Support the USA Men's Eight to Lucerne

[lt.wolf]

Friends and colleagues: the U.S. National Rowing team needs $10,000 to send a Men's Eight (M8+) to Switzerland to race in the FISA World Cup - Lucerne (July 9 - 11, 2010). The National Rowing Foundation is the tax-deductible conduit. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Message me or email jasonlread@gmail.com if you might be able to help!


Interested donors should write the checks to USRowing-Victory Fund and place Men's 8+ to Lucerne in the memo. The contribution is completely deductible and will be applied to the air tickets.

[Long & Low]

Nice effort Wolf. Just put a little check in the mail. I assume they made their number because they are leaving this Saturday.

Best of luck in Lucerne.

(btw, this is pathetic)

[SomeJunior8]

(btw, this is pathetic)

Yes it really is....why can't rowing be supported more....would certainly bring out some more epic athletes.

[caustic]

This'll blow up, I know it. BUT, if the CEO took a 10K paycut, they could have gone to Lucern without having to ask for donations. Just sayin'.

[Long'n Strong]

This'll blow up, I know it. BUT, if the CEO took a 10K paycut, they could have gone to Lucern without having to ask for donations. Just sayin'.

By the same token, Obama should take a pay cut and that will solve all the country's financial woes?

[SomeJunior8]

This'll blow up, I know it. BUT, if the CEO took a 10K paycut, they could have gone to Lucern without having to ask for donations. Just sayin'.

I'm not a socialist but something strikes me as off when executive A is buying BMW number 4 yet a boat that is going to show the USs rowing skill needs donations...ok. if this was the cold war we wouldn't have this issue.

[SwissSculler]

Long'nStrong, that is an excellent answer to really stupid question.

Jun8: you are too young to know anything about socialism and your answer shows that. Nice try though.

[bloomp]

This'll blow up, I know it. BUT, if the CEO took a 10K paycut, they could have gone to Lucern without having to ask for donations. Just sayin'.

By the same token, Obama should take a pay cut and that will solve all the country's financial woes?

I got a kick out of this... After spending my days reading "mediamatters.org" this sounds like a platform that would be supported by Fox&Co.

But really what do you expect? It's an event that's non-Olympic and is minor compared to other sporting events (hell, just one of the three WC races, not even the championship). No sponsorships, no famous athletes, no TV time... It's a good thing that rowers go to good schools and have the smarts to make it far enough to give back to their community. That 10k was probably covered by very few donors who don't mind shedding a few grand here and there.

[Long'n Strong]

It just says Men's Eight - which IS an Olympic event. I do hope we're not having to beg to send the heavies to Lucerne. The lighties I'd understand and we should do everything possible to help them. Racing in Lucerne is an experience that stays with you forever.

[Uncle Matthew]

This'll blow up, I know it. BUT, if the CEO took a 10K paycut, they could have gone to Lucern without having to ask for donations. Just sayin'.

By the same token, Obama should take a pay cut and that will solve all the country's financial woes?

Ya don't see straw men like that every day. Well done. Take note, would-be debate-clubbers.

[scullerjonny]

This'll blow up, I know it. BUT, if the CEO took a 10K paycut, they could have gone to Lucern without having to ask for donations. Just sayin'.

Caustic, this articulates a total lack of respect for someone who has repeatedly shown up on the higher end of the NRF supporters list. 2007, 2008, Glen Merry is listed as a "Bronze Medal" donor...2500-4999. This is a pretty decent chunk of money.

http://www.natrowing.org/annual-report.pdf

http://www.natrowing.org/2008-annual-report.pdf

You should be ashamed, and now, you should write a check to the NRF to appologize.

[bloomp]

It just says Men's Eight - which IS an Olympic event. I do hope we're not having to beg to send the heavies to Lucerne. The lighties I'd understand and we should do everything possible to help them. Racing in Lucerne is an experience that stays with you forever.

Try to explain that to the government... "It is just such a great experience, really purifying for your soul and a must for any rower." You'll get laughed off the hill. But my point is that it's not an Olympic year (the WC is not related to the Olympics). FISA is not the IOC. I don't think the USOC has anything to do with USRowing when it's not a year evenly divisible by 4, thus there's no government association with the sport during those off-years.

[boomerkang]

It just says Men's Eight - which IS an Olympic event. I do hope we're not having to beg to send the heavies to Lucerne. The lighties I'd understand and we should do everything possible to help them.

Given:

1) The title is Men's Eight
2) The abbreviation is M8+ (no 'L' to be found)
3) The individual sounding the call is JR (a heavy)

I'd say yes - the US needs to beg to send the Olympic big boat to Lucerne.

One wonders though... why no similar call from the W8+? Are they better supported?

[Gangles]

It just says Men's Eight - which IS an Olympic event. I do hope we're not having to beg to send the heavies to Lucerne. The lighties I'd understand and we should do everything possible to help them.

Given:

1) The title is Men's Eight
2) The abbreviation is M8+ (no 'L' to be found)
3) The individual sounding the call is JR (a heavy)

I'd say yes - the US needs to beg to send the Olympic big boat to Lucerne.

One wonders though... why no similar call from the W8+? Are they better supported?

It might have to do with how they are divvying up the money this year. I'm sure that the head coach has the call on which boat classes to prioritize, and send fully funded. It may be that they want to do a period of smaller boat development and not send the 8+. Or that they feel it's more beneficial to stay home with the later worlds. This doesn't strictly mean that they aren't funding the eight at all, it could be that they have chosen not to do it in this instance.

[Slim]

Other boats are doing a Munich -> Henley -> Lucerne extended summer "vacation". There is not unlimited money to send boats to world cups, the 8+ is not the priority, and so they need to fund raise to go race. The irony of this is that everyone is complaining about the lack of funding, when for the first time we are supporting a sustained European WC campaign.