Checking deep down into the heart of the web, there’s some pretty great swimming artifacts on eBay. This week we’ve found some gold mines with some absolutely fantastic items that should make any swim fan run to the bank faster than you could say Phelps.
1) 1968 Men’s Swimming NCAA Banner ($299.95)
Anybody who knows anything about swimming knows that James “Doc” Counsilman was one of the greatest coaches that this sport has ever seen. Counsilman started coaching the Indiana Hoosiers in 1957. In 1961 Counsilman led the Hoosiers to a Big 10 victory, a streak that would last until 1980. In 1968 the Hoosiers won their first NCAA Championships in mens swimming. That began a huge winning streak, winning every NCAA Championship until 1973. Some big names were on the 1968 roster, Mark Spitz joining the team the following year in 1969. This banner is perfect for any big swimming fan as it marks the first NCAA title of one of the greatest coaches that this sport has ever seen. During the 1968 season the Hoosiers were 10-0 undefeated after the Big 10 Championships. (Buy it here)
2) British Olympic Team Speedo Race Suit 2008 ($799.00)
This swim suit was worn in the Beijing Olympics by a member of the British national team. It’s said in the title to be an, “Elite Bodyskin Swim Suit 1998,” yet it’s clear that it’s a Speedo LZR Racer from 2008. The seller said that the suit was cleaned properly after it was used. This suit shows a lot of sentimental value as it’s one of the last of its kind since fully body suits were banned for men. (Buy it here)
3) Official USA Swimming Brief ($995.00)
This item is a blue USA Swimming brief said to be worn by many great divers such as David Boudia. It’s unclear if it was actually worn by him, or just the same style of suit. Either way though, it’s definitely quite the suit. (Buy it here)
4) Australian Olympic Swimming Brief ($175.00)
If you’re a fan of swimming down under, this might be just what you’re looking for. An official water-polo brief form the Australian Olympic team all decked out in green with the official Australian logo on it. Pretty snazzy if I do say so myself. (Buy it here)
5) Signed USA Cap By Michael Phelps and Mark Spitz ($3999.99)
This swim cap was signed by the two winningest swimmers of all time: Mark Spitz who won seven gold medals in Munich, and Michael Phelps who won eight in Beijing. This cap is pricey but for a serious swim fan it’s one of those items you can’t just pass by without giving it some thought. (Buy it here)
Make sure to put an offer as bidding time for these items is running out. Good luck!
Thanks for clarification on the sport that got busted (it was one of the big two). I felt that it was a real shame that the other sports were also penalized. There were many great swimmers at Indiana in early 1960s including Chet “the Jet” Jastremski who was featured on a 1962 SI cover as the “World’s Best Swimmer.”
It was football four years originally and no swimmer left the program having been kept out of NCAA’s. “Doc” started at a DIII school.
Why is this banner even for sale? (Unless it is something like the 20th duplicate.)
This is from my era. I swam for Ohio State, and we traveled to Bloomington to become one of the 10 teams the Hoosiers defeated in 1968. Happy memories.
BTW, Indiana would have won more NCAA titles back then if they had not been declared ineligible by NCAA for infractions incurred by the Indiana basketball team earlier in the decade (back then NCAA punished all sports in a program, not just the guilty one).
NCAA punishments ALWAYS seem to hurt the non-revenue sports, and not just back in the 60s. When Maryland basketball star Len Bias died of a drug overdose in the late 80s after being the #1 draft pick, the NCAA banned Maryland basketball from TV appearances for a few years. But TV revenue was what funded the other sports! By the early 90s, the men’s swim team was down to just one scholarship, and had only about a dozen swimmers – they had to forfeit the final relay at one meet because the few swimmers they had available had already competed in all the events allowed. The poorly run UM Athletic Dept. had no money, so had to withdraw their planned… Read more »