Men's NCAAs 2009

Although I must admit that I am somewhat biased, having swam at a univ with lots of furners, why don't we focus on saving - or even expanding - men's college swimming (which appears headed the direction of wrestling and other increasingly irrelevant sports), instead of griping about non-Americans taking "our" scholarships?

DB you are so full of it! So tell all of us with a straight face you cheered for the French 400 free relay last summer and the South Africans 4 years ago! Give me a friggin break! QUOTE] i am not a francophobe...... my fries will always be french. the 400 free relay was one of the greatest sporting events i have ever seen period. this would also be true if the outcome had been reversed.... anyone who thinks otherwise is looking through a very narrow lens.

OMG! there are foreigners in our universities?!!!!!! lock the doors! pull the blinds! make them go away!

Isolationism does not work economically or socially. We tried that route in the 1930s which only deepened the global depression and ultimately failed. Foreign students and workers bring revenue to our economy as well as contributing to our society as whole. I work and attend school with people from other countries, some plan to stay here others plan to return home. Out sourcing of jobs is something that comes with realizing we live in a global economy, while I dislike the idea on principle I realize that it is part of a capitalist economy. In either case, it really is unrelated to NCAA competition, in my humble opinion.

Chris Stevenson, Thank you for your salient responses and for exposing this thread for what it is...total BS. If UTexas would have won - would Mr Negative even have been created by the mad scientist's alter ego? Were there chants of USA-USA when American swimmers from other universities...say from Cal, Michigan or even Auburn(Tyler McGill 44.63100fly) broke American records? I didn't hear it. Perhaps it was only Texas fans chanting? Classy. You don't think great coaching was involved to get guys like Tyler McGill, Logan Madsen, Adam Klein, Michael Silva, Jared White and Kohlton Norys ready for this meet. Did the "foreign" guys just waltz out there with no direction from Brett Hawke and perform? Auburn may not be able to break American records in relays (only shatter them and set new NCAA records), so I guess they'll have to settle for another lowly NCAA championship. And like Brett said, "this championship belongs to Richard." I think it is a beautiful story.

Correct...... Richard Quick has been recruiting kids from other countries to round out his teams for many years. Often his top international talent doesn't stay to represent the US in the summer season. It is no coincidence that Auburn has fewer American successes during the summer season than you would think given their strong NCAA showing each year. Many represent their own countries instead.

Would Bousquet and Cielo be quite as good if they didn't come and train in the US? Probably not. Just another success story for NCAA swimming. You aren't suggesting that those guys getting better is a bad thing, are you? I think any coach is going to want the best for all the swimmers he/she trains. Apparently Eddie Reese has decided that he'd rather concentrate on making American athletes better, and that's fine, but that doesn't mean his opinion is the only one. There are lots of coaches who are just looking out for the sport as a whole and want swimmers to go faster no matter where they were born.

By the way, I still think the biggest improvement to the NCAA champs would be to huck the divers right out of the meet. Let the best swim team win. Now were talking!!!

Paul, We get you You crack yourself up. It is jealousy. It is Boredom. You Did not accomplish enough when you were young, and you hate anybody faster/younger than you. You're into wine fine dine therapy. Laura is your better 3/4ths, at least, maybe more. Hook 'em, Ande Actually Paul is a fierce competitor, a smart racer, a great splitter, an outstanding swimmer & one of the nicest people I've met through masters. In other words you have no idea who I am, what I stand for or an understaning of my posted postions here.

They are found & being developed. A couple are Nathan Adrian & Jimmy Fiegen Garrett Weber Gale, Jason Lezak, Cullen Jones, Nick Brunelli, Benjamin WILDMAN TOBRINER, & any Americans listed in FINAs top 100 in the 50 or 100 fr Keep your eyes on up & comers Shayne Flemming & Dax Hill. One risk swimming runs is, losing very promising young athletes to more lucrative sports. Why not focus on finding another Robin Leamy or Tom Jager instead?