[Lemmy]

DanSC DanSC:

The USA basketball team wasn't thrown together a few weeks ago; they have to commit for three full years to be eligible for an Olympic roster spot. What you describe happened in 2004, and the Americans proceeded to lose.

They weren't playing with one another, under a single coach and system, like most international teams.

DanSC DanSC:

And when does the Argentine team find all of this time to practice together when Luis Scola (Suns), Emanuel Ginóbili (Spurs) Pablo Prigioni (Knicks), and Carlos Delfino (Bucks) are all playing full NBA schedules?

Though it's pretty impressive that they're in the NBA at all, considering there are 5000 Americans who are better at basketball and each NBA team can only sign 15 players, meaning only 450 people can have NBA contracts.

Okay, you're right. It's a fair competition that the US will be lucky to win, even though 90%+ of NBAers are American. Happy?

[Khar]

Americans have won gold all but four times since 1936. They did not win gold when they boycotted the games in the USSR. They did not win the gold during the highly controversial match of 1972, where the team (perhaps rightly) still have not accepted silver medals. They did not win in Athens because of stupidity more than anything else, as you said. They did not win in Seoul, the final year before the NBA was allowed to participate.

The Americans have never been knocked off the podium. Even when the team was tossed together last minute, they managed bronze. Their 16 medals, 13 gold, beat out the next team by 7 medals... the USSR, who have 2 gold. Argentina, the next country that still exists, has 1 gold to their name and 2 medals total. Most of the rest of the scoreboard moves around, but not the idea that the USA is going to win -- when they don't, it is literally something that rocks the foundations of the sporting world. When the dream team lost, we heard about it for months. It's not even that much different with women's basketball. Save for a rocky start in the first two years, America dominates, and now will hold triple the medals of second place, with 9, and likely with 7 gold in hand, beating out the USSR's 2, once these Olympics are over.

So the question of whether or not America dominates Basketball is moot. It is clear the US dominates wholly and will continue to dominate the basketball scene. Spain and Argentina provide excellent teams to the Olympics but it is simply impossible to compete with the esteem the sport holds in America and the talent pool thereof. This should be a point of pride for Americans, and I congratulate them for the powerhouse they are in the sport.

As to whether or not it should stay a summer sport, I won't lie, I am concerned with competitiveness issues. Even though Canada stomped a lot of teams in 2010, historically that's an aberration -- we've gone decades without a podium finish in hockey. Likewise, hockey is a core winter activity, and core to the Olympics and many world leagues and national leagues, and has been for years. Basketball doesn't have that same history, nor does the US have a similar history with Basketball that we do with hockey. It's also not like precedence doesn't exist; when baseball was removed, the rationale included the following: "To be on the Olympic program is an issue where you need universality as much as possible." Is Basketball universal enough? Is it a world sport? Or is it a dominated sport with a following largely in one country?

One could also not miss the Cuban, and after them far East Asian domination we saw during those years it was included, either.

Can we ignore that all four men cited in your post are known, not because of a Argentinian team or league... but because of their American NBA affiliations? I don't know. To be frank, I don't care. But trying to pass this off as anything but what it is, an American dominated (deservedly) sport, doesn't hold much water, in my opinion.

[QBall]

They sent home 8 badminton players for not doing their best, so now the IOC can't whine about the result in this game when you're expecting everyone to perform to their highest standard. This is competition on a world level. If you're team is not ready to compete on that level then stay home, otherwise accept where you are and where others are in the program.

[BartSimpson]

QBall QBall:

They sent home 8 badminton players for not doing their best, so now the IOC can't whine about the result in this game when you're expecting everyone to perform to their highest standard. This is competition on a world level. If you're team is not ready to compete on that level then stay home, otherwise accept where you are and where others are in the program.

Excellent point. The US team quite possibly would've been disqualified for going easy on the Nigerians.

+1 for the observation.

[bootlegga]

I think American coaches should rein this stuff in - if only for the sake of good sportsmanship.

If they don't, the IOC may decide one day to do to basketball what they did to baseball - de-list it from Olympic competition.

All it would take would be some poor sportsmanship from IOC members to do to the US what it did to Nigeria, which would be highly ironic.

[BartSimpson]

bootlegga bootlegga:

I think American coaches should rein this stuff in - if only for the sake of good sportsmanship.

