Wade: players should be paid for Olympics

**motorcityjoe611** · 04-12-2012, 12:56 PM

Originally Posted by Eruff24

88 Bronze
04 Bronze (led by NBA players)

It's no way college kids will beat this era of international players.

I'm sure I'll be called AC's grandma for this take, but I'm willing to risk it.
The Olympics didn't only used to be about "beating" everyone, at least not as its sole objective.
It was supposed to celebrate amateur athletes, the best the world had to offer. It's what made the basketball gold against other teams so sweet and especially what made the Miracle on Ice live up to its name.

From all I've seen over the years, the Olympic committee at some point sold out by not strictly enforcing the rules of amateurism. Plain and simple. You can go back and forth with any and all arguments on whether players should be compensated and have valid points for and against, but they opened up Pandora's box when they didn't stay resolute in what the Olympics were about. It happened in hockey, boxing, basketball and they did nothing. The USA for many years tried to stick to the spirit of the competition. Finally when, as Det2 stated, the gap was closing, they gave in and allowed pros to play. Grant Hill was extremely bummed when he was passed over for pro players that first year. Now the lines are so blurred between amateur and pros. Really the only sports that you can "go pro" in are ones someone will pay to watch. People really aren't going to pay to watch things like swimming, bicycling, marathon running, crew, etc.

So since it's not what it used to be, will never again be what it used to be, what difference does it make if athletes get paid by their own pro league, sponsors, boosters or what have you? Athletes don't have a duty necessarily to participate. Like others have mentioned, they can just decline. If they get flamed for it, so be it.

I believe it's an honor to represent your country in the Olympics. I would feel thrilled to be so elite as to be chosen to do so.
But I obviously can't relate to the ego evidently required, along with the preternatural skill of a pro athlete to know what they're thought is on it. They apparently feel as though there's never enough money given to them, that someone is always getting by on them. At least that's the perception they exhibit, and I think it's why so many people have a visceral reaction to what Wade said (which he apparently is trying to revisit)

ESPN: Wade Flops: No Pay For Olympics

**juicyj024** · 04-12-2012, 12:56 PM

Originally Posted by det2orl

Yeah, Redd had back to back ACL blowouts (both knees IIRC). He hadn't played in like 2-3 years before earlier this season.

That sucks, I used to go to see the bucks everytime they were in town and always remembered Redd crushing the stones even when the pistons were dominating people.

Well I guess I only saw the bucks everytime they were in town in 2004 then it was the bobcats. Ooops.

**det2orl** · 04-12-2012, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by juicyj024

wait AI wade and STAR all aren't true PGs, they are the anti Skip Baylesses of PG play. Pass first only shoot if you have a wide open look.

Starbury is/was pretty close. AI and Wade could play PG but I surely wouldn't want them there full time. That is around the time people started thinking like you are now. That we can just show up and beat the crap out of any and everybody.

Doesn't work that way.

Where the hell was JKidd during this?? He should've been in his prime at that time.

**det2orl** · 04-12-2012, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by motorcityjoe611

I'm sure I'll be called AC's grandma for this take, but I'm willing to risk it.
The Olympics didn't only used to be about "beating" everyone, at least not as its sole objective.
It was supposed to celebrate amateur athletes, the best the world had to offer. It's what made the basketball gold against other teams so sweet and especially what made the Miracle on Ice live up to its name.

From all I've seen over the years, the Olympic committee at some point sold out by not strictly enforcing the rules of amateurism. Plain and simple. You can go back and forth with any and all arguments on whether players should be compensated and have valid points for and against, but they opened up Pandora's box when they didn't stay resolute in what the Olympics were about. It happened in hockey, boxing, basketball and they did nothing. The USA for many years tried to stick to the spirit of the competition. Finally when, as Det2 stated, the gap was closing, they gave in and allowed pros to play. Grant Hill was extremely bummed when he was passed over for pro players that first year. Now the lines are so blurred between amateur and pros. Really the only sports that you can "go pro" in are ones someone will pay to watch. People really aren't going to pay to watch things like swimming, bicycling, marathon running, crew, etc.

So since it's not what it used to be, will never again be what it used to be, what difference does it make if athletes get paid by their own pro league, sponsors, boosters or what have you? Athletes don't have a duty necessarily to participate. Like others have mentioned, they can just decline. If they get flamed for it, so be it.

I believe it's an honor to represent your country in the Olympics. I would feel thrilled to be so elite as to be chosen to do so.
But I obviously can't relate to the ego evidently required, along with the preternatural skill of a pro athlete to know what they're thought is on it. They apparently feel as though there's never enough money given to them, that someone is always getting by on them. At least that's the perception they exhibit, and I think it's why so many people have a visceral reaction to what Wade said (which he apparently is trying to revisit)

ESPN: Wade Flops: No Pay For Olympics

You can't compare olympic basketball to olympic hockey.......unless you are going to look at hockey from the Russian's POV. That is why the Miracle on Ice was so big. The Russians dominated the sport for years! Much like we did in basketball.

