Quote:
Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby
This isn't new though. In 1976, the IOC eliminated the rule that athletes couldn't accept sponsorships or other compensation. Most live on sponsorships - it's not likely any family could provide training, travel, maintain membership, pay competition expenses, with just a normal mom and dad average American salary - and still pay their mundane bills. Also, -training- for the Olympics was paid for by their countries' government, outside the USA. The amateur-only status of Americans was a pretty big disadvantage.
Professional athletes were added to eligibility in 1986.
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In life, there is often a difference between what IS and what SHOULD be. When I was in college, the team practices and games gave me enough training, skills, competition and I was recommended for a job on campus, for which I got paid for 4 hours and it took me only 1 hour to finish. 2 players on the team played in the Olympics and made big money playing professionally. I went to a pro tryout. I just was not quite good enough. I had plenty of opportunities. This was the early 1960's. I played on a military base team for a few years and could have leveraged that into an Olympic tryout. But, again I was not quite good enough. The opportunities were there the talent was not. My parents were just middle class. Money never held me back. Of course, today colleges are much more expensive and society has less equality - so that probably makes for a completely different environment.