Nash goes to the Lakers!

Originally posted by Suzianne
I dunno.

I stopped watching olympic basketball when they started allowing professional players in. It's now a joke.

Jim Thorpe was stripped of his medals for far less, and yet the USA is foremost in now insisting that pros be allowed to play in what should be competition between amateurs. If I played olympic basketball for another country, I would b han what he has to work with on the Lakers. Laker management needs to take a clue from this.

Why? Sprinters train year round. Swimmers train year round. Gymnasts train year round.

The problem is that most olympic level basketball players in the US would be in the NBA which would leave the US at a severe disadvantage.

I really don't see how it goes against the spirit of the games since when the olympics first started professional sports and professional athletes in general didn't exist. In fact, there were just athletes with no distinction made. The olympics was and is a showcase of the best athletes in the world.... why should professionals be punished for being among the best? They shouldn't. In conclusion, it was against the spirit of the games not to let them compete in the first place, a decision that was no doubt made by people who wanted their country's athletes to win just as much as the US wants to win.

http://www.penn.museum/sites/olympics/olympicathletes.shtml

Originally posted by tomtom232
I really don't see how it goes against the spirit of the games since when the olympics first started professional sports and professional athletes in general didn't exist. In fact, there were just athletes with no distinction made. The olympics was and is a showcase of the best athletes in the world.... why should professionals be punished for being among ...[text shortened]... much as the US wants to win.

http://www.penn.museum/sites/olympics/olympicathletes.shtml

Punished?

Yeah, I guess if you count being paid millions upon millions of dollars as "punishment". They were being compensated quite handsomely for not being able to participate in the Olympics. But no, they wanted it all.

I say if they want in so badly, then perhaps they should pay 99% of their salary to do so. Chances are they'd still make more than other Olympic athletes.

Originally posted by Suzianne
I dunno.

I stopped watching olympic basketball when they started allowing professional players in. It's now a joke.

Jim Thorpe was stripped of his medals for far less, and yet the USA is foremost in now insisting that pros be allowed to play in what should be competition between amateurs. If I played olympic basketball for another country, I would b ...[text shortened]... han what he has to work with on the Lakers. Laker management needs to take a clue from this.

Suzi, I am going to take you to task over the basketball issue.

You do realize that prior to the NBA players being allowed to play for the US,
the US squad was the ONLY squad that were not professionals?

The fact that the best professionals played in the US is why we dominate.
Still, look at how many NBA players are on the rosters of teams like Spain,
Argentina, Greece, and several others.

I, for one, was tired of sending our "amateurs" up against their "professionals".

Originally posted by shortcircuit
Suzi, I am going to take you to task over the basketball issue.

You do realize that prior to the NBA players being allowed to play for the US,
the US squad was the ONLY squad that were not professionals?

The fact that the best professionals played in the US is why we dominate.
Still, look at how many NBA players are on the rosters of teams like ...[text shortened]... others.

I, for one, was tired of sending our "amateurs" up against their "professionals".

Our "amateurs" were paid by the colleges they attended. Other countries similarly subsidized their teams, but to call them "professionals" is a gross exaggeration.

Originally posted by Suzianne
Punished?

Yeah, I guess if you count being paid millions upon millions of dollars as "punishment". They were being compensated quite handsomely for not being able to participate in the Olympics. But no, they wanted it all.

I say if they want in so badly, then perhaps they should pay 99% of their salary to do so. Chances are they'd still make more than other Olympic athletes.

Yes, Punished.

So what if they get paid for their hardwork and dedication?

People like you seem to think its easy being a professional athlete but I know the work it takes even to be simply a good amateur athlete... it is the opposite of easy. To work that hard and not be allowed to capture the pinnacle, not just fail but not even be allowed, is quite a harsh punishment in my opion.

Originally posted by no1marauder
Our "amateurs" were paid by the colleges they attended. Other countries similarly subsidized their teams, but to call them "professionals" is a gross exaggeration.

You are once again showing your ass. Carry on.

Originally posted by Suzianne
Punished?

Yeah, I guess if you count being paid millions upon millions of dollars as "punishment". They were being compensated quite handsomely for not being able to participate in the Olympics. But no, they wanted it all.

I say if they want in so badly, then perhaps they should pay 99% of their salary to do so. Chances are they'd still make more than other Olympic athletes.

When the olympics first started the prize wasn't a gold medal it was a crown of olive branches and a statue dedicated to them in the temple of Zeus. If you were from Athens and you won you would not have to pay for a meal for the rest of your life and you would be given a cash award of 500 drachmai which was a fortune.


I think that is worth much more than anything a professional athlete could give up or win in todays olympics.