Hite Hired to Lead Wisconsin Program to Termination

 The Screaming Viking!-- May 10, 2011

MADISON, Wisconsin.   University of Wisconsin  Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez announced Monday that Whitney L. Hite will be the coach to lead Badgers Swimming into it’s final years.

Hite joins the Badgers after spending the last two seasons as an Assistant Coach under Arizona’s Frank Busch.  Before that he was in Seattle where he served as the University of Washington men's and women's head coach from 2006-09 and the team was cut at the peak of their success. During that time, Hite led the Husky women to a best-ever 12th place finish in 2008, and their men cracked into the top 16, which was their highest finish since the Earl Ellis era of the 1970‘s.  



“It is my great honor and pleasure to be announcing Whitney Hite to be the next and final head swimming coach of the University of Wisconsin.” said Alvarez.  “We  were especially impressed with the way he helped to build the program at Washington in spite of their limitations.  They really proved that without a 50 meter facility and even without divers a program can have national level success.  We hope that when we follow the current trend of cutting swimming programs, Coach Hite will have built something that Alumni can be proud of.  All we hope for is to go out in a blaze of glory when the team is finally cut due to Title IX, the financial crisis, or whatever other excuse we can come up with to trim off the sports that don’t bring in any money.  In this day and age, finding a coach who can help you to terminate a program on a positive note is a quality we look for in candidates for all of the sports nobody cares about."

Alvarez continued, "The benefits for the University of Washington were immeasurable and cutting both the men's and women's programs there certainly contributed to Mark Emmert's rise to the position of CEO of the NCAA.  If those teams hadn't been doing so well at the time, UW might have had to reconsider the timing of their cuts to make a bigger impact and send the right message to the lowly non-revenue sports.  Remember guys, the reality is that we are gonna cut all of you some day.  You might only have a short time represent your school to the best of your ability before we take away the sports to which you have committed your young lives.”

“I am thrilled and honored to take the helm of the Wisconsin program,” Hite said.  “This is one of the best athletic departments in the country and I look forward to building a program everyone can really get behind.  When the program is cut a few years from now, I hope that we get a heartfelt look back in the media as we did with the Washington Huskies.  It always feels good to have angry former Olympians out there applauding your efforts and trying to drum up futile support to save the sport from extinction.  That‘s when you know you did a really great job.  The passion of the swimming community was really displayed and it made the cuts that much more of a wonderful experience for the athletes on the team to cap off that final season.  I can't imagine going out in any better way and I wish only for Wisconsin swimming to have an experience as fulfilling as that.”

A Denver, Colo., native, Hite graduated with a B.S. in sports management from the University of Texas in the spring of 1997. He earned his master's degree in education from Georgia in 2001. Whitney and his wife, Helen, were married this past September.

Greatest Swim Offs That Never Happened

In light of today's gargantuan swim-off between Cullen Jones and Josh Schneider at the Charlotte Grand Prix, today we'll be looking at epic swim-offs than never happened. There are no rules. (It's like asking who's hotter: Meg Ryan, or Jack Nicholson c.1974?) And if you complain about the logistics of this exercise by pointing out "swim times are swim times, idiot" then you're the same person who ruins Time Travel movies by pointing out plot holes and space time continuum flaws.

Gus' Pick: '09 Michael Phelps vs. '05 Ian Crocker, 100m butterfly. The reasons are simple. Phelps' only "blemish" (if you can call it a blemish (Jesus I'm picky)) during his 2008 Beijing streak-week was his non-world-record-breaking swim in the 100m butterfly. Crocker's 2005 100m butterfly lasted through Phelps' magical 8 Gold medal run, and for that reason, I'd love to see these two suit up and battle out the 100m fly. No lengthy event programs. No full-body suits. Because when you analyze it, '05 Crocker was the only person to beat Phelps at the 2008 Olympics. He just did it 3 years earlier. Prediction: Crocker flies out to an early lead, and he nips Phelps at the finish... only because '05 Crocker knows to put his head down at the finish. 

DeSantis' Pick: Tom Jager vs Matt Biondi: Oh you mean we already saw that literally dozens of times? My bad. Anthony Ervin vs Gary Hall Jr: You might say this literally should have happened. In 2000 Ervin and Hall tied for gold in the 50 free. In the aftermath, there was a lot of "Oh good for Team USA, we're friends, we train together with Mike Bottom, blah blah blah". I don't believe it for a second. These guys were pure sprinters - do you think they really enjoyed the tie? I call BS - unfortunately Ervin retired before the next Olympic games and Gary basically laid low until the next Olympic games, so we never got a totally satisfying rematch. Oh and by the way, I think Ervin smokes Hall and completely changes his legacy- no back-to-back 50 titles for Hall, and just the one individual gold that he shared with Ervin.

