Olympics: Will the Olympics ever be a true best on best?

[Yakushev72]

Dude, everything in here is a lie and myth...every word of it... that was my point. For the purposes of this thread, the truth is anything I want it to be as that seems to be the starting point of everybody else around here. Kompella was an incompetent amateur ref, a manager of a disco with an apparent anti-Canadian agenda who was in the pocket of the Russians. There! That's my truth...

A West German disco with an anti-Canadian agenda? That's the first I've heard of such a thing.

 

[markz*]

As the miasma of lies has reached epic proportions in this thread, where there is little to no regard for anything other than tom foolery, I'd thought I may as well add my opinion to the mix, in the game of hockey, Canada had no equal then and has no equal now. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it. Tell that to the East German ref in '72. If you don't agree with it, well hey it's all folklore now.

Believe whatever you want, a real discussion is happening here and you've been shown not to be that reliable, and were proven wrong, again, as shown by other users.

Now back to topic please - I also feel the Olympics should structure the tournament to have the Best 8-10 teams only all play each other (They had 8 in 2006 and up to 7 last year), and whoever has the best record Wins

- Only facing each country once actually gives a better picture of how well you deal with the high stakes - playing again is kind of pointless to be honest - you could play 50 more times and go 49-1 or 25-25. It will just keep going -arguments will never end)

 

[SatanwasaSlovak]

The most prestigious and successful team sports tournament in international play is the FIFA World Cup and it runs on almost exactly the same system.

Fifa is a corrupt organisation who'll never trust true skill and is always giving the bigger countries advantages in terms of the lottery for example where they give the old great countries advantages for being good before instead of having a freely based lottery without seeding. But of course it is for entertainment and FIFA would never allow a playoff with only small obscure countries and the big ones knocked of early.

Then we have the doping issue which have connections to the doping in cycling and tennis aswell.

The more i read about it the more i loose my interest in following this spectacle.

 

[Eidolan]

Right now, we have the prelim stage and then a playoff round, but out of the top 8 hockey countries in the world, Top nations only usually face 3 usually, to sometimes 4 of the Best Countries in the tournament.

I like how in the Canada Cups (round robin system only), they have every country play each other, which is more telling. I know personally lots of people that have the feeling even that if you win the Olympics, you only really play 3-4 of the Top 8 countries.

Also, Each Champion since 1998 has also lost in the Tournament, and they've only faced 1/2 of the other Best Countries. System needs to change to give a better picture.

Also it's seems that N.A countries excel in Small Ice and Euro Countries excel in Big Ice, and - maybe go to a hybrid ice?

Edit: I don't think it will ever exist the way it's structured either, unless


1. Each Country plays each other, and the one with the Best Record wins the Gold* (Most Logical). -*But to be the undisputed Best, going undefeated has to be absolute.

or

2. The old way in the Olympics up until 1992 - 2 Groups of Countries play all teams in their grouping, and the Top 2 teams of each Group play each other in a "Final Four" where the best record wins the Gold.


Additionally:
* Ice Size must be neutral for all countries involved (Olympic sized Ice - Hybrid Ice)

* Referees must be neutral for all countries involved (one from each country that is playing in THAT specific game - not hard to do)


Both are better than today's system, and closer to a true best on best.

Gary Battman and NHL says NO!

 

[rojac]

Still wondering, can anyone confirm why the Olympics changed their format after 1988 (In 1992) to go from each country playing each other and the one with the Best record gets the Gold (I think)?

I assume to have the drama of a playoff and big game for the grand prize.