'Swimming Canada' and their tech-suit time machine!

In a gleeful press release issued today yesterday; (This post is late), Swimming Canada, states that they could not wait for FINA's January 1st, 2010 deadline to ban tech-suits and since banning them yesterday was not soon enough, they chose to ban them 2-weeks ago!

From Swimming World:

"... OTTAWA, Ontario, September 17. SWIMMING Canada announced that effective September 1, 2009, all swimwear worn in swimming competitions sanctioned under the authority of Swimming Canada must conform to the January 1, 2010 FINA swimwear approval guidelines.

"We want our athletes to start the season on the right foot," [mixed metaphor] says Pierre Lafontaine, CEO and National Coach for Swimming Canada. "By implementing the rule in September, we are giving our athletes more time to adapt to the technology changes as they prepare for the big events this year." ..."


[Link]

Comedian, Louis Black once said that his style of humor comes from a guy who is stranded on the the Titanic and nobody but himself knows what is going to happen. Hence, his salty use of sarcasm, profanity, and the impression of being on the brink while trying to convince the right people to avert disaster.

Today, I feel like Louis Black on the Titanic and this suit ban will be competitive swimming's "iceberg.

My rant is on:"

Suit sponsors will focus intensely on triathletes whereas pro-swimmer paychecks will shrink and so will interest in pro-swimmers.

A professional triathlete will happily wear your tech suit for $30,000 to $40,000 per year but if you want a triathlete "...that will rule them all," it might cost $50,000 or $60,000. (I can't expose my source on this.)

Contrast that to all of the tech-suit wearing athletes at the FINA World Championships last month and ask yourself what sort of dollars they were making directly or indirectly for switching suits. Ask what their endorsement did for that particular suit company?

A pair of briefs or jammers is not a viable business model

What is the difference between a $30 pair of jammers from TYR or Speedo versus a $14.95 pair of jammers from Club Swim or Aquatica? The answer is obviously nothing since all of the above are made from 80% Polyester & 20% Lycra fabric blend.

Gross profits for swimsuit manufacturers will be cut in half or more. A $30 product purchased 3-or-4 times a year; (you mileage may vary), cannot match in gross income a $350 tech-suit purchased once-or-twice a year by colleges, athletes and age groupers.

Consequently, manufacturers will have to provide at least five other lifestyle and equipment products which will not produce the sort of revenue that a tech-suit can generate. (For instance: how often do you buy a swim bag or a parka? I trust not once or twice a year?

Swimming is not chess, but it will become as "popular" as chess if it does not continue to evolve technologically along with other successful sports.

When I was a kid the daily paper would print these chess board situations in a specific portion of the paper like they were a daily "war room map" during WW II. Those who were interested in chess would stare at these "war puzzles" and make notes, perhaps open a book and try to solve them and the next day the answer would be posted. The L.A. Times, nor the does The New York Times do that anymore for chess has become irrelevant.

If you compare swimming to triathlons, cycling, running, baseball, basketball, golf, hockey, on ad infinitum, these sports have evolved faster and more progressively than swimming has and to keep our sport from becoming chess-like, swimming has to evolve just as fast!

Is swimming really growing?

They use to make movies about synchronized swimming, they threw a ticker-tape parade for a swimmer named, Gertrude Caroline Ederle, who swam the English Channel. They made movie stars out of swimmers as well such as Johnny Weismuller, Esther Williams, Annette Kellerman.

The photo above of Speedo's groovy new Flipturns are on sale now! However there is always Splish is you really want something "outloud."

One has to ask how culpable USADA/USA Swimming are for this Olympic team mess-up!

I spoke with someone close to this situation by email this morning and they filled me into the missed details by the two organizations that are suppose to serve the athletes.

On July 21st the IOC required an Olympic team roster from USA Swimming. Yesterday, three days past that deadline it was leaked that Jessica Hardy had tested positive for a banned substance. (Newsweek reported that it may have been a stimulant which could be as simple as an antihistamine or something more insidious as meth.)

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) performed the test and obviously notified USA Swimming before the July 21st deadline. One would think that either USA Swimming would have pushed USADA to deliver results well before they had to declare a de facto team or that USA Swimming would have scheduled Olympic Trials earlier enough to ensure that all their athletes rights would be respected.

In project management textbooks they talk of deliverables and milestones that should signed off and closely managed. I didn't see that here.

From USA Swimming's perceived "secret deals" with the Wasserman Media Group (WMG), the accusations from TYR that USA Swimming is engaging in anti-trust tactics with Speedo, and the bullying of Floswimming. One has to wonder who is running the shop there!

Floswimming Fallout: "Swim site conflict opens debate over sport's video rights"

Remember when Grant McCaffrey got spankd by USA Swimming and then the swim bloggers spanked back? This article covers the fallout.

Merritt of Merittr gets quoted as well. How cool is that? :-)

Here is a snippet from the Missourian: McCaffrey’s conflict has since become a rallying cry for issues those see in the online swimming community with USA Swimming’s new partnership with Wasserman Media Group.

