Weekly Poll 26.5

[Princess 35]

Well, what do you think? Should we pull out all the high named megamillionaire stars and make it so only amateur athletes who don't get the big bucks but may be just as good can compete in the Olympics?

[Princess 35]

I'm all for keeping it amateur. Let things like the miracle on ice happen that way and let the lil guys shine for once, instead of the stars getting more and more press

[GI_Admiral 2]

Depends...

If you want your team to win theres a reason why you choose your stars for the job. I don't mind having the "Dream Team" kind of feel.

[CorSec 5]

Athletes are Athletes. Determine who's on the team through skill. Big name or amateur.

[Radioactive Isotope 29]

i'm with CorSec on this one. if the little guy's good enough, let 'em play. if they suck, don't.

[Chickenman 9]

Athletes are Athletes. Determine who's on the team through skill. Big name or amateur.

I wish I had read that before I voted.

Damn you Corsec, and your persuasivness!

[Andy 57]

Olympics is about being the best, always has been. You can't deny people's right to enter a competition because they are professionals. Even people who aren't earning millions can get into it if they try, and if they are good enough.

[GI_Admiral 2]

The thing is...it usually turns out that the reason the professionals are big named are because they ARE the best. Kobe Bryant...Michael Jordan...Wayne Gretzky...Steve Yzerman...Joe Montana...Steve Young...Yao Ming...Roger Clemens...Barry Bonds....THey're all big names because they're the exceptionally good ones.

[chozen 1]

most stupid question ever...

It's a competition.. The best from one country vs the best in another.

And ice hockey isn't the only sport in the olympics... runners in general don't get high publicity..

[GI_Admiral 2]

Meh...you could say the same thing for the horse back riders...for the martial artists...for the divers...for the fencers...

[chozen 1]

if you can get through the tryouts, then the qualifications... then you deserve to be in the olympics, reputation gets you nowhere if you can't run.

[GI_Admiral 2]

The Question is asking if the Professionals should be allowed...not the amateurs...so I think we're all agreeing that yes...they should

[Bushy 0]

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, smaller countries that don't have professional sports teams all over the place can send all their best athletes to the Olympics, while larger countries (the US, for example), has to keep most of their best athletes out of the Olympics because they're professionals...

[Tsl 7]

Why aren't professionals allowed in the first place? Is it because richer countries can afford them and poor countries can't? That would kind of make since, I guess. If it's just because the professionals are too awesome and they want to give the little guys a chance, then it's kinda stupid.

Besides, maybe I'm wrong, because I don't follow any sports at all, but I don't think having pros play would affect many of the sports... Just stuff like basketball, baseball, etc. Swimming, diving, gymnastics, and all that sort of stuff doesn't really have "pro players" does it?

[Bushy 0]

Yeah, that's true too I guess...

Anyway, if the US could use pro baseball players, they would own. ;)

[Andy 57]

I don't think sports like that should be in the Olympics anyway. Most of them have their own competitions to find out who is the best.

[Bushy 0]

Most of them being... Soccer/Football?

That's really the only major sport that comes to mind, that's played between lots of different countries outside of the olympics...