Swimming World: "...Professional Swim League has never made more sense than now!"

From Swimming World: A pro league would not only be a lot of fun, it would extract FINA from a horrible quagmire it meandered into:

"... Create a Professional Swim League, and a new aquatic industry will be born.

Just as snowboarding was born out of skiing and then was launched into the X Games, so could a Professional Swim League evolve. We have a responsibility to create an environment that attracts new products and companies into the aquatic family. If we encourage new product growth within a pro league, then advertising and sponsorship dollars would surely carry over into funding pure, traditional competitions.

To limit technology in order to preserve a sport is to limit the growth of an industry. By creating an entirely new racing environment, FINA's world records would remain pure within the Olympic movement, and a new industry would be born.

The time has come to split the pie and make two. ..." -- Brent Rutemiller

[Link]

A lot of people are talking about starting a pro-league, including me, but everyone is just talking, including me, and ultimately just doing nothing, including me!

So I am going to submit an ad hoc road map for a Pro Swim League which I wish I could take credit for, but in reality, these are simple project management tasks that I found here-and-there in project management explanations during a Google search:

0) A mission statement

Example: To land a man on the moon and return him to earth safely by the end of the decade. -- President John F. Kennedy

1) Define the Scope

Budget, operational talent, space, equipment, all of the above from "zero to hero!"

2) Define a Timeline

There will be many timelines within the project but a solid date and venue would really put an impetus on getting it done.

3) Assemble the Project Team

"I's got skillz" - technical experts, operational experts, PR & marketing ninjas, etc.

4) The Project Team Defines all the Necessary Milestones

This includes both the big stuff like, securing the venue and fireworks show, to supplying cookies and milk for the timers.

5) Develop a Baseline Plan

The project leader takes the milestones above and assembles all the necessary milestones in subsequent order. Such as: who is responsible for each step and when are they getting it done. resubmits to the experts for tweaking and finally forms the baseline plan

6) Execute the Plan - Monitor the progression, meet and talk about it, and document everything!

Also, note, have a "Plan-B" , "Plan-C" , and "Plan D" for every milestone execution in case something goes wrong. Especially for the stuff that could not possibly go wrong. The stuff that may go wrong is generally easy to fix. The stuff that can't possibly go wrong is generally really hard to fix.

Steps 1-5 could be developed without a budget if the professionals in steps 3-5 volunteered or deferred their pay. I would be willing to volunteer.

Once a team has a really straight-forward budget in place, plans that include operations, marketing, public relations, television, web, etc., etc., I think money would be easy to find.

Here is a thought, how about the FINA fork up some money as penance for the trouble they have caused.

Other funding sources include suit companies who would provide the teams, then the usual sports media outlets could be considered, of course the casinos, and finally the fans who want to sit in the stands or watch it on pay-per-view.

The person who should project manage this bold idea should be someone with event management experience but a person who does not have event management experience could still do a good job if one of the experts they pick had event management experience.

Here are some hot, rhetorical, quotes regarding "speedsuits!"

Again, histrionic and fearful rhetoric about "speedsuits." The purists below certainly don't want us moving forward do they.

"At Junior Nationals, I announced that it would be illegal to wear the suit. ..."

""From the standpoint of a swim- wear distributor, we are going to sit back, wait and see. If the suit gets FINA approval, we'll put forth our best effort to come out with a competitive version. ..."

If the suit gets FINA approval, we'll put forth our best effort to come out with a competitive version. ..."

This came from a Swimming World article circa 1979. These quotes are nearly a third-of-century old and the coaches quoted above felt that swimming was at a crossroads. So, when you read this Swimming World article realize that the suits pictured above were the lastest word in swimsuit technology:

[Link]

The photo above came from PaulW's photstream at Flickr. What are those things made out of, Linen?:

[Link]

Coach Bill Boomer is our 'Master Po' and he knows 'Swim-Fu!"

Above and to the left is an image of 'Master Po' from the American television series, Kung Fu. The show ran on ABC television from 1972-1975. The late great actor, Keye Luke, portrayed the blind Shaolin monastery priest whose character was expert in both Kung Fu and the Tao.

