Wade, Ray Allen and the Olympics....

[IWB]

A lot has been made out of the comments made by DWade about being paid to appear in the Olympics. DWade even said his comments could be taken out of context, that it wasn't about being paid, it was about the business side of it.

Here is my take.....

These guys don't care about getting paid to play in the Olympics. They have issues with the Olympics making billions off of them. Yes, billions.

Guys like Loul Deng, Andrew Bogut and Ricky Rubio are proud to play for their home countries. Their home country's Olympic committees will probably make a few thousand dollars selling their Olympic jerseys.

The US Olympic Committee will make billions selling Olympic player's jerseys, showing players on the network TV promos and putting their likeness all over every other corporate deal they make. NBC paid $4.4 Billion for the TV rights alone. How much will they make off of the tv commercials during the games? Before the games, after the games? A crap load. So, the Olympic Committee is making money off of players, NBC making money off of players, corporate sponsors and advertisers making money off of the players.....

Fine, don't pay them, but don't use their likeness in commercials, memorabilia sales, tv promotions, or any other Olympic related corporate deal (think McDonald's etc) where the Olympic committee, the TV network and the advertiser is raking in the cash.

Yes, in the league the NBA owns all rights, but the players are paid in exchange for that. With the Olympics - a whole different story. Everyone is making cash off of the athletes, and not just the basketball players, but all of them.

Take Olympic sprinters - yes, they are put up for years, given professional training, professional coaching, housing, food and world class facilities to train in - all in exchange for participating in the Olympics. So, spend a few million on them - make a few million off of them, sounds like a fair trade. What about basketball players? They are put up for a month and that is all. Spend a few thousand - make several million. Where is the trade off there?

Personally, I would like it all to go back to amateurs, but there is no way you will get other countries around the world to agree to such things.

[Markedman]

Can't go back to amateurs when all of the hockey players for Russia are in the Red Army and all they did was train and play hockey.....lol

[ydouask23]

I dont disagree with IWB often, but when I do I drink Dos Equis.
The spirit of the Olympics is bigger than money, endorsements, using likenesses, or branding jerseys. Anyone's pride should be so much bigger than their pocketbooks that accepting an offer to compete and represent your country is just more important. The fact that stuff even matters to Wade or any other pompous clown that suggests they should be "entitled" to payment or royalties for their moniker makes me want to puke. Do you think Jessie Owens thought that when he kicked Germany's ass in sprinting during Hitler's reign of terror that he should be paid for it? No. A black American proved that the Aryan race wasn't as pure as Hitler claimed by winning 6 gold medals, IN MUNICH. Do you think Tommie Smith and John Carlos gave a sh!t about money when they raised their black power fists in 1968 after winning gold and bronze? See, the Olympics are bigger than the egos of NBA players, including Wade, which is why even suggesting something that was "taken out of context" is just such a turn off in my opinion.

[IWB]

Don't get me wrong, I don't like the fact that Wade or Allen made the comments they did, but this is a multi-billion dollar event on several different levels.

I hear exactly what you are saying, and understand it, but when Jessie Owens, Tommie Smith and John Carlos were in the Olympics, tv networks and corporations were not making billions off of the massive economic production that the Olympics has become. It is a different world, and while many are proud to compete for their country, many more are profiting on a very massive level.

Seriously, the tv contract is $4.4 Billion. How much is NBC making if they are willing to pay $4.4 billion? The cash involved is absurd. What is the Olympic committee doing with $4.4 billion? They are not building the facilities, as the host countries do that. They are not promoting the events, the networks do that. they are not training the athletes, their own countries flip for that. Where is the cash going?

If the Olympics are as pure and honest as people would like to believe that they are, then go back to amateur athletes or else give the athletes a chunk of the pie - again, not just hoops, but all of them.

[ydouask23]

But a lot of that money goes toward paying for training for a bobsledder in Colorado who dedicates his life to his craft and represents his country with everything he's got. Some archer is about to compete in his record 5th Olympics..so if the US Olympic Organization is making money off of Wade and Lebron, then at least its going, (some of it) to guys that bust their ass for their country and make NOTHING because they dont excel at a revenue generating sport. PUKE PUKE PUKE.

[IWB]

As I said above, the US Olympic committee is the one paying for the training of the Bobsledder in Colorado and the Archer who is in his 5th Olympics. The $4.4 billion is not going to the US Olympic team. The US Olympic committee is getting the money for training from sponsors, donations etc. As I also said above, give a chunk of the pie to all of the athletes(bobsledders, archers), not just the hoops players.

[ziggysfryboy]

What, working the paint desk at Home depot in the off-season isn't enough from the sponsors and the USOC? :p

[ydouask23]

As I said above, the US Olympic committee is the one paying for the training of the Bobsledder in Colorado and the Archer who is in his 5th Olympics. The $4.4 billion is not going to the US Olympic team. The US Olympic committee is getting the money for training from sponsors, donations etc. As I also said above, give a chunk of the pie to all of the athletes(bobsledders, archers), not just the hoops players.

agree...and may the odds be ever in your favor