professional vs. amateur swimming.

The issue isn't swimmers making money in the sport... the issue is the NCAA not allowing them to participate. It's destroying the NCAA championships. John Smith

Originally posted by SwiminONandON Peirsolfan, if she skates better than other Americans and earns her spots onto teams why shouldn't she skate ... she wants her gold medal ... as long as she can consistently be on top why stop competing? It's a courtesy. There are very few spots available in any competition. As with most sports, only the top few advance. Ever since the pro and amatuer rule change by the USFSA, Kwan is one of the holdouts. What if Hamilton wanted to return to amatuer status and compete against your 15 year old child at Nationals? Fair? I don't think so, but that's just me. It's the reason we have age-group swimming and like gymnastics, skating is a sport where you're considered a burn out at 20 sometimes. The USFSA does have some age requirements, but there are still large gaps. Kids are reaching Olympic levels younger and younger - 16, 15 and why should they be forced to compete with people who are - oh what's that term - sandbagging? It's not the same thing but it kinda is. Good enough for the Olympic team but not enough to beat an older far more advanced and 2 time Olympian like Kwan. - hung up the Harlicks a long time ago

"by the way, our Vancouver Fire Dept Emergency Rescue Dept made it to New Orleans well before your regular army." Peter, That's not saying much..... hell the red cross made it to the relief victims before our govt. our natl. guard did. John Smith

Peirsolfan, if she skates better than other Americans and earns her spots onto teams why shouldn't she skate ... she wants her gold medal ... as long as she can consistently be on top why stop competing?

Well, I agree with Michelle Kwan wanting to continue to skate. I was saying that Amanda Beard doesn't make that type of money but she doesn't do that bad. Maybe, Amanda makes a 250,000 income or so. So, I don't see it wrong for swimmers to give up their college swimming career to make 200,000 dollars or so. In Figure Skating Sasha Cohen behind Michelle also gets endoresemtns around the 250,000 to 300,000 range.

Well, lets say someone like Shirley Bashashoff had a chance to make a good 6 figure income from the sport in the 1970's. I image she might have stayed in the sport longer. She left at age 19. And while Shirley finished community college, she dropped out of UCLA and I think she might have finished at UCI. But most of her life she was a postial carrier. The little endoresment she got for leaving the sport allowed her to make a downpayment on her house. So, a person that not into school as much it helps them with a little extra-cash.

The tax cuts pulled the US out of recession that began the last year of Clintons presidency. Home ownership now for all races and income levels is at an all time high. Bush's education bill is the highest spent on education in history In 1996 Clintons budget allocated $191 billion for poverty entitlements, Bush's 2006 budget for the same is $368 billion. War sucks and is debateable but came to us (9/11 attacks) after 8 years of Clinton at which time hatred for the US exploded. I'm not a fan of being entrenched with either party, opne your minds and explore all sides before throwing out BS

1) Michelle Kwan has become a millinoinaire from skating. the tours she does she can get paid for becuase of the public speaking tha supposedly goes on. she doesn't in any way have to worry about money. 2) Canada is a 51st state, the US has become too conservative for it. This Goodsmith is one of our few disagreements.

Much too conservative..... I completely agree. Geoge Bush is bad charma for this country. A slow economy, a war and two nasty hurricanes...... not good. Canada probably doesn't want to be too closely associated with us right now. It may rubb off. John Smith

Originally posted by botterud You have got to be kidding. The poverty rate at the end of the Clinton administration was 11.3%. In 2004 under W's "leadership," up to 12.7% (as reported by Robert Samuelson in the Washington Post on Sept. 21). Under Clinton, huge annual budget surpluses to work down the debt. Under W, record breaking deficits by increasing spending while cutting taxes for the wealthy. What happened to tight fisted republicans? Spend within your means republicans? Fiscally responsible republicans? Oh yes, glad we got rid of all of those WMD's in Iraq. (oops) War came to us? Iraq had NOTHING to do w/ 9/11. W makes Warren G. Harding look like an angel. He is an embarrasement and has done unspeakable damage to this country that my six year old will be paying for long after I've returned to the earth. I'll take Clinton (Bill or Hillary), Barack Obama, John McCain or Bob Dole any day. Well said.. I do believe and you can probably ask most foreign nations that they are not happy with the U.S. now as opposed to Clinton's era... and did you like ...... Why G.W. delayed the shortening of his 6 week vacation by 2.5 days while one of the worst national disasters was occurring.and decided to hit a money raising Republican meeting before showing up to show respect for the 3 states hit by Katrina? Gas prices almost doubling- W's way to explain why he wants to drill in AK and FL..What ever happened to alternative fuels--oh yeah that's right we have an oil man in the White House. Previous quote-"The tax cuts pulled the US out of recession that began the last year of Clinton's presidency. Home ownership now for all races and income levels is at an all time high." Recession, a normal ebb and flow of economy-especially after such a robust economy of which has been lacking these last 5 years. Realty is soaring because of the low interest rates and low stock returns-gotta move your money elsewhere. But on to what this thread is supposed to be about..... USA Swimming, one of the best athletic medal showings at the Olympics for decades, should allow a form of monetary compensation for the intense dedication and hard work these athletes have shown on the world stage.