Wednesday, February 4, 2009

A Long, But Last Word On Phelps And His Bong Hit


The Michael Phelps story has generated a lot of heat. In fact, I’m a little light headed, giddy, and oddly hungry from all of this steam you people are blowing my way.

But seriously…

I feel like somebody fighting an unending nation of marijuana zombies, walking in lockstep, ready to excuse, equivocate, change the subject, or otherwise attack me over my stance that what Michael Phelps did was - at a minimum insanely reckless - and more accurately, a personal and professional tragedy.

I mean, that’s my opinion, and it’s not changing.

I find excuse making over marijuana use to be pathetic. Especially when taken in context of the sports world, where striving, discipline, and excellence are the coins of the realm. Sports, in short, is for winners, and those who would like to be one, one day.

Weed, is for losers. Period.

Can you smoke weed and lead a normal life? Sure. Can you try it as a youth and turn out fine? Of course. Do I think Phelps should be charged with a crime? Not at all.

But I am shocked at the lack of consequence. I am shocked at the unwillingness of so many to do anything but further coddle this screwed up, magnificient swimmer of a kid. I am shocked that no endorser has said: “Of course we stand by Michael, but we strongly urge that he get some help.”

Because clearly, he doesn’t get it.

But hey, it’s his $100 million, and his life, so I’m going to butt out.

My stance is simple. Smoking weed is almost always your first step into the recreational “drug store” in life. Many walk in, sample the weed, and walk out, unscathed. Many others, not so lucky.

So why even try it? Why tolerate a notion that “everyone does it, so it’s no big deal?”

To me, it’s a risk factor in life that has no redeeming upside. It is a drug that can often become an all consuming hobby that saps its user of motivation, responsibility, and morals.

Yeah, in the 60’s and 70’s, nobody thought of smoking weed as a big deal. Just like we used to be permissive of smoking in airplanes, doctors offices, and sports arenas. Just like we used to put our babies on pillows and blankets on the back shelf of cars as we drove. Just like let our kids run out and ride bikes and skateboards without helmets.

Simple risk factors. We got smart.

It doesn’t cost much to add a helmet to our children when we buy them a bike. And there’s no Constitutional right to smoke on an airplane.

I would hope in the year 2008, that we could all agree that smoking marijuana is a serious moral failing in our athletes, and that we won’t just sweep it under the rug. I would hope that all sports could draw the line at illegal drugs of all calibers, even the misdemeanor ones like pot.

I feel the same way about drunk driving, another one of Phelps’ “youthful indiscretions” but that’s an argument for another day.

So that’s that. It’s how I feel, and my mind is made up. You people made a lot of very good points, here is just small sampling of them.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Hey Steve, P. in Pewaukee...

Just wanted to say I totally totally agree with you on the pot thing. Pot is no joke. Pot is worse than alcohol. Period.

I personally am sickened and disgusted by the "tacit acceptance" in our society of pot....

Pot definitely crosses "a line", if you will, and it leads to some bad, bad places. I personally had to adopt a hard core policy of total non-association with potheads. I just got sick of it.

And before I go on, full disclosure, I tried pot when I was much younger, it didn't do much for me, I didn't like it, and I thank God every day, literally, that I did not go down that road.

I used to golf with these guys, and they smoked a little dope on the golf course. I didn't realize what a big thing this was, but amongst your pothead golfers, apparently, there's nothing better. Anyways, this one time, we're on the way to a golf course, and we detour out to some freak's house, because this is "his dealer", and he "needs some". Great. Okay, whatever, I figure I'll wait in the car.

We roll up on this place, there's like 20 cars there, a bunch of some very freaky very scuzzy lookin' people hanging around, I'm like what the eff are we doing here??? Very strange scene, with a very strange vibe. I can't possibly do justice to the creepiness of this whole deal. If I found out later they were holding 6 year olds in the basement for ransom, it wouldn't surprise me at all.

And of course, they're inside, like, for a half hour, which felt like forever... I'm like, sitting alone in this car, creeps in the yard giving me the evil eye... I'm like Jeez, willya buy your effing dope already, and let's get outta here???

So that's lesson #1, if you're hanging out with a pothead, all the sudden, pow, you're in a real weird setting, with some real weird people, and forget about 911. Whatever happens, nobody's calling the cops. Which also is strangely disquieting when it really happens to you in real life.

