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.
Former Member
The reason Craig said to read the latest update at the Race Club website:
Gary has read the comments on this message board and said he was hurt that people who do not know him would attack him personally. Check it out for yourself.
There is a difference between disagreeing with the actions of someone and labeling someone based on those actions. I feel I need to be intimately aware of someone before I would feel it was appropriate to label them.
Originally posted by Matt S
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
Matt,
1. What's your alma mater? Is it an Illinois school?
2. After watching some reality shows & hten knowing someone who was on one, I know that frequently we see only bits of reality and must make up our minds from what we see. Most people only see gary Hall when he is ready to compete or just finished. Few see more of him. I am not always the best person, I'm sure you aren't also. I also know that Gary Hall has brought a lot more attention to swimming than I ever will. I also know that we see only a piece of Michael Phelps. Christian theologians site it as the duality of man (having been created by God but born through sin). I prefer to say that because we are able to think and resolve & make choices, we make mistakes and differences. I think you are right in saying look at Gaary Hall's multiple sides.
Gary wrote the following:
"I really would like to write a book. There have been a few things that I should talk about. I would like to answer the many questions that the diabetes community sends in. The stories that inspire me. The work that I do within the diabetes community. The relay in Athens. Many folks have offered unfair criticism for the way things were portrayed in the media. For the most part I have bitten my tongue, something that I am not inclined to do often, regarding this issue. I would like to set the record straight regarding the series of events that took place. The formation of the Race Club. Winning and losing. Lessons learned.
Recently I took a stroll through the Masters Swimming website and there are some really nasty things being said about me. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Lord knows I buy into that.
People who are critical of my behavior, my wardrobe, the way I train or the way I promote the sport of swimming (at every level) are folks that I don't know. The people who believe I don't train have never seen me train. The people who believe I have an ego have never met me. There are some people in the sport that I know that will roll their eyes at some of the things I do but stop well short of criticizing them. Most of the people who know me don't have anything bad to say; just the opposite really, and I would like to thank the many people that have been so supportive. I know that you can't make everyone happy.
It hurts to know that some can be so critical of the way I choose to promote the sport of swimming. There aren't a whole lot of swimmers out there that are spending their own money to promote the sport and support other swimmers, often their competitors. I do it because I love the sport and have the utmost respect for those I compete against. There is camaraderie.
Regardless of whether there is opposition we must push on, doing what we believe to be right. I believe that The Race Club is a good thing that is helping the sport. I believe that by creating more diabetes awareness and raising money for research I contribute in the search for a cure."
I agree with Sam Perry--it seems that some of the more negative posts come from anonymous sources.
Nice of him to take note of the USMS forum posts. I wish he would have more directly commented on some of the stuff White Buffalo said, though.
It would have been interesting.
John Smith
Awh, poor guy ... I feel bad now ... And usually I try not to say bad things about people ... It's hard to get an accurate view of someone that you don't actually know and/or have only seen on tv for a few minutes here and there ... I apologize for my comments and take them back ... I would love for him to elaborate further on the relay thing though ... I do have a picture of Gary in his "costume" on my door under the quote "I've always admired those that bite off more than they can chew then chew it." I think it's a fitting quote for him ... Best of luck to him in the future! Keep swimming!
Who knows ... maybe he realized he messed up. Maybe he doesn't think he did anything wrong. Maybe he doesn't want to paint the coaches or other swimmers in a bad light ... who knows ... I must say though that I admire people who step up and say ya' know what I screwed up and I'm sorry ... now that being said, I am not implying that Gary needs to do this or that he really did anything wrong, he did what was right for him even if that came off as childish and selfish and unsupportive. The guy did win the gold in the 50.
We tend to judge other people by our own standards and that's not fair. People are different and we all react differently in certain situations. It's easy for all us to sit back and say that we would have done things differently but unless you are in the exact same situation you don't truly know what you would have done.
Additionally, I must say I don't think I've ever heard about word uttered about the guy from anyone that really knows him ...
Originally posted by SwiminONandON
It's easy for all us to sit back and say that we would have done things differently but unless you are in the exact same situation you don't truly know what you would have done.
How true. Maybe you shouldn't have called him a jerk.
Yeah, and I apolgized for that ... thank you for so kindly pointing that out to me ... Good thing you've never made a mistake in your life ... if only we could all be so perfect ...
