I think pit crews are unfair under the current rules. You are right that the rules don't prohibit it. It is even fairly appropriate considering that Pathfinder, and 3.X in general, is like catnip for rules lawyers.
However,
The rules don't explicitly allow it either. If it is the intention to allow it, then they should say as much. For first timers, such as myself, it is really easy to read those rules and assume that you can't get help from people on the forums. This creates an unfair advantage for previous contestants. I'm OK with pit crews, but it should say something like this in the rules:
"It is allowed, and strongly recommended, that you show your item to others for critique before entering it, as long as you do not do so publicly."
This would let first timers know that this practice is acceptable. Those who choose not to are taking the disadvantage willingly at that point.
I can't speak for the other first timers, but I was shocked when I saw people talking about their pit crews because I assumed that we couldn't talk about our items at all. Proofread my item myself and then submitted it. If I had known that it was allowed, I would have availed myself of the opportunity.
I am still in and still hopeful that I make the top 32, but I have seen my item mentioned a few times along the lines of, "why did you use x instead of y?". I have a great answer for that that I am not allowed to say for fear that I will be disqualified if I am not vague enough. This has caused another worry for me, so let me ask this question to those of you with pit crews (and this is not accusatory in anyway, simply my own curiosity): Do you share your keep lists with your pit crew and/or discuss items behind the scenes?
I don't think it's wrong if you do, but if you have a negative or positive opinion of an item does it not become possible to sway the opinions of your pit crew on items whose creators are not allowed to defend their decisions?