Story #2, again the cops, a friend of mine's son and his buddy are moving some furniture. Do they want help?? No, no no no, we got it. Fine by me. They call over to the son's place later, and some wierdo answers the phone and starts talking crazy. My buddy, this kid's Dad, get's worried, calls 911, jumps in his truck and rushes over there.

Well, we get there, the cops are loading the son and 3 of his buddies into squad cars. Cops showed up in response to the call, found the kitchen table covered in coke and dope, the whole house littered in paraphernalia... Nice.

Turns out they were all getting high, and one of his stoned out buddies thought it would be real funny to answer the phone and be a goofball.

The son of course is insisting that the coke "wasn't his", and he just had "a little pot." Again, as soon as you step in that sub-culture, you're standing next to hard-core cokeheads, and worse.

So the son does a year in a Huber Facility.... This was years ago, and I still see the Dad from time to time. Lemme tell ya, the son is still ENRAGED that his Dad called the cops. Enraged. They haven't spoken forever. That's another rule, never never never get between a pothead and their weed. Never do it.

There's this catechism in the dope world. Another rule is, you never call the cops. Never. I mean, the son could have been dead. He could have been in trouble. His Dad was concerned. Doesn't matter, never call the cops.

That tickles a spot in my brain, for some reason... the yellow alarm light goes on when I think "Gee, my entire existence, I can never call the cops, and I have to hope to God no one else ever calls the cops.... Hmmm...." Not sure I wanna live like that. Put me down for "no" on that...

That's part of why you get so much "heat" every time you bring this up... On some minor level, you're threatening to get between them and their weed. Don't do that. Don't even think it.

I just thank God I never went down that path... I had a very similar life experience to you. One of my best friends joined in the dope crowd. This guy was smart, sharp, got straight A's... my parents wished he was their son.

When it became obvious to his parents he was a dopehead, they started searching him, searching his room, on like a daily basis. He of course freaks out, physically attacks his parents, literally... so they send him to a place to get "cleaned up". We call it "rehab" now... Well, he runs away from there, and disappears, for like years, literally. Again, never get between them and their dope. Keep that in mind anytime they say they're "recreational" users... riiiiiggghhht.

He was back in town a few years ago... had been in and out of pens in 2 states, a litany of problems... This guy had the world by the ass. And then the dope came along... Life over. See ya. Welcome to hell. It is very heartbreaking. He was my friend. He had it all. And it all literally went up in the Cheech & Chong bong smoke.... what a waste.

So to me, don't compare offshore gambling or drinking a beer now and then to dope. There is no comparison. None. I might not be a celebrity morning show host, but I have an Escalade, and a Harley Road King Classic, and a house full of electronic doo-dads, and it's all paid for. There's nothing illegal here, I can freely call 911 whenever necessary. I seriously seriously doubt it would have worked out so well if I had turned to the Graffix Water bong at a young age...

Now, do I play a little poker offshore?? Yes I do. Did my Cards and the Over Parlay come in Sunday?? Yes it did. Was I drinking a beer during the game?? Yes I was. Did I smoke a nice CAO Cigar in celebration?? Yes I did. Am I perfect? No. However, I submit to you, those things are child's play compared to the very real horrors of life-ruining pot.

Like you, I draw the line in front of the pot. No thanks.

Love your shows.

Best Regards,

P. in Pewaukee

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Dear Steve,

I was listening to your comments this morning concerning marijuana. I think you are a hundred percent correct with your opinion.

I am a 52 y/o man and my brother is eighteen months older at 54 years of age. Growing up together on the Eastern Shore of Maryland we could not have been closer and I remember looking up to him and idolizing him. Around eleventh grade for my brother, tenth grade for me he began to hangout with the weed smoking crowd and we grew distant from each other. He continues to smoke marijuana to this day and is now a recluse living as a caretaker on a private estate.. I am president of a food company.

I definitely believe that marijuana, and the lack there of, helped to shape our destinies.

(name withheld)
Ridgely, MD

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

First of all let me say I’ve been listening to your show for several years now and love it. I love the format and the rest of the crew and recently here in Richmond VA have even started listening to your afternoon show with Andy.

In the interest of full disclosure I’m a 41 year old white male Police Officer who was raised in Appalachia (went to the same high school as the Steelers Heath Miller, though probably 15 years prior) and now work the streets of a medium sized urban city. I see drug addicts and drug dealers everyday and 99.9% of them started their addiction or career by using pot which is indeed a gateway drug a fact no sane person can dispute.

