LOL @ the Shade from the British Press on Team USA

[MissThickBooty]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/olympi ... -ever.html

#FAIL How you going to throw shade when your team sucks? The article was a HOT MESS!!!!

[fromage]

A stupid ill informed article by a journalist who should know better. The press here are well aware of the qualities of the USA team, so keep calm and carry on.

[Jnathletics]

Well it did have one good thing about it, Lance Brooks info. I liked the dramatic finish to his OT victory and his nievity interview afterwards. But having 9 jobs, working 12 hour construction shifts and now he makes the Olympics?!?! Someone truely worthy of supporting. He is now my fav discus thrower and here is hoping he pulls off a big upset in London.

[tm71]

Typical british tabloid stuff. They must have run out of stories in David Beckham, Wayne rooney and their most recent soccer failure at the euros!

[Randy Treadway]

I trust the American tabloids over the British tabloids any day. Weekly World News assures us that Bat Boy is going to anchor the men's 4x100 to a win. Then Justin Bieber is going to kick ass in the 200 freestyle and be on the cover of Wheaties boxes.
These predictions are much more trustworthy than what the British tabloids have to say.

[MightyBurner]

So it's criticizing USA for its lack of government support for athletes? That's how it should be.

[tm71]

I trust the American tabloids over the British tabloids any day. Weekly World News assures us that Bat Boy is going to anchor the men's 4x100 to a win. Then Justin Bieber is going to kick ass in the 200 freestyle and be on the cover of Wheaties boxes.
These predictions are much more trustworthy than what the British tabloids have to say.

I guess that is supposed to be humorous, but really all tabloids are stupid regardless of which grocery store check out lines they are in.

[GDAWG]

I trust the American tabloids over the British tabloids any day. Weekly World News assures us that Bat Boy is going to anchor the men's 4x100 to a win. Then Justin Bieber is going to kick ass in the 200 freestyle and be on the cover of Wheaties boxes.
These predictions are much more trustworthy than what the British tabloids have to say.

Which will result in every teenage girl around the world buying 1000 boxes each.

[j-a-m]

So that newspaper raises the question whether this is the worst U.S. team over, and then right below the heading there's a photo of Aries Merritt and Jason Richardson running world-class PBs. #fail indeed.

[MissThickBooty]

So that newspaper raises the question whether this is the worst U.S. team over, and then right below the heading there's a photo of Aries Merritt and Jason Richardson running world-class PBs. #fail indeed.

lol that was the first thing I noticed you used that pic because it looks like the runners were struggling but he just ran the fastest time in the world this year lol

[true northener]

I hate to say it but I agree with the comments re the Field events. There is very little depth in them except for the men's shotput and women's broad jump.I realize that the A standard is tougher than in the track events, but even so the US is declining in the field. This is due to lack of funding because it takes more time to develop the technique and skills in the field possibly and this requires financial support in most cases or you have the Lance Brooks scenario which requires a major , even unreasonable commitment, which can only be done for a limited time. So outstanding prospects like Walter Henning have to face reality and leave the sport.This would be a good cause for someone like Bill Gates to pick up.

On the other hand, the track events are not in the same state at this time and results are not declining in the same slope, although the Africans and Caribbeans have certainly raised the bar so that olympic medals are going to be scarcer than before.

[ATK]

I hate to say it but I agree with the comments re the Field events. There is very little depth in them except for the men's shotput and women's broad jump.

What about Mens triple jump, high jump and womens high jump?...

[true northener]

There are a few at the top but no depth.

[ATK]

There are a few at the top but no depth.

In the mens triple the US is probably third behind Cuba and France, and the high jump they are second to Russia if you want to talk about depth in their Olympic team.

[Marlow]

It's OK for the journalist (sic), Laura Williamson, to have an opinion, but it must be an informed opinion and this article totally lacks any kind of realistic understanding of the subject material. Her editors are either incompetent or, more probably, depending on the Troll Factor, to generate buzz. Either way - disgraceful.

[j-a-m]

In the mens triple the US is probably third behind Cuba and France,

Give Craddock a couple more years, and there's gonna be a third world class triple jumper in the U.S.

[j-a-m]

, but even so the US is declining in the field.

Field events in the U.S. are improving. How many defending world champs are from the U.S.? Another good sign are the recent HS records, wPV last year, several throwers. Improving doesn't mean great, it just means better than before, and that's the case.

