Olympic Basketball & Egomaniacs
 

ATHENS, Greece — Bronze is the best the American men's basketball team can do, and the reason is simple: They were beaten by a better team, Argentina.

Manu Ginobili scored 29 points to lead his nation to another victory over the country that used to dominate the sport, an 89-81 win in the Olympic semifinals Friday night.:lol3

Using the term "team" to describe the US players is a bit of stretch...

Wasn't a fair game - they were playing 9 against 1.

I think the American arrogance is showing, not the athletes but the Americans who won’t believe that other countries can produce basketball teams that can beat our pro players. :nod

:clap

I don't understand the animosity towards the players that chose to represent their country.

Maybe because the rest of the athletes are staying in dorms and the American bb players are staying in suites on the Queen Elizabeth II... :dunno

I'll offer my personal opinion...

If any American professional sport is the epitome of the athletes that are ego driven, live in excess and are over paid, it is the American pro Basketball player.
I hope they lose everytime they go to the Olympics. I'm glag my kids never looked up to any sports figure and especially the many nut cases in the NBA. Sure, there are good ones as there are in many sports, but in general you have a pack of whackos with too much money, no class and no brains.

BUT these particular players still CHOSE to go over and represent their country.

FWIW, I don't think professional athletes are "over paid". You may not value what they do, but obviously someone does. They're not stealing anything from anyone. They offer a product that the general public obviously wants. Attacking the players for living the american dream is nonsense.

I was about to ask you, "Who else's opinion would you offer?" But then I remembered your fondness for the meaty cut and paste. :lol3

"Attacking"? :huh They are very talented at what they do. And I know that the "market" will dictate what they are paid. I can still state my opinon that they are paid too much and that many are not what you would call very nice people. that said, they got spanked:evil
They are not unique at their trade and that was proven at the Olympics.
I'd be very interested to know whether or not they were not paid through some percs to go to Greece. :deal :deal

Gotta kinda agree, 'cept I think it is true for players in every pro sport..

I firmly believe that capitalism is so far the best economic system developed in our world. Have'n said that, pro sports points out a real weakness in capitalism; what can happen when greed by people such as players and owners alike goes unchecked.

I do that a lot in the political threads because it pisses people off. I actually have my own opinions on many issues.
Psst! keep this to yourself but in real life I have a hard time voting for anyone person. it seems that as soon as a good guy enters politics, it only takes a few years before he is not recognizable. just another prostitute added to the brothel.

That's for sure, Rad. But as for as the big three, baseball, football and basketball it sure seems the real bad boyz in numbers coome out of the NBA. no?

The Demise of the NBA
 

We are looking at the demise of the NBA. Here is my prediction. If we do not win the gold medal in 2008, the NBA will fold within the next three years after that. The American public will not put up with having the best players stay home while a largely unproven cast goes to the Olympics and gets their butts kicked. The backlash will crush the NBA. You heard it here first.

It's a wake-up call.

Similar to what Canada hockey went through when their very best were embarrassed by a best of seven with the Soviet Olympic team. After losing the first games they eventually starting mugging them to tie up the series.

Changed their mind set about Hockey and started a revival.

Now all we need is a basketball revival.