I know what you’re thinking. Two posts that close together? What’s going on? Is Swim Aids back? Well, I hope so! Anyway…

I’m all about spreading the love, even for projects that I’m not involved in. So, welcome to “The Pimpin’ Corner”, where I give a little plug to someone or something in the swimming community.

Two of our absolutely favoritest swimmers, Klete Keller and Davis Tarwater, have joined forces to form Big Fish Clinics.

Kletus and T-Dub!! will offer one-day clinics, multiple-day camps, speaking engagements and parent workshops. If I’m a swimmer or a swim parent, I’m all over this. It’s amazing to think that both of these guys’ larger-than-life personalities will be able to fit in the same room in order to conduct a clinic. You will learn and laugh a lot. Seriously. Just check ‘em out!

So I realized that I didn’t do one of these yesterday and now, unfortunately, the days are starting to blur together. So here goes on another edition of “Tales From The Deck”

After tonight’s session we felt extreme sadness. I’m talking like being on the verge of tears. Why, you ask? Because T-Dub!! finished 3rd in the men’s 200 Fly, thus not making the Olympic Team. I don’t know if there was anyone else in the meet we wanted on the team more than him, so when Gil Stovall swam the race of his life (props to him, that was badass!) we knew Davis‘ chances at punching a ticket for Beijing were reduced to zero. But he left it all in the pool. That was his best time. For our own selfish reasons, we want him to continue one more year — like a couple of his teammates — but we understand if he’s ready to move on. Seeing how upset his mom (whom we adore) was after the race, was almost too much to bear.

And the sadness didn’t end with T-Dub!! It also extended to Miss Kaitlin, a regular Swim Aid reader. She’s been fighting a string of health maladies and injuries in recent months, the after effects causing her to lose critical strength and stamina. But, she’s been dealing with it like a champ and with the smile we’ve all come to love. She’s going to be in the AquaZone Friday, so everyone go, say “hi”, and wish her well! And please know that she’s ok. She wants people to know she’s not on suicide watch or anything.

Other National Team veterans who look to be on the outside looking in include Tara Kirk, Rachel Komisarz, and Neil Walker. Both Tara and Neil were regular Team USA captains. So this is going to be an adjustment. Tara has another race in the 200 Breast, but with such a deep women’s field, you just never know! We wish her good luck in that race!

Today’s session really broke our hearts though. There were a lot of happy moments, but I think the sad outweighed the good from our point of view. We were elated at Allison Schmitt and Caroline Burckle making the team. I’ve called Allison to the team before, and as recently as last night. She’s such a great kid and we love how her personality calms others before races. She was classic in her press conference tonight. Classic. It didn’t even sink in that she was on the relay until that presser when a reporter asked her about it.

I’m going to put the rest of this post behind a cut because it is looooooong as hell. I’m not kidding! So get to clickin’ to read on.

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So what if I feel like bitching about this every week! Deal with it!

Speedo has a large stable of elite athletes; all amazing in their own right. However, within that team of swimmers, they only have so many WORLD RECORD HOLDERS. The way they continue to omit 2 of them infuriates me. And many probably don’t think it’s a big deal, but around here, we do. Speedo continuing to overlook Pete and Klete in Speedo promotional photoshoots and catalog inclusions is inexcusable. In a sense, it seems to devalue their work and accomplishments in the pool. I liken it to a slap in the face.

So at first, I just thought it was an oversight. Then I moved on to thinking about how awkward and uncomfortable Pete looks in staged/posed pictures, and assumed he declined their invitation to the photoshoot. But after my brief convo with PVK yesterday, I really am at a loss for words!

When I asked him why he isn’t in the catalog he said:

I don’t know…

I also offered to write a strongly-worded letter on his behalf, but the ever-modest PVK didn’t think that was necessary. I, however, do!

Seriously, I don’t know what’s going on over at the Speedo USA Headquarters, but they need to get it together! This is unacceptable. Pete just became the 4th fastest 200m Free performer in history at Nationals! I think he is more than deserving of a spot in that catalog. This isn’t about vanity, or the fact that PVK is my dawg. It’s about respect.

Audra from Speedo uploaded the following video to YouTube that gives a small glimpse behind-the-scenes of the 2008 Speedo Racing Catalog Shoot. Having seen the catalog, I would like to say that while it was great to see new faces like T-DUB!! and Kim V. in it (after we bitched a few months back), I am still extremely disappointed to not see 2 of the Team Speedo World Record Holders — Klete and Pete — included in the catalog. Shame on you, Speedo! Way to drop the ball!

Our dear departed handyman, Big Daddy Keller, seems to be doing well in his new training environment out in Cali. We’re glad. Nothing depresses us more than the mere thought or mention of a sad Kletus.

In an interview with the Orange County Register, Kletus revealed that he knew he wasn’t enjoying swimming as much as he should be. Then went on to compliement Salo’s program at USC/Trojan. So we are left to believe that he is now happy again. Hopefully we’ll get a chance to judge for ourselves in a couple of weeks.

There were no Klete-isms in the article, though. That was most disappointing. We prefer Klete pieces like this one, which appeared on Swimming World Magazine’s website back in 2005. An instant classic. If you didn’t read it back then, we strongly suggest you doo so now…or else!

In other news, Klete is about to become our next “Special Guest” here. It might be a permanent thing too.

Now before any nasty rumors start spreading, we ask that you not take the title of this post the wrong way. There is no hanky panky going on between ANY of the Swim Aids and the CWers. Referring to someone as a “CW Whore” is a figure of speech, and not something to take literally, ok?

Isn’t it sad that we had to give that little disclaimer? Because some people have seriously defective “sarcasm radars”, it became a matter of necessity.

And because this list was basically never-ending, there are a bonus 10 items, effectively making this a Top 20 List.

ENJOY!

So we’ve been enjoying ourselves at the Eric Namesnik Grand Prix and we just thought we’d share that we miss Klete. It just doesn’t look or feel right with him not being around. No one else is as entertaining, nor is anyone else carrying on his pre-race yawn tradition.

Someone else needs to step up ASAP and entertain us! I nominate T-DUB!! as the next heir to the throne. The dude is hilarious. Seriously.