2010 Winter Olympics

[Formaldehyde]

So when did this change? It seems to me like these days a lot of the athletes are professionals - they compete professionally in leagues, world cups, etc. The most obvious example of this are the hockey players - but you can also point to the ski jumpers, speed skaters, cross country skiiers, etc. I'm not really sure which winter sports do NOT have a lucrative league/world cup set up somewhere.. Curling, maybe? Some of the newer sports? Either way, when did this change, or have I just been mistaken when I was younger?

It all started with the skiers as you just mentioned. They have always been World Cup athletes for the most part who used to get paid under the table just so they could still compete in the Olympics. Back in the 60s, the monetary aspects started getting rather obvious, but everybody did their best to look the other way and try not to notice it. But even so, the competition was relatively fair and impartial. No country really benifited from it.

The next big impetus was the gross disparity caused by the Soviet Union and East Germany in particular developing professional Olympics programs for the propaganda value of winning so many medals. This caused the US and other countries to respond by cheating themselves. Both sides used a lot of athletes whose nominal job was "soldier", but all they did was prepare for the next Olympics or international competition. And the various national committees openly sponsored a number of other athletes from corporate and individual contributions.

Now, it is left up to each IF to determine the eligibility for each sport. Boxing is really the only sport left where no professionals compete, although that distinction is now getting muddied because a number of the "amateurs" now get funding from their local Olympics committees. Soccer uses the only 3 players over 23 rule to try to keep it in the spirit of amateur competition, instead of an all-out profest like hockey and basketball.

The original intent of the modern Olymics was to honor amateur sports. It was great while it lasted.

 

[warpus]

I don't really think you could have an event honoring amateur athletes anymore, on the world stage.. I mean, you could, but then it would kinda suck.

 

[Formaldehyde]

I certainly wouldn't mind seeing all-amateur team events again. Even the only-3-over-23 soccer rule applied to all team sports would far better than watching an NHL hockey all-star game under the guise of being an Olympic event.

 

[say1988]

The term "amateur" has such a gray area that it is impossible, it would have to be done with age limits or some other means.

Though most team sports wouldn't be as bad as before, it still has problems, also you could easily fill a pro team with under 23 hockey players.

Your under-23 tournament is largely covered every year by the World Juniors for hockey, though it is Under 20. And many of the players in it (associated with the CHL) are still considered professional by many bodies (such as the NCAA), along with a number of young NHLers.

 

[Maniacal]

So who's excited for the Para-Olympics? It seems such a shame that after the "normal" olympics are over almost everyone leaves and the olympics are treated as over, with the Para-Olympics getting the short end of the stick.

 

[Evie]

Yeah, large part of the Canada and US Teams this time around where under-25, for example. Restricting it to under-23 would pretty much result in an even more offensive game as goalies and d-men are the ones who take time to develop, usually, much more so than offensive players.

Besides which, a NHL All-Star tournaments where the stake actually matters and the players are trying their best to win is nothing short of awesome. Unlike the real NHL All-Star Game, where the players are just showing off.

 

[Maniacal]

The Olympics are supposed to be about (general the "best") athletes world-wide competing (for the medals, though I think they should (as some of them certainly must do) simply try for their best and have fun). I don't think age should be a restriction barring common sense (like someone under the age of 10 is probably not a good choice for any event).

 

[warpus]

I don't think age should be a restriction barring common sense (like someone under the age of 10 is probably not a good choice for any event).

Unless it's gymastics, in which case the Chinese could probably train a 10 year old to dominate the sport

 

[say1988]

The 1900 French coxed pairs rowing team may disagree with that.

 

[Maniacal]

The 1900 French coxed pairs rowing team may disagree with that.

Why?

Also, they kind of died several decades ago.

 

[say1988]

When they took some small kid off the street to cox (or rather sit in the place of the cox and be lighter) them to gold...

 

[Adria]

So who's excited for the Para-Olympics? It seems such a shame that after the "normal" olympics are over almost everyone leaves and the olympics are treated as over, with the Para-Olympics getting the short end of the stick.

I want to see some sledge hockey. I've only ever seen little clips here and there, and want to see a full game.

CTV has signed on to provide 50 hours of coverage on its various channels in Canada (hopefully the main ones, and not the specialty channels like OLN).

Paralympic Games see sponsorship, expanded TV coverage as keys to growth

Some firsts for Vancouver's Paralympic games:
- the word "Paralympic" in the name of the games' organizing committee (one organizing committee for both sets of games instead of two)
- Paralympic & Olympic flags flying side by side at city hall
- Paralympic countdown clock

 

[El Koeno]

When they took some small kid off the street to cox (or rather sit in the place of the cox and be lighter) them to gold...

I was looking at that the other day! Look at this Wikipedia article. France and the Netherlands had a mixed team, consisting of three Dutchmen, and an "Unknown French boy". Way to go into history books.

As for amateurs at the Olympics. Meh. The spirit of amateur sports is kind of incompatible with traveling all over the world if you ask me. Great amateur sports take place everywhere at the local level, no need for an international tournament. Though the football World Cup for the Homeless is a pretty good attempt.

 

[Grisu]

As others have already mentioned, it's almost impossible to fairly decide who's an amateur and who not. IIRC in the 40s/50s, Swiss and Austrian skiers where not allowed to participate because they earned their money as skiing instructors.

the games would mostly descend into sports nobody wants to watch. Nobody (or very few) watches alpine skiing with only amateurs that nobody knows. Same for hockey. And does anybody care for the olympic football tournament? I can't even tell who's the reigning champion

 

[say1988]

I was looking at that the other day! Look at this Wikipedia article. France and the Netherlands had a mixed team, consisting of three Dutchmen, and an "Unknown French boy". Way to go into history books.

He got a piece of gold to melt down and sell, though (probably worth more that way in 1900).

 

[El Koeno]

He got a piece of gold to melt down and sell, though (probably worth more that way in 1900).

Haha... I just love how different these things went back then. I'm always amazed by early account of the Tour de France for example.