Our 2009 Super Bowl featuring the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers was fantastic. Congratulations to the Steelers on their great year and becoming the first NFL team to have six Super Bowl rings. Unfortunately, in the past week, the Steelers’ success has been overshadowed by the stupidity and irresponsibility of two well-known “idols.”

Let’s start with Michael Phelps. On February 1, 2009, Michael Phelps was photographed smoking a bong. For most people, this news was shocking and disappointing. I feel like justice was finally served. The picture of Michael Phelps smoking a bong put his whole career in jeopardy. His success will now be overshadowed by a single choice he made. Honestly, he is one of the most overrated athletes or “celebrities” in the world following Tom Brady, Paris Hilton, and Miley Cyrus. He is credited for a number of medals that he only contributed to and did not win on his own. It made me mad when he said, “I would like to apologize for my mistake.” Let’s get something straight here. He made a choice, not a mistake, a choice. The only mistake Michael Phelps made was the fact that he got caught. If he didn’t get caught, he would probably continue smoking. Regardless, I am more disappointed by the fact that most of Michael Phelps’ sponsors decided to continue working with him. If Michael Phelps is such a hero to kids around the world, why can’t sponsors like Visa teach kids the consequences when you make irresponsible choices?

On February 7, 2009, a report made by Sports Illustrated reported that Alex Rodriguez had tested positive for performance enhancing drugs in 2003. On February 10, 2009, Alex Rodriguez confessed in an interview with ESPN’s Peter Gammons that he did take performance-enhancing drugs in the 2001-2003 time frame. When I heard the news, I was more disappointed than surprised. I, like other people, had suspicions of A-rod taking steroids. Being a Yankee fan, I have mixed emotions about this whole situation. A-rod, unlike predecessors (Barry Bonds, Rafael Palmero’s finger, and Mark McGwire’s “I am not here to talk about the past” speech), actually apologized and was open to discussion about what he did. In defense of A-rod, I do have to ask this question: Of the 104 players who tested positive in 2003, why was A-rod’s name the only one leaked? Those tests were for data only and were supposed to be kept secret. Despite Alex Rodriguez taking steroids, I don’t believe that it would be fair to take any disciplinary actions against him as it is not fair that only his name was revealed. The court of popular opinion will levy a large enough consequence, anyway.

Let’s review what we have learned today. We have learned that no athlete can ever be trusted, because even the most “heroic” athletes make poor choices.