Now we know. Michael Phelps and Alex Rodriguez are not heroes. They're just fallible human beings who happen to be athletic superstars. That's all.

Kids who put sports action heroes on a pedestal set themselves up for a fall.

We've seen it happen repeatedly, from the great all-around player Pete Rose, whose gambling habit disappointed fans, to the apparent steroid use of record-setting sluggers Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds.

Phelps, the Olympic champion swimmer and apologetic pot smoker, was America's golden boy until his reputation went up in smoke, his wild ways captured by a fellow partier's cellphone camera. A-Rod, like Bonds, relied on drugs to gain an edge. All these mortals have fallen from grace.

Athletes have turned to artificial assists for decades. But when the benefit is shown to have been achieved by the use of steroids or other performance enhancing substances, the wrong message is sent to the younger generation, the boys and girls who've been told repeatedly that the only valid way to succeed in life is through study, practice and hard work.

Moms, dads, please tell your kids that A-Rod and Phelps are not role models. Nor are they true heroes. The firefighter who pulls a child from a burning building is a hero. The soldier who risks his life on the battlefield is a hero, and so is the US Airways pilot who calmly landed his jet safely in the Hudson River.

But let's not throw all of our sports stars under the bus. Many play by the rules and live up to their fans' adulation. Even so, sports and entertainment stars aren't the ones who should be molding our children's lives. The examples we need our kids to follow must be set by the leaders in the community: the coaches, teachers, club advisers and other mentors.

The best role model of all is you, the parent.

Teach your children to stretch the limits but follow the rules. Dreaming is good. Cheating is a cop-out.

Phelps and A-Rod probably grew up hearing the same good advice. It's a shame they didn't follow the instructions.