I don’t care if a person uses it from a personal freedom aspect (if you want to flush your life and health down the toilet go for it) but it is still ILLEGAL and I will arrest anyone who I catch buying, selling, or using it. I also dispute how many “successful professionals” there are who supposedly use it. In my experience I have run across a “few” white collar drug users (no doctors or successful business leaders of course) and they were pretty much losers too. . the guy who drives a Mercedes who’s license plates are expired by two months and there’s a warrant out for him for failure to pay child support that’s your average white collar suburban user.

We constantly find these guys getting robbed in or near housing projects, they have no business being in, and then have to hear their lame explanations on why they’re there. “I was just trying a new short cut home” is a good one. Ask yourself one thing about Marijuana. . How many times have you heard “My life was a mess. . . I was unemployed, broke, and had neither respect nor admiration from my peers. . then I started smoking Pot and WOW my life got better in every way.” Versus “I had everything a great job, a great family, a nice house and then I started smoking Pot and it all disappeared.”

Keep up the good work I’ll keep listening.

(Name withheld)
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I just want you to know that you were right on today on the Bob & Brian show. Phelps can claim he is young and irresponsible when it come to his actions but , it sure seems odd that someone that young can have an agent and all of the business sense to cash in on all of the endorsements. I am not buying it!! That is not the first time he smoked nor will it be the last. He had a chance to learn from the DUI.

These athletes are willing to take the money and fame but are not willing to assume the responsibility that comes with it. He could of went back home with his medals and kept a lower profile and enjoyed the money and fame, but no he is all over the TV and in magazines. He is not willing to fulfill the obligations of the role and all the duties that go with it. That is what a good American Citizen should do. We need more responsible people in this country, not guys who keep using the system and not giving back by being a good role model.

By the way the last time I checked alcohol was a legal substance and pot was an illegal substance. I enjoy your comments on the show!!!

Dale

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I have this conversation a lot and I first stipulate to people that the illegality is wrong. No question. I then stipulate that no child under the age of consent (or 21) should be doing it. Much like alcohol.

So come with me as we fly off to a world where its legal and regulated and then compare its relative attributes. I know people who switched because they were blithering idiots when drinking and quite frankly it acted as a substitute for those who knew that quitting alcohol was going to be difficult and arduous. Strikingly they have lived a much better life without alcohol.

And you start hanging around in these circles and you are surprised by those who partake. I will grant you there are idiots who smoke and idiots who don’t but don’t tell me the lone variable separating the two is weed and weed alone.

And to your point about a gateway drug, its only a gateway drug because we have lied to our children about the relative harm of marijuana as compared to alcohol and cocaine, etc. Kids try marijuana, figure its not so bad and then make the leap to other drugs.

In the 60’s we told kids that you could overdose on marijuana as a scare tactic. More importantly, lets quit destroying peoples lives over this, legalize it and come down harder on the real drugs (which would probably include alcohol if truth be told).

>>>>>>>>>>>>

Subject:: The Evils of Mary Jane

Enough of J. Edgar Czaban and going on and on about Marijuana. It's not Cocaine, it is illegal, but alot of people do it (even some Republicans) Steve. To say it's as bad as cocaine is beyond ignorance. Why not talk about Rush Limbaugh and the millions who abuse prescription drugs?

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Subject: Phelps and drug use

Your comments:: Steve, YOU are right on point with this whole Phelps thing. Illegal drug use is ILLEGAL. He was caught drunken driving and he didn't learn from that. His past performance would indicate that he won't learn from the pot smoking. As the father of a 9 and 11 year old kids... when they think that if Phelps can smoke pot and STILL be the best swimmer ever it gives them room to think pot smoking is ok..."it didn't hurt him!) Hang in there!!!

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Bob & Brian…please post Steve’s Tuesday “sports” report. Next time I have my teenagers “captive” in the car, I’m going to make them listen to it. Steve….that was a spectacular argument for why pot fucks up the future of youth….dead-on-balls accurate. Previously, I leaned more toward booze being worse, as it is easier to overdo it with alcohol and kill yourself (or someone else).Your words have swayed me to the other side. Especially as I look at some of the people I knew who let weed diminish their potential. The “gateway” aspect of weed is also under-rated. Everyone that I know, who has used pot, has also tried harder drugs. The one caveat that I would add is that both booze and weed fuck up people in their youth, as their brains have not fully developed. Weed may seem to have a higher rate of screwing up youth as weed is easier for teenagers to get than booze. The pot dealer doesn’t ask if you are 21.

