Thoughts? Predictions?

LSU has a few good swimmers in the odd key event here and there, but overall I think the Ags have simply become much stronger and deeper than they are. On paper, the match-up certainly isn't as competitive as it used to be.

That being said, this is the time of year that the rest/taper factor always plays a part and it'll be interesting from that perspective...

it would be NICE if more students came out to cheer on THEIR team. the price is right and there's flying prizes.....maybe some fresh delivered pizzas (handed out to the sections that cheer the most) would bring 'em in??

But who would be responsible for that? The Athletic Dept. or the teams?

Well it's really not a question of who would be responsible; it seems like the issue lies in getting the word out. If the department marketed swimming a little more effectively, we all know that the student body would be supportive.

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it seems like the issue lies in getting the word out. If the department marketed swimming a little more effectively, we all know that the student body would be supportive

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looks like Spicewood got a sock name...nicely done J, nicely done

what do the duel meet rankings say? those will decide the meet undoubtedly

my kids will be there w/ a cousin of mine.

BigPapaB - why would I not use my real name if that's what I wanted to say?

Getting students to watch an unrested non-rival dual meet has little value to recruiting new top swimmers to A&M.

one of the ingredients of building/having a GOOD PROGRAM is not having an apathetic student body (which does not know you exist -or worse, do not care if you exist!)
hmmmmmmmm

I think it is GREAT to have students come to watch the meets. But even as a big swimming fan, I know not many on campus care.

[This message has been edited by AGBlastoff (edited 1/20/2011 9:24a).]

If we are able to get a solid amount of fans to come out to watch some of the other sports, then we certainly should be able to in swimming. Most people that belittle and deride the sport have never sat through, and paid attention to, a meet.

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Do you think that the swimmers would come into the stands and berate the student body for caring about the swim team? Or do they save that special for the internet?

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GIFSoup

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Do you think that the swimmers would come into the stands and berate the student body for caring about the swim team? Or do they save that special for the internet?

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LOL at you for thinking you're SO COOL!! And I'm not even one of the swimmers!

Did I use that word correctly? LOL? I think I did, but who knows nowadays...

And BEAUTIFULLY done favre!

[This message has been edited by Juicy J (edited 1/20/2011 10:16p).]

on the real, love the gif favre

[This message has been edited by Juicy J (edited 1/20/2011 10:17p).]

[This message has been edited by AGBlastoff (edited 1/20/2011 9:24a).]

Here we go again...

Ag...arent you supposed to be a professional with his own website? Aggie Superfan?

I read this forum quite a bit to keep up with Aggie sports, swimming specifically, because I travel quite a bit. It seems you always seem to figure out a way to try and drag these young men into a battle of words. Do you expect young men to not get their pride roughed up when you and your alter-ego GoBlue have challenged their success in the past?

Would you take criticism of your website or swimming career with a totally mature response and thought pattern at the college age or even now?

Why don't we leave the past behind and try not to be-little their egged on responses in the past. You have been very positive and knowledgable about the men's teams steady success lately. Why do we need to revert to baseless opinions about their manners and what you think they care about?

Have you enough fact to say these guys are "not friendly"? I have met quite a few of them in person over the last few years and know them to be nothing but well-behaved gentlemen when they represent A&M. Would you rather have a swimmer that jumps in the stands and whoops with the fans and then goes out and gets a DWI or arrested for drugs? I doubt it.

The swim team has never gone in the stands as far as I know but that is hardly because of their distain for their fans. Perhaps it would be better suited to address your concern about marketing the team to the marketing dept. They are being paid to do that. We all know they could careless about swimming, but let's not chastise young men who don't and shouldnt have the time to market their sport. They market by fast swimming!

Your website would certainly help this no?

I have attended a SMU meet in recent past where there was at least 700+ fans at it. No other college program gets that type of fan support. Trust me I've been to over 300 college meets in my day.

We are all true Aggies. Lets please stop trying to bait the athletes as I don't blame them for responding to your "opinions" as all great bloggers do.

Now if you would like to debate me? Giddy-up!

