Ok, so once we get rid of gov funding for sports can we get rid of it for the arts too? Let's face it, if Opera was worth watching it wouldn't need the government to fund it, if the olympics was worth watching it wouldn't need the taxpayers to fund it. I might watch the olympics if they got rid of the ban on performance drugs, I want to see drugged up superhumans in the martial arts sections. EDIT: oh yeah, I meant to say that they shouldn't be allowed to call it a gold medal unless a significant portion of the medal is gold. Maybe call it a Gold Medal (TM), or a Goldish Medal
some one really does not get the meaning of pro athlete here. Pro means to be paid, all Olympic athletes are not pro as they do not get paid for representing any country at the olympic games. pro athlete = some one who gets paid for being an athlete. elite athlete = someone who is very good at it. armchair athlete = me.
tennis is a pro sport but the players also compete in tennis at the olympics, perhaps for no money on the day but you can bet your boots they earn a nice sum if they win, magazines, media interviews ect ect. a bit like a footy player that wins a brownlow medal, it pays nothing yet they earn over 500k afterwards in promo's. even though olympic athletes don't get paid on the day, they earn off the olympics through media just like a pro, the good ones eat off the olympics for 4 years until the next, the rest have rich parents anyway, someone has to fill the sports magazine pages, corporate nerds pay ship loads to gold medalists just to talk about themselves to a room full of 'em, they get TV shows, on the sport news, commentating, high class jobs if they have an education aswell, everything is out there for them, so it's merely a matter of getting paid tommorow for what you did today. Ian thorpe would be a great stacker I reckon, has lots of cash to buy and already has a neat stack to start with.
Soon they will be awarding food stamps Cheap bastards If they didn't have to pay off the IOC members votes every athlete could receive a Pure .9999 medal REDBACK
The amount of time effort and dedication to receive a gold medal is astounding. I have a friend who won a gold medal in whistler and ever since I met her skiing has been her focus. I don't have a problem with governments funding amateur athletes represent their country it makes more sense than. Bailing out banks, and automobile companies. The olympics have a way of bringing the country together ask anyone in vancouver for the 2010 hockey win it was an amazing time to be a Canadian. But back to topic I think a gold plated metal is lame. These days the coolest gold trophy in sport goes to the winner of the Nike Lowers pro at Trestles for surfing. Its a solid 14kt gold railway spike valued at 31,000. I think they get prize money to, but the spike is rad. Here's a pic of last years winner miguel pupo of brazil. http://www.nikelowerspro.com/files/2010/04/Miguel-Pupo-Spike-5374.jpg
2012 Olympic logo. lol Look on youtube for the 2012 Olympic logo's hidden meaning. A ton of conpiracies about it.
