Let’s accept a simple fact: Amateurism just doesn’t work for the Olympics. And it’s not because cities can allegedly win hosting bids through lots of money. Keeping athletes from earning money from sports is simply unfair.

The word amateur is actually French, meaning “lover of.” Thus the amateur ideal is someone who plays just for the love of the game, without expecting to win money. But I believe such an ideal is irrelevant in today’s world. I’m not saying Olympians nowadays no longer love their sports. I mean, only true passion will keep a person struggling through the many practices and trials required to develop the skill and talent to suceed.

The Olympics does bring out the best of the world, especially in Track and Field. Thus, to have any chance of winning, competitors must spend a lot of their time training. So if most of their schedule is occupied, how else will they be able to put bread on the table? They’ll need venues to prove their prowess, and be rewarded for such with money. That’s where non-Olympic or regional competitions come in. But the thing was, if you were paid for competing, goodbye Olympics. It didn’t even matter if you’ve earned money through a different sport, as Jim Thorpe found out the hard way.

It’s unreasonable to expect atheletes not to make money off something they spend so much productive time on. Recognition and fame is good, but like I said, you still need to put bread on the table. Such a problem wouldn’t exist for the wealthy. Much of their income is passive, and thus they can concentrate on their athletic dreams easily. And this was another unfair aspect amateurism unintentionally brought to the Olympics. It made it harder for the less fortunate to compete. The Olympics is the showcase of talent it is today because people from all walks of life now have a chance to compete. Who said that only the rich can do it harder, faster, better, stronger?

So I’m glad that amateurism is basically dead in the Olympics, because it allows people to be justly rewarded for simply following the dream of being the best in the world.

Post from: EveryJoe

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