Leave Michael Phelps Alone

Not a face made for the big house...

Where's Michael's sobbing YouTube defense?

This Michael Phelps pot-smoking fiasco has gone too far. We get it: pot is illegal. Maybe our sports heroes shouldn't be smoking a bong for the whole world to see. Maybe Phelps did a naughty and is a bad, bad boy. But should he be locked up over it?

A sheriff in Columbia, S.C., where the "shocking" photos were taken seems to think this is the perfect time to find out. Sheriff Leon Lott Jr. (I'm not kidding, that's his name), is embarking on his much-overdue 15 minutes of fame by announcing he's investigating the situation and may be pressing charges.

Sheriff Leon says, "If someone breaks the law in Richland County, we have an obligation as law enforcement to investigate and to bring charges. The Richland County Sheriff's Department is making an effort to determine if Mr. Phelps broke the law. If he did, he will be charged in the same manner as anyone else. The Sheriff has a responsibility to be fair, to enforce the law and to not turn a blind eye because someone is a celebrity."

We agree that celebs shouldn't get away with illegal behavior, but would the kind Sheriff even be investigating this if Phelps wasn't famous? Is he investigating all the possible images of people in his county smoking pot that are likely posted to MySpace and Facebook? Because you know how college kids roll. No, that's very unlikely, and we're a little shocked that the Sheriff has the time and resources to go through with this.

Come on, Richland County, if his sponsors forgave this trespass maybe you can too?