[true northener]

I guess it depends on what is meant by depth. The US does have a lot of 54 ft male triple jumpers and 7 ft male high jumpers and 6 ft female high jumpers.But at the Olympic A standard level there is no depth in these events. The high school depth is indeed improving but that does not often convert to international levels since the kids don't persist after college for the reasons I have mentioned above and also because of other sports and better financial upside in those sports. The US does have more than most individual countries in the field events, so in that sense there is depth, but in terms of A standards I believe there is decline from what there used to be.Maybe it is because the A standard has been raised too high compared to previously.I certainly am not intending to laud the newspaper article, just lament the lack of financial support for the
athletes.

[fromage]

So USA is third behind Cuba and France in the Triple. Great!!!

Cuba is 11 million people and the USA 320 million . Thats rather like comparing my little village in England of 10,000 with a city the size of a quarter of a million plus ; with so many good long jumpers and sprinters, the USA should reasonably expect a large number of triple jumpers of 17 metres plus, at least a dozen . why not ?

[fourjz]

So it's criticizing USA for its lack of government support for athletes? That's how it should be.

I know,we used to complain about it when the Eastern Bloc & Communist countries like Cuba would give "government support" and now we know that it was used to put people on Drug programs sponsored by these governments,and to keep the people from being free.Another thing is look at Britian's teams,and other government teams since the 70's.Not very good teams at all.Some are non-existent now and are in oblivion.

[Randy Treadway]

I certainly am not intending to laud the newspaper article, just lament the lack of financial support for the
athletes.

Lament is a good word. It doesn't need to be "less" than other countries at all. It's just that the U.S. has chosen to go with a different "collection model". Each citizen is given plenty of opportunities to contribute, taking into account whatever factors that individual wants to consider- their financial position, how much they like sports, how it racks up against other recreation & entertainment opportunities they want to take advantage of for their family, etc. The other model, is the government takes it out of your pocket without even asking.

Since the U.S. has chosen the former model and not the latter, it's important to have a strong marketing organization to clearly communicate the "need" to the public and make it easy to contribute. the U.S. has scarcely done so. It needs to have clear avenues of paypal donations, donation pots outside retail stores (alot bellringer space every Christmas to the Salvation Army, and every July to the USOC, for instance), tax form checkoffs... every way imaginable and constantly communicate it with advertising... TV, billboards, facebooks... no stone unturned. Unfortunately that means for every dollar donated, 25% might go to advertising.

For those governments who *do* fund sports directly, that money doesn't come out of thin air. It is taken from the citizens involuntarily. The recipients of the funding might like it, but the citizens don't necessarily like it unless it's a clear national priority along with national defense, repairing roads & bridges, and everything.

[j-a-m]

For those governments who *do* fund sports directly, that money doesn't come out of thin air. It is taken from the citizens involuntarily.

Thanks for pointing that out; it seems that's frequently overlooked by supporters of "government funding".

[ATK]

So USA is third behind Cuba and France in the Triple. Great!!!

Cuba is 11 million people and the USA 320 million . Thats rather like comparing my little village in England of 10,000 with a city the size of a quarter of a million plus ; with so many good long jumpers and sprinters, the USA should reasonably expect a large number of triple jumpers of 17 metres plus, at least a dozen . why not ?

This argument that the US should have more depth than x country in x event because of poulation is rediculous and played out.
China should be dominating all events by that logic.

[br]

So USA is third behind Cuba and France in the Triple. Great!!!

Cuba is 11 million people and the USA 320 million . Thats rather like comparing my little village in England of 10,000 with a city the size of a quarter of a million plus ; with so many good long jumpers and sprinters, the USA should reasonably expect a large number of triple jumpers of 17 metres plus, at least a dozen . why not ?

This argument that the US should have more depth than x country in x event because of poulation is rediculous and played out.
China should be dominating all events by that logic.

With regards to the U.S. population versus the population of countries like Cuba, let's also remember sports like football and basketball dilute the track and field talent pool. Not having professional leagues increases the chances of finding a diamond in the rough.

[Pelpa]

It's OK for the journalist (sic), Laura Williamson, to have an opinion, but it must be an informed opinion and this article totally lacks any kind of realistic understanding of the subject material. Her editors are either incompetent or, more probably, depending on the Troll Factor, to generate buzz. Either way - disgraceful.

