The award for the most ridiculous, self-absorbed, overzealous all sports entertainment network in the world goes to...
ESPN, for the 10th year running.
They have once again proven that outside the 4 major sports, Tiger Woods, and the Williams sisters, you're really not much of an athlete. Unless you count token consideration of Cael Sanderson and -ahem- Sarah Hughes (don't even get me started on figure skating).
No offense to college athlete of the year Sue Bird (UConn BB) but a certain swimmer from Cal who set at least 6 AR and 1 WR over the short course season would have had my vote.
Anyone else? Natalie Coughlin, female college athlete of the year as awarded by the USMS discussion crew?
-RM
Parents
Former Member
Hmmmm.... OK, here's an attempt to think outside the box:
Suppose we have a professional tape made of the nationals - say a 1/2 hour highlight tape made by a USMS member. (Someone out of all our members must own a video company.) We get the tape in exchange for promotion of the company somehow - at the meet, on the tape, whatever... Copies are made and then sent to volunteers who have signed up for time (long in advance) on a local community access channel of their cable network. The tape is then played as their time slot allotment.
I am not versed in all the details of this and don't delude myself that it will save the swimming world and I suspect that it might be more applicable to larger metro areas than in places like where I live (the boonies), but it seems low-cost enough and better than just wringing our hands.
Perhaps some colleges would be willing to make good quality tapes of their swim teams/meets (use the media-type majors as slave labor) and then show those also.
OK, fire away!
Hmmmm.... OK, here's an attempt to think outside the box:
Suppose we have a professional tape made of the nationals - say a 1/2 hour highlight tape made by a USMS member. (Someone out of all our members must own a video company.) We get the tape in exchange for promotion of the company somehow - at the meet, on the tape, whatever... Copies are made and then sent to volunteers who have signed up for time (long in advance) on a local community access channel of their cable network. The tape is then played as their time slot allotment.
I am not versed in all the details of this and don't delude myself that it will save the swimming world and I suspect that it might be more applicable to larger metro areas than in places like where I live (the boonies), but it seems low-cost enough and better than just wringing our hands.
Perhaps some colleges would be willing to make good quality tapes of their swim teams/meets (use the media-type majors as slave labor) and then show those also.
OK, fire away!
