I'm watching the US hockey team (full of pros) beat the shit out of the Latvians. Contrasted to the 1980 US hockey team, the most famous of all time, full of amateurs.
1984 US basketball team, including Joe Kleine and Alvin Robertson, was the last amateur one. By 1988 Bird, Barkley, Magic and Michael took over. So for 40 years now "amateurism" in Olympic sports has been dead. Sure, many sports remain "amateur" because there is no pro version (biathlon). But there is no bright barrier or division.
What happened in the Olympics 40 years ago happened in college sports within the last 10. The NIL ruling killed amateurism (even as fake or sham as it was at times, at some schools). It's straight-up professionals now, feeder leagues to the "real" professionals, but sometimes paid even better. Bediako was just a blip on the radar, it won't be too long before players will be able to go back and forth from college to the pros. Since college and the pros are for all intents and purposes the same thing now.
Is this good or bad? Did "amateurism" ever mean anything? Did it exist? Was it important? I remember learning some about that in Dr. James Chase's History of American Sport (not sure about the title) taken in the late 1980s. And wiki treats it, below.
I don't know the answers. Instinctively, I hate the professionalization of everything and I am nostalgic for amateurism as it used to exist. As I think about it, I am not sure my instincts hold up. But they're still there.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_sports
Great points.
I thought about something today. What if all the pre-NIL athletes start suing their former schools/NCAA for "reparations"?
I mean why can't D-Mac say "Wait a minute...y'all muh fukkas made a shit ton of coin off MY jersey and I didn't get SHIT...so hook a brotha up!!!"
If you are good at something you never do it for free.
You can still watch amature sports but at that level its like watching womens basketball. Just turible. Except for car racing. The more amature that sport goes the better it is.
Viewers like you and me are the reason high level sports sucks. We demanded it, created value and allowed ESPN to monitize it. We turned amatures into professionals.
Who would have ever though wrestling would have gone mainstream. But there I am at 5:30 in the monring on the treadmill at the gym and wrestling promos are flashing across ESPN's sports center. We have professional hunters and fisherpersons. Everything has been tainted and there is no going back.
Quote from: Zoso on Feb 12, 2026, 04:46 PMGreat points.
I thought about something today. What if all the pre-NIL athletes start suing their former schools/NCAA for "reparations"?
I mean why can't D-Mac say "Wait a minute...y'all muh fukkas made a shit ton of coin off MY jersey and I didn't get SHIT...so hook a brotha up!!!"
the house settlement goes back to 2016 only because the judge extended the antitrust statute of limitations which was four years. so in a way it was reparations.
i guess those older guys could try to get a case brought to court but it would take a lot of money and time.
Both Olympics(especially summer) are chick events now. Human interest horseshit that only a woman would care about, not showing the popular men's sports during prime time, focusing on the women ones, etc. If you want to see how apathetic men are about the Olympics, look at the current thread.
Quote from: Show-Me Hog on Feb 12, 2026, 04:41 PMI'm watching the US hockey team (full of pros) beat the shit out of the Latvians. Contrasted to the 1980 US hockey team, the most famous of all time, full of amateurs.
1984 US basketball team, including Joe Kleine and Alvin Robertson, was the last amateur one. By 1988 Bird, Barkley, Magic and Michael took over. So for 40 years now "amateurism" in Olympic sports has been dead. Sure, many sports remain "amateur" because there is no pro version (biathlon). But there is no bright barrier or division.
What happened in the Olympics 40 years ago happened in college sports within the last 10. The NIL ruling killed amateurism (even as fake or sham as it was at times, at some schools). It's straight-up professionals now, feeder leagues to the "real" professionals, but sometimes paid even better. Bediako was just a blip on the radar, it won't be too long before players will be able to go back and forth from college to the pros. Since college and the pros are for all intents and purposes the same thing now.
Is this good or bad? Did "amateurism" ever mean anything? Did it exist? Was it important? I remember learning some about that in Dr. James Chase's History of American Sport (not sure about the title) taken in the late 1980s. And wiki treats it, below.
I don't know the answers. Instinctively, I hate the professionalization of everything and I am nostalgic for amateurism as it used to exist. As I think about it, I am not sure my instincts hold up. But they're still there.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_sports
Not to be an asshole but we didn't start allowing NBA players on our Olympic team until 1992. The 1988 team failing to win gold was a big motivator for that change.