“It’s not a situation ideal for a governing body to be in,” McCaffrey said. “It’s an issue larger than Floswimming. It’s a pretty layered battle, and Floswimming’s just at the tip of it.” [Link]

Floswimming gtes angry letter from USA Swimming

UPDATE: Post edited to remove hyperbole. Never post something in a hurry.

Floswimming lost it's USA Swimming swim meet credentials because Grant videoed part of a meet thereby breaking broadcast rules. Here is a letter USA Swimming sent him. [Link]

'Swim News' has entered the building in a big way

Craig Lord at Swim News is back in the links column. His recent interview with Chuck Wielgus, Executive Director of USA Swimming was epic. He got Mr. Wielgus to admit that USA Swimming is entering into a for-profit model with the Wasserman Media Group despite that USA Swimming is a non-profit governmental body. That Timed Finals has been so bad at crediting sources that they will summarily rebrand the site; or relaunch it with a new name and bring in a new publisher. Also included is info regarding a former marketing chief at USA Swimming but now a "consultant" for the organization is somehow tied to this deal financially.

This interview has brought more to light regarding the USA Swimming/Wasserman Media Group deal than any other article or editorial and I thank Craig Lord for that.

Here is a link to his interview: [Link]

My take: If USA Swimming wants to become a for-profit agency like the NFL; (Mr. Wielgus does site the NFL as a potential model for news and programming), then swimmers connected to the USA Swimming organization should start getting paid and start sharing in the profits much like the NFL players do.

Thanks to the 17th Man and the Cannuck Swimmer

Thanks for the info regarding Guidstar. This will allow me to investigate USA Swimming's 501c form and to see how their execs will be compensated as a result of the Wasserman Media Group deal since nobody really knows.

If you want to check two blogs of two really fast masters swimmers click here, The 17th Man Canuckswimmer

"Texas Swimming" blog spanks 'Timed Finals'

My dad started out as a used car salesman and eventually became an editor of some sort for the Hollywood Reporter. Every morning before school he would get me up at 5:30 A.M., throw some clothes at me, and we would drive from newsstand to newsstand to see which one had gotten the Hollywood Reporter or the Daily Variety first. He would hand me 50 cents so I could buy them for him and then we would return home for breakfast.

At the kitchen table he would underline sentences from the Army Archerd column in The Daily Variety, and then do the same thing to the guy who wrote the gossip column for The Hollywood Reporter.

One morning, I got fed up with getting up so early so at breakfast I asked "what are you doing, you underline these sentences every morning?" He replied back, "I am writing my column." And I said, "No you not, you're copying, you're cheating!" It didn't go over well at the kitchen table but ultimately my dad plagiarized his way into entertainment journalism.

Well, that is what Scott Goldblatt, the editor of Timed Finals, is being accused of doing by the swim blog, Texas Swimming. I have accused him of it too and I understand that a particular writer for the Australian press is getting wind of this sort of nonsense as well.

All Scott has to do to alleviate this criticism is to ensure he credits his sources. If he doesn't, he and the parent company of Timed Finals, the Wasserman Media Group, are going to become irrelevant to swimming.

My dad shamefully got away with it circa the 1960's, but in the age of the internet whereas everything is databased, that isn't going to happen.

Here is a link to the Texas Blog spanking. The photo to the right is the Texas swimmer himself: [Link]

Ryan Lochte used a dolphin kick during his breaststroke portion of the 200 IM at Nationals. He should have been DQed

The person who wrote the following post on The Race Club message board is an Olympic medalist:

"... k -- before responding, go to the US swimming website and check out the webcast from day 1 of Nationals for the 200 IM -- about 1 hour and 10 minutes into the webcast. [Link]

Check out Lochte's Breaststroke swim (not the turn) -- they show a good underwater of his 2nd 25 -- he is clearly doing a Fly kick after completing his breaststroke kick -- you can even see the bubbles moving down after his kick.

A lot of Breaststrokers move their feet a little bit up or down when the legs are extended (for example Phelps does that - but it is usually more of a balancing or getting the feet in the right spot before the next Breaststroke kick) But you are not allowed to get propulsion out of this and Lochte is for sure getting quite a bit of that out of his extra fly kicks, just look at the bubbles moving down and out. ..." [Link]

I can't post Lochte's breaststroke due to the Wasserman Media Group refusal to let anybody view it unless you go to their site and notice the Speedo Banner ad at the top of the page. Ironically enough, the banner links you to You Tube of all places, the same site that the Wasserman Media Group has pulled fan videos from. (See this post [Link]) DO NOT CLICK ON THE BANNER - SHOW IT NO LOVE!

The breaststroke is now becoming a confusing embarrassment. Anything related to butterfly should be removed from the stroke. Below is an example of more line crossing by Romanos Alyfantis:

There are no swim videos on 'Sportnet' yet USA Swimming is listed as one of their "properties"

Last spring USA Swimming cut a marketing deal with the Wasserman Media Group to bring USA Swimming to market. Since then what has WMG accomplished for swimming at large?