LOL, BPB. LOL! -you kill me.

ya, seriously folks.
those ARE a great bunch of boys, given a chance. (this is not opinion, i've actually met, talked, know a few)
they are too busy swimming their A..ES OFF to know, think, or worry about marketing strategies. could they do more to promote themselves? (rhetorical question!)
they just need someone from one of those shiny offices on campus to help set things up and show them the light!
they would love to have their stands full of knowledgeable fans - demanding that their swim team push themselves to ever higher levels......blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.i'll stop.

ok srsly u guise, does anyone have any thoughts or predictions regarding this weekend's matchup??????

I was just making a joke. I realize that we've all put that nonsense behind us, and I thought we were at the point where we could joke about it, but I guess not, I'll retract my previous posts, because you're right, we've all been getting along, and no need to rile anybody up again. Anonymiss, I extend an olive branch to my mortal (texags) enemy. Friends?

My real point was that personal interaction with the swimmers could get more people to the meets, especially families with young swimmers. Don't know whose responsibility that is, the swimmers or the marketing department, but someone should work on it. If marketing isn't willing to help them, it would be something easy for the coaches to organize themselves. Softball and soccer have a great history of doing stuff like that, and they have some of the most rabid fan bases on campus.

Would be worth a shot at least, right?

The best part about what SMU does is that they CHARGE people for meets, and they still get big turnouts. Caaraazy. (Being in Dallas can't hurt either).


[This message has been edited by AGBlastoff (edited 1/20/2011 9:28a).]

I think the guys win, but not in a blowout. LSU's got some really good sprinters, as usual.

I'm more excited to watch the women's meet. Still think A&m will win, but LSU has a few swimmers over there who are really incredible. Losing Beck hurt, but Janie Trepp might be one of the top 5 or 10 short course sprinters in the world right now.

It shouldn't be the coaches' jobs to market/promote their program any more than it should be any of the other coaches on campus. Do some go out of their way and do it? Sure. A few like football and basketball flat out have to because the donors want to hear from them and the suits require it. That said, they also make a **** ton more money and have much larger staff to deal with all the b.s. things that are a part of the job not to mention a willingness to market/promote from those not on the sport-specific staff. It really does make a big (see: all the) difference.

Ironic that soccer was brought up as having a rabid fan base. The swimmers themselves have a history of supporting those girls.

They reason they don't charge is because it would require someone to actually get off their butt and do something. Don't think it hasn't been suggested.

There have been dual meets in the recent past in which the Rec was at least 3/4 full. It's not that farfetched for that to happen again. All it takes is someone to care/do what they're paid to do.

On to more important things: I think both teams will show well this weekend and take care of business. LSU's women were recently beaten by Kansas so I expect a thrashing there. I expect the men will come close to doing the same regardless of state of rest by the LSU men. The two schools are on different levels right now in my opinion.

welcome aboard Juicy J!

several years ago the guys did their own marketing for big meets. I remember my freshman year we all took shifts standing in the MSC breezeway in our speedos a couple days before the Texas meet, passing out fliers. That year and the year after for the SMU meet, we went around to all the sorority houses and talked to them into coming to the meet to support us. both of those years (and really even the next 2 years) we had a PACKED rec for our focus meet (t.u. or smu/lsu, depending on which was at home), and that place was rockin'. the guys are fully capable of marketing themselves, and have done so successfully in the past. should they have to market themselves to get people to come to meets? NO. could they do it anyway to help pack the stands even more? absolutely YES. that decision to let them get out at the MSC/sorority houses is still left up to the coaches, and depending on the timing, might not be a great idea right before a meet, but it can be done. its as simple as every swimmer (male or female) telling EVERYONE they know to come to the meet and bring their friends. if there are 20 men and 30 women swimmers, and each swimmer has 4 friends (or friends of friends) come to the meet, thats 200 people right there. it adds up quickly. throw in a soccer team of 20 girls (who usually shows up in the past), and any other sports teams who come show their support, even better. having a track meet across the street the same weekend wont help at all for this time around, and previous years have had basketball games the same day as well which hurt.

[This message has been edited by gobluwolverine (edited 1/20/2011 12:25p).]

