tailgater wrote:If we want the professionals then we should stop funding the IOC. Pro's by definition already make money to train and perform their skills, so why should we bother?
The olympics are special BECAUSE the athletes aren't pros. Or weren't.
Send our best?
In hockey (the sport in question) there are World Cup games or some equivalent. Let the pros play those. Put the amateurs into the olympics.
We watch professional athletes all year every year. Each olympics are once every 4 years.
Why the hell would we want to watch the same athletes in those games?
Steve mentioned Lake Placid. The most obvious example.
Another is basketball: Other than the original Dream Team with Larry and Michael has anyone even watch an olympics basketball game since then?
Olympics should mean no professionals. At least not in the major sports.
I think they should keep the professional women curling team. So we can showcase our very best...
I wholeheartedly agree with all of this.
Maybe I'm just a nostalgic old fart, but to me, the Olympics still should be an amateur competition. I'm well aware that it got difficult to tell what amateur meant... but, just get few smart sports people i a room and hammer out a definition.
And while they're at it, tighten up the rules (if there are any) regarding who can play for what nation. I don't care if its citizenship, or some period of validated residency...whatever....but the Olympics' 'rent-a-pro' crap is really depressing to me.