Could this ever happen to swimming?

We've seen events featuring distance swimming added to the Olympics in the form of the open water 10k and triathlon.

Meanwhile, cycling is losing Olympic distance events. Read more here.

...the Olympics will lose track cycling's iconic event — the 4,000-meter individual pursuit for men and 3,000-meter pursuit for women.

One reason for the change is gender equity. Another is the short attention span of today's sports fan.

Is it possible that we'll see the 1500m free taken out of the Olympic program one day? Let's hope not.

"It is the advice of the UCI that the new format would be more appealing," Rogge said at a news conference. "Of course, the concerned riders regret that. This is perfectly understandable, but the executive board of UCI considered the new format would be far more appealing.

"There is a general shift as you know from endurance events more to sprint events," he added. "That is a consideration being made by the experts of cycling, not the IOC."

Quote of the Day

A common mistake people make when trying to
design something completely foolproof is to
underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.



Douglas Noel Adams

Quote of the Day

A guy who gives you less than what he has
to give is telling you what he thinks of you,
and telling you what he thinks of himself.



Peter J. "Pete" Carril

Athlete of the Week

Read about UT's Leah Gingrich here. Watch the video here. She was Channel 8's (Austin) Athlete of the Week.

Failboat

Quote of the Day

Motivating through fear may work in the short
term to get people to do something, but over the
long run I believe personal pride is a much
greater motivator. It produces far better
results that last for a much longer time.



John Robert Wooden

What was their point?

It won't be nominated for a Pulitzer, that's for certain. The headline grabbed my attention, but the article went everywhere and nowhere. Read it here.

Loos Facelift

Friday at the COR Classic, meet referee Bob Lang announced that Dallas ISD was committing money to improve Loos Natatorium.

The facility, built in 1892, is in remarkably good shape for a pool constructed during that era.

All kidding aside, it's great that the district is going to make the effort.

KATY Aquatics

Two assistants are needed at KATY. Jobs are posted on TISCA and USA Swimming sites.

Contact Lisa Emmons at 281-391-7200 or adminasst@katyaquatics.org

2009 LC TAGS

Aussie Mess

Sexual misconduct allegations are in the news in Australia.

Current national team head Alan Thompson has taken a leave of absence.

Read as much as you can stand:

Herald-Sun

Daily Telegraph

The Australian

There are also stories circulating about the late Terry Buck.

Weakly Demotivator

NISCA

High school swimming info is at NISCA. Go to the main page here.

National records are here.

Forms are here.

Contact list is here.

All-American standards are here.

Results Update

AAAA NEAT

AAAA Nadadores

T-M Turkey Splash

SWAT B/C

COPS B/C

CCAA Turkey Trot

TASC Thanksgiving

AAHSSL County Invite (Davis)

AAHSSL County Invite (Block)

AAHSSL County Invite (Northside)

Irving Winter Invite

A&M vs. Rice

Rice Recap

A&M Recap

McMurry/Adams/Colorado College

Texas Invite

USA Swimming Short Course Nationals

Quote of the Day

There is no security on this earth,

there is only opportunity.

General Douglas MacArthur

Coach Neil Matzen

Former COR head coach Neil Matzen is battling brain cancer. Visit his Caring Bridge site here.

December 5, 2009.

It all began September 5, 2009. Wow! What a long journey we have been on. Up, down, happy, sad, but I know God has been with us the entire way, along with all of you, our friends, (known and unknown) and family. Every one of you are Special and a Blessing in our lives. We are so fortunate to have you.

I have a saying on my computer that I read every time I'm on it. It says....When things get tough...remember faith doesn't get you around trouble, it gets you through it!.

Nelson is home and Neil will come home one day next week. This is good. Our family will be together again if only for a short while until God calls him home and it will be beautiful, I know.

With love,
Linda

Traditions

In recent years, the tradition of coaches dressing for finals has been fading.

Our kids try to swim fast enough to make finals. Some are happy just to move up enough to be alternates. Once in a while, they battle for that last spot in a swim-off. All that indicates that finals are important.

So, why do coaches show up in t-shirts?

We should encourage one another to show up for finals in - at the very least - a polo shirt. Guys and gals, even if ties and skirts aren't your thing, at least put on something with a collar...

You've got to hand it to officials. They've kept their standards high and look sharp for the evening sessions. That will most certainly continue.

While we're on the topic of traditions, did you hear about the new one a team showed off at the COR Classic last night?

I don't know what it's called, but it involves having your athletes line up for sprints, then having them perform cannonballs while other teams wait in line for their turn.