I can relate to yours and the pain of others Marlow, but truth be told, the sentiments from Laura Willamson pale in comparison to similar hogwash arguments made in many American printed, electronic (Especially Costas on NBC) and social media when reporting about Jamaican athletics, moreso since 2008.

[Pelpa]

eg. this uncited jibberish I found on this very forum in arguing Bolt's 'apparent low networth' with exact figures of $6 million quoted:

Well this is rather interesting you would think Bolt would be alot more wealteir than he is, and the highest earning Olympic athlete but he's not. Especially since so many of his fans argue that he is the world most famous athlete, but perhaps his nationally hinders him truly earning is true value. Track is the more global sport, but Phelps is very much big deal obviously. Might be a hard pill for track fans to swallow. I can't stress how important nationally is,it took Rodger Federer years and double digit slams to finally surpass Andy Roddick in tennis endorsements.

Despite this being just another person and not a pro, it still is social media...how can one make an audacious statement of statistics and netearnings without citing a trusted source?

[Per Andersen]

For those governments who *do* fund sports directly, that money doesn't come out of thin air. It is taken from the citizens involuntarily.

Thanks for pointing that out; it seems that's frequently overlooked by supporters of "government funding".

That's an American argument and it's far from universal.
Citizens of many countries realize that taxes are necessary and do not mind at all that arts and sports etc get funding.

[Randy Treadway]

For those governments who *do* fund sports directly, that money doesn't come out of thin air. It is taken from the citizens involuntarily.

Thanks for pointing that out; it seems that's frequently overlooked by supporters of "government funding".

That's an American argument and it's far from universal.
Citizens of many countries realize that taxes are necessary and do not mind at all that arts and sports etc get funding.

If American sportsmen (and women) are successful to the degree that Americans are willing to fund it, and Americans are satisfied with the result, why should people in other countries criticize it? If Cuba wins more medals than the U.S., it doesn't mean diddly squat in the bigger questions of life. It's just propaganda for Castro. And sports is, after all, just recreation, games and entertainment. Even professional sports,that's all it is. Maybe a little bit of 'national pride', but that blows over in a day or two.
I like to see athletes from ANYWHERE have a chance to succeed and do well-- it doesn't really matter to me what singlet they wear. Hopefully the world will get to the point where some day the IAAF WCs will have the best athletes and no more national uniforms, no more national limits on entrants... just the best of the best. Don't know what that would mean for the relay events...

P.S.- if Cuban athletes couldn't wear Cuban uniforms in the OG and WC's, where do you think Cuban government funding would go? Right in the toilet, that's where. Same with a lot of other countries.

[Pego]

the Eastern Bloc & Communist countries like Cuba would give "government support" and now we know that it was used to put people on Drug programs sponsored by these governments

The Soviet block governments spent a lot on sports. Drug programs were just a small portion of it and a latter phenomenon.

[Randy Treadway]

The Soviet block governments spent a lot on sports. Drug programs were just a small portion of it and a latter phenomenon.

Once they adopted Marx' (not Groucho, Karl) slogan 'Religion is the Opiate of the Masses', they quickly figured out that they could replace it with 'Sports is the Opiate of the Masses' without telling anybody, and control it at the same time. Give the masses their sports successes and they won't ask so many questions about anything else. And it worked for a long time.

[kuha]

Give the masses their sports successes and they won't ask so many questions about anything else. And it worked for a long time.

You do realize that there's a GREAT deal of that going on in the US, too.....right?

[kuha]

his argument that the US should have more depth than x country in x event because of poulation is rediculous and played out.
China should be dominating all events by that logic.

Absolutely true. When world class snooker, curling, and cricket are dominated by the Chinese, we can revisit that idea. Until then, its safe to consider it 100% nonsense.

[j-a-m]

So USA is third behind Cuba and France in the Triple.

TJ is one event of many in track and field. And t&f is one sport of many that athletes in the U.S. participate in. So yeah, there are a few events/sports in which Cuba is better, and there's a much larger number of events/sports in which the U.S. are better. No surprise there.

[Smoke]

What does population have to do with anything? I have wondered this for years. And it only seems to apply to the US. Otherwise, China has failed miserably! A few African countries, and Brazil can be thrown in there too. Before you guys start quoting population numbers, my point is population has less bearing than advertised. Genetics trump numbers, that is clear by the results.

[Randy Treadway]

Based on population, India ought to be kicking butt. I guess they don't have any time to train, too busy having sex.