Olympic Athletes vs College and Pro

[greenjoe]

Like many of you, I'm watching the Olympics. During performances, I have yet to see an athlete slam down their equiptment or make some bizarre gesture toward the crowd or try to start a fight with a fellow competitor.

And during interviews, I hear no "ah"s or a countless stream of "you know"s. When assessing their own performance or what the next step should be, I hear a well thought out statement. One could suggest it's a matter of maturity. But many Olympic athletes are in their early teens.

Are Olympic athletics coached in dealing with the media ?

Beat Texas

GO MEAN GREEN

[DT 90]

Like many of you, I'm watching the Olympics. During performances, I have yet to see an athlete slam down their equiptment or make some bizarre gesture toward the crowd or try to start a fight with a fellow competitor.

And during interviews, I hear no "ah"s or a countless stream of "you know"s. When assessing their own performance or what the next step should be, I hear a well thought out statement. One could suggest it's a matter of maturity. But many Olympic athletes are in their early teens.

Are Olympic athletics coached in dealing with the media ?

Beat Texas

GO MEAN GREEN

They are Pros. The Olympics is the pennacle of their sports and yes, some of them are very arrogant and conceited. In regards to the "ah" and "you knows", watch the snowboarders.

And no fights? Hockey hasn't started. The Candians and the Americans will fight. Europeans? Not so much. They will play dirty but won't fight.

Edited February 10, 2014 by DT 90

[UNTFan23]

What DT90 said plus with many of the Olympic sports it is an individual competition. I would also add that the Olympic games is more of a reward than a competition. Yeah, there are the competitions with medals on the line but I think if you were to ask most any athlete there they are just excited to have made it and are honored to be representing their country. It's something that only happens every four years and only spans a few weeks.

[FirefightnRick]

Like many of you, I'm watching the Olympics. During performances, I have yet to see an athlete slam down their equiptment or make some bizarre gesture toward the crowd or try to start a fight with a fellow competitor.

And during interviews, I hear no "ah"s or a countless stream of "you know"s. When assessing their own performance or what the next step should be, I hear a well thought out statement. One could suggest it's a matter of maturity. But many Olympic athletes are in their early teens.

Are Olympic athletics coached in dealing with the media ?

Beat Texas

GO MEAN GREEN

Couldn't agree more. I always notice it first when an athlete is interviewed and they speak with a respectful, professional-speaking tone. That's why I am so proud of, and have always been proud of JQ every time I have ever heard the guy talk. He was that way when he was 18 and right out of high school. Such a phenomenal ambassador for North Texas.

Rick

[Eastwood Eagle]

Also a contributing factor is most of the sports are pretty expensive to compete in and many of the athletes come from privileged backgrounds and have received a better education than most.

[DT 90]

Also a contributing factor is most of the sports are pretty expensive to compete in and many of the athletes come from privileged backgrounds and have received a better education than most.

I wouldn't cast such a broad comment about the athletes. A lot of their parents have hocked everything in order to provide the necessary coaching/ locations to advance their skills. Lots of them don't even live with thier families for long periods of time nor do they attend regular schools. They are very privileged to represent their country but they and their families have paid a very high price (not monetary) for that privilege.

[Cerebus]

Also a contributing factor is most of the sports are pretty expensive to compete in and many of the athletes come from privileged backgrounds and have received a better education than most.

That's true of every sport now. Even the NBA.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/03/opinion/sunday/in-the-nba-zip-code-matters.html

There are so many camps, all star leagues, specialized coaches, etc now that any kid from a poor background is going to be disadvantaged

[oldguystudent]

I recall some fairly aggravated exchanges between Apollo Ohno and the South Korean short track team that extended all the way to the World Cup match between the US and South Korea several months later.

US hockey players went all Keith Moon in their hotel rooms in 1998.

The corruption in figure skating was an international embarrassment in 2010.

The IOC is notorious for accepting questionable perks and gifts when it comes time for host city bidding.

Just because the East Germans are no longer fielding transgender men in women's swimming, don't think that the Olympics are some squeaky clean sporting utopia.

[greenminer]

There's a retired Olympic runner living in McKinney. I've met him in FW and he has a humbling story.

He saved up for years to run in the 1980 Summer Olympics so that, after he qualified, he and his wife could move to Colorado and live on their own for a year just to train (120 miles/week) at high altitude. They had a cabin, the food they needed, and spent their days running the trails.

Of course, Carter decided to boycott the games. I can't even imagine the disappointment he felt, but you'd never guess. He seems so humble and happy.

I don't know about the financial thing. I know it is expensive, but many athletes pick up sponsorships along the way.

Edited February 10, 2014 by greenminer

[VideoEagle]

There's a retired Olympic runner living in McKinney. I've met him in FW and he has a humbling story.

He saved up for years to run in the 1980 Summer Olympics so that, after he qualified, he and his wife could move to Colorado and live on their own for a year just to train (120 miles/week) at high altitude. They had a cabin, the food they needed, and spent their days running the trails.

Of course, Carter decided to boycott the games. I can't even imagine the disappointment he felt, but you'd never guess. He seems so humble and happy.

I don't know about the financial thing. I know it is expensive, but many athletes pick up sponsorships along the way.

Nixon did a lot of bad things, but it was Jimmy Carter who ordered the 1980 Olympic Boycott to protest the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

[JesseMartin]

The IOC is notorious for accepting questionable perks and gifts when it comes time for host city bidding.

Which makes you really wonder exactly what went on to get the games placed in Sochi, huh?

[Army of Dad]

Which makes you really wonder exactly what went on to get the games placed in Sochi, huh?

FIFA helped out the IOC?

[JesseMartin]

Haha

[DT 90]

Which makes you really wonder exactly what went on to get the games placed in Sochi, huh?

One of Russia's biggest gangster's was on the Russian Olympic committee. He had lots of "friends"on the Ite selection committee and made sure that they were well taken care of. Saw this on the news when it first ran and it was still on ABC News website

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/alleged-heroin-kingpin-helped-russia-win-olympics-sochi/story?id=22295531

[Cerebus]

One of Russia's biggest gangster's was on the Russian Olympic committee is the president of the country.

Fixed.