In the series, Master Po, mentored a young orphaned Chinese/American boy named, Kwai Chang Caine, in the sublime arts of Chinese philosophy and martial combat. Ultimately this led to the culmination of a Chinese/American Shaolin priest.

Set against the backdrop of the American west, each Kung Fu episode was really two shows in one: When faced with a moral or an ethical conflict in the present, flashback sequences were used as Kwai Chang Caine reflected upon his teachings with Master Po for answers as to how to resolve his present conflicts.

For entertainment sake this usually meant 50% of the his problems were resolved philosophically with communication and good feelings whereas the other 50% were settled with really cool fight sequences.

Bill Boomer is swimming's version of "Master Po."

First, here is some background info on Bill Boomer from wikipedia: "... Boomer had no experience coaching swimming when he started at Rochester. The graduate assistant to the track and field team had in fact never seen a swim meet prior to being offered the job. In order to better understand his swimmers, Boomer studied how the human body reacted to the water in a pool. From there, Boomer developed swimming techniques similar to those used by aquatic animals, and those techniques would then be adapted by some of the best swimmers in the world. Boomer's techniques emphasize keeping the core body aligned properly to minimize water resistance. ..."

What Boomer and the art of Kung Fu have in common is that they both use animal analogies to describe fighting styles and swimming styles. Kung fu has the Crane style, the Tiger, the Praying Mantis, and Bill Boomer uses cats and dogs to describe the swimming styles of swimmers.

Boomer granted an interview with Brent Rutemiller of Swimming World Magazine where he used his animal metaphors and analogies much like "Master Po" would in Kung Fu.

For example, he compares Gary Hall to a cheetah; a guy who is up for one precise hunt and then he is done! Whereas a leopard; (read that as Michael Phelps), can hunt multiple times in a single day. Then he says that Dara Torres was a cheetah forced to train like a dog but now trains like a cheetah and suddenly she is swimming faster than ever.

Olympian, Erik Hochstein called this interview "...one of the best interviews about swimming I have seen/heard in a long time." I feel it is a load of fun and very helpful for those swimmers looking for their inner-animal. As for my style I am probably a kitten!

Here is a link to that interview: [Link]

Asia is getting amped-up on Swimming and 'Swimming World Magazine' will now have issues in Korean!

Asia is the "new Australia" for swimming pop-culture. With the rise of Park, Kitajima and a bunch of other swimmers whose names I can't spell, they all are truly electrifying the continent. I promise you that Amanda Beard and Michael Phelps will be doing commercials all over Asia real soon which will be amazing for our sport in so many ways.

So, seeing around corners which Swimming World has been known to do, Korea is about to be introduced to Swimming World magazine.

Eamon Sullivan injured, swims a 34.99 in a 50-free

I am hoping Sullivan is fully healed in time for Beijing.

Boxers talk of an opponent that is easy to knock out as having a "glass jaw," Sullivan apparently has a "glass spine." Also, how many cortisone shots has he received for it? You shouldn't get more than three!

Here is a snippet from Lane 9 News: "... He was almost going to test his dive in the warm up but chose to do it under race conditions and we decided if he felt a twinge, he was always going to pull up and just swim through – and that's what happened," Stoelwinder told Swimming Australia. "It was purely a precautionary measure and hopefully he will be back swimming by tomorrow afternoon. We have done some good work lately and the swimming part is fine – it's just the twinge he gets off the dive – it will take a bit more time. He will continue to have his usual treatment and we will obviously monitor him closely. ..." [Link]

The photo to the right is titled "Glass Spine." I found it on Flickr.com in Gardinergirl's photstream. Here is a direct link to the photo: [Link]

Swimming World - Open Water Test Event: Chloe Sutton Wins 10K, Qualifies for Olympics

Chloe Sutton of the left after scoring a gold medal in 10k open water test event. From Swimming World: "... BEIJING, China, May 30. ACCORDING to unofficial on site reports from Steven Munatones, Swimming World's special correspondent in Beijing, Chloe Sutton of the United States has won the 10K test event and the Olympic roster spot that goes along with it.

After faltering at the initial World Championships Trials in the U.S. and not qualifying for a shot to make the Olympics while in Seville, Spain, Sutton made the most of her second chance, available because neither Kirsten Groome nor Micha Burden qualified in Spain. ..."

