There has been a lot in the media lately about Michael Phelps and his bong. And while I'm NOT here to advocate for Marijuana -- I am here to advocate for Phelps. People have been taking shots at him and demanding everything from a public apology to drug testing. And everyone from those cackling hens on The View to Paul F. Tompkins on Best Week Ever want to sound off on this. Well -- I'm not one for staying out of things, so I'm sounding off too!

Michael Phelps is just a kid. And just because he has shown a super-human ability to train and discipline his body does not mean that he is disciplined in everything. Besides, he's not even training right now. He's on a little break. You know -- like when you go on a break from your diet. Or take a break from college. He's indulging in youthful folly. Kellogg's has kicked Phelps off their cereal boxes and deemed him not good enough to represent them. I guess Phelps is no longer wholesome enough to say their cereal is "Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat!" The angry blond one on The View actually insinuated that if Phelps is using this kind of drug -- then he's probably using performance enhancing drugs as well. That's a very faulty leap in logic. But then, The View has never been accused of being logical.

I'm going to defend Phelps on this issue. And this is why. He went to the Olympics and represented our country well, very well. He's a nice guy, he loves his mom, and he hasn't done anything for the past 8 years but swim his little heart out every single day. I understand wanting the cover on your kid's cereal box to be a role model -- someone little kids can look up to as they eat their Wheaties or Frosted Flakes. I get it. But how come nobody is concerned about having the US Olympic Men's Basketball team on cereal boxes? "The Redeem Team!" That title alone makes me want to gag on my cereal. Right - those guys are good role models? I had the good fortune of going to Beijing for the Olympics and there were Olympic displays everywhere -- and the posters and publicity all had Kobe Bryant's big smiling face standing in front of the US flag.

Now that's someone who isn't a good representative. Kobe Bryant is a rapist. And a serial adulterer. But that doesn't matter because he's a really good basketball player? And what about Jason Kid who beat his wife repeatedly until she divorced him? Or Carmelo Anthony and his multiple DUIs, arrests for marijuana possession, and the DVD where he publicly threatens violence against "snitches?" Do we want these thugs to endorse cereal -- let alone, represent our country? Not me.

I think if we're going to have public outcry over Michael Phelps' one youthful indiscretion -- which wasn't an act of violence, and he didn't hurt anyone (but himself); then I think we need to take a long hard look at some of the other athletes that parade through our lives tattooed with their sponsorship logos. If you Google "NFL + criminal activity" you will get several pages of information -- that frankly, you probably don't want to read. And if this Phelp's drug use can cause such a media frenzy -- then why don't the gals of The View get all hot and bothered over all those Steroid junkies in professional baseball? It's not just that it seems like a double standard -- it seems over-the-top ridiculous.

Just because Michael Phelps won a bunch of medals for the US, doesn't mean we own him, or his image. He is an individual who represents our country when he swims. Yes I think it was stupid for him to smoke that bong ... and even stupider to be photographed! (Note to Michael: whoever took that photo of you is not your friend!) But he's a dumb kid. He's not beating anyone. He hasn't raped anyone. And he's not endangering others by driving drunk or high. Besides, he apologized, sincerely. He admitted it was "bad judgment" and promised that it won't happen again. I think we should all get off his back a little. And he should be a lot more careful. Give him a break, America! Let him be a kid -- and when he swims, while he's in the pool, we can claim him again ... as ours.