Nice job…thanks,
DK – Oconomowoc

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Czabe,

I'd like to weigh in if I might on your 'weed' discussion of Tuesday morning. I am 53 years old, a child of the drug rich 60's and 70's. I, like you, remember the guys I knew in High School who went the 'weed' route. Not as much now, but over the years I would hear various stories about some of these guys - not so good stories I might add. So, from that perspective, your point is well made and well taken.

However, what I would like to add is that most of the guys I knew were already, shall I say, somewhat off the tracks. These were people who were trouble makers and bad students back to grade school. So, from my perspective, weed and the like were just the next things they did. It could have been anything.

On the flip side, I knew people who were good students, well balanced who did try this stuff. They didn't go back to it, it didn't de-rail their lives. Now I realize that this somewhat narrow slice of life that I remember from those days does not represent all people in similar situations. However, I can't help but wonder if it's the case that bad people make bad choices, do bad things and lead bad lives; if in fact marijuana wasn't the cause, but merely the next thing they did. And I wonder if somewhat balanced people are less in danger of going off the tracks, even when they stray from time to time.

I just say this as a reminder about the dangers of drawing the wrong conclusions. And I'll say it here to be clear, I am NOT in favor of this stuff, I just want to offer a perspective, to step back a bit and take in a broader picture.

So from my perspective, the people I knew who I say are like the ones you talked about, were going to be "something" heads, weed heads, coke heads, beer heads, whatever. Weed was in their path, their path wasn't changed because of weed.

Again Czabe, I always enjoy your discussions. Agree or disagree, I know your arguments are well thought out and presented in a clear and concise manner.

Later,
Dave

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Steve,

My wife swam at UW-Green Bay so, finding out a swimmer smokes weed is like finding out the girls softball team is 90% lesbo. Kinda a given. It expands your lungs duuuude.

Chris
Port Washington,
Burn trees in your fireplace not zigzags

30 comments:

  1. Czabe,

    I agree with you totally on the weed issue. My dorm in college had five or six resident pot heads, and I think that maybe one of them actually graduated.

    There was never a dull moment with those guys. One totaled his car during a police chase on the Jersey Turnpike. Another one was fired from Sam Goody for stealing CDs and re-selling them to fellow students. Another one had a major gambling problem. Another one slept through all of his finals and flunked out. Two of them were once arrested for "molestation of a wooden gate arm." They got stoned and went to the main gate of campus and ripped the gate arm off it's hinges. Idiots! I don't know whatever happened to any of those guys, but I doubt that any of them amounted to much.

    McGruff was right: Users and loser, and losers and users, so don't use drugs!

    Jeff
    Columbia, MD

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  2. I used to like you Czabe. You were funny, witty, wise in the ways of sports, etc.

    Once you got on your soap box you lost it. I know you could care less about losing a fan, but I think I will start listening to my i-pod on the way into work.

    Don't be so damn judgemental...

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  3. This whole thing is laughable. So many ignorant comments from the outside looking in:

    #1- The 'seedy people' argument
    The reason why there's all seedy people at drug dealers houses is because we force people to hide when they are trying to acquire it. Maybe if it was government regulated, ie booze/cigs, you'd have a much different perspective on who you were around. Not to mention the fact that we’d stop paying for dopeheads’ jail time and instead they’d be giving their money back to the government!

    #2- The 'gateway drug' argument
    See #1

    #3- The 'legality' argument
    There is no argument here it's definetely illegal. There are plenty of things in life though that everyone does that is considered 'illegal' but people do them anyway (jaywalking, speeding, etc). That's because more than anything else people in this country believe in freedom of choice as long as it doesn't adversely affect those around us. While some people may be wrong in their assessment of who their use does or does not affect, the fact of the matter is many people break the law against pot for the same reasons.

    #4- The 'ruins lives' argument
    Totally and utterly ridiculous. There were 5 of us in an apartment at the U of Wisconsin (a very difficult school for very intelligent people). 3 are engineers, 1 is in management, and the other is in sports administration. I'd say we did 'okay'.

    Pot is no different than any other vice be it cocaine, booze, porn, or McDonald's. It's all about moderation. It really is that simple. Like anything else when you live for your vice instead of indulging in your vice to live you are going to have issues.

