Twitter Tempers Flare Over Legitimacy Of 50s

Twitter tempers flared over the weekend after a series of tweets were sent back and forth by Rowdy Gaines, David Plummer, Anthony Ervin, Tom Shields, and Brett Hawke about the legitimacy of 50 meter races in swimming.

Jun 12, 2017 by Ben Colin

Twitter Tempers Flare Over Legitimacy Of 50s

We can all agree that everyone has his or her own ideas and opinions on which event is the "hardest" and which event is the least enjoyable. Some people prefer watching certain races more than others. During the Olympics, this is simplified even further: Fans watch the races that feature Michael Phelps, Katie Ledecky, etc. But they also watch the sprint events -- especially the 50m freestyle -- for their short duration and excitement.

Rowdy Gaines, swimming legend and longtime commentator for USA Swimming and NBC during the Olympic Games, voiced his opinion that he hasn't always been a huge fan of 50s. Gaines does not feel like they are a "true test" of swimming prowess. In the grand scheme, that comment is not that big of a deal -- but 2016 Olympian David Plummer fired back at Gaines on Twitter.

[tweet url="https://twitter.com/davideplummer/status/873595366775693312" hide_media="0" hide_thread="0"]
Gaines feels like the 100s and up take more skill. He also gave the opposing argument, supporting the 50s' ability to lengthen a swimmer's career. Plummer, who has finaled at the World Championships in both distances for backstroke, passed the statement along to gold medalist sprinter Anthony Ervin by tagging him in the original tweet.

[tweet url="https://twitter.com/AnthonyErvin/status/873674774513197056" hide_media="0" hide_thread="0"]
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/AnthonyErvin/status/873677660215328768" hide_media="0" hide_thread="0"]
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/AnthonyErvin/status/873675880018595841" hide_media="0" hide_thread="0"]
That single click erupted into a Twitter skirmish between Plummer and Gaines, with intermittent jabs by Ervin, Olympian Tom Shields, and even Auburn head coach Brett Hawke. Plummer fought for the 50s, and Gaines held his ground -- or even backpedaled a bit.

Ultimately, the discussion posed the question of how ranking the importance of events could possibly better the sport. One swimmer got upset over another's feelings toward his event. Is this anything we haven't seen before?

Comparing swimming events is relatively easy to do. One swimmer takes his or her events, obviously says they are hard, better, etc., and flaunts the idea that winning those events is much more challenging than those of his or her opposition.

Up until recently, the IOC had been participating this comparison at every Olympic Games. The men raced the 1500m freestyle, and the women had the 800m freestyle. While the argument should've ceased years ago, nevertheless, it was said -- well, rather implied -- that the 1500 was much harder than the 800 for women.

Thankfully, that has finally changed.

In the case for the 50s, which still aren't in the Olympic lineup aside from freestyle, the argument is less of difficulty and more of logistics. Gaines isn't a 50s fan. So what? His opinion isn't the one that is keeping the events from being in the Games.

When the IOC added the two distance races and the mixed medley relay, not much actually changed. Those events all have the capability to be slapped on the end of a session and won't substantially alter the event timeline.

Those total up to three events.

Now imagine adding the 50 stroke events: those being butterfly, backstroke, and breaststroke.

First, those events have to be placed strategically. Overlapping common events wouldn't be good. Second, the 50s would add another large chunk of time to the schedule. In total, six events would be added; surprisingly, that is a lot of time.

Needless to say, some people aren't thrilled about the 50s being left out the Olympics. The frustration came out over social media. The key here isn't to sit back and watch Gaines and Plummer throw punches (in the form of tweets) at each other -- it is to look deeper into why they feel as they do.

Plummer wants his 50s, and Gaines wouldn't be ecstatic if they showed up. Plummer sees a chance for older swimmers to keep racing, while Gaines sees more events, and in his opinion, less of a challenge compared to the 100s.

Both are entitled to their opinions, no matter which is right or wrong. Moral of the story: adding the 50s is not something the IOC is willing to consider right now -- for whatever reasons. Good thing for swimming fans, the 50s are offered at the World Championships. Enjoy Budapest.
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