Comments on: Why I’m Glad Amateurism is Basically Dead in the Olympics

By: Are the Olympics Still Relevant?

Are the Olympics Still Relevant? — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 15:35:48 +0000

[...] has a lot to do with Rico’s original post on the death of amateurism in the Olympics. Taking the point further, perhaps we can argue that the Olympics themselves are [...]

By: Contract Worker - Are Passion and Profit Mutually Exclusive?

Contract Worker - Are Passion and Profit Mutually Exclusive? — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 15:03:01 +0000

[...] can limit a sport’s potential (see my post in Light the Torch regarding Why I’m Glad Amateurism is Basically Dead In the Olympics). And Bobby Jones was lucky to be born into a well-to-do family that gave him the chances and [...]

By: Rico Mossesgeld

Rico Mossesgeld — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 04:14:18 +0000

Haha, I think I read that issue too. Yeah, the athletes weren’t amateurs, and they weren’t above bribing the judge to fix the game. :o

And that’s what makes this Olympic “ideal” of amateurism even more absurd. I’m glad Baron Pierre de Coubertin revived the games, but I’m also glad that today’s Olympics are more open, and that wealth is no longer a requirement. A focus on passion and talent makes for an interesting game, no? :)

By: driver ng bayan

driver ng bayan — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 04:05:21 +0000

And this was another unfair aspect amateurism unintentionally brought to the Olympics. It made it harder for the less fortunate to compete.

I read in either Time or Reader’s Digest several months ago that this was intentional, at least in the modern incarnation of the Olympics. Those who drafted the charter wanted to limit participation to the wealthy.

As for the ancient Olympics, the athletes were not amateurs – at least not in the true sense of the word. They competed for glory, which brought money. This allowed them, if I remember correctly, to earn in one competition, what the average worker would earn in a whole year.

That’s what I remember. I can’t really cite anything now, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be digging through my shelves soon.

By: Why are You Glad Amateurism is Dead in the Olympics? at Fool for Five

Why are You Glad Amateurism is Dead in the Olympics? at Fool for Five — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 01:48:29 +0000

[...] Sasha has gracefully allowed me to write for her problog on the Olympics and other world sports events, Light the Torch. So feel free to visit the site, and find out the answer to this question. [...]