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.:)
I have knowingly sandbagged once in 19 years (this would have been number 2). I do not believe I said my sandbagging would not affect someone else, I just did not think it was a significant enough issue for me to worry about. If you don't think I know about tragedy of the commons--I work in the ER, I am living the dream.
Bottom line: There is no way to apply this rule in an even manner.
The "you" was meant to be general, not you specifically. I'm not judging, despite how the posts might come across. Sandbagging annoys me but I go through entire days where I don't think about it all.:)
I have knowingly sandbagged once in 19 years (this would have been number 2). I do not believe I said my sandbagging would not affect someone else, I just did not think it was a significant enough issue for me to worry about. If you don't think I know about tragedy of the commons--I work in the ER, I am living the dream.
Bottom line: There is no way to apply this rule in an even manner.
The "you" was meant to be general, not you specifically. I'm not judging, despite how the posts might come across. Sandbagging annoys me but I go through entire days where I don't think about it all.:)