1. WMG purchased the swim site Timed Finals but I see no equity there for USA Swimming. Rumors are they are going to rebrand it but our sport needs visual exposure not rewritten, "drive by," blog posts with just a spattering of audio content. Swimming needs to be seen and experienced not talked about.

2. WMG set up a website called SportNet to showcase WMG 'properties' such as USA Swimming yet as of today there are no swimming videos on the site whatsoever.

3. The only press release Wasserman has distributed through Sportnet about USA Swimming was regarding their marketing deal with them from last spring. I did a Google News keyword search on both Sportnet and the Wasserman Media Group and there was nothing there promoting USA Swimming.

Ultimately, I am seeing no swim marketing or content at Sportnet or any other WMG vehicles such as their cable network and this includes press releases, news items or viral marketing campaigns of any sort. Hence, if USA Swimming is the proverbial 'little piggy' here, that little piggy certainly didn't make it to market. Instead, that little piggy stayed home.

I think Swimming World, WCSN, You Tube, the Australian press, and even the fans in the stands are doing a far better job marketing USA Swimming than WMG has. Subsequently these aforementioned outlets should be considered their marketing partners next time.

I thought I was a lone voice in the wind regarding the Wasserman Media Group and 'You Tube' downloads. Not Now!

Here is a snippet from a swim blogger I just started reading: "...

So yea, we’re not fans of the Wasserman Media Group. And we don’t care if you tell them. They can suck it.

As many people are aware, if you posted any video from Nationals on popular videosharing site YouTube, then you probably are well aware that the “fine folks” at WMG have nothing better to do with their time then police YouTube and request that all content pertaining to the recent Nationals in Indy be removed for copyright violations.

I figured that the reason they wanted video taken down was so they could later package the event and then sell it. And that is, in fact, what they are doing. It’s all about the Benjamins, baby. I hope Diddy doesn’t come after me and threaten to sue me after quoting his song right there. Lawsuits seem to be the corporate activity du jour.

Anyway, USA Swimming and WMG aren’t even including all races in the 2-DVD set. All you get for your $15 fee is A Finals and “Fast Heats”. What exactly is “fast heats”? Is it just the last one? Is it all the circle seeded ones? Care to elaborate? ..." [Link]

Now I know I we have made it! Swimming World link to us.

I am sublimely flattered; Swimming World linked to us regarding my questioning of the transparency of the WMG/USA Swimming marketing deal.

All WMG/USA Swimming press releases have been murky and full of marketing-speak. More summarily state that commercial interests will be created and placed along side USA Swimming's interests. These are WMG's words in a press release quoting another NGB partner:

“...This approach is a response to the ever changing marketplace of sports today. WMG’s technology, market savvy, and capital investment will help us build something new and provide a comprehensive platform to members, fans, and corporate partners. This combined effort will allow us to create resources that promote our brands, programs, athletes, and events, and serve the passions of those who care about these sports on a daily basis,” said Steve Penny, President, USA Gymnastics..."

This whole thing started when I couldn't post some You Tube and Google videos of various swims at 2007 US Nationals which were shot by fans in the stands. It stated that WMG had them removed since they owned the rights. I got pissed off and couldn't grasp how WMG could own the rights since they didn't even sponsor the meet. This led me to believe that WMG was given the rights by USA Swimming but how is USA Swimming allowed to profit from these rights since they are a non-profit?

FROM LANE 9 NEWS:

"In the coming months we will be launching a new commercially-oriented web site that will be designed to better market and promote our sport. This is going to be a very exciting development for swimming and this new site will hopefully create an extremely active 'social community' for not only our members, but for anyone interested in learning more about all aspects of swimming." [Link]

The Wasserman Media Group/USA Swimming deal has to be clarified

I pulled this paragraph off the Wasserman Media Group site:

"... WASSERMAN MEDIA GROUP FORMS LANDMARK MARKETING AND PROGRAMMING PARTNERSHIPS WITH USA GYMNASTICS, USA SWIMMING, AND USA TRACK & FIELD

WMG’s technology, market savvy, and capital investment will help us build something new and provide a comprehensive platform to members, fans, and corporate partners. This combined effort will allow us to create resources that promote our brands, programs, athletes, and events, and serve the passions of those who care about these sports on a daily basis,” said Steve Penny, President, USA Gymnastics. ..." [Link]

It's all marketing-speak. Everything I read about the Wasserman Media Group and USA swimming deal is usually nothing more than cleverly packaged phrases with no specifics whatsoever.

What programming rights does USA Swimming control which allows them to do a programming partnership? They don't own the swimmers and they do not own the pools. If they were a union or an organization like the NFL or MLB I could understand but they are nothing more than a non-profit non-governmental body. What programming rights do they dictate? This is not a rhetorical question.