Quote of the Day

He who spares the wicked injures the good.

(via About)

Lucius Annaeus Seneca,

a.k.a. Seneca the Younger

Question & Answer

Q.  What has 24 legs and 32 teeth?

(via flickr)

A.  The front row at the Van Vleck Mud Races!

Quote of the Day

 

We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty.

When the loyal opposition dies, I think

the soul of America dies with it.

 

(via Bob Edwards Radio)

 

Egbert Rosco Murrow, a.k.a. Edward R. Murrow

Quote of the Day

 

Until you value yourself, you won't value

your time.  Until you value your time,

you won't do anything with it.

 

(via M. Scott Peck, M.D.)

 

Morgan Scott Peck

Quote of the Day

 

There are questions I'm still not wise enough

to answer, just wise enough to no longer ask.

 

(via UPROXX)

 

George Glenn Jones

Quote of the Day

 

We started off trying to set up a small anarchist

community, but people wouldn't obey the rules.

 

(via Last)

 

Alan Bennett

Once upon a time...

...New Mexico and Kansas had men's swim teams...

Read about former Kansas standout Jim Sauer here.

(via KU Athletics)

What was the hardest part about being a student-athlete?

"I think I would say managing my time was the hardest part. We slammed in 11 practices during the week along with two days a week of weight training. I had to manage all the classes within the hours of all the practices, so that was a bit difficult to handle. Just figuring out a schedule and getting my homework done was probably the hardest part."

That is probably what helps swimmers prepare so well for success in life, right?  How about we find a way to get men's swimming back into schools like Kansas, Iowa State, New Mexico, University of Houston, Rice, UCLA, Nebraska, Miami, Rutgers, Illinois, Arkansas...

Quote of the Day

 

The reason of a resolution is more to be

considered than the resolution itself.

 

(via Oxford Index)

 

Sir John Holt

Quote of the Day

 

If men will not be governed by God,

they will be ruled by tyrants.

 

(via Library of Congress)

 

William Penn

Quote of the Day (thanks, HM!)

 

Trouble creates a capacity to handle it.  I don't

embrace trouble;  that's as bad as treating it

as an enemy.  But I do say:  meet it as a

friend, for you'll see a lot of it, and had

better be on speaking terms with it.

 

(via New World Encyclopedia)

 

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Missile-Lane-E!-Us

When I first saw the headline for this thump-thump article, I wondered how it could be called Midnight Madness if it started at oh say, 11:30.  First paragraph got me on track.  Read it here.

Joseph Stanton had a tough day yesterday and is in ICU.  Prayers for him and his family.  Read latest here.

Outgoing UNC Chancellor Holden Thorp had some candid remarks on who's supposed to control - but really doesn't - athletics at most NCAA-member institutions.  Read it here.

"Presidential control was supposed to produce less corruption, make it easier to make rules, reduce escalation of money in college sports, give academics the ability to change college sports," he said Friday here on the UNC campus. "It's almost hard to keep from laughing when you say those things, because obviously, it hasn't worked."

(via Twitter)

GWG's follerin' up his induction into the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame with a trip to Israel.  Keep up on Twitter here.

(via Zimbio)

Mixed reviews (of course) on Ryan Lochte's new show.  One thing's for certain, the guy's never going to have to work for a living after swimming.  Visit his official site here.

(via Mullet on the Go)

Mullet on the go?  Yeah...might just get me one a them.

In case you've not seen it yet, here's Neil Diamond at Fenway:



WHAT Last Spring Fling

Rice Double Up

TXLA Long Course Kickoff

(via ASA)

2013 Cap2K preview at Fit City here.  Get more info and register for May 4 event here.

Spring Has Sprung

CCAA Unclassified

AAAA Lone Star Challenge

BAS Kickoff

Madison Area Technical College is adding women's soccer to bring their gender quota numbers in line.  Read more here.

Good to see a sport added.  Just keep in mind that increasing opportunities doesn't always increase participation.

If they don't get enough gals to play, will their next step be to ax men's soccer?