If they don't, the IOC may decide one day to do to basketball what they did to baseball - de-list it from Olympic competition.

All it would take would be some poor sportsmanship from IOC members to do to the US what it did to Nigeria, which would be highly ironic.

Had Canada walloped the US 156-83 I doubt like hell you'd be saying this.

[2Cdo]

For the people complaining about running up the score I have a question for you.

Have you ever played any sport?

The reason I ask is I have found the only thing more humiliating than a team running up the score on you is a team humoring you by going easy. Plus, when will people learn that you never talk trash before a game because it's bound to come back and bite you in the ass!

Just ask Luongo!

[bootlegga]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

bootlegga bootlegga:

I think American coaches should rein this stuff in - if only for the sake of good sportsmanship.

If they don't, the IOC may decide one day to do to basketball what they did to baseball - de-list it from Olympic competition.

All it would take would be some poor sportsmanship from IOC members to do to the US what it did to Nigeria, which would be highly ironic.

Had Canada walloped the US 156-83 I doubt like hell you'd be saying this.

In what universe (or sport) would that happen? Not a one, so your reply is nothing short of specious.

I didn't really care when the women's hockey team did it in 2010, but I understand why they did it (for goal differential in the standings). However, at the same time, I also noted that they had to be careful or the IOC might put the kibosh on women's hockey if suitable competition for Canada and the US doesn't materialize soon.

But hey, stick your head in the sand and ignore reality all you want.

While I doubt the IOC will get rid of basketball anytime soon, just remember that the IOC giveth and the IOC taketh away. Baseball, golf and numerous other sports are gone and who knows, maybe one day so will basketball.

The second they think that kung-fu belongs in the Olympics (to pander to wealthy Chinese sports fans) instead of basketball, it'll be gone.

[BartSimpson]

bootlegga bootlegga:

In what universe (or sport) would that happen? Not a one, so your reply is nothing short of specious.

My point is that you'd never ask a Canadian or a Canadian team to do anything less than their very best so why are you engaging in this utterly pointless exercise with the US?

[bootlegga]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

bootlegga bootlegga:

In what universe (or sport) would that happen? Not a one, so your reply is nothing short of specious.

My point is that you'd never ask a Canadian or a Canadian team to do anything less than their very best so why are you engaging in this utterly pointless exercise with the US?

I just did - guess you're not very adept at reading between the lines, so to speak...

Sometimes players need to do what's best for the sport, not what's best for their ego.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that basketball players, many of whom are all swaggering man-hos and wannabe gangstas with little/no substance, can't understand that.

[Lemmy]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

Had Canada walloped the US 156-83 I doubt like hell you'd be saying this.

Canada wouldn't have done that because once the score was 100-70 the Canadians would have passed the ball around instead of scoring another 56 points. It's not a fine line between "going too easy" and not running up the score on an already defeated opponent.

[Zipperfish]

Tricks Tricks:

martin14 martin14:

Tricks Tricks:

Weren't similar complaints brought against our Women's Hockey team? And we defended them on the basis that it would be insulting to have a team take it easy on us? Oh that's right. Lets stay consistent folks.

Not sure if points scored could count towards placements, like it does in hockey, though.

Didn't matter, we didn't need to score more than 10 times a game to get said placement. Lets be realistic, it's almost always going to be a Canada/USA final.

And therefore, should it be an Olympic sport? Shouldn't Olympic sports have some kind of global reach? It's the same as women's hockey: Canada-US and everyone else is just taking up oxygen. If they can't get more than two competitive countries, then I question whether it needs to be an Olympic sport.

[Lemmy]

2Cdo 2Cdo:

For the people complaining about running up the score I have a question for you.

Have you ever played any sport?

I played minor hockey and a bunch of highschool sports, but my main sport was baseball. I played a season of minor-pro (rookie ball) in the Pioneer League, 4 years OUAA, 12 seasons of Intercounty. Scenario: your team's up 12-0, no outs in the bottom of the 8th, with a guy on base at 2nd. A ball's hit to me at shortstop. I look the runner back to second then make the throw to first and the guy at second busts it to 3rd. What happens when the next batter hits it to me at short again?

Answer: I wind 'er up as hard as I can and drill the runner at third in the back.