Viking's Pick:  '88 Evans vs '09 Pellegrini 400m Freestyle:  Janet Evans' 400m free record was broken a few times during the tech era and the record currently stands over four and a half seconds faster than her 4:03.85 from Seoul with Federica Pellegrini’s 3:59.15 from World Champs in Rome ‘09.  Four seconds makes Janet sound like small beans instead of the big deal she really was.  Some of her records didn’t even have anyone knocking on the door until we started wearing suits with arms, legs and plastic.  If I had a time machine and could set up the ultimate swim-off, I would pit Pellegrini vs. Evans with all things equal.  The suit Janet swam in was essentially a practice suit by today’s standards, even after plastic was banned.  I say we would let them play rock, paper, scissors to decide if it was with 2009 suits or the 1988 antique model and they would get up and rock a 400 free.  My guess is that Janet would win, and if they were in shiny suits she would go about a 3:54.  And then she would want to go out with me because I have a time machine and I wear a helmet with horns and that is just awesome.  By the way, this scenario will be a chapter in my upcoming book “A Completely Made-Up History of Competitive Swimming.”  Reserve your copy today by emailing me at swim brief@gmail.com

Gutter Talk: Phelps' Oxygen Tent

SWIMNEWS REPORTED RECENTLY THAT MICHAEL PHELPS HAS BEEN SLEEPING IN AN OXYGEN TENT TO AID HIS RECOVERY BETWEEN TRAINING SESSIONS.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

"For some reason, the scene where Cheech and Chong were driving their car really slow and got pulled over comes to mind."  Ian C.- Retiree

"Now how many ladies can he fit into one of those at a time?"  Jimmy T.- Entrepreneur

"Will USA Swimming be auctioning off any of his recycled air?"  Gary T.- Phelps Phanatic

"Wait... he's training again?"  Ian T.- Celebrity

Living the Dream: The Swimming Trucker

If they make a movie about the swimming trucker, I think it should be called "Sit, Shift, Stare, Swim."  I dare you to say that five times fast.

On a rough Saturday morning in college I was watching cartoons through the painful eyes of a splitting headache when my roommate Clint walked in and asked “did you know you guys kept me up until past three o’clock last night?”

“Keep it down, dude.  Shhh…  You’re killing me.”  I replied.  “Rough night.  And no, I don’t remember keeping you up.”

“You and Todd were plotting out your plans to drop out and become truckers.  It really seems like you’ve put a lot of thought into it.  You were going on and on about how awesome your new Smokey and the Bandit lifestyle is gonna be.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.  Shut up.”


… I must have reached that point after the bars closed on Friday night where the conversation went beyond small talk and into absurdly deep subconscious hopes and dreams.  I don’t get there very often and it usually takes quite a bit of help from Jim, Jack, Jose and Sam Adams if you know what I mean.  I don’t think I had ever voiced my secret longing to hit the road in a semi.  The reason I never did it?:  I just couldn’t leave the sport.  Especially at that time in my life as I had just started my coaching career for $200 a month with an awesome group of 12 and under Aqua Bears.

I had worked in commercial fishing in SE Alaska.  I had no problem with being away from civilization for weeks at a time with no shower, no healthy conversation and a bed with three walls designed for a person no taller than 4 feet.  I had proven I could stay awake for 12 hour wheel watches with auto-pilot and nothing to look at but the horizon.  I knew I could drive a truck and enjoy it.  My biggest issue with heading out to sea for 8 weeks was the thirty pounds I had to lose in the fall to get back into racing shape.  My body would just fall apart if I went back to a life like that and that is exactly what trucking would have been, only way more sedentary.

So, when I saw Siphiwe Balika being interviewed on MSS last week, I was tremendously impressed.  He has been a trucker for three years.  He is on the road for over 300 days a year.  It didn’t take him long to start gaining the trucker physique and he made the decision to fight it.

I know what you’re thinking.  Sylvester Stallone was a world class arm wrestler in Over the Top and all he did was hook up a pulley in the cab of his truck.  What is so impressive about this guy?

For starters, he swam at Yale and was out of competition for 18 years.  He just turned 40 and won the 50 and 100 free at Masters Nats this spring with a pulled groin.  He bikes, runs, swims open water and at local Y’s, does push ups, sit ups, squats… he basically finds a way to be a fit person even when he is facing obstacles in every direction.  He is also taking his message to other truckers to help them combat the obesity that is essentially an occupational hazard in the industry.  What a bad ass.  He has basically turned his career into a lifelong fitness tour and is making the world a better place by pulling others along for the ride.

