Amanda has developed quite the stranglehold on recent Swim Aids posts, hasn’t she? We can’t hate. After all, we’re all a part of “TEAM BEARD” around here.

Anyway, Amanda’s Playboy cover has made its way onto the internet. Check it out below:

Amanda Beard has been booked as a guest for tomorrow night’s Late Show w/ David Letterman. Guess it’s time to start promoting her soon-to-be-released Playboy cover!

The Late Show w/ David Letterman airs weeknights at 11:30 PM (ET/PT) on CBS. For more information, visit the Late Show website.

As was the case with Cullen (on BET’s Ballers), we will hook y’all up with a video; provided she doesn’t get bumped.

Watch this space!

Today, I read a fantastic new article from the South Florida Sun Sentinel on our resident BAMF, Dara Torres. Everything was going swimmingly (pun intended) and then I read the following few lines:

“Why am I doing this? Because I can,” said Torres, who started training seriously in August. “There are people who come up to me and say they don’t understand why I am doing this — why don’t I let the young ones get their glory?

Are there seriously people out there that believe Dara should let the young’uns have their turn? These might be the same people that think that Mikey P. shouldn’t compete in money meets, because “other people need the money more”. Using this logic, perhaps the US 800 Free Relay should just not race in Beijing. After all, they’ve won every major race the past 3 years. It has to be someone else’s time to shine, right?

I’m sorry. I was unaware that previously meeting one of your goals meant that you need to hang up the suit and move on. Isn’t the competitive spirit what drives athletes in the first place? The sense of accomplishment and ongoing motivation from swimming a best time or standing atop a medals podium is worked deeply into the psyche of swimmers from an early age. And as long as they still have the desire and dedication to compete and succeed, they should stick with it; especially if they are having fun! I just don’t buy the whole “step aside” argument. Neither does Dara.

But you know what? If I am faster than them, then I deserve to be on the team.

Swim on, Dara. Swim on.

I’m sure many of you have been wondering why the Hoffster has a “free pass” here on Swim Aids. It’s really because she is head and shoulders above all the swimmers that we are friendly with. She goes above and beyond the call of duty, and let me share with you the latest reason why.

If you know who I am and have seen me around at random meets over the past 2 years, then you have probably seen my infamous ‘Black Girl’ t-shirt. If you haven’t, then you are blind because I am pretty much the token darkie at the meets I go to.

Back in ‘05, when Katie and I first started to get acquainted, I told her about that shirt. She’s been obsessed with it ever since! I even wore it on the final day of CP Summer Nationals last year in Irvine, at her request. As she walked out with the other 100 Free finalists, it caught her eye and laughs were shared all around.

So, when I met up with Katie at the recent Eric Namesnik Memorial Grand Prix, I had a different idea in mind. Instead of me wearing the shirt, SHE was going to! She’s still not sure how I talked her into it. My powers of persuasion should never be underestimated. So, not only did she put the shirt on, she let us take a picture of it. If you are my “friend” on facebook, then you’ve already seen it. If you’re not part of the cool crowd on facebook who gets to call me a “friend” — what’s wrong with you?! — now’s your chance!

And this, Swim Aid followers, is why Katie Hoff is awesomer than you.

I am well aware that awesomer is not a word, but damnit, it fits!

P.S. It should also be noted that “The Hoff” is not the only one to wear a shirt at my request. I have a picture of PVK in a “classic” shirt I had made for him last fall. Taking a picture of himself in it and then sending it to me earned him a ton of keepin’ it real points! It’s kind of an inside joke and he’d likely kill me if I posted it on the internet. No, seriously. He could crush me with little effort and I’m much too young to die!

Now we don’t want to toot our own horns, but maybe we aren’t so horrible at predicting signings!

We admit we were waaaay off with Hayley P. signing with TYR. (Still trying to get our heads around that one). But we were right about Jessica Hardy and Whitney Myers! I had a feeling that Jess would go Speedo and she, in fact, did. I also really wanted NIKE to step up and sign another female athlete. And I wanted that new Team Nike member to be Whitney. Welp looks like it is!

That should be pretty interesting, though. Because Whitney is the only Octagon-repped swimmer who isn’t signed to Speedo. I wonder if that poses any problems with the whole Swim With The Stars program. Guess we’ll have to wait and see!

We are awaiting more signing news. I’m pretty sure at least one of the graduating seniors is holding out on me, and I will deal with him accordingly; like I did PVK last year.

NOTE TO SWIMMERS PROMOTED ON SWIMSTARS.ORG: Don’t keep major career news, like signing a swimwear/sponsor contract, from Suz. She doesn’t like it. You’re making her job (which is helping YOU out) harder. Fill a sista in, mmk?

There’s been a lot of talk about Amanda Beard these days; mostly in regards to her upcoming Playboy cover. This post is not about that. Shocking, I know.

This post is pretty much directed at nay-sayers who feel that Amanda was just stringing the swimming community along with no intention of competing again. Many believe that she is simply using her fanbase to further her out-of-the-pool ambitions. Hopefully this weekend will be the first of many steps to silence her critics when she competes at the 2007 Speedo Grand Challenge. Yes, you read that correctly. Amanda will be back on the blocks in Irvine, CA.

The Swim Aids are oozing with envy at those who get to see her swim, and we remain hopeful that some kind soul will keep us in the loop as to what’s going on during the meet in addition to scoring some shots of Miss Beard.

Being the Swim Nerds that we are, I’m sure we’ll be hovering over the live Hy-Tek Results this weekend, seeing how Amanda does in her first meet back!