The anti-sandbag law:
"if a swimmer enters an event with a time significantly slower or faster than that swimmer's recorded time in the past two years, the meet director may, after a discussion with the swimmer, change the seeded time to a realistic time" (104.5.5.A(10)).
Concerning my Auburn nationals entry, I confess, when faced with a 7 hour 2 stop flight and 3:45 nonstop at an earlier time, I did what any warm-blooded middle-aged American swimmer with low self-esteem would do--sandbag my entry so I could catch the earlier flight, thus diminishing the possible time spent sitting next to a 400 pound Alabama slammer with sleep apnea wearing nothing but overalls and body odor. Of course, I was caught in my bold fabrication and my time was "fixed."
USMS seems to have an identity problem. Are we hard core with rigid qualifying times? It would seem not as 2 of my not-so-speedy family members were allowed to swim four events last year in Puerto Rico. If we are not hard core, why does anybody care that I sandbag? More to the point, why can one person enter a crappy time and another cannot? Just wondering.:)
A few points: A rule is only legitimate if it can be enforced equally. As an example (keeping the insults close to home), if my wife (who by the way, has mad bike skills but suspect swimming skills) decides to tack on 5 minutes to her entry time, nobody would bat an eye. But since I am perhaps recognized by someone in data entry, I cannot get away with the same thing? This seems unfair and inconsistent.
If getting blown away throws off your race, consider that it happens in all the heats (I was next to Mike Ross in the 200 Free at Indy and I believe I was beaten by around 10 seconds).
I offered to tell everyone in my heat and wear a scarlet S on my chest to no avail. I agree that it is dishonest and hampers competition, but still would like to do it as I do not want to be held hostage for another day in Alabama. If you feel me blowing out the first heat cheapens the competition, I would submit that they probably would not know the difference: many are the same semi-oblivious people that are in front of me at a light when it turns green and then red, causing them to finally speed off, leaving me to wait through yet another light.:)
Patrick, I look forward to your return as a D-man and I can assume my rightful place as third best 40-44 D-man in AZ (or did I miss someone else?).:bighug:Back at you buddy.
A few points: A rule is only legitimate if it can be enforced equally. As an example (keeping the insults close to home), if my wife (who by the way, has mad bike skills but suspect swimming skills) decides to tack on 5 minutes to her entry time, nobody would bat an eye. But since I am perhaps recognized by someone in data entry, I cannot get away with the same thing? This seems unfair and inconsistent.
If getting blown away throws off your race, consider that it happens in all the heats (I was next to Mike Ross in the 200 Free at Indy and I believe I was beaten by around 10 seconds).
I offered to tell everyone in my heat and wear a scarlet S on my chest to no avail. I agree that it is dishonest and hampers competition, but still would like to do it as I do not want to be held hostage for another day in Alabama. If you feel me blowing out the first heat cheapens the competition, I would submit that they probably would not know the difference: many are the same semi-oblivious people that are in front of me at a light when it turns green and then red, causing them to finally speed off, leaving me to wait through yet another light.:)
Patrick, I look forward to your return as a D-man and I can assume my rightful place as third best 40-44 D-man in AZ (or did I miss someone else?).:bighug:Back at you buddy.
