I realize this thread will create a lot of controversy.
Over the past five years I have worked very hard to develop clubs and increase membership in USMS. The very fabric of my work and others in this area is building relationships and comradairre within the LMSC and or Club. Small clubs and large teams are proud of their "elite" swimmers and boast of their successes. With this said, it is very disturbing to me as I read through the FINA World Championships Physch Sheets to see the number of elite swimmers "jumping ship" to other clubs to swim on "elite" relays. If USMS had "Team USMS" I would have no problem with everyone coming together for a team effort. I don't have a problem with four guys coming together who swam in college using the Worlds as reunion of sorts. Where I have problem is the swimmer or swimmers who have been a member of a club or LMSC for years and because of individual egos leaves his team. What this says to me is our "elite" swimmers ego is more important than his or her club. How do you think the other 3 swimmers who normally swims on the relay with the "elite" swimmer feels. We are good enough througout the year, however we are not good enough for the Worlds. Instead of swimming for his or her club so all members of the club can be proud of the "elite" swimmers accomplishments, it is more important to this swimmer he or she represent someone else at the Worlds for personal gratification. If the relay team does win and breaks a WR the record does not show USMS as the record holder, but the name of a club the swimmer transferred too.... what a shame...
It is regretable I bring up this discussion, but it tears at the very fabric of the USMS mission regarding building club or LMSC relationships...I realize what these swimmers are doing is within the rules.. I just think it is wrong.
Mel
George & Peter........the biggest mistake I've seen so far is not getting you two on board with us.....we have a great respect for the art of humor and Canadians who will pick up the bar tab! I guess we'll just have to settle for Mark Gill buying Coors lite!
By the way, in spite of the controversy one of the coolest things we have going is a relay that reunites 3 of the 4 infamous Rapp sisters: Susan (now Vonderlippe), Betsy (now Cleary) & Jenny (now Stein)......I don't think they've swam together since high school!
And for the whiners out there......if we were hell bent on nothing but records this relay would not have happend because they would have been split up....... and by the way, I don't think Betsy has ever swam masters and Jenny made one meet 3 years ago.
I must say that between this issue, the parking issue ( a non-issue in my book), and the pool length issue this meet is going to bring about a boatload of controversy. God only knows what the next issue will be.
Originally posted by gull80
Not that anyone asked, but I have absolutely no problem with this, unless Team TYR poses seductively on the cover of Glamour.
Shoot Gull, I figured you and Geek would have been part of the cherry picking.
The crux of this issue is that relays are a team event. What is the meaning of a relay event if the swimmers aren't related in any way other than their desire to win gold or a world record?
With the new attitude swimming on a relay with your club you can pretty much bet you will lose to four swimmers who are getting together for this particular meet.
Four fast swimmers who get together for Worlds are basically doing the same thing as four fast Olympic level swimmers getting together and finding some obscure country that will give them all citizenship so they can win Olympic gold, except easier. Both are legal.
Unfortunately it is nearly impossible to write rules to prevent this sort of thing so it will happen and we all might as well get used to it. Life has never been fair and never will be.:rolleyes:
So a hand picked team, no matter where they swim, is OK to break the records and a group strictly from one team dosen't mean any more then that. Don't lecture me about enjoying swimming or anything. I think a hand picked team from a state or country is dead wrong when it comes to breaking records. Anytime you want to go head-to-head let me know I think I can find a few guys to give you a run.
Originally posted by scyfreestyler
Shoot Gull, I figured you and Geek would have been part of the cherry picking.
In my dreams. I'm just going to have to outlive the other guys in my age group. Geek, on the other hand, has been recruited by Team Noodle.
Originally posted by Its a slow show
So a hand picked team, no matter where they swim, is OK to break the records and a group strictly from one team dosen't mean any more then that.
Exactly.
:cool:
Our selection of fine wines/whines include:
Parking, free or paid?
Pool's too short?
Deadlines . . . absolute or merely guidelines?
What, handpicked all-star relays??? . . . oh nooooo Mr. Bill . . .
Amanda Beard . . . Olympic Gold Medalist/Model or Slutty Tart?
Bike racers . . . athletes or drug addicts?
STOP THE MADNESS! GO FOR A SWIM . . . HAVE A BEER . . . CHILL :D
It is probably time to stop having relay races. You see I have solved that problem. Now the next thing is how do we stop teams importing ringers to win a team championship.
I think the issue that Allen has is the fact that a certain USMS club has routinely used a swimmer, who is a full time resident citizen of Canada, who only sets foot in the United States for the purpose of setting records.
