Michael Andrew goes pro at 14

Has anybody seen Time Bandits?

If I formerly held a NAG record I would probably bring it up 3-4 times in one thread too : )

If you look at the psych sheet for the World Champs trials meet going on this week in Minneapolis you'll notice that Michael Andrew is not swimming. This is because he has not achieved any of the time standards yet. So I agree with the others who have mentioned that he's great (for his age), but he's not at the elite level in the sport yet. It seems very premature for him to go pro right now. It also seems premature from a financial standpoint. Suppose he has a massive breakout year this year and storms on the the world scene. He's already given up his college eligibility so he's not going to get a Speedo contract like Katie Hoff's that includes college tuition, etc. It seems like waiting might have been more prudent. :dunno:

Why not? Wasn't the tuition portion of the contract part of the incentive to get her to give up her eligibility? I could be remembering things wrong. He certainly could still get a Speedo contract, but it seems like he'd have one less bargaining chip.

If you look at the psych sheet for the World Champs trials meet going on this week in Minneapolis you'll notice that Michael Andrew is not swimming. This is because he has not achieved any of the time standards yet. So I agree with the others who have mentioned that he's great (for his age), but he's not at the elite level in the sport yet. It seems very premature for him to go pro right now.

B I N G O!!! i did not go to world champ trails at age 14. because they were not that year! but i did at age 15. i remember it very vividly. sitting in the stands for finals (nope didnt make consoles either) and watching Craig B. put a whooping on the field and set a new WR. i also vividly remember saying to myself how someday i was race against him. took almost 2 more years. nowadays, i dearly look forwards to seeing Beards at convention in the Swim Across America booth and the two of us old, fat guys, chatting and having a beer in the evenings talking about butterfly.

May I suggest that we unhijack this thread and return to discussing “Michael Andrew goes pro at 14”. If you wish to get into a theological debate, please re-read our forum rules before you start a thread about religious observances. Thank You Rob Copeland

I have to feel sorry for any swimmer who has to choose between being a breaststroker or a distance swimmer. Choosing to be a breaststroker is like choosing to be gay -no such thing, you're born that way. Hey Rob, how's that for a threadjacking? :anim_coffee:

May I suggest that we unhijack this thread and return to discussing “Michael Andrew goes pro at 14”. If you wish to get into a theological debate, please re-read our forum rules before you start a thread about religious observances. Thank You Rob Copeland I wonder, as others already mentioned, how much money can this one sponsorship really be? Also, how much value can Andrews be to the sponsor? No one has heard of him outside the swimming community and even then not all of us. I would never have heard of him outside this board.

OK, I see what you're saying now. I don't remember Hoff's deal, but you probably remember correctly. Found it: sports.espn.go.com/.../story 10 year deal with Speedo paying her college tuition