It wasn't very popular with the other coaches, swimmers and parents. I doubt it will catch on...

Sources

Many of the quotes for the next week were found in the monthly THSCA magazine.

Geekologie is one of the most common sources for some of the occasional weird stuff I find.

Be careful, though, some of his stuff is NSFW.

Another Swim Coach in Trouble

A female swim coach in New Jersey was arrested in connection with relationship with one of her swimmers. No, she wasn't coaching a boys' team. Read more here.

With all you jokesters out there, comment moderation is a must on this one...

Countdown Traffic Light

Taching it up way too soon before your burnouts in crowded traffic on Main Street?

Want to get that fuel efficiency up from 7 mpg to 7.3*?

Ask your city council to install countdown lights. Read more here.

It's bound to save you drag racers fuel, so California libs can claim it would eliminate the need for offshore drilling.

Absolutely a win-win!



*An improvement of over four percent!

Pepperdine Women

University president Andrew Benton is working to save the Pepperdine women's swimming program. Didn't know about that one? Catch up here.

M E M O R A N D U M

TO: Friends and Supporters of the Pepperdine Women’s Swimming and Diving Team

FROM : Andrew K. Benton

RE: Response to Offers of Support/Immediate Action Required

DATE: December 1, 2009

Cc John G. Watson, Keith Hinkle

Without going into great detail, the decision to conclude the Swimming and Diving team was a difficult decision. Students associated with that program have been some of the students my wife and I hold most dear. As I have shared many times: I admire so much the family environment that seems to come with those who love to swim and dive competitively. It is actually remarkable to behold.

Having made and communicated the decision (and hurt a lot of students and parents in the process), to offer to rethink our position is perilous and may result in another round of frustration. I hope not. The economy has not improved, the Athletic Department has not even completed its first round of reductions, and no “financial angel” has appeared. A number of individuals have made sincere offers to help and that impresses me a great deal. Whether it will be enough, I do not know; I would like to give it a fair opportunity to work, however. Working through Tom Dekar, a parent, and also one of our former swimmers, Andreea Trufasu, I write this brief memorandum to outline one way to fund the program going forward. It will require the following:

1. Evidence by January 15 of each year that there are gifts and pledges available to provide at least $400,000 per year for each of the next four fiscal years (August 1 – July 31). We cannot recruit top-quality athletes if we cannot assure them that they can compete at Pepperdine for the four years of their NCAA eligibility;

2. The Athletic Director and I do not see re-establishing the program with funds already reallocated to respond to the present – and future – economic challenge presented to the larger University community. The University will help to raise endowment funds that could well sustain the program; and,

3. If we are going to undertake this project, we must do so immediately and with great energy. We can use December to make solicitations and secure pledge commitments. The University will begin collecting contributions after January 1, 2010.1 Representations have been made that there are as many as 1,500 individuals willing to provide annual support. If that is true, our task is relatively easy, especially if there are some generous lead gifts. If not, we must know by the last day of January 2010. If the target of at least $400,000 per fiscal year is not achieved in gifts and firm pledges by January 31, 2010, all gifts will be returned and pledges cancelled and we will conclude our Swimming and Diving program as previously announced.

While I am hopeful, I am also a realist willing to be overwhelmingly pleased and surprised. There is no other area of the University being offered this opportunity, but there is no other area where 35 wonderful young people are so directly impacted.

This is the offer I have discussed with a couple of representatives of those who wish to retain the program. We simply must know if this is going to work by January 31, 2010; I do not wish to offer false hope or to create or prolong another round of disappointment.

I have written this memorandum so that others may distribute it. All gifts and pledges should to be sent to Dr. John Watson, Director of Athletics. John can be contacted at (310) 506-4242 or you may e-mail him at jgwatson@pepperdine.edu. He will guide this process and provide periodic updates on the success of this effort. Meanwhile, you have my admiration for your desire to take on this unusual and admirable project. I sincerely hope it works; in fact, my wife and I will make our own gift to the effort.

Y'all know I have to say this, right?

How about saving the women's team and restoring the men's team at the same time?

Don't tell me it would cost so danged much more to do, I'm not as dumb as I look...

Blinders

Radical Title IX advocate Robert "Is it any wonder I'm null and void?" Landau has made a name for himself while exposing - yes, we do know they exist - inequities. Read more here.



When he goes this far, it's obvious that his "work" in Philly is done:

Landau’s complaint against Haverford High School — over issues like publicity for and scheduling of boys’ and girls’ basketball games — has upset even those who would otherwise support him.

