Where did the message go?

I do not think we should allow professionals in the Olympics. I think sending all our great basket ball players is wrong and does not give the other teams much of a chance.

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I was wondering where the post went too. I agree with you in regards to the basketball players.

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truble2301, what is the original post?

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How strange! I posted it, it showed up in duplicate, so I thought I deleted the duplicate before anyone posted and somehow both are gone but the thread remains? Must have been part of this afternoon's flukey stuff.

I was just asking what people thought of pros in the Olympics. I don't think I like it -- it just doesn't seem right and it seems to give the US a big advantage in stuff like basketball. OTOH, it didn't help us in tennis today, did it, and even Roger Federer lost, so maybe not.

I am torn, because there are some countries whose athletes are groomed and trained from early childhood to compete in these games. Just because they are not "paid" a salary, IMHO, does not make them less "pro" And most often these same athletes are "subsidized" by their governments, along with their families and coaches. It is a slippery slope.

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If we don't send our best, then who do we send? How do you define the requirements or determine criteria?

I think part of it is, here in the USA, we have so much emphasis on professional sports, whereas other countries do not. While some governments may support the athlete, here it's a money game. Money talks.

dl

We didn't used to send our pro basketball players, but we always got our teeth kicked in because the other countries do. We used to send college players. It was a few years ago they finally allowed our pros to go to be compatitive. It used to be a joke. I don't care if it's pro or not, but it needs to be the same across the board.

Lisa

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What's funny to me is that we send pro ball players -- and have them coached by a college coach! Of course, it's not as though Coach K couldn't get a pro job if he wanted to. I hate them Dukies, but he's an amazing coach.

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I say send whoever is the best - pro or not. Like another poster said, some children begin training from other countries so very young. So why shouldn't we send our best?

You are so right. For way to many years we played teams that had been together for years and were really professionals but in a different way. Their countries paid all their expenses yet the were not counted as professionals. Now things are much more fair for everyone.

I hate it as well. I don't think pro's should be able to go BUT all the other countries who have pro's, send them and the point is to WIN the GOLD and if we send our non-pro people to play, we lose. We lost for years. Our pros don't even always win. I hate it but it's the same across the board. All countries who have them, can send their pros

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I believe that the rule use to be that if a person profited a certain amount they were considered a professional, and many countries skirted that rule--their athletes didn't profit, but their government provided EVERYTHING for them. Those athletes were groomed from early ages, taken from their parents and pretty much raised to eat, sleep, think, their sport (Gymnastics is a very good example). While our country and some others did not do that for the athletes--they had to work in a job of some sort and train when they got a chance (and hope their employer was understanding). Thus, those countries--the USA included--was at a huge disadvantage. So the IOC loosened those restrictions, and now we have professional athletes competing.

I'm torn--I like the idea of a completely amateur Olympics, but I know that some countries see the Olympics as their way of showing their superiority over other nations--and will do whatever it takes to win.

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I think that it's all about sending your best athletes from your country to compete...I have no problem at all with professionals representing the USA. ~Lisa

I totally agree. Well said. ~Lisa

I agree completely. Every country wants to win. Some countries want to win more than others but none of them want to "give the other teams much of a chance". Why should we? That's a losing attitude going in and why bother to compete at all if you can't enter into it with the proper mindset? I think that every country should send their best and let the winners take their medals - and all the perks that come with them.