Olympics 2012 - Tennis

[Corbon]

Well an Olympic gold medal should be the crowning achievement in sports. If they take away all the events where this isn't true (football, basketball, tennis) there will still be great whining among the overpaid pros. And didn't the IOC just decide to include ****ing Golf in Rio?

Male football is already limited to players under 23 but that's not helping much when you have a Brazilian who just changed clubs for 32m Euro (and still losing the final vs Mexico )

Edit: Actually £32m but apparently a deal with Chelsea didn't materialize.

[Cro Morgan]

The Olympics were amazing and awesome when only amateur athletes were allowed to compete. What do we have now? Spoiled, arrogant, millionaire athletes competing for medals. Granted this isn't true of all Olympic events, but the ones that are (yes, tennis) should be unceremoniously dumped in the trash.

[Vieira151]

The Olympics were amazing and awesome when only amateur athletes were allowed to compete. What do we have now? Spoiled, arrogant, millionaire athletes competing for medals. Granted this isn't true of all Olympic events, but the ones that are (yes, tennis) should be unceremoniously dumped in the trash.

Or they should be changed back to Amateur only. I want a shot at Olympic Gold. :3

[Amazing Matheja]

The Olympics were amazing and awesome when only amateur athletes were allowed to compete. What do we have now? Spoiled, arrogant, millionaire athletes competing for medals. Granted this isn't true of all Olympic events, but the ones that are (yes, tennis) should be unceremoniously dumped in the trash.

By following you, we wouldn't have seen the '92 Dream Team... And that would have been a f*****g disgrace ! They gave to a lot of people the envy to play Basketball...
I see what you meant, and I kind of agree with you, but the problem is more : "some salaries are too high" than : "those arrogant millionaries shouldn't do the Olympics"...
But your point is more "Olympics sucks" (well, that's how I understood it) and i completely disagree with you... Olympics is the opportunity for some sports to show themselves more, to passionate people... I miss words to say more, but, to me, Olympics are wonderful !...

[Cro Morgan]

By following you, we wouldn't have seen the '92 Dream Team... And that would have been a f*****g disgrace ! They gave to a lot of people the envy to play Basketball

The '92 Dream Team was an absolute disgrace to the once great Olympics - exemplifies everything that is wrong with the current system. Don't even get me started.

[Amazing Matheja]

Haha !... I don't think it was a disgrace...

But, if I see what you mean (and honestly I agree more or less with the fact that, by exemple, tennis maybe takes a place that could be "offered" to another less mediatised sport), I also believe that it's not a disgrace that the athletes from Tennis, for exemple, have the "right" to represent their country at the Olympics, just like other athletes do...
Also, but I guess you know that, it is THE great opportunity for unknown sports to show themselves and to passionate people...
And, even if there are a lot of abuses, it is also a great opportunity for the country which hosts the Olympics...

And I'll stick with my opinion that the main issue is : some athletes are way too much paid... But money in athletes pocket goes with the fact that those sports generates a lot of money... I don't know what the good solution would be, but in all I know that the '92 Dream Team gave a lot of joy to a lot of people, and gave the envy to a lot of people to practice this sport... So not a disgrace really... (to me! ^^)

Hope I don't get you started too violently there ! Just "chatting" !... ^^

[C4iLL]

How would you control someone is amateur or professionnal ? Everybody will cheat with hidden contracts to be able to play Olympics with a fake amateur status...

2) With only real amateurs, how could you be considered as the best in your sports ? There would be no meaning to any victory.... You're the best of the worst : great ! It's useless !

3) With only amateur participants, you would have a bad level in a lot of sports : tennis, basket, handball (like the english handball team against french in groupstage) and so on.

[Cro Morgan]

With only amateur participants, you would have a bad level in a lot of sports : tennis, basket, handball (like the english handball team against french in groupstage) and so on.

Professional athletes were allowed to compete beginning in 1986. So what are you saying, the Olympics - from 1896 until 1986 - were a sham, a joke, an inferior event with inferior competition? Damn, those were the golden years - Owens, Spitz, Zatopek, Viren, Thorpe, Nurmi, Didrikson, etc.!!!

If what you're saying holds true, why do people watch college sports - or any sport that isn't at the upper echelon. Why does anyone watch women's tennis. I mean, they absolutely suck compared to male tennis players.

With regard to basketball (the biggest joke Olympic sport of them all) I doubt the gold medal holds much clout. I can't speak for other nations, but I'm guessing the most important thing to the American team was 1) seeing the sights 2) enjoying the food and 3) banging British women.

[Amazing Matheja]

Professional athletes were allowed to compete beginning in 1986. So what are you saying, the Olympics - from 1896 until 1986 - were a sham, a joke, an inferior event with inferior competition? Damn, those were the golden years - Owens, Spitz, Zatopek, Viren, Thorpe, Nurmi, Didrikson, etc.!!!