    I love all of these comments about 'what my friends could have been', etc. Maybe these people's friends didn’t want to be what you thought they should be! I for one am a very intelligent, very capable individual who could have, as one of your posted e-mails said, "had it all". However I didn't want what many others in this country find as ideal. I live an atypical life in a scenario that many people would find ‘horrible’. However, I’m in a safe, loving environment, I get to do what I want to do when I want to do it and the most important thing is that I'm happy.

    Isn't that really the only thing that matters?

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  4. Just talk about sports, please. I understand this is a sports story, but you've turned it into another society/politics discussion, which happens with almost every topic you discuss these days.

    Dance with the one that brung ya, Czabe. If you need to talk politics, or finance, or international oil futures.. whatever, find a producer who has an extra couple hours to fill, but leave the morning drive for sports.

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  5. step down from your pedestal buddy. pot is not the bogeyman you make it out to be. your gateway drug argument is tired and over played. this is not the 'tragedy' in phelp's personal life you make it out to be. a 20 year old kid took some bong hits. oooohhh. actually that sound fairly normal for a 20 year old kid. to me this just proves that everything you believe about pot is wrong. that people can enjoy marijuana and still reach the top of their professions. that the stoner in his mom's basement stereotype is totally off base. your post is naive and self righteous. seems to me that you are a bit ticked off because phelps can smoke weed and still win 14 olympic gold medals. whereas you don't smoke weed and are a c-list sports writer with a crappy blog.

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  6. You're the man Czabe, keep up the great work. The only thing more predictable than Steve Czaban writing a blunt (pun intented), dead-on, cut-to-the-chase article, is the weed-head's angry, jihadist reaction to it.

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  7. Making an octo-bong doesn't make you an engineer. It makes me shudder that some pot smoker may have "engineered" something I had to use in everyday life.

    We all know the only people who can smoke pot and succeed are NBA players.

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  8. I smoked it in college regularly. I don't smoke anymore. I'm extremely successful now (from an American standpoint), but often wonder how much more successful I could have been had I not 'demotivated' myself on a regular basis in college. Pot is not evil -- but it kills motivation and can destroy your social skills. That said, it is good pre-se* with the missus :-)

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  9. The "serious moral failing " should be applied to alcohol use rather than cannabis because:

    There are hundreds of alcohol overdose deaths each year, yet there has never been a marijuana overdose death in history. The consumption of alcohol is also the direct cause of tens of thousands of deaths in the U.S. each year.

    In 2001, there were 331 alcohol overdose deaths and 0 marijuana overdose deaths. Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

    http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5337a2.htm

    Excessive alcohol consumption is the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States (1) and is associated with multiple adverse health consequences, including liver cirrhosis, various cancers, unintentional injuries, and violence.

    The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported 20,687 “alcohol-induced deaths” (excluding accidents and homicides) in 2003. Source: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/alcohol.htm

    The CDC has no reports of “marijuana-induced deaths.” (In reality, there may be 2-5 deaths each year attributed to marijuana, but this article -- http://bbsnews.net/bw2005-02-01.html -- describes how these are actually deaths attributable to other causes but “blamed” on marijuana due to the way the data is collected.)

    So, the lethal drug is legal...and the non-lethal drug is outlawed...fits your "logic" perfectly Czabe...

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  10. I couldn't continue reading past the first letter (the one with the three "stories"). Every problem in those stories was caused by the illegality of drugs not the drugs themselves.

    Calling the cops (if it should become necessary) is not an issue when people are hanging around their house drinking. If someone is being violent then they will go to jail (and good riddance), but no one will go to jail simply for the presence of alcohol.

    As for the kid who was making A's, he very likely would have continued to do so if his parents had just left him alone. The parents ruined his life by trying to throw him in rehab.

    Most stoners are irresponsible because you have to be somewhat irresponsible in the first place to do a drug that is illegal. However, MY experience has proven to me that some rebellious (yet responsible) people end up smoking weed and they do just fine.

    In other words, your experience is misleading.

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  11. Czabe-

    You should smoke Marijuana.

    Thank God for Marijuana.

    Marijuana prohibitionists are the losers.

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  12. Wow, the moralism and ignorance on this page astounds me.

    If you personally don't want to smoke pot, that's great. Abstain all you want, I have absolutely no problem with it.

    But what the hell business is it of yours if I decide to smoke a naturally occurring plant? Am I interfering with your life, liberty, or pursuit of happiness? Do you even notice a difference if I do or do not? No, you don't.