“I am like: ‘Buddy, you know what? You just threw the wrong punch,’ “ said Bobbi Morgan, the women’s basketball coach at Haverford College, who used to coach the girls’ team at Haverford High School. “I never worked anywhere where it was better.”

What's next, a complaint that some of the boy athletes have more "friends" on their Facebook pages than the girls?

Landau estimated he had filed at least 30 complaints, most contending unfair treatment of girls, with the Office for Civil Rights, the division of the federal Education Department that enforces the gender-equity law known as Title IX. His work has led to a change in practices at the school and district level in suburban Philadelphia.

I think it's safe to assume that many of these complaints were legitimate and Landau's early advocacy "career" was a noble one.

Landau is a rabid fan of Cheltenham High School girls’ basketball, and his commentary during games often turns heads. The coach, Bob Schaefer, said, “He’s yelling things that you might be thinking, but he just belts it out.”

When it comes to speaking out about unfairness, Landau can be just as passionate. He boasts that athletic directors regularly hang up on him, and relishes the time he made a cheerleading coach cry.

"Rabid" - I love it!

Some wonder if this confrontational style works against him. Filing a complaint without building relationships can lead to hard feelings, said Carol Tracy, the executive director of the Women’s Law Project in Philadelphia.

“Since the vast majority of schools are out of compliance with Title IX, realistically none of us are going to sue every one of them,” she said.

Carol, get in touch with Nancy Hogshead-Makar - she'll see what she can do about that.

Landau has never been paid for his advocacy, but it worked in his favor in 1996, when he faced federal charges of defrauding a commercial loan company as the owner of a janitorial supply business. Landau repaid the $120,000 he owed the loan company, and later pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. Although Landau was facing prison, the judge, citing his local involvement, sentenced him to time in a halfway house and under house arrest, according to news reports.

“I made a business mistake, I got snagged, and that was that,” Landau said. “I have no excuse. It makes me human. More human than most.”

No comment...

Quote of the Day

The only reason I'm coming out here

tomorrow is the schedule says I have to.

George Lee "Sparky" Anderson

Quote of the Day

That you may retain your self-respect, it is

better to displease the people by doing what

you know is right, than to temporarily please

them by doing what you know is wrong.

William John Henry Boetcker

Big Meets

Texas Invite

Nationals

Another Football Subtract

Football was costing Hoffstra University $4.5 million annually. They're dropping it. No other sports are being cut. Read more here.

Quote of the Day

If what you did yesterday seems big,

you haven't done anything today.

Louis Leo "Lou" Holtz

Quote of the Day

The achievements of an organization are the

results of the combined effort of each individual.

Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi

London 2012 Swimming

Swimming page is here. Venue page is here.

Weakly Demotivator

Quote of the Day

Before you contradict an old man, my fair friend,

you should endeavor to understand him.

Jorge Agustín Nicolás Ruiz de Santayana y Borrás

(a.k.a. George Santayana)

Big XII Swimmers of the Week

Last week's Big XII swimmers of the week were Aggies Nikita Denisyako and Kristen Heiss. Read more at the A&M site here.

Go Phyllis!

Our friend Phyllis Schlafly starts her latest report with this:

The feminists are going through one of their periodic soul-searching psychological examinations of what the women's liberation movement did or did not do for them, and why they are not happy with the result.

Read more here.

Women's percentage in the labor force keeps rising because of who is going to college and who drops out. Thirty years ago, the ratio of males to females on college campuses was 60-40; now it's 40-60, and women receive the majority of college degrees.

But the feminists are griping because women students choose humanities majors that lead to lesser paid jobs than male students, who in larger numbers choose math, science and engineering. The feminists want government to remedy this gender difference by bribing women with taxpayers' money to make other choices. (Feminists claim that there are no gender differences, but they demand government intervention to override women's choices.)

The feminists push hard for what they call "Title-Nining," using Title IX, which bans sex discrimination in schools and colleges, to force equal numbers of women in all athletic programs. Since this misuse of Title IX was initiated by radical feminists in Jimmy Carter's Education Department, the feminists have forced colleges to eliminate thousands of men's teams, including many championship teams and more than 450 wrestling teams. Now the feminists are Title-Nining science and math departments. Using phony charges of gender bias, they are directing millions of dollars of federal and university money to override women's choices in order to increase the number of women in math and science at the expense of men.

Quote of the Day

An inventor is simply a fellow who doesn't

take his education too seriously.

Charles Franklin Kettering