An amazing resource for any college or high school swimmer!

Swimming World's Take Your Marks officially launches! [Link]

Steve Munatones on the cause of Grant Hackett's bloating.

Steve Munatones explains what happens to the human body post a 10K race. He poses the most logical reason to date as to why Grant Hackett appeared so plushy. From Lane 9 news: "... All of the causes of Hackett's bloating are common among open water swimmers and are more notable and noticeable based on the water salinity and duration of exposure.

"... As often happens in salt or brackish water, the body naturally swells from the prolonged exposure. This is why many English Channel and marathon swimmers look bloated and "soft" when they exit the water after a long swim. Many swimmers appear out of shape, especially around the stomach, hips and thighs, after long open water swims. ..." [Link]

He includes other reasons and discusses a concept called the "third spacing" effect. Here is a Wikipedia entry on "third spacing." [Link]

The situation is still saturating the Australian press. Before and after photo and article from the Sydney Morning Herald which blames "carbs" rather than the more likely explanation by Munatones: [Link]

This is so cool: Your favorite college swimmer has been databased and you can view their stats!

This site; secretly buried at Swimming World, allows you to search up mens rankings, womens rankings, college swimmers, and even allows you to enter you own data.

1) Go to the link: [Link]
2) Select "Search swimmers by college"
3) Select a school name or use the pull down menu: I chose "University of Texas" (Must 'ctrl' click for multiple schools)
4) Click all the preference boxes you are interested in
5) Click "Search" and then you can view the swimmers times, stats and more.

Go there before they bury it!!!

"Swimming World CEO", Brent Rutemiller, was on NPR's "Day to Day" talking about the new 'Speedo LZR'

A loop hole in the definition of fabric totally hosed the other manufacturers. Brent confirms that the Speedo LZR will only last a handful of races. His exact quote: "The suit itself only lasts for 6 to 12 wears. Michael Phelps could theoretically go through 3 or 4 swim suits at 500 a pop at the Olympics.

He also suggests that we may see some sponsored suit defectors in Beijing.

Here is a link to an audio of that NPR, Day to Day interview: [Link]

Olive Branch sent out by WMG?

Swim Network , which is owned by the Wasserman Media Group linked to Swimming World today. This is a very positive sign and I may link to Swim Network articles and videos moving forward if they maintain this policy.

WMG secret swimming site leaked on College Swimming message board: Is the Wasserman Media Group closing down or rebranding Timed Finals?

It looks like Flowswimming has really struck a nerve with the WMG and they apparently are going to copy Floswimming's style, narrative, and content delivery premise. If you go through the site you will see that they don't get it right. Though the site is "alpha" the editorial is still mostly about the writers themselves rather than their subjects.

These writers are the same people from Timed Finals, hence, I suspect Timed Finals is going to evaporate. What will be interesting is to see what sort of role Scott Goldblatt will have?

Also, why did WMG buy Timed Finals which has an established brand and a devoted following? Now they are starting over with a new name, a new URL and a new engineering platform or content management system?

You would think they would have made an offer for Swimming World instead since when it comes to posting meet results I find it hardly coincidental that Timed Finals publishes the same results a 1/2 hour after Swimming World has.

Here is the new Swim Network alpha: [Link]

Here is College Swimming message board post that it was leaked: [Link]

Sorry, I can't enclosed any screen shots because I am afraid WMG will sue me.

Two long standing world records fell this weekend and I confirmed that one of the WRs was set while wearing the Speedo Lazr

I got a Swimming World News Alert today regarding Kristy Coventry from Zimbabwe who set a world record in the 200 LCM backstroke at the Missouri Grand Prix in a time of 2:06.39. The previous world record set by Krisztina Egerszegi stood for 17-years but she bested it by 0.23 seconds. I wrote Jason M. at Swimming World asking if she was wearing the new $500 Speedo Lazr at the time and he confirmed that she was.

Eamon Sullivan from Australia set a world record in the 50 LCM free at the New South Wales Swimming Championships in a time of 21.64 besting the previous record by 0.08. I don't know if he was wearing a Speedo Lazr at the time but he is a Speedo sponsored athlete.

