Did anyone see the new Gary Hall, Jr Barbarsol commerical. It is about time swimmers get some good endorsements besides Speedo and the other swimming apparel companies. Madison Ave has really come a long way in the last few years. You would never see a swimmer in a commerical a year after the Olympics before. It is nice to know that all the endorsements aren't going to Phelps even though the boy more than deserves whatever endorsements he get. I mean Phelps is out of this world.
Parents
Former Member
Jeff: You have accurately described the joy of high school and college swimming, and it is indeed a wonderful thing. I recently had the priviledge of helping to coach my old college alma matter, and watching them compete at Conference Championships and soaking up the atmosphere was a treat I had not enjoyed in years. However, consider that you can also compete in a Masters meet where the coach doesn't show up, 90% of the team and 95% of the fastest swimmers don't show up, and you are scraping around to form a relay of any sort. Swimming can be a terrific team sport, but it is not one by its nature.
Dead Fish: I agree with you completely that I would like my children to behave more like the numerous well mannered, mature swimmers who never made it out of the prelims (or even made it to the Olympic Games at all) rather than Gary Hall. I think that behavior produces better human beings and more successful teams. However, don't kid yourself about popularity. Yes, it's terrific that our best swimmer, Michael Phelps, is a well mannered young man (youthful mistakes not withstanding). But Gary gives us something to talk about. Was tennis more interesting when John McEnroe was the dominant male player, or Pete Sampras? And, as Blue Horn suggests, please don't make Gary a straw man for all you dislike in modern society. Try looking at everything he does, not just his antics, and make an allowance for the private individual none of us generally see. See the whole person.
Blue Horn: this is a bit off topic, but I now understand how you cheer both your Horns and our beloved Wolverines. I went into last season's Rose Bowl wanting to dislike Texas, wanting to make them a symbol for all the stuff going on in 2004 that I objected to. Problem with that approach is that the Horns, their coaching staff and their fans conducted themselves with such class I couldn't do it. Every word out of their mouths in the run up to the game was respect for the Rose Bowl, the Big Ten and the Pac Ten, and just how lucky they were to get a chance to play in it, etc. etc. Then they went out and played a whale of a game, a clean game, with both teams bringing their A game, and won a real squeaker. I asked myself several times how come these two teams never played before? I hope devoutly their ADs will remedy that situation because this has all the makings of a beautiful rivalry.
Do I have a general point? Maybe it's an appreciation that not all people are the same; enjoy the differences.
Matt
Jeff: You have accurately described the joy of high school and college swimming, and it is indeed a wonderful thing. I recently had the priviledge of helping to coach my old college alma matter, and watching them compete at Conference Championships and soaking up the atmosphere was a treat I had not enjoyed in years. However, consider that you can also compete in a Masters meet where the coach doesn't show up, 90% of the team and 95% of the fastest swimmers don't show up, and you are scraping around to form a relay of any sort. Swimming can be a terrific team sport, but it is not one by its nature.
Dead Fish: I agree with you completely that I would like my children to behave more like the numerous well mannered, mature swimmers who never made it out of the prelims (or even made it to the Olympic Games at all) rather than Gary Hall. I think that behavior produces better human beings and more successful teams. However, don't kid yourself about popularity. Yes, it's terrific that our best swimmer, Michael Phelps, is a well mannered young man (youthful mistakes not withstanding). But Gary gives us something to talk about. Was tennis more interesting when John McEnroe was the dominant male player, or Pete Sampras? And, as Blue Horn suggests, please don't make Gary a straw man for all you dislike in modern society. Try looking at everything he does, not just his antics, and make an allowance for the private individual none of us generally see. See the whole person.
Blue Horn: this is a bit off topic, but I now understand how you cheer both your Horns and our beloved Wolverines. I went into last season's Rose Bowl wanting to dislike Texas, wanting to make them a symbol for all the stuff going on in 2004 that I objected to. Problem with that approach is that the Horns, their coaching staff and their fans conducted themselves with such class I couldn't do it. Every word out of their mouths in the run up to the game was respect for the Rose Bowl, the Big Ten and the Pac Ten, and just how lucky they were to get a chance to play in it, etc. etc. Then they went out and played a whale of a game, a clean game, with both teams bringing their A game, and won a real squeaker. I asked myself several times how come these two teams never played before? I hope devoutly their ADs will remedy that situation because this has all the makings of a beautiful rivalry.
Do I have a general point? Maybe it's an appreciation that not all people are the same; enjoy the differences.
Matt