“It’s a mindset.  Whether you’re home and you’ve got children, working a 9 to 5 job, you can find time to work out in that situation.  It’s basically just a commitment.  I realized that if I couldn’t find 15 or 20 minutes to keep myself healthy, then what am I really doing?”

Damn… How many of us have nothing standing in the way of fitness but our own minds?  I work at a pool all day and I still can’t get off my lazy butt.  As a coach, I am supposed to be the guy who makes a career out of bragging on my sport being a "lifetime sport."  After hearing this interview, I totally believe in the message.  Anyone can find a way to be a fit person.  Anyone.  This guy is a freakin’ hero.  Keep it up man. This story is truly inspirational.  I am in awe.

Gutter Talk: The Ed Moses/ Ryan Lochte Documentary

ED MOSES RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT A DOCUMENTARY IS BEING PRODUCED THAT FOLLOWS THE TRAINING OF HE AND RYAN LOCHTE.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

"Oh God, I hope there is a slow motion running scene."  David H.- Head Lifeguard

"I heard it was only going to be ten minutes long because youtube is the only company interested in distributing it."  Natalie C.- Professional Dancer

"Can I get a cameo if I agree to not punch anyone in the face?"  Nick D.- Convicted Felon

"If it's not better than Bethenny Ever After, I'm not watching it." Michael G.- Guy who wears swim briefs as underwear almost every day.

Motivational Playlist: "Inspiration Au Gratin"

The Star Child should get at least a little credit for coaching me all the way through age group, high school and college.

Gus reminded us the other day that music can be a major motivator in the life of a swimmer.  I mean, heck, now we have multiple companies selling water-proof mp3 players just so that we can swim our laps without missing a beat.  When I make a motivational play list I typically focus on THE METAL, so Motorhead, Tomahawk, Dio, etc come up pretty often, but once in a while my ipod’s mental problems can stretch all the way to things like the Thompson Twins and Anne Murray.  (Please don't tell anyone who went to Petersburg Middle School from 1986-88.  I have a rep to protect.)

Why am I telling you all this?  Because I want to share a guilty pleasure with you.  There is a little understood sub-genre of metal that I want to help you appreciate when you make your next motivational play list for swim practice.

When you think of the hair bands like Poison, RATT, Motley Crue and Cinderella, the first songs that people remember are the power ballads.  They were the ones that helped the girly-men breakthrough to the mainstream.  That is the stuff I don’t care for too much.  Some of those bands really rocked and put out some awesome party music, but that is not really where I am headed with this either.

When I dig out the hair metal, it is all about the motivational rock anthems.  Skid Row’s “Youth Gone Wild,” Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer,” and stuff like that.  You know what I am talking about.  I am not afraid to admit that I think that type of music has real value, even when it is often too cheesy to bear.  I know it seems silly, but my childhood and adolescence were filled with idols who told me that I could do anything I want and I should never let the man grind me down.  Of course, that message coming from guys in tight leather pants with long hair and make up might not go as far nowadays as it did back in the mid-80’s, but still… that stuff helped to shape my personality.  It is a part of who I am and I did not come to terms with it until years later in adulthood.

To take this a step further, I have to give praise to the man who should be considered the father of the cheesy inspirational rock anthem; the man who was not afraid to add the extra cheese:  Paul Stanley of KISS.

The Phantom of the Park didn't stand a chance with Paul on the job.

You see, I once had a friend who swore up and down to me that Elvis’ greatest years were the bloated, big-time diamond crusted Vegas years because that was when he really had the chance to get weird and hold nothing back.  His shows turned into a massive spectacle that a lot of his old movie fans couldn’t relate to.  I had never even considered the possibility of that being Elvis at his awesomest.  Similarly, I used to think that the 80‘s and early 90’s incarnation of KISS was their weakest, but now I am here to convince you that KISS’ greatest years were between taking off their masks and the years of reunions.

My playlists are always given a name, and my favorite is Inspiration Au Gratin.  It is about 50% glam KISS.  This phase was definitely when they were their most inspirational.  Paul took crap for writing the dumbest songs during this time, but his message was universal and will never die:  “If you want to be a rock star, work really hard and don’t listen to everyone else when they tell you how much you suck.”   I can’t believe that American Idol hasn’t asked Paul to be a judge.  Seriously, his message probably subconsciously inspired half of those delusional losers that fill the stadiums to give it a shot even when all of their friends and family begged them not to.