    Prohibition is one of the truly evil facts of our modern lives. The parallel to alcohol prohibition is so obvious, I just don't see how people can miss it. Alcohol ruins lives and causes disease. Many people have been "derailed" and "demotivated" because they like the hooch too much. So why did we repeal prohibition? Because the organized crime and violence resulting from the prohibition were far more harmful to society than the scourge of alcohol in and of itself. That, combined with the fact that prohibition did not even stop the consumption of alcohol, made it clear that outlawing the substance was not the correct decision.

    Why is marijuana any different?

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  13. your still the best Czabe but your boy P is a super dork, I dont smoke myself but what a geek could you have found a bigger tool bag?

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  14. "Insanely reckless"? [P]ersonal and professional tragedy"? I realize that you are writer and that hyperbole is one of the tools on your belt, but come on. Michael Phelps base jumping is insanely reckless. Michael Phelps playing russian roulette is insanely reckless.

    Micahel Phelps losing his mind and cutting off his foot, or killing a relative would be a personal and professional tragedy.

    Michael Phelps smoking weed is....something that kids his age do. Often at parties at or near a college. The fact that you need to pull out a fainting couch over this tells us more about you than it does Phelps.

    Seriously, are you worried he's going to start dancing with negro jazz musicans or something?

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  15. You want to know what a real tragendy was? Rae Carruth murdering his wife was a personal and professional tragedy. Mike Tyson being a crazed rapist is a personal nad professional tragedy.

    If you really think that what Phelps did is in any way comparable, then that tells us more about your issues than any that Michael Phelps may have.

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  16. You go off on a screed about how all pot smokers are losers, and for your example you use...a 14-time Olympic gold medalist. Ummm...perhaps you might want to rethink that.

    Marijuana Prohibition is a bad idea, just like alcohol Prohibition was a bad idea, just like french fry Prohibition would be a bad idea. Regulate it, keep it away from kids, tax it...but if you prohibit something so easy to get and so high in demand and so relatively harmless, all you're doing is creating a black market, with all the violent crime that goes along with it and no real societal benefits. Time to end the War on Your Neighbor and get the police fighting crimes that actually endanger us.

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  17. "You go off on a screed about how all pot smokers are losers, and for your example you use...a 14-time Olympic gold medalist. Ummm...perhaps you might want to rethink that."

    we need to start ending comments riiight HERE.^ i think it's when going any further that we invite the phrase "weed-head"

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  18. I read all the comments railing against marijuana (and other drug) prohibition and hope to God these people aren't teaching my kids. Relativism is a very comfortable ideology, and allows for a great deal of what people consider to be freedom. As long as (you think) nobody else is getting hurt, go ahead and do it. But how do you know what impact your actions have? What drug should be prohibited, and if so what standard should you use? Do you really want government screwing up something else?

    And do I give a rat's rear end that the CDC said that nobody has ever overdosed on marijuana? No. And just because everything seems to turn out alright doesn't mean that somebody didn't do something wrong and everything's okay.

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  19. Czabe, you are hilarious. Sit there and bitch about how tv sports casts are run for shit. All I hear is "wahhhhhhhhhhh". Jeez, you are such a baby.

    The the best male swimmer in history smokes a bong and you bitch about that too. On top of it, you're "glad" you never smoked weed because you'd hate to go down that road of weed weed weed and more weed lifestyle. As if suddenly ALL pot smokers are completely obsessed with pot.

    Smoke a joint or something, man. Maybe your football picks would improve. At least you'd mellow out.

    Ever hear of self-control? About responsibility for your own actions? Yes, I do laugh at those who make weed a number one priority; it shouldn't be a necessity. That's addiction.

    Too bad the press didn't follow up on the bong story. What you didn't hear was that Phelps later got into 3 fights, broke car windows for fun, and went home and beat his mom and his girlfriend.

    To the guy who had a friend who molested a gate: You forgot to mention that they were drunk too. Alcohol and pot do not mix well unless you smoke first, then drink. Or drink in extreme moderation (well under the legal limit) and then smoke. If you're drunk and then smoke, it makes you even more drunk. Which is what your friends did when they vandalized.

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  20. Sorry, I forgot to say my Phelps continued story was complete sarcasm. I'm sure most people missed that.

