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A lot of people see it as political. Most of the athletes do not. It's about being able to compete with the best. It sucks that governments get in the way of competition.
Last night, I watched an American and an Australian athlete jump on a New Zealand athlete after making a gold medal run in slopestyle. That was their opponent, yet they were celebrating what an awesome run she had as if they were all teammates.
Will you watch this year? As much as any other year?
Does it being held in China change anything?
Or Covid, or human rights?
I will watch little to none and can't understand why we are even participating. Just curious what everyone else is thinking.
I'm avoiding the Olympics this year. I can't believe the free world would allow the Olympics to be held in China.
The olympics were much better before they started allowing professionals in. Who cares about watching a bunch of pros competing?
The only pros are in a couple of sports, such as ice hockey basketball and tennis. I don’t know of any other sports that have professionals. In the winter Olympics, ice hockey would be the only one.
The only pros are in a couple of sports, such as ice hockey basketball and tennis. I don’t know of any other sports that have professionals. In the winter Olympics, ice hockey would be the only one.
I think a whole lot of the athletes are professionals in that they belong to professional leagues and get paid to compete at elite levels, to include (as you mentioned), hockey, basketball and tennis. But also athletics (track and field), soccer (especially men's soccer), gymnasts (there are world and regional gymnast events that pay), baseball (though this sport isn't at every Olympics game and isn't next scheduled to appear until Los Angeles 2028), and a whole host of other events. But what the image of what most people think of as "professional" sports don't come to mind with many of the sports at the Olympics, even if there are professional athletes competing in many of them. Note, part of this also comes from the fact that most professional sports aren't huge money makers, which goes to athletes being not so well known.
True, most Olympic sports seem to allow amateurs in practice, but professionals (whether individually or by team) seem to be dominating from what I gather. I'm not upset about that as it has raised the bar of competition from where I stand. The Olympics are supposed to represent the best of the best in the world, IMO, so leaving out professionals would make things not as exciting to me. But that's me.
The only pros are in a couple of sports, such as ice hockey basketball and tennis. I don’t know of any other sports that have professionals. In the winter Olympics, ice hockey would be the only one.
Unlike before, just about all Olympians are professionals, now. They are allowed to make money from sports participation through endorsements, prize money, participation fees, and so on. Usain Bolt became one of the richest athletes in the world because of his fantastic running ability and personality, not through participation in what are called "professional sports."
The Modern Olympics were founded by aristocrats who had certain ideas about how sports should be played. More like, “it isn't whether you win or lose, but how you play the game.” Definitely not Vince Lombardi's, "Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing."
Sports were best played by aristocratic gentlemen who only did it for the love of the game, never, never for financial gain – that was for the lower classes. Even excessive training was frowned upon.
That's how the amateur tradition for the Olympics began. Of course, those who had little money were at a severe disadvantage. In order to train and compete, a lot of hardship was involved.
Jim Thorpe, a great Native American athlete, born poor, had gold medals for the pentathlon and decathlon taken away because it was discovered that he had played semipro baseball prior to the Olympics.
Thank God, after a long time, the rules were changed so athletes, whatever their origins, can make a living doing what they can do best.
The olympics were much better before they started allowing professionals in. Who cares about watching a bunch of pros competing?
What do you call the athletes from the old Iron Curtain contries like the USSR or GDR, whose training and competition expenses were paid for by the government? Pros have been competing in the Games for a long time. Why do you think the, Miracle on Ice in 1980 was such a huge deal?
The only pros are in a couple of sports, such as ice hockey basketball and tennis. I don’t know of any other sports that have professionals. In the winter Olympics, ice hockey would be the only one.
Nope. Figure skaters and gymnasts can also receive commercial endorsements. Back when there were still professional competitions, skaters could only compete in events sanctioned by the International Skating Union, or else they would lose their Olympic-eligible standing. Gymnasts have to weigh whether or not they plan to compete NCAA, because they can't accept any endorsements if they do.
The only pros are in a couple of sports, such as ice hockey basketball and tennis. I don’t know of any other sports that have professionals. In the winter Olympics, ice hockey would be the only one.
lol americans and heir narow view.
ski jumping and slalom downhill and ohers all PROFESIONALS
biahlon
figureskaing
speed skating
all professionals
We've simply lost interest in watching over the years.
I wish our team(s) the best though, hope they do well and return home safe.
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