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
Anyway, regarding the issue of publicizing the great sport of swimming, I have a few things to share.
First, swimming is a sport that few (if any) non-participants actually get in to. How many swimming fans do you know that did not swim? I don't know any. Not that this is right, but it is just simple reality.
Why is golf so popular? 2 words- Tiger Woods. What would need to happen for our sport to take off on the American level is for a swimming star on the parallel of TW to appear on the scene. What is the chance of that? Well, small but possible. It would behoove the USA-S oranization to over-publicize the potential "star" candidates. That is the only chance.
Swimming isn't going to become a specator sport overnight. It's NOT popular. It is NOT trivial. It IS a very difficult sport. We need the appropriate personalties to take it to the next level (coverage-wise). I wish we could. I personally think it is virtually impossible. Without opening the sport to the inner-city youth and the urban poor we are stuck with what we have. White suburbia wealthy opportunistic swimmers. Expand the horizions, we need all the help we can get.
Go swimming. Let's get the ball rolling. Let's start a fricken brainstorm of ideas for what to do. There is so much that can be done. We just need the ideas, the commitment, and the people to make it happen.
-RM
Anyway, regarding the issue of publicizing the great sport of swimming, I have a few things to share.
First, swimming is a sport that few (if any) non-participants actually get in to. How many swimming fans do you know that did not swim? I don't know any. Not that this is right, but it is just simple reality.
Why is golf so popular? 2 words- Tiger Woods. What would need to happen for our sport to take off on the American level is for a swimming star on the parallel of TW to appear on the scene. What is the chance of that? Well, small but possible. It would behoove the USA-S oranization to over-publicize the potential "star" candidates. That is the only chance.
Swimming isn't going to become a specator sport overnight. It's NOT popular. It is NOT trivial. It IS a very difficult sport. We need the appropriate personalties to take it to the next level (coverage-wise). I wish we could. I personally think it is virtually impossible. Without opening the sport to the inner-city youth and the urban poor we are stuck with what we have. White suburbia wealthy opportunistic swimmers. Expand the horizions, we need all the help we can get.
Go swimming. Let's get the ball rolling. Let's start a fricken brainstorm of ideas for what to do. There is so much that can be done. We just need the ideas, the commitment, and the people to make it happen.
-RM
