I've lost my respect for Ray Allen

That is funny that you bring up the Olympics. The hubby and I were talking and his take on it is that just like other countries send there best of the best, he thinks that we should send the NBA Championship Team to the Olympics. I then had to retort that participating in the Olympics is a choice. Those who go choose to. We just can't force the champions to go and represent the USA.

He also thinks that if you are getting paid to play for an NBA team in US of A then you should not be able to go and play for your "home country" in the olympics. IE-Peja, Dirk, Ginobili etc...... But, again, it is a choice and if they have dual citizenship what can you do.

What is weird to me is that for the longest time and I believe it still stands true for some of the sports represented in olympics that you could not be a professional in that sport and have gotten paid for it to particpate in the olympics. Am I wrong on that? I seem to remember that applying to Ice Skating. Anyway....what are your thoughts about the olympics?
 
Well if Sprewell was picked to play in the Olympics they would have to pay him. His children need to eat afterall.
 
vj9999 said:
Well if Sprewell was picked to play in the Olympics they would have to pay him. His children need to eat afterall.
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good one

how about pat ewing: "we make a lot of money, but we spend a lot of money"
 
It should be an honor to represent your country, athletes in other sports seem to think so why should basketball be any different? Oh yea because most of the best are greedy and would rather stay home and make millions off endorsements. Personally I think it's despiccable behavior. They should beg to be on that team. I guess that's the price we have to pay for these overpaid athletes.
 
SacKingsFX said:
He said that NBA players should get paid to play in the olympics.
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I don't see why not. This is a capitalist country, I would think that paying your players is the best way to express that.

But seriously, MJ, Bird, and Magic got paid. Obveously this is a situation where if you get people who want to do something will prevail over apathetic yet more talented people. But still...

I think I am done ranting.
 
SacKingsFX said:
He said that NBA players should get paid to play in the olympics.
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Ray isn't saying players should be paid, he's saying there probably needs to be some kind of an incentive other than just the 'pride of representing your country' if the big names are to be attracted. 82 games plus playoffs is a lot of basketball, and the summer is when these guys want to rest.
 
Ray Allen34 said:
Ray isn't saying players should be paid, he's saying there probably needs to be some kind of an incentive other than just the 'pride of representing your country' if the big names are to be attracted. 82 games plus playoffs is a lot of basketball, and the summer is when these guys want to rest.
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After all 90 million dollars + for the NBA season isn't enough money. :rolleyes: These guys should just be happy that they get to play a GAME for insane amounts of money.
 
SacKingsFX said:
He said that NBA players should get paid to play in the olympics.
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I have no problem with him saying that whatsoever. He is totally entitled to his opinion.

He is a professional athlete. He is paid to perform a service and he performs that service quite well. If he chooses NOT to perform that service without pay, regardless of the circumstances, then that is his choice to make.

I personally think it was a big mistake to ever allow professionals into the Olympics in the first place. The Olympics have changed and evolved. It's no longer a place where the best amateurs come to compete for love of the sport. Hasn't been for a very long time. It's all about marketing, and VERY big bucks.

I don't think we should pay athletes to compete AND I don't think professionals should be competing at all.

Ray Allen isn't the villain here and my respect for him as an athlete has not diminished in the slightest.
 
In some sports you must still be an amateur. The problem is that things got blurred and unfair. The Soviet Union used to send there very best and claim they weren't "paid". The problem is that their atheletes were givrn state "jobs" like the military, but all they were doing was training full time. That was true of the basketball team and hockey team who essentially played together year-round. Their were other countries who did the same thing, but obviously the USSR bugged the USA the most. They felt it was specious at best to call those players amateur. They were right. Having said all that, I think its too bad that pros were ever let in. The Olympics really lost something special when that happened.
 
He also thinks that if you are getting paid to play for an NBA team in US of A then you should not be able to go and play for your "home country" in the olympics. IE-Peja, Dirk, Ginobili etc.....

No offense to your husband but this is one of the dumbest things I have heard.
 
DeAtHrOw said:
He also thinks that if you are getting paid to play for an NBA team in US of A then you should not be able to go and play for your "home country" in the olympics. IE-Peja, Dirk, Ginobili etc.....

No offense to your husband but this is one of the dumbest things I have heard.
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Why is it dumb? Because you don't agree. State your opinion but please try and keep it civilized. It's about opinions and everyone has the right to express them without someone else coming along and calling it or them dumb.
 