Here is a Wiki-link of the 50 LCM world record progression which includes the names, dates, the times and the nationality of those who have held the world record in the 50 LCM: [Link]

The photo above came from a Stuff.Co.NZ article which includes four more photos of Australian swimmers wearing the Speedo Lazr and their positive comments regarding it. [Link]

I am still critical of how the suit looks; (sci-fi, a video-game-like uniform), but producing one world record or possibly two if Eamon Sullivan was wearing the suit is delivering.

Leave it to 'Swimming World' to know exactly when the Beijing "Water Cube" would be filled up with water!

I can just see Jason blurry eyed at 1:00 AM his time calling some Chinese aquatics worker who just showed up for work and has just been told it is his job to fill up the pool today. So, there he is standing on deck holding a green garden hose when suddenly his cell phone rings, "Dude, Jason here, did you turn the hose on yet? Hurry up, I want to go to bed and when it's filled I need a link to a photo, okay? Listen, I gotta go, there is sectional meet going off at 9:00 A.M. in Buffalo Breath, Montana and I have to go prepare." ;-)

You have to click on the China.org.cn if you want to see what the pool looks like with water in it.

Here is Swimming World's take: [Link]

Here is my take: The photo above is from anton hazewinkel's Flickr set. I put it up because I thought the bubbles were make of a hard plastic, They appear in this picture to be "giant baggies." I am baffled as to how these plastic baggies work or even stay taut or filled with air? The photo also illustrates the bubbles scale in relation to the human form. Looks insect like.

Is 'Timed Finals' up for sale?

From Lane 9 News: "... PHOENIX, Arizona, December 24. IN what appears to be financial concerns that could affect a landmark venture between the Wasserman Group (WMG) and three of United States Olympic Committees' national governing bodies (USA Swimming, USA Track and Field, and USA Gymnastics), WMG is shopping its Online Sports Network in lieu of an expected eight-figure loss for 2007. ..." [Lane 9 quotes the Sports Business Journal as their reference.]

Consequently, they want to sell Sportnet.com for 50-million-dollars to obviously cover some losses. [Link]

That figure is mind boggling for I don't see 50-million dollars of product there. Heck, even my site has more swim content than Sportnet and Floswimming has a 100 times more content as well. Therefore, I have to assume that their primary assets are the contracts they have with those that produce content but in relation to other content providers, it is still anemic.

For instance, take Movielink.com as an example as a content provider. Movielink.com was founded as a joint venture between Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Studios, and Warner Bros., who were responding to consumers' adoption of high-speed Internet access well before iTunes came to market. Movielink.com had far more contracts with several major movie studios and foreign distributors. They sold and rented 100's upon 100's of movies per month. This includes documentaries, animation, shorts, extreme sports, etc. In August of 2007 movie rental giant Blockbuster acquired Movielink.com for a mere 6.6-million-dollars. Sportnet has nowhere near the content nor the contracts that Movielink had access to nor such an advanced e-commerce infrastructure. Hence, where is the equity in Sportnet? [CNN article on the Movielink.com sale Link]

Timed Finals, along with Sportnet.com is owned by The Wasserman Media Group as well. I am assuming that the site was purchased for the sole purpose of augmenting the USA Swimming deal. Will Timed Finals be sold if Sportnet.com is sold since it is seemingly one it's properties?

USA Swimming should have cut a deal with WCSN and Swimming World instead.

'The 17th Man' Surveying his realm, and it is good!

Blogger Joel of "The 17th Man" up at the blocks at the Belmont Plaza and ready to swim the 200 fly at the SPMA Short Course Meters Championships. Blogger Joel swam the 200 fly as fast as I can swim a 200 free. Joel makes the 200 fly look like a warm-up swim. he is relaxed and very well paced. Meet results page: [Link]

The meet was hosted by The Long Beach Grunions who are the most cohesive team I have ever seen. They are friendly, organized and enthusiastic but they have a peculiar habit of teasing each other when they are up on the blocks. Nonetheless, I must say that the insults and the witty retorts made for great swim theater as well as Grunion camaraderie. :-)

Dozens of world records were broken there and Swimming World covered it too [Link]

Don Talbot makes controversial statements about performance enhancing drugs

I woke up this morning and looked at my Swimming World RSS feed and saw that they had an article about Don Talbot, a famed Australian coach, stating that perhaps performance enhancing drugs should be legal.