The proportionality crowd would certainly demand it...and double-speak administrators could find ways to justify it...the guys went 1-15 in 2012 and their coach resigned after just one season at the helm...

Quote of the Day

 

Anger at lies lasts forever.

Anger at truth can't last.

 

(via Filmwise)

 

Greg Evans

Quote of the Day

It is almost as important to know what

is not serious as to know what is.

(via City Journal)

 

John Kenneth Galbraith

Quote of the Day

 

Of course I work hard.  Why shouldn't I?  Who

am I to think I should get things the easy way?

 

(via Jewish Women's Archive)

 

Judith Tuvim, a.k.a. Judy Holliday

We Tried to Warn Y'all

(via tumblr)

While working toward their law degrees, are students taking courses like Title IX Distortion 101 or Misapplication of Gender Equity Laws 301?  How about graduate work in Title IX Shakedowns?

Lawyers seem to be coming up with new, idiotic ways of using the gender equity law to screw up education at all levels.

Seems a feminist lawyer has now seen the light.  Read Judith Grossman's Wall Street Journal op-ed here.

In fact, Title IX, that so-called guarantor of equality between the sexes on college campuses, and as applied by a recent directive from the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, has obliterated the presumption of innocence that is so foundational to our traditions of justice. On today's college campuses, neither "beyond a reasonable doubt," nor even the lesser "by clear and convincing evidence" standard of proof is required to establish guilt of sexual misconduct.

"...so-called guarantor of equality between the sexes..." - well done Judith, well done.

Who knew that American college students are required to surrender the Bill of Rights at the campus gates?

Welcome to our world, Judith.  Public educators are expected to do the same.

I fear that in the current climate the goal of "women's rights," with the compliance of politically motivated government policy and the tacit complicity of college administrators, runs the risk of grounding our most cherished institutions in a veritable snake pit of injustice—not unlike the very injustices the movement itself has for so long sought to correct. Unbridled feminist orthodoxy is no more the answer than are attitudes and policies that victimize the victim.

Looks like she'll be kicked out of the "club" for that last comment...



Thanks for the heads up, CE!

Quote of the Day

You must not lose faith in humanity.  Humanity

is an ocean;  if a few drops of the ocean are

dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.

(via Peacenews)

 

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi,

a.k.a. Mahatma Gandhi

Quote of the Day

 

Some say that I got to pour

about four lifetimes into one.

 

(via Washington Post)

  

George Allen "Pat" Summerall

Quote of the Day

 

America is a land of taxation that

was founded to avoid taxation.

 

(via Browse Biography)

 

Laurence Johnston Peter

Title IX Advance in New Jersey

It took those forward-thinking libs up in Jersey to take the lead in the fight for gender equity.

(via NBC New York)

Unless this is a late April Fools' story, former Rutgers men's dodgeball coach Mike Rice is now working with the gals.

Of the transition from coaching college men to middle school girls, Rice said:

"It's a big adjustment for me.  The girls are a little smaller and quicker on their feet.  I'm learning to keep the ball down and lead them just a little more."

If you're okay with foul language, then check out the story at Deadspin here.

Quote of the Day

The wisdom of man never yet contrived

a system of taxation that would

operate with perfect equality.

(via Wikimedia Commons)

 

Andrew "Old Hickory" Jackson

Quote of the Day

You cannot escape the responsibility

of tomorrow by evading it today.

(via University of Groningen)

 

Abraham Lincoln

I think it would be funny if...

...Elton John recorded this song:

Quote of the Day

If God had really intended man to fly,

He'd make it easier to get to the airport.

 

(via The Washington Post)

 

Jonathan Harshman Winters III

Rutgers President Gets Earful*

No rotten tomaters was flyin', but Rutgers President Robert Barchi must have felt like it was touch-n-go there fer a bit:

(via Inside Education)

Gotta admit, that guy's very good at what he does...certainly can b.s. with the best of 'em...

 

* Not an earful of basketball, though.  Former dodgeball coach Mike Rice was not in attendance.

Joseph Stanton Progress (Edited 7-17-20)

If you've not been follerin' the Joseph Stanton (all-time 8th fastest 4A 100 freestyler) story, you can catch up (and keep up) at his Caring Bridge site here.

