"...maybe subconsciously it influenced his decision-making"
Wow, I have heard it all now. Crocker holds the world record short course for 100M and was second at trials. There was no "subconsciuos" to it.
Reese is one of the most, if not THE most, successful coaches in history. (And I don't mean just swimming) A "subconscious" decision is selling him way short. This is nothing but arm chair quarterbacking afer the game has ended. Are the best coaches mistake proof, of course not. But to give me some psychoanalysis about subconscious relay decision making is almost laughable.
Ian Crocker swam the slowest 100 of all 32 swimmers in the 4x100 FR Finals (for whatever reason)-that should not happen to the USA in any circumstance!
Hall is the elder statesman of swimming. He has the hardware to prove it. He trains with diabetes, an almost impossible feat to imagine knowing the rigors of Olympic swimming training. Leaving him off the team was a mistake blinded by that washed out orange that Crocker wore in college. It's not Crocker's call to pull himself out, it's the coaches. That's why we have coaches.
I realize highsight validates my argument and not yours, which is unfair. I agree Hall didn't make many friends in the Olympics. Course I thought he was there to win medals, which he did. He probably could have one more.
"Ian Crocker swam the slowest 100 of all 32 swimmers in the 4x100 FR Finals (for whatever reason)-that should not happen to the USA in any circumstance!"
Well, there's a revelation. I guess since Eddie Reese has such a strong subconscious mind, he should have known this and taken Crocker off the relay. That being said, who would replace him? Hall wasn't even at the pool, so maybe we should put the second elder statesman of simming on it? I guess Geek can let me know who that is...
Originally posted by Sam Perry
This is nothing but arm chair quarterbacking after the game has ended.
You're just now figuring that out? Of course it is.
I'm sure Reese never lets his personal feelings get in the way of his decision-making.
I'm sure Reese never lets his personal feelings get in the way of his decision-making.
Personal feelings and subconscious decisions are two very different things. Sure he had personal feelings he watches Ian, Brendan, and Aaron hammer it out in the pool each day and knows what they are capable of.
I don't think Hall would have done any worse-poor performance by the USA in both 100 FR and 4x100 FR this Olympics.
He did not qualify in the individual event so that has no bearing, and no one has even implied (myself included) the relay would have done worse with him on it.
I am sure Gary would have gone better than 50.5 which is what Crocker split. Heck Crocker split 50.2 in his fly leg on the medley so he would have been faster four nights later swimming fly in the free relay!
Crocker is a great Flyer-no question about it. I don't think he is that great of a Freestyler-and if he was sick and still swam the 4x100 FR then someone screwed up.
