Paul Day, an editor for SportingNews.com, is covering the Michael Phelps return circus in Charlotte. If Phelps does hits from a bong while wearing his gold medals in the pool while in the Queen City, you'll hear it here.
Shockingly, Pot Didn’t Ruin Michael Phelps
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↵Reporters from Britain and France descended upon the humble city of Charlotte to ask their questions. A handful of grown men waited patiently outside for autographs -- on a weekday afternoon. A local firefighter felt compelled to capture the moment on his cell phone camera.↵↵All this attention and adoration for a swimmer in a non-Olympic year?↵
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↵Yes, Michael Phelps today swims in his first competitive meet since winning a record eight gold medals in Beijing. In the meantime, he served a three-month suspension after being photographed holding that infamous marijuana pipe, and he admitted that up until eight weeks ago he had “no idea” whether he would return to swimming. What has he learned from this experience?↵↵“You always have to be aware of who your real friends are,” Phelps said at a news conference Thursday. “Your guard always has to be up.↵... Wherever I go, I am very aware of everything around me.” ↵
↵↵That’s right, stalkers: Phelps isn’t even going to pick his nose unless he’s absolutely sure the coast is clear.↵
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↵But seriously, Phelps' return to the pool is exciting for a sport usually neglected. "We all benefit from his popularity," said fellow swimmer Mark Gangloff, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and apparent subscriber to the trickle-down theory of economics. "This is the biggest news conference I've ever done."↵
↵↵Phelps responded to most of the questions with a veteran’s ease, but things got awkward when a reporter asked (I paraphrase) what a typical day was like for an athletic superhuman. “I wake up. I eat. Go to morning workout. Come back and take a nap. Wake up, eat some more.”↵
↵↵He takes naps! Just like me! Unsatisfied, the same reporter followed up by requesting Phelps’ itinerary for the current day. He stopped just short of requesting Phelps’ Social Security number. And you wonder why America’s golden swimmer is feeling a little paranoid of his surroundings.↵
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This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.
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