dope

Michael Phelps Dropped by Sponsor, Supsended from Competeing – UPDATED

Michael Phelps is one bad, bad butterface. The gold medal emblazoned king of the pool fell from grace once again after being photographed using a bong (not the beer kind, the marijuana kind.) See the Phelps Bong Photo HERE.

The photos hit the net and proved to be damaging to his career. He has been dropped by Kellogg and will no longer be featured on cereal boxes which means no paycheck from them. Furthering the dent in his funding, he has also been banned for three months by USA Swimming. They also cut his financial support for 3 months starting now.

USA Swimming Via People:

“This is not a situation where any anti-doping rule was violated, but we decided to send a strong message to Michael because he disappointed so many people, particularly the hundreds of thousands of USA Swimming member kids who look up to him as a role model and a hero.”

That means he has lost a $1,750 monthly stipend along with any performance bonuses. I am sure the loss of his Kellogg deal will create a deeper cut in his funds. Currently he still has other endorsement deals with Speedo and a few others. All for smoking weed. However, it could be worse. His last Olympic efforts could have been taking away.

So lets hope he keeps Frank the Tank in the basement until he has completed his last chase for gold. It seems like hypocracy on Tony the Tiger’s part. I am mean, Frosted Flakes is pretty much like crack for kids.

UPDATE: Looks like Phelps is also loosing his Subway deal. Buzz Newsroom reports:

“Subway has officially de-linked Michael Phelps as they prepare to drop his recently announced sponsorship deal. Before Michael’s bong hits hit the headlines, Michael Phelps was featured on the Subway web site. However, since the swimmer’s pothead scandal, Subway has removed all links to pages featuring the Olympic swimmer.

Our insider told us Subway execs are pissed off, talking to legal, want their endorsement money returned — and to “get rid of this embarrassment.”

Michael Phelps Confirms Weed Smoking Photo is Real

The current scandal is a photo of Michael Phelps smoking weed. (See That Photo Here) The image shows the swimmer using a bong. British paps broke the story and published the photo that might end his Olympic dreams. Questions as to the legitimacy of the photo of course came into play. However he has confirmed that the photo is real in a statement.

Per The Associated Press Via ESPN:

Phelps said: “I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment. 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.”

I am also told that the World Anti-Doping Agency enforces a suspension for athletes who are drug offenders, which includes the Olympics. The Agency typically bans drug using athletes for 4 years. First time offenders typically face a 2 year leniency. He might just be able to squeak by and still be aloud to compete in London.