**juicyj024** · 04-12-2012, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by det2orl

Yeah, Redd had back to back ACL blowouts (both knees IIRC). He hadn't played in like 2-3 years before earlier this season.

The best part of the story is he only played 21 games for the Bucks. Looks like Prayers do get answered.

**det2orl** · 04-12-2012, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by motorcityjoe611

I'm sure I'll be called AC's grandma for this take, but I'm willing to risk it.
The Olympics didn't only used to be about "beating" everyone, at least not as its sole objective.
It was supposed to celebrate amateur athletes, the best the world had to offer. It's what made the basketball gold against other teams so sweet and especially what made the Miracle on Ice live up to its name.

From all I've seen over the years, the Olympic committee at some point sold out by not strictly enforcing the rules of amateurism. Plain and simple. You can go back and forth with any and all arguments on whether players should be compensated and have valid points for and against, but they opened up Pandora's box when they didn't stay resolute in what the Olympics were about. It happened in hockey, boxing, basketball and they did nothing. The USA for many years tried to stick to the spirit of the competition. Finally when, as Det2 stated, the gap was closing, they gave in and allowed pros to play. Grant Hill was extremely bummed when he was passed over for pro players that first year. Now the lines are so blurred between amateur and pros. Really the only sports that you can "go pro" in are ones someone will pay to watch. People really aren't going to pay to watch things like swimming, bicycling, marathon running, crew, etc.

So since it's not what it used to be, will never again be what it used to be, what difference does it make if athletes get paid by their own pro league, sponsors, boosters or what have you? Athletes don't have a duty necessarily to participate. Like others have mentioned, they can just decline. If they get flamed for it, so be it.

I believe it's an honor to represent your country in the Olympics. I would feel thrilled to be so elite as to be chosen to do so.
But I obviously can't relate to the ego evidently required, along with the preternatural skill of a pro athlete to know what they're thought is on it. They apparently feel as though there's never enough money given to them, that someone is always getting by on them. At least that's the perception they exhibit, and I think it's why so many people have a visceral reaction to what Wade said (which he apparently is trying to revisit)

ESPN: Wade Flops: No Pay For Olympics

And ummm...........YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME! HELLO!!

**juicyj024** · 04-12-2012, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by det2orl

Starbury is/was pretty close. AI and Wade could play PG but I surely wouldn't want them there full time. That is around the time people started thinking like you are now. That we can just show up and beat the crap out of any and everybody.

Doesn't work that way.

Where the hell was JKidd during this?? He should've been in his prime at that time.

I think N.O. would at the worst make it to the gold medal game if we went their team (which wouldnt work because it looks like half of their team is international)

The cavs then.

**motorcityjoe611** · 04-12-2012, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by det2orl

You can't compare olympic basketball to olympic hockey.......unless you are going to look at hockey from the Russian's POV. That is why the Miracle on Ice was so big. The Russian dominated the sport for years! Much like we did in basketball.

Didn't you just compare them? We dominated basketball with a lot of college players that never turned pro.
My point was the Russian players were men, paid to participate. They were rock stars in their country and treated as such. That's the context I meant. The reason MOI was so big was because you had a bunch of college kids, many of which never went on to do anything in the NHL defeat a world powerhouse.

**det2orl** · 04-12-2012, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by juicyj024

I think N.O. would at the worst make it to the gold medal game if we went their team (which wouldnt work because it looks like half of their team is international)

The cavs then.

Not a chance.

Remember Dirk plays for Germany.

Argentina has Manu and Scola

Spain would trot out the Gasol brothers, Rudy Fernandez, Calderon and Ricky Rubio.

Hell, in the last Olympics with Kobe, LBJ, Wade, Melo and Dwight they went down to the last few minutes with Spain.

**juicyj024** · 04-12-2012, 01:38 PM

Originally Posted by det2orl

Not a chance.

Remember Dirk plays for Germany.

Argentina has Manu and Scola

Spain would trot out the Gasol brothers, Rudy Fernandez, Calderon and Ricky Rubio.

Hell, in the last Olympics with Kobe, LBJ, Wade, Melo and Dwight they went down to the last few minutes with Spain.

Rubio is out for the Olympics, but I see your point.

**det2orl** · 04-12-2012, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by motorcityjoe611

Didn't you just compare them? We dominated basketball with a lot of college players that never turned pro.
My point was the Russian players were men, paid to participate. They were rock stars in their country and treated as such. That's the context I meant. The reason MOI was so big was because you had a bunch of college kids, many of which never went on to do anything in the NHL defeat a world powerhouse.

So you would be cool with losing multiple times in order to possibly have the basketball equivalent of the MOI?