guarantee you it's going to make him want to do well. All this is going to do is light a fire under him."

I hope she's right. It was encouraging to hear Drew Johnson, an agent for Phelps, come out late in the night and say of the suspension, "Michael accepts these decisions and understands their point of view. He feels bad he let anyone down. He's also encouraged by the thousands of comments he's received from his fans and the support from his many sponsors. He intends to work hard to regain everyone's trust." We're also hearing the same from Bowman, his most trusted advisor.

But until we hear again from Phelps, who knows what he's thinking and where he might be going?

He complained about paparazzi dogging him all week, waking him up at his Baltimore home and tailing him when he drives to the pool. "I've been waking up to guys yelling into megaphones outside my window at 7 o'clock in the morning," he told the Sun. "I've been through just about everything you can go through. I've had paparazzi people following me from my house to my mom's house. People knocking on the door. It's crazy." Since Beijing, his doings have been fodder for TMZ.com and other Internet sites, which have shown him on the party scene, hanging out with various women and enjoying life. There's nothing wrong with any of that until he goes bong-hit on us. That leaves him vulnerable to trouble, such as the county sheriff in South Carolina who wants to make a name for himself and possibly press charges against Phelps. Never mind the double standard: If the sheriff, Leon Lott, busted every kid who smoked pot at the university, there wouldn't be much of a student enrollment. Because the smoker was Michael Phelps, it opens the door to an avalanche of hassles.

He'll be tempted, no doubt, to listen to those who say the suspension is unfair -- and rebel. Most everyone in the U.S. swim community is rushing to his defense, including gold medalist Ryan Lochte. "There are always people you can't trust," Phelps said. "During the whole thing, I've really been able to see who my friends are, who my family are, and who really loves and supports me. They've stood by my side, from the countless text messages, phone messages, e-mails -- those are your friends. All those people who are around during the good times? Those aren't your friends."

But sometimes, the best friends in troubled times are those unafraid to state the truth. And the truth about Phelps is, he let his country down when a little discretion could have gone a long way. "Once we're allowed to call ourselves U.S. Olympic athletes, there are certain guidelines and protocols that go along with that," said the legendary U.S. speedskater, Apolo Anton Ohno. "I think it's important to represent what you'd like your mom to see or what you'd like little kids to see. It's important to be aware of your surroundings and the choices you make."

The most obvious choice for Michael Phelps is to dive into that pool and keep swimming for three years, all the way to London. That way, you teach the children well about correcting a mistake. To run from it would be legacy suicide.

Quitting Would Damage Phelps' Legacy originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>michael phelpsMichaelPhelpsJay MariottiFri, 06 Feb 2009 01:10:00 EST Phelps' Vow to Kids Goes Up in Smokehttp://jay-mariotti.fanhouse.com/2009/02/03/phelps-vow-to-kids-goes-up-in-smoke/http://jay-mariotti.fanhouse.com/2009/02/03/phelps-vow-to-kids-goes-up-in-smoke/http://jay-mariotti.fanhouse.com/2009/02/03/phelps-vow-to-kids-goes-up-in-smoke/#commentsFiled under:


For a few swigs, anyway, he tried to have a peaceful couple of beers with his U.S. swim teammates. But soon enough, inside this Budweiser-sponsored party tent in Beijing, word circulated that Michael Phelps not only was in the house but was roped off within a VIP area in THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOM.

That allowed every Phelps fanatic in the place, mostly female, to rush toward the cordoned-off area, surround him like a zoo animal and launch a barrage of point-blank camera-phone pictures while shrieking their little heads off.

I remember the look on his face as he glanced at the hundreds of gawkers. He seemed amazed, puzzled, trapped by the avalanche of attention only days after completing his Olympic mission of eight gold medals. Before you knew it, he was long gone from the party, fleeing the piercing eyeballs of fame, his evening interrupted by abnormalcy and madness.

"I wonder how he's going to handle all of this,'' I said then and there to a writer pal, recalling how a few nights earlier, with the temperature a steamy 81 outside the arena, Phelps had arrived at intermission of a U.S. Redeem Team game with a hoodie pulled over his head and a blanket wrapped around his body.
This is not an attempt to psychoanalyze why the golden boy, two months later, was reckless enough to suck on a bong at a University of South Carolina house party and not recognize the damaging ramifications. All I'm saying is, imagine being 23 and inheriting the wealth, celebrity and expectations of a world that extols you as a god and demands nothing less than exemplary behavior.

The very weight of that burden might prompt a human being to run, escape, get drunk, get high. Or, perhaps this is no more complex that Phelps being a maniacal party boy who spent most of his life swimming lap after lap after monotonous lap and, having reached his goals, wanting to blow off some celebratory steam for a few months. Whatever the explanation, the image of Mr. America with a glass pipe won't be fading away.

It's permanent.

And, in the big picture of a world that needs him, very disappointing.

Much as we want to understand why Phelps would act like any young guy smoking marijuana at a party -- Barack Obama has admitted to inhaling, and so will I -- there is no defense here. The reason: Phelps has openly and eagerly embraced being a reliable role model (his words) for America's youth, and once you accept that monumental responsibility on a high-profile level, you simply cannot be doing the dumb things that other 23-year-olds do.