Read the most recent update here.

Edited 7-17-20:

Noticing quite a bit of traffic to this old post.

Sad news to report.

View here

Quote of the Day

 

Stupidity has a knack of getting its way;

as we should see if we were not always

so much wrapped up in ourselves.

 

(via The Guardian)

 

Albert Camus

Shorter Season Proposal

Word is someone's about to present a plan to the TISCA board that would drastically shorten the Texas high school swimming season.

Not sure what the rationale for that would be.

A few possibilities from those hoping to end their swim seasons before semester break:

"I can take that New Mexico ski trip instead of running Christmas workouts."

"We could get an earlier start on our spring water polo season."

"I always wanted to be the assistant freshman baseball/softball coach."

"The track coach needs his stopwatches back sooner next year."

"Scheduling on top of Nationals or Junior Nationals might open up a few spots in state meet for my kids."

"We've always hoped to move our January invite to August."

"We'd like to get the high school season out of the way so we can focus on the TAAF Winter Games."

The board meets this Friday morning, so contact your region reps ASAP!

Remind them to bring plenty of rotten tomatoes to the meeting...

Quote of the Day

Whatever dreams I have wished have come true.



(via The Salt Lake Tribune)

 

Annett Joanne Funicello

Quote of the Day

Disciplining yourself to do what you

know is right and important, although

difficult, is the high road to pride,

self-esteem, and personal satisfaction.

(via Business Insider)

Margaret Hilda Thatcher

Quote of the Day

 

The enemy is anybody who's going to get

you killed, no matter which side he's on.

 

(via The Post-Standard)

 

Joseph Heller

Quote of the Day

No problem is so formidable that

you can't walk away from it.



(via Geeks of Doom)

Charles Monroe Schulz

Title IX Smoke Screen

(via Wikimedia Commons)

We know how it goes by now, right?

Athletic directors first label a school's sport as "non-revenue" and then remind us that "it's a money issue" and "dropping the program will help to make our other teams more competitive."

Don't forget the "our new conference doesn't sponsor the sport" bit.  They spout this idiotic reason as if the sport cannot exist without a dozen conference opponents!

The "rationale" these folks are using to dump men's sports amount to nothing more than a smoke screen.

What's really happening?

These sports are being "Title IX'ed", thanks to proportionality!

When money's a little tight and the "consultants" hired by the school decide a sport needs to go, you can bet it'll be a men's "non-revenue" sport, right?

They'll never admit that virtually all college sports cost more money than they can ever generate.

A.D.'s have learned to avoid citing Title IX as a reason for a sport cut.  A.D.'s who've told the truth about that have caught hell from organizations like the Women's Sports Foundation.

Thanks to media outlets that regurgitate whatever they've been fed by the A.D.'s, John Q. Public doesn't seem to have a clue.  Guess he'll figure it out when his son tries to find a college wrestling or swimming program someday.  Good luck, Junior Public!

Here's what's new(s) on the Title IX/Men's Program Cuts front:

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley hit an apparent homer with Towson U. baseball fans last week, as he attempted to rescue their soon-to-be-dumped program.

Upon further review, it looks like his dinger may have twisted foul.

Other politicians in Maryland don't appear as anxious as the governor to save T.U. baseball.  Read more here.

Comptroller Peter Franchot, who has been highly critical of Towson University’s decision, also said the governor’s proposal while well intended would also set a bad precedent. 

Probably would have had Terp swim fans wondering why that program didn't get a bailout, right?

Franchot also has criticized both the university’s president Marvene Loeschke and Athletic Director Mike Waddell for their decision.

Franchot told WBAL News this week the decision to eliminate the two teams were the result of the university “mishandling”

Later this month, Loeschke is scheduled to appear before the Board of Public Works, on which Franchot serves, to answer questions about this situation. He thinks Waddell should also attend.

“Maybe she should bring this athletic director…who apparently is at the bottom of this whole mess,” Franchot told WBAL News.

Loeschke is expected to appear at the Board of Public Works meeting on April 17.

