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Aussie Ora

Go the Aussie girls

By Aussie Ora, in Jokes, Ribbin' & Misc Banter!

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KevinD Member

KevinD

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I've never been a fan of allowing professional athletes to compete in the Olympics.  Over the years it SEEMS like the US men's BB team has exhibited the attitude of entitlement - while I personally would not like to see US men's team lose I think they need a dose of humility so in that respect, I hope somebody does beat them.   And I have to agree with you Aussie Ora, I think that they should not be on a cruise ship, they should be in the Olympic Village with the rest of the athletes.   I sure as heck  hope that they are paying for that out of their own pockets and that no US Olympic organization funds are being spent to pamper them in that way.  All of the money should be going to train and support our amateur athletes! 

But since this is the Komodo forum, I say let's go light up our KK's for epic cooks in celebration of the vast majority of the Olympians! 

Edited by KevinD
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CeramicChef Senior Member

CeramicChef

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As a former jock, a baseball catcher, I have to ask Just what you think an amateur amounts to being?  I had my college education paid for by playing baseball.  I traded my services for tuition.  I got paid a stipend along with that.  That amounts to pay for play, the very definition of a nonamateur.  I also played in the minor leagues.  What I got paid was a pittance, but I still got paid.  I never made it to The Show, never even got to see The Big House.  Have never made a major league roster, was I am amateur?

It has been widely reported that the Aussie Olympic team took one look at the sorry state of their assigned housing in the Olympic Village and booked accommodations in a Rio hotel.  Given Kevin's arguments, I certainly hope those Aussie jocks are paying for those rooms out of their own pockets! ;)

I used to live in Colorado Springs, Colorado, home to the largest USOC training facility.  Our "amateur athletes" are subsidized in more ways than you want to know.  They are on the payrolls of Bank of America, Wells Fargo, etc. and their jobs are to train and win medals.  The IOC and the USOC are billion $ entities. The guys who run the IOC and the IOC and the other Organizing Olympic Committees are all paid well into 6  figures at a minimum.  So much for "Amateur" status, huh?

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KevinD Member

KevinD

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Fair enough CC...I suppose I should make clear where my sentiment comes from and quite frankly I have to say that I am painting most professional athletes with too broad of a brush.  At the same time there is no doubt that collegiate athletics in the United States is also a huge moneymaking machine that benefit many, though mostly to the exclusion of the bulk of the athletes themselves except for the education that hopefully they have gained. Very few student athletes are fortunate enough (blessed?) to make it to the pros and reap the big benefits/dollars, so let us hope that they did indeed get an education that they are able to use. Your comments about the Olympic movement have to be at acknowledged as well. 

My sentiment about "pro athletes" started quite some time ago and is focused on baseball professionals that negotiated multiyear contracts for big dollars, only to complain a couple of years later when "they" were no longer the highest paid and then wanted to renegotiate their contract for more money because they felt they were suddenly "undervalued."  Really?   Were they getting bad advice, perhaps from some "greedy sports agent" or other advisers???  Who can say but then they should have signed single season contracts and been prepared to reap the rewards of another "big year" and also, pay the price when falling flat on their "big fat wallet" - OK, also have to acknowledge that most of those athletes that sign big dollar contracts have every intent and really want to perform to earn the dollars that they just signed for…heavy sigh!  And lastly, I know this is not limited to just baseball...

OK climbing down from my soap box and stopping my perhaps somewhat illogical rant … LOL!

 

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CeramicChef Senior Member

CeramicChef

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Kevin - I most certainly understand your points of view.  While I understand, I tend to disagree.  Athletic talent is a wasting resource.  Careers are limited and owners of professional teams are incredibly mercurial.  Take Al Davis of the Oakland Raiders and his relationship with Marcus Allen.  Davis benched Davis during the height of his career.  Davis benched Allen for years.  On a whim.  Davis paid the contract out, but Davis never saw the field. Davis was a vindictive jerk and not a soul on earth can tell you why Davis had it in for Allen.  The equivalent for you would be to be put in a room with a desk,, a chair, bare white walls, and you're made to sit there from 8-5 every single day.  Where is the justice in that?  In every contract there are more expectations than those reduced to writing.

Athletic markets change all the time.  Look at A-Rod.  The Yankees have marginalized him the last few seasons and have even essentially released him because his talent isn't what it once was.  So they marginalized A-Rod.  The Yankees haven't met expectations of  A-Rod, fans, media, etc.  where is the justice in how A-Rod has been treated?

Certainly jocks do sign long-term contracts.  But years down the road when average players get paid more than bona fide superstars, something needs to be done.  Contracts in business are broken all the time due to changes in market conditions.  Why shouldn't the same be done in athletics?  

Finally, you forget all too easily the treatment owners shoveled out to players in years past.  Owners made hundreds of millions while paying a mere pittance to players.  Think again of the great Yankee teams of the 50s and 60s.  Not a soul on earth will dispute those players were underpaid.  Nobody ever came to their aid and asked Yankee ownership to pony up.  

Yours is a one way vision of looking at a very real problem.  I've been on both sides of the deal.  I agree some jocks are very self-impressed and incredible boors.  But so are the owners.  Never forget there are at least two sides to every contract.  Owners aren't as pure as the driven snow and jocks don't wear halos.  However, I do feel that the majority of jocks do fulfill their contracts and the few boors give the rest a bad name.

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CeramicChef Senior Member

CeramicChef

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1 hour ago, KevinD said:

Hi CC - have to agree with what you're saying...I guess Curt Flood and others that first battled for free agency did do a service to even out the playing ground...

Kevin!  Dadgum, I'm seriously, seriously impressed!  You know the Curt Flood sad saga!  Mega Kudos to ya!  Flood's is a name mostly lost to history.  Wow, Buddy, you're not just another pretty KK owner! ;)

Every professional jock owes Curt Flood a huge debt.  

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