Quote from: DirkPiggler on Feb 12, 2026, 05:46 PMNot to be an asshole but we didn't start allowing NBA players on our Olympic team until 1992. The 1988 team failing to win gold was a big motivator for that change.
Asshole or not, you are absolutely correct. I misread the wiki entry about the 1984 team.
It was the last amateur-level U.S. team to win an Olympic championship in men's basketball.I read "win" as "compete" and thought the 1988 team was the pro team. And as you say, it was 1992.
That 1984 team in LA was really cool. We were the only school with two players on it. We had just gotten a vcr and my dad went to great efforts to program and tape the whole Olympics. It's still my joke with him to ask if he's been watching any of the '84 summer games lately.
Quote from: DRYANKNPULL on Feb 12, 2026, 06:13 PMThat 1984 team in LA was really cool. We were the only school with two players on it. We had just gotten a vcr and my dad went to great efforts to program and tape the whole Olympics. It's still my joke with him to ask if he's been watching any of the '84 summer games lately.
Bobby Knight > John Thompson.
Nolan was an assistant for the 1984 team during Olympic trials, obviously while he was still coaching at Tulsa.
That team was so good that Charles Barkley, one of the best pros of our generation and a later gold medalist from 1992, got cut during trials.
Quote from: Show-Me Hog on Feb 12, 2026, 04:41 PMI'm watching the US hockey team (full of pros) beat the shit out of the Latvians. Contrasted to the 1980 US hockey team, the most famous of all time, full of amateurs.
1984 US basketball team, including Joe Kleine and Alvin Robertson, was the last amateur one. By 1988 Bird, Barkley, Magic and Michael took over. So for 40 years now "amateurism" in Olympic sports has been dead. Sure, many sports remain "amateur" because there is no pro version (biathlon). But there is no bright barrier or division.
What happened in the Olympics 40 years ago happened in college sports within the last 10. The NIL ruling killed amateurism (even as fake or sham as it was at times, at some schools). It's straight-up professionals now, feeder leagues to the "real" professionals, but sometimes paid even better. Bediako was just a blip on the radar, it won't be too long before players will be able to go back and forth from college to the pros. Since college and the pros are for all intents and purposes the same thing now.
Is this good or bad? Did "amateurism" ever mean anything? Did it exist? Was it important? I remember learning some about that in Dr. James Chase's History of American Sport (not sure about the title) taken in the late 1980s. And wiki treats it, below.
I don't know the answers. Instinctively, I hate the professionalization of everything and I am nostalgic for amateurism as it used to exist. As I think about it, I am not sure my instincts hold up. But they're still there.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_sports
What made the 80 team victory so special was that they were amateurs competing against fake amateurs from all the national teams of pros, especially from the fucking Soviet bloc. Those cocksuckers were all pros in that it was their only jobs as they were subjected to various physical enhancements. Amateurism in the Olympics was a sham from 1936.
Quote from: Lurk on Feb 12, 2026, 05:29 PMBoth Olympics(especially summer) are chick events now. Human interest horseshit that only a woman would care about, not showing the popular men's sports during prime time, focusing on the women ones, etc. If you want to see how apathetic men are about the Olympics, look at the current thread.
Most of the Olympic events that are popular with women (figure skating, gymnastics, etc) don't interest me as they are judged, therefore subjective. To quote the Dude "Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man"
I realise there are subjective elements to most sports, particularly when it comes to officiating, but its not the ultimate measure of outcome.
Quote from: DirkPiggler on Feb 12, 2026, 08:27 PMBobby Knight > John Thompson.
Nolan was an assistant for the 1984 team during Olympic trials, obviously while he was still coaching at Tulsa.
That team was so good that Charles Barkley, one of the best pros of our generation and a later gold medalist from 1992, got cut during trials.
There's a great story Knight used to tell about Jordan on that '84 team. You can find it on YouTube.
Basically they're beating the absolute shit out of some country at halftime and Jordan is unstoppable and doing everything right.
Knight is thinking to himself "what the hell am I even going to say at half in the locker room?" So he walks in and immediately screams "goddammit Jordan when are you ever going to set a screen?" MJ shoots back "coach, you said I was the quickest player you ever saw, I think I'm setting them faster than you can see 'em." Knight pauses and then says "well goddammit slow it down a bit."
Here you go. I loved Bobby Knight and would send my kid to play for him today if he was lucky enough. RIP Bobby Knight you glorious bastard.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iqp_TEqPMAc
And while we're talking Bobby Knight - THE halftime speech.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Chdg7wEGfYw