Does the list of best paid Olympic athletes affect your enjoyment of those athletes or the games they play at all?
Roger Federer makes the most. LeBron James, the next most. Maria Sharapova is the fourth most and the highest paid woman in the games, according to the Eurosport blog. Except for Usain Bolt, the top twenty are all tennis or basketball players.
Just as a comparison, in Olympic men’s soccer, men must be 23 years of age or younger to compete, with the exception that three team members may be over the age limit Read more. Very different from some of the other sports.
Does this mix of professionals and amateurs make sense to you? Does it change how you feel about those particular sports in the Olympics? If so, how? Does it change how you feel about the Olympic games overall?
Do you think that poetry and theater should be brought back to the Olympics? They were part of the spectacle back in the times of Ancient Greece, and also a part of the introduction of the modern Olympics in 1896. Would anyone notice if you brought competitive arts back now?
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They are all athletes and I respect what they are able to do regardless of pay or age. Isn’t it amazing seeing someone run at a time you could never imagine doing or playing a sport you love in a way you could never image playing like. Why shouldn’t they be able to make some money, do you realize how expensive it is honing a skill like that how much it costs for coaches and trainers to get you at your peak. Why would we expect them to be poor starving atletes or the need for them to come from a rich family to be able to afford to provide the necessary tools be top at their skill.
Ever since the Dream Team it has made Olympic Basketball ridiculous. Olympic Tennis is silly too, for the pro players it’s just a long weekend to hang out and play for fun.
I’d leave the pros out of the Olympic peloton too.
The IOC has turned the Olympics into just a big business. There are more “licensing police” in London than security guards.
The Olympics are a chance to see the best in the world compete against each other. If you eliminate some of the best athletes, the games are diminished. I enjoy watching someone performing at the top of human capabilities, even if I don’t normally enjoy the sport. Whether it is golf or ballet, the best in the world can make it interesting. OK maybe not ballet but you get the point. I say let them compete.
A lot of countries support their athletes from a very young age to prepare them for international competition. To me that puts them on a par with pros. As @Jaxk says, they are the best, that is what it is all about. And especially with regard to the USA basketball team, despite their illustrious members it is no longer a given that they will come home with the gold, other countries are improving quickly and USA now has to work for it!
Not in the least, just moving with the times.
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