12 NBA Olympian's.......No Celtics!!!!

[ddthetide]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Would you care to wager?

no, i'd hate to root against the USA out loud.
i'd rather see 12 guys that WANT to be there go and put up a good effort, even if the do lose.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by ddthetide

no, i'd hate to root against the USA out loud.
i'd rather see 12 guys that WANT to be there go and put up a good effort, even if the do lose.

I dont get this? What do you mean they dont want to be there? It is not like they get paid or were drafted to play. They didnt lose in 2004 becuase they didnt want to win. They lost because they selected a dysfunctional team.

[ddthetide]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

I don't get this? What do you mean they don't want to be there? It is not like they get paid or were drafted to play. They didn't lose in 2004 because they didn't want to win. They lost because they selected a dysfunctional team.

they will get paid. the agents talk these guys into going and the agents use it as leverage to deal with the shoe and clothing companies. most of the the American players aren't going to play for the USA. they are playing for themselves and let the agents figure how to get them a few more dollars.
the foreign players are proud to play for their home countries and try to beat the Americans. the hockey tourney is the same way. it's a Very big deal to foreign players.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by ddthetide

they will get paid. the agents talk these guys into going and the agents use it as leverage to deal with the shoe and clothing companies. most of the the American players aren't going to play for the USA. they are playing for themselves and let the agents figure how to get them a few more dollars.
the foreign players are proud to play for their home countries and try to beat the Americans. the hockey tourney is the same way. it's a Very big deal to foreign players.

You are kidding right? Darren these guys like Kobe and LeBron have giant contracts already. They surely dont need the olympics for exposure. If anything a loss is a potential bad mark. THE OTHER TEAMS ARE MOSTLY PROS TOO!!!!!!! There are foreign guys drafted every year in the NBA draft that DONT COME BECAUSE THEY ARE ALREADY MAKING A LOT OF MONEY playing in the foreign pro leagues!!!! There is no doubt that we are a target but that is because we are the top country for basketball. I just dont understand why guys who are making a lot of money cant be patriotic too.


This aint the international version of hoosiers regardless of what the announcers say.

The hockey players are all pros too. And not that I am an NHL expert or anything arent the great majority of the players in the NHL foreign?

[ddthetide]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

You are kidding right? Darren these guys like Kobe and LeBron have giant contracts already. They surely don't need the olympics for exposure. If anything a loss is a potential bad mark. THE OTHER TEAMS ARE MOSTLY PROS TOO!!!!!!! There are foreign guys drafted every year in the NBA draft that DON'T COME BECAUSE THEY ARE ALREADY MAKING A LOT OF MONEY playing in the foreign pro leagues!!!! There is no doubt that we are a target but that is because we are the top country for basketball. I just don't understand why guys who are making a lot of money cant be patriotic too.


This aint the international version of hoosiers regardless of what the announcers say.

The hockey players are all pros too. And not that I am an NHL expert or anything aren't the great majority of the players in the NHL foreign?

in kobe and lebron's case, their sponsors are " encouraging" them to play to make sure those specific brands get the same exposure. those two owe it to those sponsors to be there.
i understand the foreign players are pros also. i'm just saying it means more to the foreign players to play for their home country than it means to American players. American players just don't get how much the international competitions mean to the rest of the world.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by ddthetide

in kobe and lebron's case, their sponsors are " encouraging" them to play to make sure those specific brands get the same exposure. those two owe it to those sponsors to be there.
i understand the foreign players are pros also. i'm just saying it means more to the foreign players to play for their home country than it means to American players. American players just don't get how much the international competitions mean to the rest of the world.

I just dont know how you quantify this. Guys who have contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars need to go spend a month playing 7 or 8 games in order to get more exposure? That is a stretch, a real stretch. Why does it mean more for foreign players? I dont understand your reasoning. It means more to Manu Ginobili to play for his country than it means for Dwight Howard to play for his? Why would that be? International competition in basketball used to mean a serious ass whipping for the other teams. Do you think that our guys dont know that we have been knocked down a notch? Dont you think they want a gold medal like the guys that have come before them? Did the guys who played last year in the tourney no one but me seemingly watched do it for the sponsors then too? Dont you think Kobe or LeBron could have begged out of last years qualifier and still be on this team?