(Click on the above image for a larger version)

As the NY Daily News says below, it isn’t clear in the picture that it is Michael Phelps. A previous post here about Phelps pulling a practical joke on someone in SC does have him wearing a hat backwards but it is a white hat instead of a black one. The timeframe does match the time in the bong allegations.

NY Daily News

Although sports heroes and drugs are not a surprising combination, it may come as a shock to fans of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps.

News of the World, a British tabloid, posted a picture on Saturday which they claim is of the 14-time Gold medalist taking a bong hit. [...] Star Magazine also posted the photo. However, it isn’t really clear that it actually is Phelps, who appears in profile wearing a baseball cap.

According to the News of the World story, Phelps was caught puffing the magic dragon in November 2009, weeks after his record-breaking performance at the Beijing Olympics. The story contains accounts by anonymous sources who attended the party, which the article says took place at the University of South Carolina, where Phelps pulled an “Almost Famous” moment and showed up unannounced at the shindig.

[...]

News of the World also claims Phelps’ representatives attempted to stop them from running the story, but the gossip newspaper went ahead with it anyway. They have not yet responded directly to the allegations.

News of the World

It was on November 6, weeks after his Beijing triumph, that 23-year-old Phelps surprised students at the University Of South Carolina in Columbia by showing up unannounced at a house party.

He was visiting Jordan Matthews, a girl he was secretly seeing who was a student there.

Our source revealed: “Michael came to visit Jordan but ended up just getting wasted every night.

“He arrived with a group of girls hanging all over him. Jaws hit the floor when he walked in. You don’t get many celebrities in Columbia, so when Phelps comes to your party it’s a very big deal.

[...]

“Every girl wanted a piece of him and every guy wanted to be his best buddy. He couldn’t get enough of all the attention.”

As he basked in his hero status, Phelps knocked back beers and shots of spirits. And when a student offered him the glass bong engraved with red writing, he did not hesitate, says our source.

The 6ft 4ins athlete, in a white T-shirt and navy cap worn back to front, clasped the device in his huge hands and inhaled deeply.

Our source said: “You could tell Michael had smoked before. He grabbed the bong and a lighter and knew exactly what to do.

[...]

But the next night, Phelps was out partying again. The source added: “He was right back at it at Pavlov’s bar.

“Like the night before he was holding court, throwing back shots two at a time and pouring drinks to every cute girl.”

[...]

The US Olympics Committee, who have pledged to clamp down on drug use, refused to comment, as did USA Swimming and Phelps’ coach Bob Bowman.

More surprising still was the World Anti-Doping Agency’s refusal to comment, given that they introduced the four-year ban on sport’s drug users.

Related:
HuffPo
Star
The Sporting Blog
Examiner.com
Newsday
Google News
WBAL TV
Hot Air

Baltimore Examiner

The performance of sports stars like Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis could mean big bucks for fantasy sports buffs in Maryland.

Del. John Olszewski, D-Baltimore County, is proposing to remove fantasy gaming from the state’s anti-gambling laws and allow Marylanders to earn cash prizes for winning an online fantasy sports league.

CBS’ online fantasy league disclaimer lists Maryland along with Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana and Vermont as the states where participants can play for a fee but not win prizes.

“This is an issue where Congress said this isn’t gambling, a vast majority of states allow it, and it seems to make sense to allow Marylanders to have the same opportunity,” Olszewski said.

Fantasy sports were excluded from the federal Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act of 2006, which was aimed mostly at online poker and casino games.

Laura Vozzella

Under the slogan “Objectify the Vote,” the Web site lemondrop.com has come up with a list of the nation’s 50 hottest male politicians. Not to be outdone, its sister site asylum.com drew up with a list of hot female pols.

The winners in Maryland: U.S. Rep. John Sarbanes, who is pictured at a No Child Left Inside event with a furry critter on one shoulder; and state Del. Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio, who appears in red blazer and pearls.

[...]

Of Haddaway-Riccio, Asylum writes: “The State House’s assistant minority whip can punish us any time. Preferably by whip.”

Sarbanes’ office declined to comment. Haddaway-Riccio, who represents Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot and Wicomico counties, said she was “a little embarrassed.”

“I think my husband is more excited about it than I am,” she said.

Ray Frager

Kristen Berset started as the new weekend sports anchor/reporter at Channel 45 last Friday. She came to Baltimore from Panama City, Fla.’s WJHG.

Berset is a former Miss Florida USA and finished in the top 10 in the Miss USA pageant. According to her Web site, “she continues to pursue a dual career in modeling and broadcast television.”

Baltimore Sports Report points out that Brian Roberts’ new wife, Diana Chiafair, has quite the modeling portfolio.