Ralph thinks he is me....but he really is Mr. Moose and me in one...
Is not...is to...not...to
And....for what it is worth.....every USA WR was swam with swimmers using VO2MAX Shampoo....Honest....
The guy's not a team player. He showed that in his pouting over the relays and his refusal to show up to support the team for those events. Of course, he'll say that he didn't show up because the team rejected him. Maybe it's Chicken-or-egg thing.
There's a guy on the mens hoops team (Carmello Anthony) who is one of the better players, but is riding the bench because he's not being a team player.
So he was fined $5000. To someone of his sponsorship stature, that's chump change. He'll pay it, and still walk away with his medals and with the image we all have of him standing in his boxing robe.
Had I been Eddie Reese; Hall would have NEVER swam again in the Olympics because HE was the backup swimmer on the 4 X 200 relay when he decided to sit at the Olympic Village during that race….Now, think what would have happened had ONE of the USA swimmers slipped on the pool deck or experienced some huge problem…Guess who would have MISSED the entire relay…the whole USA Men’s 4 X 200 relay because he was sulking back at the Village. I am almost 100 % sure that the coaches MUST submit the relay order and the designated back up swimmer 2 hours before the event (unlike NCAA Swimming when you know who is swimming when the swimmers show up at the blocks) and I think Hall was listed as the back up swimmer…..Trust me a 5 K fine would have been mild had that happened….he would have been lynched for that stunt.
Did any of you see him comment on the Today show about it? He wasn't forced to do anything. He knew EXACTLY what he was doing and knew something would happen (aka the fine) and he said he would do it again. He can afford it so who cares, everyone knows he's out to get attention and that is what you are all giving him too by talking about it. I thought it was cool and you should be able to wear something like that. It's not like he came out with some other countries flag on his back.
As Guvnah said, we all will have memories of that guy in the boxing robe. Now whether or not the general public starts wearing boxing gear is very questionable. Would they have slammed Michael Phelps if he came out with a Visa baseball cap, Converse all stars on his feet, and a Nautica pull-over? Who knows? Maybe Gary knew that his face on a Wheaties box just wasn't going to happen. They seem to save that spot for the gymnasts and decathalon winner.
The risk of falling out of favor by not sporting the team warm-up was probably worth taking. He fell under the American sweetheart protection program the minute he won gold. Maybe not sweetheart, but to all the Friday night prime time viewers who only watch swimming once every four years, he's the "champ". It's interesting how Olympians are immediately idolized, team player or not. One thing is for sure, he made an impression. And as aquageek said he shed some light on the diabetes problem in this country. Who can argue with that?
I don’t see any duress. Membership in USA-Swimming and an invitation to be a member of the USA Olympic swim team are privileges not rights.
The swimmers who qualified to be members of the USA team at the US Olympic trials, were extended invitations to be members of the team, with the stipulation that they agree in writing to certain rules. None were forced to join the team.
I would see this as situation similar to what occurs in corporate America today – If you take a job company that requires employees to sign employment contracts, signing this contract is not under duress.
Tom, yes, the beauty of being able to post on this forum is that we have to privilege to disagree.
So by extension of your logic if a swimmer becomes the fastest swimmer in the 50 by being jacked up on steroids and wearing flippers in the race, he should also be allowed to represent his country, because he also has the right to break the rules.
That’s showing big brother – power to the people!
This is all so silly. Who cares what he wears. I'm with Ellison on this. Hall, Jr is a great advocate for swimming and a wonderful personality. This is just someone needing to justify a marketing contract. Lot's of things to worry about, this isn't one of them.
Presumably USA Swimming also paid for Gary's way to include his airfare, room and board. And where does that money come from? Sponsors, of course. I have to agree it is then a privilege to represent USA Swimming in the Olympics and not a right.
Similarly, if Gary went 21.7 in the Janet Evans invitational but only went 22.5 at Trials, he wouldn't have gotten to swim in the Olympics. That is, it would not be his right to swim just because he was the fastest American this summer.
Jeff Roddin
Slowest American this summer
