That's Racism!

Jemele Hill wonders if Michael Phelps would have gotten it worse if he were black:

In 2002, Rasheed Wallace was given a misdemeanor citation for marijuana possession. The charge against Wallace -- who was 28 at the time -- was eventually dropped after he completed community service, and drug and alcohol counseling. But no way would the Portland paper have ever written an editorial as glowing as the one that appeared in The Baltimore Sun, Phelps' hometown newspaper.

Wallace has had a rocky relationship with fans and the media, but that's not the point. When Josh Howard admitted he and many other NBA players use marijuana, I don't recall seeing a single column like this one on Forbes.com. I never considered the fact that marijuana use might help professional athletes de-stress. What a novel idea.

Meh. Rasheed had severe PR problems, and Josh Howard was nowhere near the star that Phelps is. More to the point, we have a limited reservoir of "Well, if he was black/white" to dip into. I'd argue that we save it for death row inmates, the unemployed and mothers trying to get off welfare. I have no idea what would have happened to Phelps if he was black. I'm not sure why it matters.