Any of us know how Crocker was swimming the day before the race? The morning of? No? For all we know, Crocker pushed a 49.0 in workout the day before. Any of you in the coaches shoes watching him warmup? Anyone ever done well or seen someone do well when they weren't 100%? We know nothing except how to look at this with 20/20 hindsight and that makes it real easy to be critical of the coaches. I'm sure we are all so smart we would've made the "right" decision with the same info that Reese had.
If Hall was "the man" then he should've swum faster at the trials and made this a non issue. He didn't and that left the door open. He didn't get on the relay for being Gary Hall and that's the way it should be. Apparently his well known ability to perform when it counts didn't show up at the trials. When it counted.
According to the published guidelines about team selection, having the 3rd fastest time gets him on the plane to the games. That's it. Gary Hall knows that and I think most of you know it by now. To keep repeating it doesn't change it.
I don't think for a second the coaches sat around and said "Hey, Lets put up a slower relay because we don't like Gary Hall". I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that given the information they had(information we don't have), they put up what they thought was going to be the best relay. In their worst nightmare Crocker doesn't go a 50.05.
I don't know the circumstances for Gary not showing up for the finals. I'd also like to give him the benefit of the doubt on that one as well.
When did we start putting the fastest 50 freestyler in the world on the 400 free relay? Nowhere in the relay selection criteria does it say the 50 free enters into this. He isn't even close to the fastest 100 freestyler in the world and looking at the prelims of the free relay he wasn't even the fastest 100 freestyler on the B relay.
Comparing him to Jordan doesn't even make sense. Jordan never let there be doubt he was the best. Gary made his own bed. Got third at the trials in a time that was 4th fastest in the US for the year and then got out split by Walker in the prelims. He swam on the appropriate relay.
You're the one that quickly points out people don't deserve things. Hall didn't swim his way on to the relay. That's all that counts.
geek, give it up! You keep going back to the uniform incident, and relating it to the relay! 2 (TWO) different situations. He didn't make the relay for the reasons that only the coach knew at the time! If anything...maybe Crocker should have taken himself off the relay if he wasn't feeling good! The uniform fine came days later in a completely separate incident!
Who knows maybe they fined him for the uniform violation because he didn't show up for the relay and they couldn't fine him for it! All this second guessing the coach for Gary Hall NOT proving himself at the Trials. Past performances don't guarantee future ones...you should know that! If past performances were guarantees we'd all be Olympians.
Jordan proved day in and out he was a leader of his team. Hall has never proven himself to be a leader of a team.
If there was a 4x50 relay, he has my vote.
And by the way...as a coach myself...I would not have a problem "benching" a Hall, a Crocker or even a Phelps if I thought I had a better combination without one of em.
It is entirely appropriate to second guess the coach(es) here because a) the relay finished a disappointing third and b) this is a discussion forum.
Apparently it was the coach's decision to leave Hall off of the relay, not the result of some formula or algorithm. Did Hall's personality influence the coach? Maybe the fact that Crocker swam at Texas made Reese less objective.
Wasn't it also a coach's decision to advise the sprinters to back off a bit in the prelims of the 100m free, saving themselves for the semis? There again I guess that's the benefit of hindsight.
Originally posted by aquageek
So, if this is a major deal, wearing the wrong uniform or expressing concern over the coach's decision, what would be a major, major deal? This guy wears the wrong uniform, other athletes dope up, beat wives/girlfriends, etc.
C'mon, it's not like he is Bam Morris or Art Schliester or Kobe, for god's sake.
Geek, re-read my post. The uniform thing is not a big deal to me at all. However, I do think skipping the relay was childish.
Originally posted by gull80
Gary Hall is a Type I diabetic who was able to train 6 hours/day and win a gold medal. That in itself may be unprecedented and indicates, to me, incredible discipline and courage in the face of a crippling disease. He has shared his story with school children and fellow diabetics. And he has been a great supporter of swimming. The USOC may not cut him any slack, but I do.
I didn't know that about Gary. Obviously this is impressive and he deserves kudos. I still think skipping the relay disses your team and does create a potential problem. Maybe this is against his real personality and is not his normal behavior. It is a mark against him in my book - just as the diabetes is a mark for him.
