After a week of laying relatively low, stoner swimmer Michael Phelps met the press on Feb. 5, 2009. He reiterated that his bonghitting stint at the University of South Carolina in November was "bad and stupid judgment and something I'll always live with, and a lesson I'll always learn from." Phelps made the following statements:

• About his three-month suspension: "It's not my decision. It's theirs. I have nothing to say, but if that's they want to do, that's their choice. It's something that USA Swimming came up with. It's fair. Obviously, for a mistake you should get punished."

• "I've clearly made some bad judgements and mistakes in my life, and I think the best things is to learn from you mistakes. That's already what I've done and continue to do. I'm back in the water, training. I'm happy to be back in the water - that's a place where I feel at home and I feel comfortable. I can relax, I can chill, I can be myself. I'm still deciding on a lot of things. I'm not gonna make any decisions yet. We'll see what happens."

• About the media circus: "From waking up to megaphones outside your house at 7:30 in the morning to still photographers out there every day for the last four days from 7:30 to when I left for a workout, I can just do what's normal for me. And right now that's me coming to the pool every day."

• "Mom wasn't happy, obviously. She has been supportive through it, but wasn't happy."

Phelps supporters popped up everywhere:

• Actor Christian Bale (The Dark Knight) observed in a radio interview: "Please, Michael Phelps, swim in the next Olympics. This guy has a God-given talent. So he smoked a bit of weed. Plenty of our presidents have. Everybody makes mistakes. Bounce back from it. Do not waste that God-given talent. Swim in the next Olympics, please!"

• Jay and Silent Bob director Kevin Smith offered: "The way I look at it, the (guy) has worked hard from birth - let him hit the bong."

• Two-time Olympic swimming gold medalist Amanda Beard commented: "If anyone knows public scrutiny, it's me. When I posed for Playboy, so many officials looked down on me. Michael knows he isn't a bad person. He made a mistake. People need to get over it. I want to cheer him on in London."

• Former WWE and ECW world champion wrestler Rob Van Dam asked: "How about we stop ignoring the fact that World Champion athletes who take their health extremely seriously sometimes choose to use marijuana? Why are we ignoring the message there?"

• Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-VT) took a swipe at Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, who has threatened to charge Phelps will committing a crime: "When I was a prosecutor, I was far more interested in going after armed robbers, murderers and rapists rather than trying to go after some kid for smoking marijuana."

And Subway - home of the $5 hero - stood by their sponsor: "Like most Americans, and like Michael Phelps himself, we were disappointed in his behavior. Also like most Americans, we accept his apology. Moving forward, he remains in our plans."

Also see:
Michael Phelps: Hits from the Bong
The Party House on the Hill
Sheriff Busts 8 in Phelps Bong Case
Bill Maher Rips Phelps
Seth Meyers on Phelps - "REALLY!"
Hits from the Bong. Pt. 2
The Phelps Backlash
Weedies: Phelps' Latest Endorsement
Ross Rebagliati on Phelps
What Would Jack Babashoff Say?
Ashton Kutcher: Dude, Where's My Bong?
Phelps & Chong
Phelps' Roor Bong
Whoopi Goldberg: "I have smoked weed"
Santonio Holmes: Super Bowl Stoner