Olympics: "Amateur" athletes

[Eichel 9]

I was watching the Olympics the other day and the announcer was talking about how all of the best amateur athletes gathered for this event.

How the heck are Olympic athletes considered to be amateurs? They get paid and train like crazy to be the best.

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[Epsilon]

I was watching the Olympics the other day and the announcer was talking about how all of the best amateur athletes gathered for this event.

How the heck are Olympic athletes considered to be amateurs? They get paid and train like crazy to be the best.

There are a lot of idiots who think that "amateur" = "athlete who doesn't play in the NFL, NBA, NHL, or MLB"

 

[HarlemsFinest]

ya i'm sure these are are luging 35 hours a week.

most of these people have normal jobs unless they are truly world class top level in their sport.

olympics and winning a medal doesn't really pay much. countries can pay their athletes incentives when they win, but most people are indeed bagging groceries by march.

so unless the sport you practice pays your living. you are an amateur athlete.

 

[Spence334]

ya i'm sure these are are luging 35 hours a week.

most of these people have normal jobs unless they are truly world class top level in their sport.

olympics and winning a medal doesn't really pay much. countries can pay their athletes incentives when they win, but most people are indeed bagging groceries by march.

so unless the sport you practice pays your living. you are an amateur athlete.

This

Most athletes are amateurs. They don't get paid anything to compete at these games. I'm pretty sure guys like Bolt and Phelps make money off endorsements

 

[HarlemsFinest]

which is not to say that the level of work they do is no at a professionnal level. it's just the context of the definition is more in a corporate sense than practical. they are professional amateurs.

 

[Brodie]

The majority of sports at the Olympics are professional now. Using the likes of luge, one of the few that isn't, as an example is just silly.

 

[tomf]

This

Most athletes are amateurs. They don't get paid anything to compete at these games. I'm pretty sure guys like Bolt and Phelps make money off endorsements

Correct me if I'm wrong but Bolt is getting well over 100K for every meet he starts. I'm pretty sure that track and field athletes are pros.

 

[RTN]

The Olympics was originally just for amateurs. Now the individual federations are allowed to decide the rules. I'm sure there are still a significant number of amateurs still in the Olympics, but yes, many are professional now.

For instance, one of the Russian lugers I believe is a butcher by trade.

 

[Hasbro]

The old form of ameteurism was an exploitive sham that had no basis in history anyway. So if you're the best in the world at something and can make a living at it, good for you.

 

[FruityPants3*]

I had the same reaction when I found out the truth about bangbus.

 

[Hockeyfan_86]

If the Nhl does not participate in the Sochi games, who would Canada and the rest of the world use as their athletes?
I know that the CHL pays their players a stipend that makes them ineligible for NCAA hockey...so I guess CHL players are a no. Anyone know anything about this?

 

[Brodie]

Luge, skeleton and bobseld are the exceptions, not the rules. Name another sport that is completely amateur in the Winter Games.

If the Nhl does not participate in the Sochi games, who would Canada and the rest of the world use as their athletes?
I know that the CHL pays their players a stipend that makes them ineligible for NCAA hockey...so I guess CHL players are a no. Anyone know anything about this?

People are confused here. Countries have been allowed to send pros to the Olympics since 1988... the NHL only got involved in 1998. CHLers would be eligible to go and likely would like they did in 1988-1994... as would AHLers.

 

[awesomo]

Jon Montgomery (gold medal skeleton) is an auctioneer... hes awesome

 

[Mayor Bee]

[deleted]

 

[FootKnight]

Luge, skeleton and bobseld are the exceptions, not the rules. Name another sport that is completely amateur in the Winter Games.

Curling?

 

[robdicks]

The Olympics was originally just for amateurs. Now the individual federations are allowed to decide the rules. I'm sure there are still a significant number of amateurs still in the Olympics, but yes, many are professional now.

For instance, one of the Russian lugers I believe is a butcher by trade.

correct me if im wrong, but one of the swiss hockey players in 06 was a carpenter i believe

 

[Eichel 9]

correct me if im wrong, but one of the swiss hockey players in 06 was a carpenter i believe

Don't the Swiss players average like 300k a year?

 

[Plager05]

I would like to know what percentage of olympians were born into families you would call poor.

I don't see how you can end up an olympic athlete unless your parents have been spending thousands of dollars training you since you were 6 or 7.

Most of the athletes come from pretty well off families or legacy families(i.e. their parents competed)

 

[Jack Tripper]

one thing you definitely notice with amateur athletes is they don't give scripted answers during interviews

it's quite refreshing

 

[Eichel 9]

I would like to know what percentage of olympians were born into families you would call poor.

I don't see how you can end up an olympic athlete unless your parents have been spending thousands of dollars training you since you were 6 or 7.

Most of the athletes come from pretty well off families or legacy families(i.e. their parents competed)

Many Olympic sports are for rich people, it's definitely true.

 

[zbubble]

Luge, skeleton and bobseld are the exceptions, not the rules. Name another sport that is completely amateur in the Winter Games.

Biathalon, speed skating, figure skating, skiing, ski jumping, pretty much everything NOT hockey and snowboarding.

 

[robdicks]

Don't the Swiss players average like 300k a year?

yeah this was 4 years ago and i believe it was just one guy... but i might be confusing it with a different team...

i dont think i am tho.. because i was really mad when canada lost to a carpenter

 

[Plager05]

Biathalon, speed skating, figure skating, skiing, ski jumping, pretty much everything NOT hockey and snowboarding.

All the sports you named take at least a thousand USD a year to play, at minimum. And I'm talking about play casually, not train to be the best in the world at. The cost skyrockets when you start to need a lot of facility time.

Hockey looks like the cheapest sport you listed.

 

[Brodie]

Biathalon, speed skating, figure skating, skiing, ski jumping, pretty much everything NOT hockey and snowboarding.

They all earn endorsement money and have tours and world cups. Try again.

 

[David Brent]

yeah this was 4 years ago and i believe it was just one guy... but i might be confusing it with a different team...

i dont think i am tho.. because i was really mad when canada lost to a carpenter

The guy you're thinking of is PÃ¥l Grotnes. He worked as a carpenter until about 6 months ago, when he was given a sort of a scholarship so that he could focus on hockey. He's Norway's goalie by the way