Ian Thorpe ? Before 1986 ?
Hey Cro aren't you assuming this about something you weren't the witness of ?... I mean you're not that old ! ^^ So personally I wouldn't try to compare, but I still remember that epic duel between Lewis and Powell... One of the greatest Athletism moment I had the pleasure to watch ! Phelps winning that race in '08 thanx to a magical touch ! I was standing up shouting all the way ! ^^ Bolt in '08 and in '12 ! Rudisha on his "Bolt-esque" 800 m world record ! Both of them are revolutionning their sport !
So ok if Olympic games were not existing they still would have done this I guess (but then maybe it would be only for money, there, at least, there is "something else")... But the fact is that it exists, and that all those athletes are keeping their best for it, since the Olympics exists, amateur or Pro... So... Let's not fall in that "it was better before" hype too easily...
Owens would have done the same, amateur or pro... The context was a lot different (especially in Munich ! ^^) but that's History, not "Olympics, amateur or pro ?" issue...

With regard to basketball (the biggest joke Olympic sport of them all) I doubt the gold medal holds much clout. I can't speak for other nations, but I'm guessing the most important thing to the American team was 1) seeing the sights 2) enjoying the food and 3) banging British women.

Ok... Now I see what you mean : You say they (NBA players) don't really give their best at Olympics... That I think I could agree with that. But, regarding the '08 final, and that '12 final, we can say that Spain did "forced" Team USA to play its best... I honestly think that the '08 final was one of the greatest basketball match I saw...
And about the '92 Dream Team, they were a bit there to prove "Hey ! We invent this game ! We're gonna show you something you never saw !"... And, to me, they did it well !... (And yes ! I too guess that it's a banging fest at the Olympics ! ^^)

[djarvik]

Have to agree.

Olympics should be for non-pros. Can't call them, armatures really...


...as for Olympics being a venue to showcase certain sports, well, there is a reason why these sports are less popular - the reason is - they are less popular. People simple to enjoy watch and/or playing them as much as other sports. I like high jump, or a 100 meter run....but I would not be able to watch it on a daily basis, or weekly, hell...even monthly. These are "one trick pony" sports. They involve one skill, granted, honed to the point of insanity.

[Amazing Matheja]

...as for Olympics being a venue to showcase certain sports, well, there is a reason why these sports are less popular - the reason is - they are less popular. People simple to enjoy watch and/or playing them as much as other sports. I like high jump, or a 100 meter run....but I would not be able to watch it on a daily basis, or weekly, hell...even monthly. These are "one trick pony" sports. They involve one skill, granted, honed to the point of insanity.

Maybe I can't watch 100m, or High jumps all Saturdays... That's true... But for the athletes ! Guys !... You have to give them this chance ! It's wonderful ! At least they don't think "always the same ones at the same places...". And also they're working soo hard to perform ! Most of time in the dark, but at least it's not for nothing !...

And I still can't see why it should be for amateurs only...

[emate007]

I don't care about 80% of olympic events. Just the interesting sports really. I mean, who really gives a shit about coordinated ribbon twirling or synchronized ball throwing? Even the races are pretty lame. I respect athletic ability, but when it's used for a purpose. Going really fast in a straight line (or circle) shouldn't be cause for jubilation.

That said, I see no reason to exclude the best athletes just because they're pros.

[djarvik]

@Matheja

So if a person starts doing something, anything, like jump left then right then up, call it a sport, spends time doing it - he automatically deserves attention?

I don't know. Why should we give "the athletes this chance"? Just because they working hard to perform? What about a good performing garbage collectors? They are working so hard!

It's a joke of course, but common.....high or long jump? Damn. Honestly, I would not call it a sport even. Too shallow. One skill. If they had to shoot a bow while in flight - that would make it better. I know it is a sport by definition...

Why for armatures only? Because then we know these people dedicated themselves to that sport not for the monetary reasons. Simple. Yes, there are perks once you win - but almost none before you do.

[C4iLL]

Olympic spirit = universal spirit. How can you be a champion if you don't compete with everybody ? The Olympic Champion is the best human in a category/sport no ?

Instead of Olympic, it should be called Amateurs Games with your vision

This disconnected point of view has for only justification the... Nostalgy of a always better past

[Amazing Matheja]

@Matheja

So if a person starts doing something, anything, like jump left then right then up, call it a sport, spends time doing it - he automatically deserves attention?

I don't know. Why should we give "the athletes this chance"? Just because they working hard to perform? What about a good performing garbage collectors? They are working so hard!

It's a joke of course, but common.....high or long jump? Damn. Honestly, I would not call it a sport even. Too shallow. One skill. If they had to shoot a bow while in flight - that would make it better. I know it is a sport by definition...

Man... How can you say that ? Not sports ? C'mon... Not objective at all ! Because you don't like it, doesn't mean it is not sport at its top level...
I thought you were well aware of that... Deception ! ^^

Why for armatures only? Because then we know these people dedicated themselves to that sport not for the monetary reasons. Simple. Yes, there are perks once you win - but almost none before you do.

Again... C'mon man... Bolt dedicates himself to his sport more than 200% ! It would be blinding itself to say the opposit... Or you think doping can transform a cow into an eagle but there again, know that it's not the case...
I don't want to get in a "all doped" discussion, that's not the issue there, but I can't let someone say that Bolt dedicates himself to his sport only for money... That's not true... Same for the Phelps, Rudisha, Gebreselassie, Jonathan Edwards, Green, Stephan Holm, Bubka, Zelezny...