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
We are fat and happy. No rushing around thinking money will buy us happiness. Our Yankee counterparts are busy billing 250 hours a month at some Wall Street law firm and have to work all day Saturday. Meanwhile, we have spent the day tailgating, seeing our old friends, talking about Aunt Sue's wonderful Thanksgiving dinner, and watching true athletic talent out on the football field. You can bet that we've taken in more than our fair share of calories vis a vis good food and alcohol. We'll add some more excess calories on Sunday when we go over to Cousin Martha's house for dinner after church. Meanwhile our Yankee friends will be back at the office working on Sunday afternoon.
Yep, I'd rather be fat and happy than rich and alone.
BillS- Awesome analysis!
Very true!!!! And I can't believe I am going to say this...but I hope Bama beats Florida this weekend.
While I don't like bama(count find one good thing about it but can't find one bad thing about it either) I hate florida(there is nothing good about florida)
roll tide
Chomp, chomp.
As a UF alum I will obviously cheer for them to win the national -- er, I mean SEC -- championship.
But whoever the SEC champ is I'll be rooting for them to trounce Mack Brown.
I would much rather live in Florida than Alabama. Well, maybe not in Orlando. Or anywhere south of I-4.
Ha! Once his dear alma mater was mentioned, I figured it was only a matter of time before Chris would make an appearance.
You must be forgetting how Alabama responds to Florida beating them the previous year. Does 1992 bring back any pleasant memories? Yes, the Gators will be wiped out before they can open their mighty jaws. YouTube- Alabama Football & Terrence Cody - Roll Tide
Admittedly, I would rather live in Florida than Alabama, but only because of the weather. It is kind of cool to be able to swim outside all year long and not have to suffer the ventilation problems that accompany indoor pools. I thorougly enjoyed being able to swim in a long course pool on January 7 this year.
Jim,
Obama promised "Hope"- didn't you get yours yet?
:lmao:
BTW, have we seen an "unprecedented definition of Obama's HOPE yet?"
Because you know, everything he does is unprecedented...
:lmao:
:rofl:
HAHAHA.... he is the first president to do anything...that is why it is "unprecedented" hopefully, only 3 and half years left of his "unprecendented" reign
It will be a good game! Bama just needs to send in Mt. Cody a few times to go after Tebow. That will psych him out or at least provide a mild distraction!
If florida has to kick field goals, I like mt. cody's chances of blocking them like he did against the vols.
We are fat and happy. No rushing around thinking money will buy us happiness. Our Yankee counterparts are busy billing 250 hours a month at some Wall Street law firm and have to work all day Saturday. Meanwhile, we have spent the day tailgating, seeing our old friends, talking about Aunt Sue's wonderful Thanksgiving dinner, and watching true athletic talent out on the football field. You can bet that we've taken in more than our fair share of calories vis a vis good food and alcohol. We'll add some more excess calories on Sunday when we go over to Cousin Martha's house for dinner after church. Meanwhile our Yankee friends will be back at the office working on Sunday afternoon.
Yep, I'd rather be fat and happy than rich and alone.
BillS- Awesome analysis!
I agree with not thinking money will buy us happiness.
But you don't have to be fat to think that!
That's a good idea that Furwart has except I'm not a good shot so I'll just hit chaos in the back of the head with the oars/paddles if he slows down too much.
Ha! Once his dear alma mater was mentioned, I figured it was only a matter of time before Chris would make an appearance.
You must be forgetting how Alabama responds to Florida beating them the previous year. Does 1992 bring back any pleasant memories?
1992? Fortunately, my memory doesn't have to be NEARLY that good to remember national championships by either of my alma maters. In just bball and football, between them I think UNC and UF have something like 6 national titles since 2000. The number may be slightly off, those championship seasons just seem to run together.
Jokes aside, the team that impresses me the most from either school is the UNC women's soccer team. They may be the most dominant team in any college sport. There was an interesting interview with Anson Dorrance that touched on some of the differences in coaching male and female athletes (at one point he coached both men's and women's soccer at Carolina).
Sorry for the thread hijack...
Wait I'm confused:
You're all yanks to me, so it beats me why you want to waste time arguing over it...
I remember being confused ("But I'm from California!") being addressed as a "yank" when I first started attending a British school.
But still nothing like the initial confusion over why everyone kept asking me for my surname ("What the heck is that? Is EVERYONE a knight in England?").
A friend of mine was recently invited to a posh male-only country club and they did some lap swimming. He elected to wear his briefs, unlike everyone else who swam nude. Briefs look pretty prudish compared to that.
But the culture is definitely changing. My son had poison ivy on his thighs this summer and his jammers were irritating it a lot. But he absolutely refused to wear briefs for his summer-league meet.