This is just one of his quotes to the Sydney Morning Hearld: "When people start to talk about legalising it, I don't like the sound of that, but maybe it needs to be looked at more," Talbot told The Sun-Herald. * [Link]

In The Daily Telegraph Talbot really sounded off and called those who dope "bastards" and "buggers" and that someone should give Marion Jones "...a kick up the arse." He went on to say she should give back all of her money, her houses, fame etc. (She has four houses.) [Link]

The only way to remove dopers from the Olympics is to remove the profit potential for cheating. The Olympics must return to amature athletes only whereas sponsors and athlete endorsements are disallowed. Dopers should go to jail for fraud since great sums of money are involved and subsequently these cheaters should be held liable in civil lawsuits as well. There, Dan Talbot has his suggestion and now I have added mine.

The above photo is entitled: "Epogen, the wonder drug that helps Fred's anemia." I found it at Flickr.com: [Link]

Could Kate Ziegler be the new Ian Thorpe

She broke her record again in the 800 SCM lowering her time from 8:09 to 8:08. (I guess the first record was just a warm up. ;-)

With all of the drama surrounding Laure Manadou, who or who isn't coaching her, the lawsuits, the acrimony, I would have to say that Kate Ziegler now has to be the favorite for the gold medal in both the 800 and 400m free.

I find it astonishing that a women's 1500m free event does not yet exist in the Olympics. If it did, Kate Ziegler would be crowned the new "Ian Thorpe" for I think she would dominate the 400, the 800 and the 1500 meter events.

Article roundup: [Swimming World Link], [USA Today Link], [International Herald Tribune Link],

Here are the split times from Swimming World:

1. Kate Ziegler 1988 The Fish/USA 08:08,00 1051 WR

50m: 00:28,72 (00:28,72) 100m: 00:59,22 (00:30,50)
150m: 01:29,78 (00:30,56) 200m: 02:00,48 (00:30,70)
250m: 02:31,15 (00:30,67) 300m: 03:01,96 (00:30,81)
350m: 03:32,75 (00:30,79) 400m: 04:03,73 (00:30,98)
450m: 04:34,65 (00:30,92) 500m: 05:05,46 (00:30,81)
550m: 05:36,35 (00:30,89) 600m: 06:07,13 (00:30,78)
650m: 06:37,84 (00:30,71) 700m: 07:08,48 (00:30,64)
750m: 07:39,30 (00:30,82) 800m: 08:08,00 (00:28,70 )

Kate Ziegler photo and caption is homage to LOL Cats: [Link]

Dara Torres on the cover of Swimming World

And she looks better than Amanda Beard's spray painted butt in Playboy too!

If Dara Torres qualifies for the US Team next summer she will be the focal point of not just the women's team but magazine covers nationally. You will see her on Time, Newsweek, People, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated - I promise. It's refreshing to know that her swims will be the subject at hand rather than her tits, err, boobs.

My advice to her is to market how she got there and talk seriously how she is still able to be an above average mother at the same time. We are talking potential icon here and rightfully so. Boomers are more affluent than X-ers, hence, I believe she could be bigger than Jane Fonda was in the 1980's or Mark Spitz was in the 1970's. That is if she can resonate her extraordinary accomplishments as not just a sporting brand but rather a lifestyle one. If I were her agent I would put her on both the lecture circuit and radio and TV talk shows yesterday.

Turning 40 and having a baby will be the best thing that ever happened to her. Marketing studies have shown that a 50-year-old women sees her personal age as 34 whereas a 50-year-old man see themselves as 38. She is right in the sweet spot for the most affluent demographic in America. How old do you view yourself?

Check out the Swimming World press release here: [Link]

Swimming World has entered the building!

Swimming World is my most linked to news source, hence, I have decided to add a news feed in the left-hand-side of this blog underneath the swim videos. They truly are the 'center of infinity' for all things swimming. They also have a swim shop there too.

(I get no gifts or compensation for saying this.)