One thing that I really think swimming needs is more "love em or hate em" types. Gary Hall Jr is just the guy for the job. Look at football since the salary cap, no more Cowboys. Baseball wouldn;t be the same without the Yankee's, the Lakers in basketball. My point is that a few more mavericks like Gary to contrasting the Phelps' and Thorpes' of the world is a good thing. It would only augment the interest and viewing for swimming, Nobody tunes in to swimming to root against anyone but the other country. That is part of why national meets have no TV appeal. Get a few colorful outspoken love em or hate em types and it can only increase interest. People will tune in just to root against those guys. Others will tune to cheer them on and rub it in the face of those against. That is what helps create rivalries, thus increasing interest. Swimming needs a major kick in the trunks if it doesn;t want to fall further victim to title 9 and the bigger sports.
Imagine if there was this cocky arrogant 18 yr old phenom with tatoo's, brash behavior, and a huge ego, with talent that was equal to Phelps" I gaurantee that there would be a significant increase in interest in seeing these two go head to head. Look at what Ali did for boxing, he was hated or loved, mostly hated during his reign. He was the first to talk smack and get in the other guys' face, but he backed it up. TV ratings went through the roof for his fights, most of the viewers cheering against him. Then it dropped after him until Tyson came along, he had the same impact on the sport. If everyone in a sport is the same ole same ole and never against the grain it makes it dull. Let's face it, swimming is dull to watch with the acception of a few international meets. I say that swimming could use an infusion of more Gary Hall Jr types to offset the boy next door types. Think about it with an open mind.
One thing that I really think swimming needs is more "love em or hate em" types. Gary Hall Jr is just the guy for the job. Look at football since the salary cap, no more Cowboys. Baseball wouldn;t be the same without the Yankee's, the Lakers in basketball. My point is that a few more mavericks like Gary to contrasting the Phelps' and Thorpes' of the world is a good thing. It would only augment the interest and viewing for swimming, Nobody tunes in to swimming to root against anyone but the other country. That is part of why national meets have no TV appeal. Get a few colorful outspoken love em or hate em types and it can only increase interest. People will tune in just to root against those guys. Others will tune to cheer them on and rub it in the face of those against. That is what helps create rivalries, thus increasing interest. Swimming needs a major kick in the trunks if it doesn;t want to fall further victim to title 9 and the bigger sports.
Imagine if there was this cocky arrogant 18 yr old phenom with tatoo's, brash behavior, and a huge ego, with talent that was equal to Phelps" I gaurantee that there would be a significant increase in interest in seeing these two go head to head. Look at what Ali did for boxing, he was hated or loved, mostly hated during his reign. He was the first to talk smack and get in the other guys' face, but he backed it up. TV ratings went through the roof for his fights, most of the viewers cheering against him. Then it dropped after him until Tyson came along, he had the same impact on the sport. If everyone in a sport is the same ole same ole and never against the grain it makes it dull. Let's face it, swimming is dull to watch with the acception of a few international meets. I say that swimming could use an infusion of more Gary Hall Jr types to offset the boy next door types. Think about it with an open mind.