If someone can explain logic behind it I would be eternally grateful.
 
Olympics should be about being patriotic and giving it all for you country, unfortunately some players are only motivated by $$$$$$$$$$$$.


To a certain extent I can understand it, why risk getting injured in the Olympics and potentially miss out on your next big NBA contract.
 
His main point was that alot of people/corporations make a TON of money via merchandising and ticket sales, and the athletes see none of that money. These guys' names and images are essentially a brand, like an actor, and when they play for Team USA they are licensing that brand for free. I think it's a real good point. Kind of like the pay-for-play argument in regards to college players. The American system is a lot different from most international teams. International players gain a lot of their early notoriety through the youth national teams, whereas Americans first get noticed at the summer camps like ABCD and Nike.
 
hoopsfan said:
"But seriously, MJ, Bird, and Magic got paid."

Not to play in the Olympics.
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Yes they did.

Part of the justification for Karl Malone to ask for it this past olympics.
 
SacTownKid said:
After all 90 million dollars + for the NBA season isn't enough money. :rolleyes: These guys should just be happy that they get to play a GAME for insane amounts of money.
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That's the thing. The NBA is paying them to play, not...whoever's over the olympics. What happens if these guys go over there and get injured? Are the olympics going to reimburse them the money they could miss out on if the injury lingers through the regular season? or what if it's a career-ending injury?Most of these guys value their time away from work (just as any person does). I doubt many people would voluntarily go somewhere to do their job minus the pay on their vacation time.
 
suggestion: instead of asking the championship NBA team to come the olympics, why not ask the championship college team to come. As incentive the olympics could "donate" money to the winning school(we all know how much colleges like making money off it's players.LOL).
 
I understand why people think its "dumb" but personally I do not think that...and quite frankly thats the only way you are gonna get the players to commit...money talks...the Olympics are played in the during the NBA offseason...the couple of months a year that players actually have time to rest/relax and chill with their fams, you pull them away from that ofcourse they are gonna want to get paid...ofcourse...its more than just a two week commitment

Besides they get paid to play in the frickin all star game with the winning conference getting paid more than the other...
 
You could easily slip a clause into the standard NBA contract prohibiting national team play without the team's permission -- teams have tens of milions, and sometimes hundreds of millions tied up in these guys in guaranteed contracts, so obviously their concern is legit. Those contracts already have escape clauses for things such as motorcycle riding etc., could also have something like that for NT play. either an automatic ro team-option termination in case of injury (unlikely) or a clause not obligating the team to pay the player while he was rehabbing a major injury etc. Its all just contract stuff. No hard and fast rules.
 
Just_Lurkin said:
That's the thing. The NBA is paying them to play, not...whoever's over the olympics. What happens if these guys go over there and get injured? Are the olympics going to reimburse them the money they could miss out on if the injury lingers through the regular season? or what if it's a career-ending injury?Most of these guys value their time away from work (just as any person does). I doubt many people would voluntarily go somewhere to do their job minus the pay on their vacation time.
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Excellent point. NBA players get paid obscene amounts of money to play basketball. For them, it is a job...one that pays extremely well. Now, I enjoy the kind of work that I do. However, when it is time for an earned vacation, then, by golly, I want my vacation. I would not want to be doing my same line of work, with a different group of people, and in a new place.

Therein lies the problem of using NBA players to play in international (used to be amateur) competitions. Many athletes, in other sports, are still playing for the love of the competition and the pride in representing something. For students, they are proud to represent their school. We take it one step further and they represent their entire country. IMO-it is a shame that we got away from that and turned to the pros (all because winning became more important than the competition itself). For me....that is sad. :(
 
Representing the U.S. isn't an obligation. Getting paid is more consistent with the American spirit anyway. I find it more ridiculous when people do things for free. I'll say wow, and give them their props. But in no way do I expect it out of people. Patriotism as a whole, is more of a socialist/communist concept. It's just so much smoke without the green otherwise.

Maybe I'm just cynical but I think most people love the opportunities and benefits this country can provide them rather than the country itself. And that's fine. The American Dream is to do the best for yourself, after all. We are a nation based on individualism. You don't have to go out of your way to help anyone or represent anybody. There are plenty of altruistic people who do, but the whole idea is that no one will ever be forced.
 
eh....ray allen doesnt need anyone to respect him. i dont think he cares. his shot does the talking for him, and that is what must be respected.
 
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