What struck me about Phelps in China was his willingness to turn his quest -- the most-watched event in American television history, remember -- into a daily effort to inspire kids. He talked about growing up, dealing with his parents' divorce, struggling with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, having a teacher tell him he'd never amount to anything. He urged kids to dream as he did, and his foundation started a program called "Dream, Plan, Reach,'' encouraging them to establish a plan and stay true to it.


"I want to be a role model for young people,'' Phelps said after winning his eighth gold.

"He feels a responsbility to use the platform he has right now,'' said his agent, Peter Carlisle.

Once he was committed to that path, Phelps had no recourse but to stay on the straight and narrow. Obviously, he hasn't, with his Gamecock Country slip-up following numerous reports of hard partying. So what does he say now to the nine-year-old who fell in love with him in August and was told to dream, plan, reach?

What are parents supposed to say when their kids ask about Phelps and the pipe? It's the height of hypocrisy to pledge his life to helping children, only to forget about them when someone on a college campus passes the bong. In the end, his vow was so much lip service. He wasn't mature and strong enough to live up to it.

"Any athlete that's an Olympic hero and has the eyes of the world, particularly when they have children following them, is held to a much higher standard," said U.S. Anti-Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart, speaking to USA Today. "So it's an extremely disappointing decision."

It's particularly damning when coupled with a previous black eye, his drunk driving arrest in 2004. At the time, Phelps described it as an "isolated incident,'' issued a public apology and agreed to a plea bargain in which he spoke to children about -- ready? -- the evils of alcohol and drugs.

"I've let a lot of people down, including myself,'' he said then. "It is definitely an honor to be a role model for kids, and I hope to still be one and to have fans out there. ... This is a mistake that I made, and I'm going to have to live with this for the rest of my life."

Now, he has a second life-smudging mistake. To be fair, a bong photograph is tame compared to the criminal problems of other athletes. But Phelps isn't just any athlete. He was supposed to be the biggest on the planet, Sportsman of the Year, a shining hope for an ailing country, a savior to flush away steroids and sports' various scandals of recent years. Turns out he'd rather get wasted than rid the waste.

When you consider Tiger Woods has been in the intense spotlight for a dozen years and done nothing more damaging than tell one off-color joke in his early 20s, well, you see how far Phelps must go to become an American ambassador. The best thing I can say for him is that he didn't try to cover up the photo. In issuing his latest public apology, at least he didn't dispute the legitimacy of the shot, which appeared Sunday in the sort of London tabloid accustomed to busting Amy Winehouse with drugs, not the greatest of Olympic heroes.

"I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment,'' Phelps said in a statement to the Associated Press. "I'm 23 years old, and despite the successes I've had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again.''


Which is what he said the last time. The U.S. Olympic Committee, for one, is weary of the repeat apologies and didn't hesistate to scold Phelps in a release. "Michael is a role model, and he is well aware of the responsibilities and accountability that come with setting a positive example for others, particularly young people. In this instance, regrettably, he failed to fulfill those responsibilities,'' the USOC said. "Michael has acknowledged that he made a mistake and apologized for his actions. We are confident that, going forward, Michael will consistently set the type of example we all expect from a great Olympic champion."

A quick statement of contrition saved Phelps from more harm to his image. Obviously, he was well-coached by an agent who realizes the International Olympic Committee and his leading sponsors need him too much to come down too hard. Marijuana is not cocaine. Marijuana is not steroids. Therefore, Phelps can suffer a second strike without suffering financial and institutional fallout. Never mind that the IOC decries drug use of all sorts and wouldn't be nearly as kind to a less prominent athlete.

"Michael Phelps is a great Olympic champion," the IOC said. "He apologized for his inappropriate behavior. We have no reason to doubt his sincerity and his commitment to continue to act as a role model."

Falling in place Monday, companies such as Speedo and Omega lined up in support of Phelps, with the swimsuit firm realizing he single-handedly turned its LZR Racer suit into a legendary accessory. Don't think for a second, though, that there isn't concern about Phelps in corporate boardrooms. Executives hear the same stories that journalists hear, maybe more.

The running joke, of course, is that we now know why Phelps devoured those gigantic, 12,000-calorie breakfasts in China: three orders of pancakes, three orders of french toast, three fried egg sandwiches, a bowl of grits, an omelet and coffee. He had the munchies.

But nothing is real funny about this, not as a wobbly America launches a new presidency with Phelps as our reigning symbol of sports greatness. For all the jock heroes embraced by President Obama, it's interesting we've heard him say little about Phelps. Separated by an hour of highway between the White House and the swimmer's Baltimore crib, maybe it's time Obama summons him for a chat about handling the pressures of public life.

The country needs Michael Phelps to be a leader and an adult, not a joker, a smoker and a midnight toker.

Phelps' Vow to Kids Goes Up in Smoke originally appeared on Jay Mariotti FanHouse on Tue, 03 Feb 2009 01:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>barack obamaBarackObamamichael phelpsMichaelPhelpsolympic gamesOlympicGamesolympicsJay MariottiTue, 03 Feb 2009 01:05:00 EST