The following is a release from Students for a Sensible Drug Policy. We hope you’re able to help Michael.
“By now you’re probably aware that Olympic hero Michael Phelps was photographed lighting an orphanage on fire, and has now been suspended from competing and is getting dropped by a major sponsor.
Oh, wait. Actually, he was photographed lighting marijuana on fire, not an orphanage.
Smoking marijuana is hardly unusual behavior for a 23 year old. In fact, Phelps is being crucified for something that more than half the adult American population has done at some point in their lives.
Yet, Phelps is facing suspension from competing in the Olympics and Kellogg’s cereal has decided to drop their sponsorship of the athlete, claiming “Michael’s most recent behavior is not consistent with the image of Kellogg.”
Kellogg’s needs to hear from the public that their decision will hurt their company far more than Phelps’s marijuana use. Please contact Kellogg’s today and tell them that you will boycott all of their products until they reverse their decision on Phelps’s sponsorship (you can find a list of Kellogg’s products at the bottom of this e-mail). You can contact Kellogg’s by clicking here.
Just cut and paste the following message into the webform on the Kellogg’s website (or edit it if you like):
I am deeply disappointed by your decision to drop your sponsorship of Michael Phelps simply because he was photographed smoking marijuana.
Over half of all adult Americans, including our last three presidents, have smoked marijuana during their lives. It is outrageous that Kellogg’s would hold Michael Phelps to such an unreasonable standard, rather than standing by a 23 year old who has brought more inspiration and joy to millions of Americans than most will accomplish in a lifetime.
Until you reverse your decision to drop Michael Phelps’ sponsorship, I will be boycotting all Kellogg’s products.
Meanwhile, USA Swimming, the governing body of American swimming events, has suspended Phelps for three months for his use of marijuana. While this will not cause him to miss any major competitions, he still faces a potential four-year suspension from the International Olympic Committee and the World Anti-Doping Agency. You can contact USA Swimming Executive Director Chuck Wielgus at 719.866.3579 or via e-mail.
On February 10th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
I completely agree with what Kelloggs has done and although not a big cereal fan, am actually thinking about starting to eat it again! This man was participating in an illegal activity…illegal by the rules of this country. And then to make it worse, he allowed himself to get photographed doing it. That’s because he feels that people are dumb enough to defend him when he does something wrong! No, this man should lose all his big dollar contracts. I will boycott any company that doesn’t cancel their contract with him.
On February 10th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
So Michael Phelps is a guy who drinks at parties smokes a little gambles on high stakes games of beer pong and is the all time greatest Olympic medal winner he sounds like a pretty cool guy to me. Michael Phelps is an American Hero. He stood tall and made America proud at the Beijing Olympics. This is how he is treated. Michael Phelps did a tremendous amount of work to achive what he did. Who can forget the pride we felt with the each gold medal Phelps won in China, how can we as Americans forget all of those things and hang a man for smoking a glass water pipe at a college party. It is time that we as a country stand up for the rights of the individual, it’s time we stand together with our neighbors and take collective control of our destinies. Write any congressman or a senator; imagine the weight of millions of emails calling for a change in policy. Lets stop them from arresting college kids at partys in America.
SunflowerPipes.com
On February 11th, 2009 at 10:15 am
Dear ‘American Patriot’. Thank you so much not only for the content of your post, but also for choosing that name. I needed a laugh today.
“I am going to start eating something I don’t really like because a company has terminated a contract with someone who chose what do do with his body…because the federal government says it’s wrong.”
That’s rich.
On February 15th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Being that my own child was a competitive swimmer, I agree with USA swimming on his suspension AND I agree with his sponsors dropping him from their campaigns. Michael is an Olympic athlete who has messed up not once, but twice.
Every sponsor has a right to withhold their financial endorsements based on how the public perceives them. And the bottom line is Kellogg’s markets to kids and Michael just didn’t show us that he was a good example to them. The same goes for USA swimming that is comprised mostly of age group swimmers from age 6 – 18.
It is well known in the swimming circle that when Michael Phelps is not in training, his coaches have to keep him from the bars and from other general carousing. He needs to learn that this is very inappropriate for a role model for young kids everywhere. Perhaps this incident will make him grow up some. I sure hope so. Otherwise he may lose a lot more of his endorsements in time.
In the meantime, if he keeps it up his gold will be tarnished. It is not like he is in a league sport where you get out and perform daily. He had his shot for fame and he is blowing it.