Go back and listen to these songs and tell me that you are not destined to be a freakin’ rock star.  You will swim all best times with this playlist:

Crazy Nights, Turn on the Night, My Way, Reason to Live, Lick It Up, I Love It Loud, Shout It Out Loud, I'm Alive, Heaven's on Fire, Who Wants To Be Lonely, Radar for Love, Tears Are Falling, Uh! All Night…

And of course, the greatest, most magnanimous, dripping with cheesy goodness, inspirational, stickin’ it to the man rock song of all time:  God Gave Rock and Roll To You.  You will notice in the beginning of the video, even after the broken water main caused the floor to flood and the entire crowd to go home, they kept on rocking…

Kiss - God Gave Rock 'n' Roll To You by inthe80s

“I know sometimes life can get tough, and I know sometimes life can be a drag; but people, we have been given a gift.  We have been given a road… and that road’s name is Rock and Roll!!!”

I dare you.  Create a play list of these songs and work out to them.  Even if you have avoided mid-life crisis KISS up until now, you will not be able to deny their power. You owe it to Paul to give this a chance.

Jessica Hardy and the Complicated World of Supplements

I know that there are mixed opinions out there on Jessica Hardy.  Her doping case has been a roller coaster ride from the beginning.  Some feel that her penalty reduction and now her recent reinstatement of eligibility to swim at the 2012 US Trials and Olympic Games is a slap in the face not only to Tara Kirk who arguably should have filled Hardy’s spot on the ‘08 team, but also to others who were not able to escape their fate after testing positive for a banned substance.  I personally believe that her positive test was due to a tainted supplement as she claimed but I understand if you don't buy it.  USA Swimming warns us that if we take a supplement we assume the risk.  I just feel it is never that simple and that each case needs to be looked at carefully.  There are a lot of people out there who are taking supplements with the assumption that they are safe.  Jessica Hardy had a guarantee from Advocare, but learned later that a guarantee doesn't matter much.

In a single ASCA newsletter I can see all in one glance an article about a doping suspension, a warning about sport energy drinks, and an advertisement for a sports drink that is endorsed by several of the greatest swimmers in US history.  The supplement that Jessica claims was tainted was endorsed by several swimmers, including Larsen Jensen.  Mixed messages anyone?  

The FDA does not regulate supplements the same way they control the ingredients in food. What products can you trust?  Even the stuff on the shelves at Wal-Mart is risky.  Add to it that we live in an age where ten year old kids are downing Red Bull before a race and adults are using Viagra for a competitive advantage.  There are a lot of gray areas in doping.

 
The drug list can be confusing.  The NCAA has a list of substances we are told to stay away from, but many don't realize that there is also a list of supplements that athletes can take that can not be given to them by their school or coaching staff.  These include anything that contains a “muscle-building component” such as protein above a small amount.  Did you know that Accelerade and Pure Sport, while they are legal, are not in the same category as Gatorade simply because they have additional protein? Pure Sport's entire marketing strategy is based on coaches getting a cut of the sales from their team. To make it even more complicated, some substances such as caffeine are allowed, but only up to a specific threshold.  

Things are even more wacky with Clenbuterol, the substance that Jessica Hardy tested positive, then negative, then positive for at the ‘08 Trials.  Clenbuterol has been found in several supplements in which it is not listed on the label.  There have even been cases recently in which cyclists have been able to prove that they tested positive due to contaminated meat.  It has been shown that up to 20% of meat processed in Mexico is treated with Clenbuterol and might test an athlete positive after a race.  You might have Clenbuterol in your system right now without knowing it. 

Remember the world-class ping-pong player who tested positive for a banned substance? -- well, it turns out that he was eventually exonerated because he was able to prove that tainted meat was the culprit.  I was totally chuckling, picturing a guy with one arm that was totally ‘roided out… but it turns out it was just trace amounts.  How disappointing.

Damn, I thought table tennis had finally hit the big time with it's first drug scandal.

Ross over at The Science of Sport posted recently that Clenbuterol has become so common and so complicated that it should be either removed from the banned substance list or at least be changed to be allowed at certain levels like caffeine, with penalties once that threshold has been passed.  There aren’t really any good ways to know if someone’s Clenbuterol doping was intentional or was caused by something as simple as a cheeseburger or a multi-vitamin.  Is it time to take a closer look at it?  Especially at the international level, unintentional Clenbuterol contamination is a real threat.

I have always felt for Jessica.  It would have been unreasonable to just let her off the hook, but she was facing a penalty that would have stretched over two Olympic cycles if they had followed it through to their original wording.  That would have been ridiculous.  She already missed one big opportunity and many people would have just hung it up after that.  

Jessica, you deserve another shot.  I am excited to see you make the most of it.  Thank you for sticking with it and good luck.