It sounds like Franchot is on the right track.  Poorly managed athletic departments put our "minor" sports at great risk.  He wants to hear from the Loeschke/Waddell Tag Team that pinned baseball and soccer.

Next on the chopping block?  Looks like that "honor" goes to Boston University wrestling.  Read more here.  "Athletics cites multiple reasons for move" in the headline lets y'all know what's coming, right?  Best put on them boots:

The decision, Lynch says, came after a lengthy review process that assessed the University’s overall budgetary constraints, the shifting sands of conference affiliation occurring nationwide, the fact that wrestling does not have a formal affiliation in the Patriot League—the conference the University is moving to next year...

Blah, blah, blah...guess Notre Dame should cut their foosball program immediately.

How can The Fighting Irish possibly exist without a conference?

 

(via Oakhurst Garden Centre)

Let's wrap it up with an article that manages to squeeze ten pounds of manure into a five pound bag.  Read it here.

Starts off with:

The men who play baseball and soccer at Towson University, run track at the University of Delaware and wrestle, swim or golf at any number of other colleges all heard the same reason when their teams were cut: Title IX.

Sounds reasonable to me.  Somewhere along the line, though, things go horribly wrong.

Article ends with:

"Men's sports are still getting the lion's share of the money," said Neena Chaudhry of the National Women's Law Center. "Unfortunately, I think Title IX is an easy scapegoat. It's really unfortunate because it sort of pits the men against the women."

Now Neena, you know that's not true.

Proportionality pits everyone with a lick of common sense against you Title IX lawyers intent on shaking down every athletic department in the country.

Women athletes actually tend to support their male counterparts.

When a men's program is cut, women athletes
are the first ones to come to their defense!!!

What proportionality proponents will never admit:

While equal opportunities in college athletics have existed for many years, far more males than females opt to take advantage of those opportunities.

Does that mean women shouldn't get the same quality coaching, facilities, equipment, uniforms, etc. as the men?

Of course not!!!

It means this crazy quota system is all that's keeping Title IX from truly working for both genders...

Quote of the Day

The scars of others should teach us caution.

 

(via Institute Images Online)

 

Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus,

a.k.a. Saint Jerome

A funny via...

...The Old Coach.

If you're offended by PG-13 type language/mental images, go no further.  If you're okay with that stuff, as long as it doesn't get to the R level, please continue.

Coaches share funniest things they've seen at track meets and other events here.

Among my favorites (not going to bother inserting all the [sic]'s necessary):

Just last night saw a kid getting ready to run the 400. He must have bought out all of the neon sleeves at Academy. Had his arms and legs covered in "look at me" orange and "here I am" green. He was dancing around behind the blocks and making sure he made enough noise for every one to notice. At the final turn, he was getting smoked by the field and suddenly slows up and grabs the hammy. Does the loser's limp the last50 meters or so milking it the whole way as the croud gave him the pity clap. The finish judge called for his coach, and the coach told him, "He ain't hurt. As soon as the applause stops he will be better."

At a wrestling meet where the brackets were late being posted, I grabbed bout cards and started yelling names. Another coach comes over to help: "Johnson, Texas School for the Deaf, Johnson Texas School for the deaf" I leaned over and said I don't think they can hear you..not sure to this day if he realizes what he was doing..

I was working the discus ring at our home track meet last year. Some kid kept scratching on his warm up and his coach was getting pissed. Now, this coach was the standard o-line type of guy. He must have been wider than he was tall. He got in the ring to demonstrate the "proper" spin motion for his athlete. This fat arse, disc in hand, begins his spin, hits a bit of dirt in the ring, and busts his tail! Shirt comes un-tucked, belly sloshes out for all to see, shorts ripped, face planted firmly on the cement ring, and disc hits the ground about two feet outside the ring. I couldn't help myself, I yelled "Mark!!!"

All those kids around the ring busted out laughing. That coach wasn't seen much more that day!

Quote of the Day

 

If we keep treating our most important

values as meaningless relics, that's

exactly what they'll become.

 

(via It's Ethics, Stupid!)

 

Michael Josephson

Into the blender it all goes...

