Here is a question for the lawyers out there.
Do FINA regulations supersede US federal anti-sex discrimination laws?
Granted, I am not sure I know what the latter are. However, if I were to show up at a USMS swimming meet, wearing a perfectly legal women's swimming suit, one of the zipper-free kneeskin type models that also covered my ample boobage, and the officials rightly disqualified me for wearing this get-up because it is against the FINA/USMS agreed upon New Order, could I then turn around and sue under some federal statute prohibiting discrimination because gender?
In my mind, the new FINA rules are going to end up making swimming even more of a dying sport for boys in the US than the unintended consequences of Title IX, etc. Girls, especially in the younger age groups, can often beat boys in swimming, and in fact our own Mr. Qbrain got a top 10 time in the men's 30-34 LCM 1500 this summer. His wife, if I am remembering correctly, beat his time but failed to make the top 10 in the women's category.
If anything, it is we men who are now at a disadvantage. I say make the dystaff gender wear thongs and let us wear body suits fashioned to look like very streamlined tuxedos.
Suits for women now remain pretty much unchanged by the new FINA ruling, with the exception, that is, of getting rid of zippers and getting rid of non textiles. But that means women can continue to swim in what are still arguably very fast suits--FS1's, for example, that are very close to the short john types that helped loads of people get their best times. Men are prohibited from wearing anything but jammers.
Chicks, in other words, get 2004 technology; guys are back to the 60s. Why not let us go back to the 20s instead, when Johnny Weismuller wore a full body suit, albeit of wool?
So, in the spirit of Larry David, who recently concluded an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm with the line, "I'm Larry David, and I am comfortable in women's underwear"--I propose that any men who want to join me in the latest civil rights battle of our time show up at nationals this summer in women's suits and accompanied by our class action lawyer, and join me in echoing in a collective voice that rings out in natatoriums all across the fruited plain:
"I am a male USMS swimmer, and I am comfortable wearing women's suits."
Provided I can find an esquire who will agree to take the case on a contingency basis, I say this to the USMS sexist powers that be:
See you in court! Suckers!
Former Member
Suggested reading before coming to the South: Y'all Magazine http://www.yall.com/
I've been trying to convince my boss for years that we should launch a magazine to compete with "People" in the South, called "Folks".
Regarding the suits, let me ask this....
How many men out there are really keen to wear short johns?
And those who are... why?
I mean, if we're all in jammers, and we're not competing against the women, then we have an even playing field, so I don't see why it matters.
This is a serious question -- I just don't get it.
But you aren't just competing against each other, you are competing against the CLOCK.
Personally, I'm all for the trend away from briefs for men. Whenever I see a guy changing out and he's got the briefs on I wonder if I'm back in the middle school locker room.
Call me a boxer bigot, but I can't understand why any male over the age of 14 still wears briefs.
maybe you should ask them.... gramps
This comment makes me wonder if you are a halfback at heart?
There ain't no other KIND of ice tea other than 'homemade' at least to southron gentry.
sigh.
Incorrect and invalid. In the South many establishments are known for their outstanding tea so it is important to distinguish between home tea and otherwise. By the way, saying iced tea is redundant.
I don't understand the relatively recent puritanism regarding men's thighs.Those 70s basketball shorts seem less ridiculous to me than some of the modern ones.Also I am not offended by briefs(but I am 60 and we did have nude swimming at the Y when I was a teen.)
As to what you call us Northwesterners,I don't think we are yankees,we are us,you are you guys(Yankees),Y'all(southerers) and :censor:(Californians)(that is not my opinion of Californians,just what everyone around me says,some of my best friends are Californians,as long as they stay in California.)
Unlike you, I don't really like watching guys in grape smugglers. Here's the proof.
so um.... is every one south of the M-D freaked out at the sight or thought that other men do indeed have genetalia?
time for a new poll
i'm going to wear a borat suit next time i visit MAC
I have no idea what anyone in this thread is talking about.
Can we go back to whining about suits?
Or talking about drugs and PEDs? How can Dara be 3 seconds faster than SVDL in a 50 fly? :angel: :bolt:
So what do the actual USMS/FINA rules say? Do they say that men must wear men's suits? Or do the rules simply specify what a "legal" men's and women's suit would be?
If the rules don't state specifically that a male must wear a men's suit, I think an argument could be made that male could wear a woman's suit, if he wanted to do so. Not that I mean to encourage Jim.