And I thought the suits were killing the sport ...

What ever the stats are on increased membership in USMS, it appears that swimming is not catching fire in terms of gaining the popularity of football, basketball, baseball, or any of the more popular sports. Playing or watching? Not many people past age 35 play any of those "popular" sports except in casual beer leagues. All the ex-football players I've ever met over the years had some sort of permanent and chronic injury, usually to the knees or back, that made them perfect candidates for taking up swimming late in life. I've had a few coworkers who played soccer, rugby, or "gentlemen's league" ice hockey as adults, but usually not much past age 40. No sport is as kind to an older body as swimming, so as the baby boomers get older, the popularity of swimming will only increase. As for the impact of tech suits on the sport's popularity, swimming is not a "Speed" event that will really keep people's eyes awingly glued to their flat screen... I don't think you really get the concept of master's sports. It has nothing to do with being a passive spectator and just sitting on the couch watching other people do it. It's about getting out and doing it yourself, whatever your age and physical talents. (Oh, and my spell checker tells me that "awingly" is not a word.)

What ever the stats are on increased membership in USMS, it appears that swimming is not catching fire in terms of gaining the popularity of football, basketball, baseball, or any of the more popular sports. Playing or watching? Not many people past age 35 play any of those "popular" sports except in casual beer leagues. All the ex-football players I've ever met over the years had some sort of permanent and chronic injury, usually to the knees or back, that made them perfect candidates for taking up swimming late in life. I've had a few coworkers who played soccer, rugby, or "gentlemen's league" ice hockey as adults, but usually not much past age 40. No sport is as kind to an older body as swimming, so as the baby boomers get older, the popularity of swimming will only increase. As for the impact of tech suits on the sport's popularity, swimming is not a "Speed" event that will really keep people's eyes awingly glued to their flat screen... I don't think you really get the concept of master's sports. It has nothing to do with being a passive spectator and just sitting on the couch watching other people do it. It's about getting out and doing it yourself, whatever your age and physical talents. (Oh, and my spell checker tells me that "awingly" is not a word.)