USOC tries to cap swimming deals

I think you are missing the point. It is not that the USOC doesn't want athletes to be billboards, it is that they want to be the ones to collect the revenue for said billboards. They are taking a signifcant earning potential away from individuals and keeping it for themselves. This is a good thing according to Geek because the result will be reduced entry fees for Masters meets. No, I'm not missing the point. The USOC can do as they wish. It's their meet. If the USOC was deliberately trying to take away the swimmers earning potential, they would be doing something like requiring all athletes at Trials to have the USOC sponsors plastered all over the swimmers caps. You make it sound like a conspiracy! Significant paychecks being altered? I'm going to have to disagree. The swimmers who are lucky enough to have sponsors are paid year-round and also during the non-Olympic years... not just for Trials. And, a majority of those swimmers don't have contracts outside of a swimwear company... not everyone is like Phelps/Visa, Hall/Everlast, Beard/Red Bull. I know this is one of the biggest meets of the year... but in the end... it all comes down to the sport, making the team, and swimming in Beijing. I personally don't care about the small logos that I was talking about in an earlier post... but the USOC obviously doesn't want that type of advertising at THEIR meet. They are the ones who are financially responsible for this meet (and their sponsors) - and all the other costs associated with it, maybe they don't want to be a host to free publicity.... I don't know. Per the original article it says that these rules have been in place for the past two Trials and that no one has enforced it. What are they going to do at these Trials, kick someone off the Olympic Team who snuck in a Visa cap? Probably will give them a fine... let the athletes sponsors pick up the tab. Anyways, all I wanted to originally say is that I thought it would be smart for the USOC to promote swimming as much as they can.

I think you are missing the point. It is not that the USOC doesn't want athletes to be billboards, it is that they want to be the ones to collect the revenue for said billboards. They are taking a signifcant earning potential away from individuals and keeping it for themselves. This is a good thing according to Geek because the result will be reduced entry fees for Masters meets. No, I'm not missing the point. The USOC can do as they wish. It's their meet. If the USOC was deliberately trying to take away the swimmers earning potential, they would be doing something like requiring all athletes at Trials to have the USOC sponsors plastered all over the swimmers caps. You make it sound like a conspiracy! Significant paychecks being altered? I'm going to have to disagree. The swimmers who are lucky enough to have sponsors are paid year-round and also during the non-Olympic years... not just for Trials. And, a majority of those swimmers don't have contracts outside of a swimwear company... not everyone is like Phelps/Visa, Hall/Everlast, Beard/Red Bull. I know this is one of the biggest meets of the year... but in the end... it all comes down to the sport, making the team, and swimming in Beijing. I personally don't care about the small logos that I was talking about in an earlier post... but the USOC obviously doesn't want that type of advertising at THEIR meet. They are the ones who are financially responsible for this meet (and their sponsors) - and all the other costs associated with it, maybe they don't want to be a host to free publicity.... I don't know. Per the original article it says that these rules have been in place for the past two Trials and that no one has enforced it. What are they going to do at these Trials, kick someone off the Olympic Team who snuck in a Visa cap? Probably will give them a fine... let the athletes sponsors pick up the tab. Anyways, all I wanted to originally say is that I thought it would be smart for the USOC to promote swimming as much as they can.