(via Bettor)

Aussie distance legend Kieren Perkins sure is unhappy with his country's national team.  Read more here.

“Grow up a little bit and get on with the job that they're there to do, which is to be the world's best athletes not celebrity show ponies.”

Had some fun in morning workout today.  We raced a 1200 "put it on" freestyle pull, by 200's.  First 200 was w/o any gear.  From then on, swimmers were to add each of the following five (in any order they chose):  paddles, buoy, snorkel, shoes, & pocket suit.  Exchanges were entertaining.  Kids felt (and looked) like they were in slow motion on last 200.

We kept the gear on and raced a 600 "take it off" freestyle pull, by 100's.  They took off a piece of gear at each 100 and finished with a fast 100 w/o gear.

The latest in monofin technology:

Read more here.

Ever go out waaaaaaay too fast in a looooooooong race?  Here's the conversation I like to have:

Me:  Toward the end, did you feel like you were towing an anvil that was locked in a safe in the back of a cement truck being driven by a piano-playing elephant?

Swimmer:  (sort of smiling) Yeah...

Real time results:

YMCA SC Nationals

NASA Showcase Classic

Psych sheet:

USMS South Zone Champs

Have to keep reminding swimmers that when I'm asking for a 90% effort on something, that means 90% exertion but still 100% technique...

Quote of the Day

It is a queer thing, but imaginary troubles

are harder to bear than actual ones.

(via nola)

Elizabeth Meriwether Gilmer, a.k.a. Dorothy Dix

Quote of the Day

Birds sing after a storm;  why shouldn't

people feel as free to delight in whatever

sunlight remains to them?

 

(via Life on the Greenway)

 

Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald Kennedy

Rutgers...Again!

Remember when they dumped men's swimming...along with several other sports?

Good news:  They're adding a men's sport.

Bad news:  It's basketball/dodgeball.

Read more here.

Warning:  Plenty of bleeps and *'s.  Also, not a good clip for easily offended lip readers.

Just wondering...did Rutgers borrow the investigative team from Utah?

Quote of the Day

There are risks and costs to a program of action.

But they are far less than the long-range

risks and costs of comfortable inaction.

 

 

John Fitzgerald Kennedy

(pic via Barry Bradford)

More talk...

...about swimming D-I meet combined. Read it here.

I'm all for it, provided:

1. Only schools fielding both men's and women's teams are eligible.

2. Men's programs get bumped up from 9.9 to 14 scholarships (same as women).

3. Men get bumped from 270 to 322 qualifiers (same as women).

(via Great Leadership)

Any chance the most gender-equitable sport in the USA will be treated as such by the NCAA?

Just two...slim & none...

Only in California...

  Guy intentionally crashes his car into a California Wal-Mart and then goes nuts on the Easter shopping crowd.  Read more here and here.

The man crashed the Oldsmobile Cutlass through the storefront near the pharmacy Sunday and collided with a beer display before stopping, police and witnesses said.

The unidentified driver then got out of his car and used a blunt object to attack people, San Jose police Officer Albert Morales said. The driver was arrested when officers arrived.

Investigators have not determined how fast the driver - described as a man in his 30s - was going at the time of the crash but the car went about 20 feet into the Wal-Mart Supercenter that had about 70 people inside in San Jose, Morales said.

Leave it to those nuts in California to propose "car control" legislation.  Assemblywoman Toni Atkins (D, San Diego) plans to introduce a bill requiring background checks before purchasing cars and pickup trucks in the Golden State.

"Yesterday's incident at the San Jose Wal-Mart underscores the need for limits on who can purchase a vehicle," Atkins said.  "This man was obviously unhinged and should never have been allowed behind the wheel of such a large automobile."

When questioned about what difference the size of the automobile made in this case, the two-term legislator stated that "size was a big factor" and that "it's highly unlikely he's have done nearly as much damage with a Smart Car like mine."

Quote of the Day

 

Courage doesn't always roar.  Sometimes

courage is the little voice at the end of

the day that says I'll try tomorrow.

 

(via CNikky)

 

Mary Anne Radmacher