While I think A&M's depth will overwhelm the LSU guys, there should be plenty of great races for first. 500, 100 breast, sprint freestyles. LSU will probably take the backstrokes. Depending on everyone's rest, I expect (assuming a 16 event schedule) the A&M guys to sweep the relays, sweep diving, and probably take 7 of the 12 individual races.

On the women's side, LSU did lose to (a rapidly improving) Kansas, but the meet will still be worth a watch. Trepp is a near guarantee for 3 wins, and they have two other pretty good sprinters (Amanda Kendall, Samantha Goates) that should put a scare into the A&M relays. Aside from that, we could sweep a lot of events.

I'm sure Enriquez will come ready to win. He should take the distance events. The backstrokes will be close depending on where everyone is in their rest cycle. LSU has a good breastroker, but I believe the Aggies having 3 NCAA level breastrokers will negate anything LSU does in those events. It seems that LSU went to the cougar classic as a rest meet.They put up some decent times there. The freestyle events should be A&M's to lose. Hannes Heyl is a solid swimmer and could really push the guys in a few events.

[This message has been edited by TheSituation80 (edited 1/20/2011 12:44p).]

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[This message has been edited by gobluwolverine (edited 1/20/2011 12:25p).]

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Welcome back Blu!

WELCOME BACK BLU!!

Well, at least everyone is agreed that this isn't the duel meet it used to be....

There has undoubtedly been some slide in the caliber of LSU's team, but I think a lot of this gap that we now see is simply due to both Aggie teams getting that much better over the past few years. (Especially when it comes to duel meets on the mens side)

We'll probably never replace traditional rivals like SMU or LSU, but should the mens team be looking for tougher duel meets in the future??

There was a lot of debate over the men's light schedule at the beginning of the year (I think it even popped up on CollegeSwimming and a few other places). Might be one of the only top-20 programs in the nation that doesn't swim a significant invite (or any invite, period, save one or two entries in the Cougar Classic).

As a fan, I don't like their schedule. I'd rather see them swim more of the big boys. It's more interesting, more entertaining. I'm sure we all get a lot more excited about Adam Brown and Mark Dylla coming to town than we do about...uhhh...(insert LSU swimmer here) coming to town.

As a coach, I totally understand why they have the schedule they do. No invites plays into not wanting to be away from home/their familiar equipment for their dryland training any more than they have to. Aside from Texas, there's no "better competition" anywhere close, so it becomes expensive.

I'm sure the schedule will be tougher next year, as the SEC teams will come to Texas and probably swing through College Station. Would love to see them work the AA back onto the schedule amongst all of the football conflicts: The rec is way too nice of a facility to not host more big meets.

Football and $$$. Why somebody doesn't press the big boys in Rudder on why it's cheaper to go to a big out of town meet than to host our own is ridiculous. Not to mention yearly pool rent. We're talking major league six figure terms here. Annually. It's like a damn Ponzi scheme and our teams suffer because of it in more ways than one. Goes back to the whole somebody giving a damn thing though. We should have pressed the issue when Gates was here. He actually showed up for meets -- dual meets -- because he wanted to.

I like the LSU and SMU meets on the schedule. There is tradition, it's cheaper to swim them and they aren't THAT far off of where we are at present, especially on the men's side. This is the first time I remember us beating SMU two years in a row in a while. Hasn't been that long since an LSU win either. That and they are ranked only a couple spots below us even now (for what that's worth). We do always swim that pretty salty team to the west to so it's like you can accuse the coaches of swimming a TCU-like schedule (another team there is no excuse for us not swimming; not our fault though).

I do agree it might be nice to add one 10-20 ranked team in there annually, preferably in January, in addition to having face Texas though.

I think it is a shame we don't have the funds to race more often against good competition. I know the swimmers race differently against NCAA level swimmers than they do against Rice or wimpy schools in Florida. Everything from relay starts to finishing a 200 is different when the guy/girl next to you is as fast or faster than you.

Racing on the road, staying in hotels, eating road food, etc. is another factor.

It would also be cool to read that Enriquez or someone like him beat a kid from Cal or Stanford.