Do I need to say it? Is it necessary? This guy's a star! USA Swimming has real Hollywood stock in Ryan Lochte.
Michael was the magnet. He pulled in the audience. Ryan Lochte is the glue. Legions of women, non-swimmers, are sticking around to see whatever he will do.
Fortunately, this opportunity to bring in more fans has an extended shelf-life. Phelps and Lochte are swimming through 2012, perhaps even 2016. They intend to stick around. I just wish network TV would help us introduce our other fantastic athletes.
I love it when Olympic sports gets the network treatment! It's an honor to be covered by the TV pros in the network business....
However, I've grown a little bored by their vanilla presentation. I don't blame them. I understand. Olympic sports must be G-rated, a production middle-American moms can watch with their kids.
Does it really have to be that way, though? I've been thinking long and hard about it, and I've been thinking: NO!
I feel a change coming on. I can't say when it'll happen--I don't know the date--but the day of the old network coverage is about to die. And I can't wait.
The web's leveled the playing field. It's shown Olympic fans there's a whole lot more to see. I think the networks have caught on, but have they enough? Not really.
Networks go for the money. They shoot the stars. I know they must. They need as many eyeballs as possible to offset their production costs.
In Olympic sports, the community as a whole, we should have a different goals. We should be figuring out how to promote our other great personalities, the ones who aren't the stars right now--those who don't always win gold.
We need entertaining vehicles, weekly or even monthly content that'll showcase all the interesting stories... I have ideas, but I don't have the power to execute this grand dream. The time it takes is a killer. No matter how hard I work, unfortunately I'm only scratching the surface.
Checkout these interviews. Some athletes are coming on fast. Others are struggling. Anyway you look at though, they're people you'll want to know.
I have to thank you for your work, it makes following USA swimming from europe a lot easier and I agree with you there is definitly not enough simming and infomation about the up comming stars, neither online nor on tv.
Ryan, like many other swimmers, does not get enough recognition but he's been on the radar of german magazins and newspapers bevor the olympics and they continue to keep a eye on him. Only small side news but they (finaly) caught on.
Posted by: Elena | August 31, 2009 at 11:03 AM
Mel,
Keep up the great work! I will never forget your clip before the 96' 200 Fly where you were rocking in a chair and talking about how you "waked" your opponents in 92' and then you defined it...classic! You rock Mel!
Thanks for all the extra video footage in Rome!
Posted by: Jason | July 29, 2009 at 01:49 PM
I think Nathan Adrian & Ricky Berens are a few new stars to watch between now and 2012. Ariana Kukors, on the women's side, has real potential. I'm partial to athletes who give great interviews... They all have a fantastic chemistry with the camera--something's coming through that clicks.
Posted by: goldmedalmel | June 20, 2009 at 07:43 AM
*arches eyebrow* Mel, that insider tidbit is exciting news and I will be excited to see it come to fruition!
You've brought a lot of swimmers to more public attention, and then their abilities, achievements and personalities may keep them there. Seems like every time I go online, there's a new name that catches my interest and makes me wish I could root for them all to win in the upcoming big competitions. I'm beginning to understand what drives many men to be such sports fanatics. ;)
Posted by: Robin | June 19, 2009 at 07:42 PM
Latanya & Kate, I agree with you two...to a degree. MP, as I said, is without a doubt the reason why swimming has the attention it does right now. My point is that without interesting personalities, the sport of swimming will shrink into the shadows again after MP retires. CULLEN JONES is perfect; intelligence, good-looking, and he gives the most heart-felt speeches. Cullen is a star unto himself. (Interestingly, Cullen and Ryan are super-tight. They also have the same interests in fashion and media-related biz. They're both very savvy.) My point about Ryan is simple (and I have insider info); Ryan is one global campaign away from being a super-star, and that situation is not far off.... Ryan did a lot of work outside of the pool in the fall of '08, work off-camera. I think his work will bear fruit in 2010, 11 & 12. Stay turned.....
Posted by: goldmedalmel | June 19, 2009 at 12:12 PM
Ryan Lochte may be the 2nd best (or most versatile) male swimmer of the moment, but if anyone is going to be a superstar (and that's a huge if) to rival Phelps, I think it will be Cullen Jones. In all likelihood, no one is really going to rival Michael's accomplishments, so it's going to take an amazing personality to entrance the masses. I see Cullen with that ability, not Ryan. Cullen's just as, if not more attractive, far more articulate, more personable, appeals to a larger demographic, and is just all-around a better story.
Posted by: Kate | June 18, 2009 at 10:28 PM
I have to say that I am a fan of both Phelps and Lochte, but I don't think that Ryan by himself is the glue. If Michael stopped swimming right now, I most likely will not have the same interest in swimming. Then eventually loose most if not all interest.
Honestly, I didn't even know there was swimming in the Olympics until 08, and I use to watch it as a child. We mainly watched track and gymnastics.
I didn't even know who Michael was until I think the 4th day of the Olympics and people at work were talking about this guy winning all these gold medals.
To sum this up, I like them both and yes Ryan needs more recognition, but if it wasn't for Michael and him continuing on, a lot of people (non-swimmers) would not be so interested.
Posted by: Latanya | June 18, 2009 at 08:06 PM
You are welcomed, Kris! I think Ryan's a great ambassador of the sport. The swimmers in the video were right. Ryan doesn't get enough recognition....however, I think he's about to blowup out soon...
Posted by: goldmedalmel | June 17, 2009 at 07:15 PM
Hopefully you will never get tired of making Ryan Lochte videos because I will never get tired of watching them. Thanks for recognizing the sport's non-swimmer fans. We really have learned a lot about swimming since the Olympics and we have you to thank for much of it.
Posted by: Kris | June 17, 2009 at 02:02 PM