If anyone has any pull with NBC could you get them to get someone who knows technique to be part of the show.At the 1972 Games they showed an ultra-slowmotion clip of Spitz's butterfly & it was great & educational. I think they should keep Rowdy as he knows the swimmers but he needs to leave the stroke discussion to someone else. (I.E.In the women's 200 *** Amanda Beard was killing the field with her amazing kick & he said her pull was the strongest.)I suggest Mike Collins. He is one of the most knowlegible people I have heard.(they should get Wayne for the Breaststroke of course.)
Former Member
don't know anyone at NBC, but would really like to have a technically proficient announcer. Have to hit the mute button whenever Rowdy Gaines talks, the screeching is just too much. NBC should take a look at the OLN coverage of cycling events, Phil, Paul,and Bob make watching a lesson in bicycle racing with no hysteria.
Craig Hummer will be working with Rowdy. Not sure if Dara Tores will be there?
Craig lives in Southern Kalifornia, if the nicest person you could ever meet. His daughters swim at our pool in El Segundo and will some day be Masters.
Crag has swum pool meets in SPMA, but is noted as a great ocean swimmer. Now if they wanted another pretty face (besides Craig), I would recommend our own Dianne Granner Gallas.
Not only beautiful, articluate, but still a great swimmer. She dominated the backstrokes in Masters for years, and even took 4th at Nationals one time at 6-7 months pregnant. She has been on the cover of Swim magazine, a year or two ago she placed third at the Goodwill games in Australia in an ocean swim. She was leading until the beach where she was just unlucky.
She is the only woman to win overall the Manhattan Beach pier to pier swim against some great male swimmers, including Craig Hummer.
As head coach of the El Segundo Slugs masters team, she took the team from 5-6 members in 1990 to several small team national champinships in the late 90's.
She knows more about backstroke than any USA coach. At one of the team parties, there was a slide show from a meet. Photos of d
Diane during backstroke were awesome. They never showed her on her back, she was always on one side or the other. Talk about a perfect stroke. In fact her backstroke is better form than any I saw at Olympic Trials.
We could very quickly start a email to NBC to get more of Craig and Diane. And I adore Dara Torres. Even Summer Sanders.
Rowdy is always Rowdy, only one who talks more than me about swimming:D :D
I was recently interviewed as an "expert" on breaststroke for an article on Brendan Hansen. I recommended the reporter talk to Mike Barrowman , Steve Lundquist, and John Moffet. Lucky girl got interviews with all of them, including Brendan. The best part is the reporter was an ex-breaststroker herself. So at least she knew to ask intelligent questions.
The Olympics are two weeks away. I doubt very much NBC is going to be changing their ondeck lineup at this late date and I'd bet they've either already scripted exactly what they plan on showing or at least have a very good idea.
Can't hurt to try but I wouldn't hold my breath on getting anything changed.
While we are on the subject of olympic coverage, is there any way to let the network know that we swimmers would really appreciate more underwater views?
