Pro athletes in the Olympics

**painless2** · August 19th, 2008, 01:19 PM

Is it just me, or does the idea of pro athletes competing ruin the intention of the games? Watching multi-millionaires like Williams sisters etc... compete for Olympic glory seems kinda silly, IMO

**ckn** · August 19th, 2008, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by painless2

Is it just me, or does the idea of pro athletes competing ruin the intention of the games? Watching multi-millionaires like Williams sisters etc... compete for Olympic glory seems kinda silly, IMO

Not really, this is the true gauge of their loyalty to their country and love for their sport. Anyone watching the top seeded players in tennis losing to the underdogs at the Olympics knows this... many of the top seeds simply didn't seem to have the desire to win a competition that has no big pay-day for the winners.

Watching Rafael Nadal celebrate after winning the event made it clear he plays the sport for more than the money. Same with watching how distraught Federer was at losing. Then you watch some of the other professionals hanging back, not wanting an injury in this no-money event and losing to relative nobodies.

**wil** · August 19th, 2008, 01:49 PM

My initial reaction to this question is that I think pros don't belong.

But then CKN got me thinking...

Quote:

Originally Posted by ckn

Not really, this is the true gauge of their loyalty to their country and love for their sport. Anyone watching the top seeded players in tennis losing to the underdogs at the Olympics knows this... many of the top seeds simply didn't seem to have the desire to win a competition that has no big pay-day for the winners.

Watching Rafael Nadal celebrate after winning the event made it clear he plays the sport for more than the money. Same with watching how distraught Federer was at losing. Then you watch some of the other professionals hanging back, not wanting an injury in this no-money event and losing to relative nobodies.

It was WAAAAAAY cool to see Nadal's reaction. I think this idea is what actually made me root against the 2004 USA men's basketball team. They were a bunch of prima-donas who strolled in assuming they would mop the floor with the rest of the world. But they got their arrogant a$$es whooped and they cried. Then as they were winning the bronze-medal game I remember one of the buttwads on the bench doing that gay dance like he's riding/slapping a horse/one-of-his-hoes and I thought... you are a d!ck.

Still... i think my bottom line is I would prefer all amatuers. I guess I'm old fashioned, but when the 1980 USA Hockey team beat the USSR - that is the most amazing sports accomplishment I have ever seen (and I was only 14 at the time but I remember like it was yesterday).

**painless2** · August 19th, 2008, 02:03 PM

It was basketball, baseball and hockey that really ruined this. The US used to compete with top college and amateurs and then we kept being beaten by foreign professionals, thus they switched to playing pros, hence the creation of the "Dream Team" I think it sucks, as the Olympics was meant to be a amateur competition

**SAINT_X** · August 19th, 2008, 02:11 PM

...I'm kind of like Wil on this one. On the one hand I enjoyed watching Laebron James and Kobe Bryant react to Phelps big win the other night...referring to him as a teammate. It was refreshing to see Kobe's
( who I never cared much for ) humble response to the interviewer's questions. Maybe the Olympic experience helps him grow up some more.
At any rate I am grudgingly gaining more respect for him because he really, really seems into the spirit of the games - and not just his own.

On the other hand...I love the amateur aspect too. The 1980 hockey team was a great example. Well...you'll never see pro boxers in the Olympics. Can you imagine a 17 year old Uzbeki facing off against Kelly Pavlik in the opening round?

Keep the pros or dump them...I am not pasionate either way...

**A1food4U** · August 19th, 2008, 02:17 PM

I think it also speaks to commitment. Not very hard for someone who is making a living at basketball to continue. Much harder for a German Policeman to work on Bobsledding, Or an Italian Policeman to win an Olympic wrestling gold. Scrap the pro's, Olympics should be about heart and guts and commitment, not endorsements and jersey sales.....

**wil** · August 19th, 2008, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A1food4U

I think it also speaks to commitment. Not very hard for someone who is making a living at basketball to continue. Much harder for a German Policeman to work on Bobsledding, Or an Italian Policeman to win an Olympic wrestling gold. Scrap the pro's, Olympics should be about heart and guts and commitment, not endorsements and jersey sales.....

BINGO!

**tooncesthecat** · August 19th, 2008, 06:32 PM

Problem was with hockey, the USSR had guys who were essentially pros. they had played in 4 or 5 Olympics. It's all they did. The Commies supported them but they were not "technically" pros.

I miss the old days of the amateurs as well. I wish we would go back to that but it would also mean that all countries would have to do it as well...even those damn Commies!

**cptobvious** · August 19th, 2008, 06:46 PM

I would like it if the pro's stayed out of it, but holy CRAP...the endorsements some of the olympic athletes get now is nothing to scoff at.