American Olympic Basketball

[pingpong_fiasco]

Basketball should not be in the Olympics (neither should football, baseball, nor beach volleyball, among other sports)
But it is. Thus:
America should dominate it
But they won't this year.
Why?
Because they can't shoot from outside (even though the three point line is a step and a hlaf closer in olympic b-ball).
Frankly, although I could not care less about b-ball, unless I am playing it (which I so dearly love to do), I think that the Americans will win the silver medal (at best)

[Jack_The_Ripper]

Basketball should not be in the Olympics (neither should football, baseball, nor beach volleyball, among other sports)

Agreed.

Do you mean North American or European football?

[pingpong_fiasco]

soccer, my good man, soccer. olympic soccer is the greatest scam there is. the teams are hobbled by age selection rules, and clubs generally don't want to release the players for the olympics. hence, the competition sucks -- do any of you think that Iraq really should have beaten Portugal? Really? soccer is there only for the revenue it brings in. it, to quote Marsellus Wallace, is "pretty fucking far" from sporting excellence, and is merely a cash cow.

p.s. although both american football and soccer are equally as fun to play, american football sucks as a spectator sport.

[ferreter]

Isn't women's wrestling in the olympics this year?

If I were to boot an event out the olympics it would be sychonized swimming.

If I were to add an event it would be an extreme sport like skateboarding or base jumping.

[Meliz]

heh heh. And syncronised diving... WTF is that? Team sports and silly made-up sports with subjective "style" or "artistic merit" components have no place in the games IMO.

[Canuck]

I don't understand how they can have wrestling in the Olympics, but not allow such superstars like The Rock or Triple H to participate. I mean, they allow professionals in other sports, like the NBAers in basketball. It's just not right...

[ferreter]

Originally posted by Canuck
I don't understand how they can have wrestling in the Olympics, but not allow such superstars like The Rock or Triple H to participate. I mean, they allow professionals in other sports, like the NBAers in basketball. It's just not right...

I think the Olympics is for professional athletes not professional actors :P

[Rich]

Originally posted by ferreter
I think the Olympics is for professional athletes not professional actors :P
Used to be that it was for amateur athletes. What ever happened to that?

[pingpong_fiasco]

i watched the Americans beat Greece last night in B-ball; good game actually. Perhas they will gel ...

And in answer to your rhetorical question rich, money. The games need to be paid for, so having the most famous atheletes just makes sense.

But it will not happen to soccer. Olympic years are the same years that Europe, Asia, and South America (not sure about the other three) have their confederation cups ... that's simply too much wear and tear for the players, who also face gruelling club campaigns. I am not expressing sympathy for those overpaid, over-privileged people, but rather acknowledging that despite their obscene salaries, they are expected to do too much -- the human body simply can't take that kind of punishment too long. Look at Paul Scholes -- 29, and retired from international football!

[Mr Pink]

I always enjoy watching the table tennis, man they can play some SERIOUS ping pong.

[pingpong_fiasco]

well, now a loss to lithuania ...

[pingpong_fiasco]

Originally posted by Mr Pink
I always enjoy watching the table tennis, man they can play some SERIOUS ping pong.
i am all the serious ping pong that you need!

[Frith]

pp_f, that sounded so homosexual, it's not even funny.

I just watch the Olympics so I can watch the girls do all sorts of hot, hot gymnastics.

Mmmm...cameltoes. :p

Hey, why should I lie about it? :cool:

[Jack_The_Ripper]

Why isn't Lacrosse in the Olympics? I'm sure the ancient Greeks would aprove of that long before they'd approve of half the stuff that is currently in it.

Oh well, I don't really like the summer Olympics so my opinion is void.

[Meliz]

I knowit J-T-R... hey I have kin in BC... one of my cuz's was a big time lacross player, and on the Canadian team-- it's huge out there eh?

[Jack_The_Ripper]

I don't know for sure. I'm not a huge fan. I prefer archery and hockey myself. Lacrosse is fun to watch though... It has a very fast pace.

[pingpong_fiasco]

Well, I called an American silver, and now it looks like they will have to settle for a bronze (if anything). Who would have thought that things could get this bad for NBA players?

cheers, dr. (since I hate the NBA but love hoops, I am gloating) pp_f

[Mr Pink]

What about the young UK boxer, Khan. 17 years old and a shot a gold. C'mon my son...

[320mb]

Originally posted by pingpong_fiasco
Who would have thought that things could get this bad for NBA players?

looks like this is what we can expect from American Professional Sports...........a bunch of $overpaid underachievers!!

[ferreter]

Originally posted by 320mb
looks like this is what we can expect from American Professional Sports...........a bunch of $overpaid underachievers!!

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/spo_sum_oly_med_all_tim

Take your foot and shove it in your pie hole.

[noja]

Originally posted by Rich
Used to be that it was for amateur athletes. What ever happened to that?

The poor European kids go professional when they're 15 in some sports. If it were all amateur they wouldn't have a team.

[Rich]

Some rich American kids go pro when they are 15 too, I'm sure...

When I was growing up, the Olympians were all amateurs. Then they started letting in the pro tennis players - while making the track athletes stay amateur. There was some hypocrisy for a while, which I did not like. If the field is even and anyone can turn pro if they want, them I do not actually have a grudge.

[Canuck]

The US needs to pick at least a couple people for its team that can shoot from more than 12 feet out, and who don't mind playing defence, at least once in a while. Plus, having people who don't mind passing the ball and like to play a team game rather than run clearouts every time they go up and down the court wouldn't hurt.

Plus, the reason the Olympics was only intended for amateurs is that way, in theory at least, only the monied elite could particicpate. The great unwashed would be too busy working for their existence to be able to dedicate the time neccessary to play sports at the Olympic level.