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  21. Radley Balko said it best - "Yes, Steve Czaban. Michael Phelps is a “loser.” If only he weren’t into marijuana! Instead of becoming a 14-time Olympic gold medalist with $100 million in endorsement deals, he could have become a... [descriptors that were kind of funny, but could come off as a personal attack, thusly ommitted] sports commentator."

    http://www.theagitator.com/2009/02/05/morning-links-142/

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  22. I bet Phelps' pot sure smelss better the Czaban's smug.

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  23. JackAChicken: I completely agree with your comments.
    Congrats Steve Czaban! You have proven to your readers that you are definitely a third rate sports commentator.
    But I have to address the officer (brain withheld). "I see drug addicts and drug dealers everyday and 99.9% of them started their addiction or career by using pot which is indeed a gateway drug a fact no sane person can dispute." Actually, Mr. officer if you read a book once in a while you would realize that you are in fact wrong. Actual studies (no, not unscientific accounts of officers) have shown that most individuals who use marijuana never end up using "harder" drugs. By the way, I have never used marijuana or any illicit drugs. My drug of choice is nicotine (easily the most destructive drug in this country). But at least I am not a hypocrite. I don't think I am better than the next person who smokes weed. Police officer = intellectual bankruptcy.

    "I don’t care if a person uses it from a personal freedom aspect (if you want to flush your life and health down the toilet go for it) but it is still ILLEGAL and I will arrest anyone who I catch buying, selling, or using it. I also dispute how many “successful professionals” there are who supposedly use it." You dispute it because your "experiences" - and the distorted perceptions that run through your small brain as a result - have led you to conclude that most marijuana users are on skid row. You have a right to embrace silly beliefs about the world around you. But do not expect the more intelligent members of our species to agree with your nonsense. I have many successful colleagues (yes, educated people - unlike you) who use marijuana. Guess what officer? They are all hard working, dedicated professionals.
    Then again, Phelps is someone who has actually accomplished something in his life. On the other hand, Mr. officer has been a cancer to his community. He believes he has improved the world by arresting marijuana users. He has never been more wrong in his life. Billions of dollars later.. the war on drugs has not reduced illicit drug use one bit...and the sheep dogs have become the wolves. Tsk Tsk..

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  24. And then this nonsense (my comments in parenthesis): "And do I give a rat's rear end that the CDC said that nobody has ever overdosed on marijuana? (yea, the superior information on drugs come from the blogs of 3rd rate sports commentators) No. And just because everything seems to turn out alright doesn't mean that somebody didn't do something wrong and everything's okay." Yes, something didn't turn out alright...in the way you process information John F Not Kerry. Well, have you read anything on the destructive effects of alcohol prohibition Mr. Kerry? I doubt it. Pick up a book (yes, it has pages in it) and read, read, read..keep reading...
    Will we ever learn from history?

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  25. Hey Wolfy... The officer stated that 99.9% of drug addicts and dealers started with marijuana, not that 99.9% of marijuana users turn into drug addicts and dealers. (And yet you seem so quick to question the intelligence of others.)

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  26. Umh, Indeed, reading comprehension is not your strength. Notice that I was commenting on his assertion that marijuana is a gateway drug. Also, I question his understanding of what exactly "drug addiction" means. I am sure he believes that everyone he arrests for drug possession is an "addict" (whatever that means). Try again...

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  27. @John F Not Kerry: Oh but we are teaching your kids. We are designing your cars. We are forming public policy. We are creating your entertainment. We are everywhere.

    You use the word "relativism" like a dirty word. What you fail to understand is that every single decision we make is relativistic. One choice is better than another.

    What you fail to understand is that being anti-prohibition is not the same as being pro-drug. It's simply the result of observing the facts, and coming to the obvious conclusion that jailing people and forcing them into a life in the criminal underground is much more harmful than letting those people put a chemical into their bodies.

    Our legal system was once based on protection, not on some high and mighty sense of retribution or punishment. That has, unfortunately, changed since we declared "war" on human desire.

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  28. GREAT COMMENT Rhayader: "What you fail to understand is that being anti-prohibition is not the same as being pro-drug. It's simply the result of observing the facts, and coming to the obvious conclusion that jailing people and forcing them into a life in the criminal underground is much more harmful than letting those people put a chemical into their bodies."

    PEACE..

    Wolfy

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  29. Didn't Czabe's boy GW Bush get down with some weed and cocaine? Wonder were his moral outrage was when that came out

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  30. Agreed on the legalization part. Let them smoke. It shouldn't be illegal to be stupid.

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