Wjhy I still think the Olympics should be for Amatures only

[donttread]

First of all that's how I grew up and listening to Al Micheal's career vaulting radio call: "Do you believe in miracles!" is one of the greatest sports fan memories I have when we beat the highly favored Russians in 1980 in Lake Placid.

Then there is the competition end of it such that basketball for example has made a joke of the process at times.

The fact that it would be nice to see wide eyed amatures and college kids get the opportunity.

VS:

The rich pros who in some cases "have bigger goals" : John Eisner ( top ranked American tennis player ) declined as did others in line for a spot on that team , including 21 year old Sebastian Korda ( despite the fact that his sisters are there for golf) .Serena too of course. Some like Korda were more than open about the reason which was also open as in the US Open in a few weeks. Others like Serena hadn't really said the last I knew but one could guess the same. Some may be political in nature I suppose but not for 17 year old Coco Gauff who was heart broken when a COVID test sidelined her. She wanted her spot.Tennis ,perhaps the sport where this is most prevelent, has a major torney right around the corner. One might wonder if Lebron let it be known that he would not play for poltical reasons but it may well be that he is injured and beat up from Basketball with a highly respectful decline "Nah I think I'm gonna play for the toon squad this summer instead of the olympics" . Curry won't be there either. Shortened off season and all that. And strictly speaking for many of them this is the best career move/bottom line because pro sports has become more important.Even the begining of the 2021-22 regular season. I think Korda is making a mistake though. Compare that to the drive and exhileration amature olympic atheletes show. Which, for me at least , means it's just not the same. Bring some folks who the Olympics is the priority.
While these pros disappoint me it is not the purpose of this to thread to bash them.
Does anyone, especially those old enough to remember agree with me?

[Cotton1]

I agree

[Standing Wolf]

The Olympics would have remained a strictly amateur competition - assuming that it ever really was - if a number of countries, particularly the Soviet Union, other Eastern European nations and China had not violated every rule then in the book in not only subsidizing its athletes' recruitment and training, but in use of PEDs and blood doping, etc. As is often heard, it was our amateurs against their professionals. Something had to change and it wasn't going to be the "national pride at all costs" attitude of those other countries.

[donttread]

The Olympics would have remained a strictly amateur competition - assuming that it ever really was - if a number of countries, particularly the Soviet Union, other Eastern European nations and China had not violated every rule then in the book in not only subsidizing its athletes' recruitment and training, but in use of PEDs and blood doping, etc. As is often heard, it was our amateurs against their professionals. Something had to change and it wasn't going to be the "national pride at all costs" attitude of those other countries.

I am very familiar with the argument. That argument was what made 1980 so special. But truth be told our college training programs were comparable to Soivet Military hockey teams for example. If I remember correctly we always competed fairly well. Before pros allowed in the big three world powers battled it out,. After the pros allowed in the same except the Russians are called something else now.
I know I'm a dinosaur but I never liked it and don't like it more now. You get things like we are seeing with spoiled pro atheletes and sometimes mockery made out what should be an honor

[Common]

The Olympics would have remained a strictly amateur competition - assuming that it ever really was - if a number of countries, particularly the Soviet Union, other Eastern European nations and China had not violated every rule then in the book in not only subsidizing its athletes' recruitment and training, but in use of PEDs and blood doping, etc. As is often heard, it was our amateurs against their professionals. Something had to change and it wasn't going to be the "national pride at all costs" attitude of those other countries.

Yup thats true, I remember decades ago, Vasily Alekseyev the famous Olympic Weight Lifter who had competed in strong man contests before being in Olympics...he broke the worlds record for press...

I read in Russia while training he had his own apt paid for by the kremlin, got a weekly stipend and had a chef that only created the perfect food for lifting....Sounds like a Paid athlete to me...he broke records in the 1972 and 76 games...I was really into Olympic Weight lifting back then and watched the Belgian break Vasilys old world record and Vasily comes back on and effortlessly beat the belgium....

[donttread]

The Olympics would have remained a strictly amateur competition - assuming that it ever really was - if a number of countries, particularly the Soviet Union, other Eastern European nations and China had not violated every rule then in the book in not only subsidizing its athletes' recruitment and training, but in use of PEDs and blood doping, etc. As is often heard, it was our amateurs against their professionals. Something had to change and it wasn't going to be the "national pride at all costs" attitude of those other countries.

This is the medal total from 1984 Summer Olympics just before pros were allowed in in 1988. It looks like we were already dominating.
If this is accurate.




https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_S...cs_medal_table

[RichardMZhlubb]

This is the medal total from 1984 Summer Olympics just before pros were allowed in in 1988. It looks like we were already dominating.
If this is accurate.




https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_S...cs_medal_table

The Soviet Union, East Germany and a bunch of other Soviet bloc countries boycotted the 1984 Olympics. You can't really draw any conclusions from the US's 1984 medal totals.

[Tahuyaman]

The Soviet Union, East Germany and a bunch of other Soviet bloc countries boycotted the 1984 Olympics. You can't really draw any conclusions from the US's 1984 medal totals.

Just as you can't draw any conclusions for their 1980 medal count.

[donttread]

The Soviet Union, East Germany and a bunch of other Soviet bloc countries boycotted the 1984 Olympics. You can't really draw any conclusions from the US's 1984 medal totals.

I can about China whom we crushed. I thought the three "superpowers" had always been close rivals at the Olympics and I chose 1984 because it was the last amature year. Russia may not have been there but China was. My point is that we were far from the abused rule followers back then. As I said before our college programs were probably better funded than the Russian Army Hockey Team.
They didn't start lying to us in 2016 you know. They wanted pros in for whatever reason and found one that was a quick sale to the then still patriotic if naiive people.

Plus I'm not sure Russia was all that good in the summer games anyway.

[Tahuyaman]

…..Plus I'm not sure Russia was all that good in the summer games anyway.

They were very good in the summer games.