Olympic Hockey

[popkidu2]

I think it is such crap that pro players get to play in the olympics, especially hockey.

That's all I have to say about that

 

[The Wanderer]

too bad, people like myself enjoy it.

 

[StarsnStripes]

Originally posted by The Wanderer:
too bad, people like myself enjoy it.

I like how it levels the playing field a bit... although the european teams will still take the medals

 

[zooropamanda]

Well to be honest, we dont get ice hockey in Oz and after the amount of talk Ive heard about it here, Im looking forward to watching it in the Olympics.

 

[BabyGrace]

it's a great sport but i've noticed people either love it or hate it

actually i agree popkid. it does bring the level of play up somewhat, but i still think pros shouldnt be in the Olympics

 

[pub crawler]

Yeah, I've never liked the pros playing Olympic hockey or basketball.

 

[Hewson]

Growing up in the same town as Mike Eruzione...had this rule been in effect in 1980, it would have prevented a magical time in US Olympic history. If pros had beaten the Soviets and won gold that year, it wouldn't have been as dramatic.
Let's face it...when Dream team 1 with Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan et al won the gold medal...it was not such a thrilling victory.
But the playing field needs to be level, so if some countries use pros, then all should. (I'd prefer all Olympians be required to be amateur)

 

[speedracer]

Weren't the Red Army athletic teams compensated?

 

[zoomerang II]

no they weren't professional, but of course if you won a medal you may find promotion to a lucrative rank rather easy, or sponsorship, or whatever else.
The olympic ideal of amateurism became untenable.

Better that they get rid of sports like football, baseball, basketball, tennis and ice hockey that don't need the olympics to be the epitomy of the sport itself.

And don't even get me started about synchronised swimming or beach volleyball.

 

[kobayashi]

hockey, basketball, tennis and all the other olympic sports that choose to involve their athletes should, under their own recgnicance, pull out.

i fail to understand why more governing bodies of sport don't follow the lead of soccer and institute a world cup style tournament.

besides tennis, which i don't know much about, both hockey and basketball, have in recent years staged successful world championships. i guess the olympic platform is easy publicity on the world stage for a league. a properly marketed and well timed world championship could serve the purpose just as well, especially if played at the right time of year.



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one cannot be betrayed if one has no people.

 

[speedracer]

Originally posted by kobayashi:

i fail to understand why more governing bodies of sport don't follow the lead of soccer and institute a world cup style tournament.

Basketball does have world championships. Nobody cares.

 

[zoomerang II]

yeah cause it's not a world championship. Same in baseball.

Tennis has the grand slam i guess which works well - the olympics will never be the same as winning a grand slam or the grand slam cup.

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In the stillness of the evening
When the sun has had its day
I heard your voice whispering...

 

[Foxxern]

Baseball could and should implement a World Cup-type championship. It wouldn't be on the same level as the FIFA World Cup, but there are certainly countries who would be interested.

USA
Japan
Canada
S. Korea
Cuba
Dominican Republic
Mexico
Taiwan
Colombia
Venezuela
Nicaragua
Panama
Australia
Puerto Rico (not technically separate from the US though)
Holland
Italy (the 2 Euro nations with pro baseball systems)

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Change is the only constant

[This message has been edited by Foxxern (edited 01-18-2002).]