First let me start by saying i wnat only the best for Team USA in the olympics and i hope we bring home the gold...
Now my question is...have we as a fan of basketball been cheated to some extent by this "dream team" mentality?
Before the original dream team played we as americans and basketball fans routed for the kids to bring home the gold against the worlds best, a gold would be the greatest thing to happen to us, a silver would be incredible and a bronze medal was something we could hold up ourt heads and say "the kids did good"
Now the way the team is built of pro's and not just anypro but the best money can buy, and anything short of a Gold Medal is a complete and utter failure, "the players should be embarassed if they lose even one game" is a common theme... and as they steamroll their way through the oposition, we as fans will never again have that moment when a bunch of kids win it all for the USA, like the american hockey team did when it defeated the powerful Soviets in 1980... "do you believe in miracles?"
Personally, i'd be more impressed to see college kids take a bronze medal then see the allstar talent win a gold medal, sometimes i feel as if National Pride has been replaced by a National Ego
I'm ready for American football to be introduced as an Olympic sport. How funny would that be. I'm just about positive that my high school alma-mater could win the gold medal (it is one of the greatest high school football teams in the country, but still...).
I'm ready for American football to be introduced as an Olympic sport. How funny would that be. I'm just about positive that my high school alma-mater could win the gold medal (it is one of the greatest high school football teams in the country, but still...).
One of the reasons that the Dream Team concept was created is when the USA succumb in the 1988 Olympics (Bronze Medal) that the Americans finally realize that other countries are finally catching up in the level of competition.
Imagine if the 1992 Team is composed of College Students, Do you think they have the balls and talent to beat legendary teams like Croatia and Lithuania?
I do not think that they can basically defeat that team without suffering an early loses in the preliminary round.
How about the 2002 FIBA World Championship? The 2002 team competed in the 2002 FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Coached by George Karl, the team finished a surprising sixth in the competition. During the tournament, Argentina became the first team ever to defeat a USA Team composed of NBA players. To a greater degree than in 2000, a number of top NBA players declined to participate, forcing USA Basketball to resort to picking mostly second-tier players. The group has been considered as one of sport's greatest flops, as they failed to produce as previous teams had.
Following the disappointments in 2002 and 2004, USA Basketball looked to move in a different direction. It appointed Jerry Colangelo to be solely responsible for selecting the team. Colangelo made it clear that he would ask players for a three-year commitment—the 2006 Worlds and the 2008 Summer Olympics.
The humiliating outcome of 2002 prompted a number of NBA superstars to agree to join the team for the FIBA Americas Championship 2003, 2006 and the current 2007 FIBA Americas Championship which is bannered by NBA Scoring Machine Kobe Bryant, Lebron James and Carmelo Anthony.
IF you think that Collegiate teams are enough to fair in the Olympics or in the FIBA World Championship, Your are so ignorant and dumb enough to understand that Basketball is now a Global game and other countries are sending some of their best player and seriously can kick some major @ss in the competition.
complicated issue - IMO I think if USA shows dominance again for a couple O.games / then USA may go back to infusing college players or Development League players.
Problem is the rest of the world is sending Pro club players.
EVen though 80 hockey team was comprised of college players beating Russian Pro's , that's just it , Russia had Pro's playing for a long time in the games.
Maybe the simpliest answer is the correct one - Send the absolute best players from your country , if that means they are Pro's so be it.
One of the reasons that the Dream Team concept was created is when the USA succumb in the 1988 Olympics (Bronze Medal) that the Americans finally realize that other countries are finally catching up in the level of competition.
Imagine if the 1992 Team is composed of College Students, Do you think they have the balls and talent to beat legendary teams like Croatia and Lithuania?
I do not think that they can basically defeat that team without suffering an early loses in the preliminary round.
How about the 2002 FIBA World Championship? The 2002 team competed in the 2002 FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Coached by George Karl, the team finished a surprising sixth in the competition. During the tournament, Argentina became the first team ever to defeat a USA Team composed of NBA players. To a greater degree than in 2000, a number of top NBA players declined to participate, forcing USA Basketball to resort to picking mostly second-tier players. The group has been considered as one of sport's greatest flops, as they failed to produce as previous teams had.
Following the disappointments in 2002 and 2004, USA Basketball looked to move in a different direction. It appointed Jerry Colangelo to be solely responsible for selecting the team. Colangelo made it clear that he would ask players for a three-year commitment—the 2006 Worlds and the 2008 Summer Olympics.
The humiliating outcome of 2002 prompted a number of NBA superstars to agree to join the team for the FIBA Americas Championship 2003, 2006 and the current 2007 FIBA Americas Championship which is bannered by NBA Scoring Machine Kobe Bryant, Lebron James and Carmelo Anthony.
IF you think that Collegiate teams are enough to fair in the Olympics or in the FIBA World Championship, Your are so ignorant and dumb enough to understand that Basketball is now a Global game and other countries are sending some of their best player and seriously can kick some major @ss in the competition.
wrong. the pros in international ball was pushed by FIBA for its great marketing potential and because it allowed international players to play against the best. the US didnt want it at first.
I dunno, I guess it just depends on your point of view...
Personally I like it how it is... I think it should be the best your country has to offer...period. Thats what the olympics is about.
We should expect no less than gold from the Americans in basketball because thats how good this country is at the sport. I see where your coming from with the pride vs ego thing, but the ego is there for basketball simply because we really are good enough to hold that ego. The same ego we hold for basketball has always been there for every country that is dominant in a sport...(Russians in hockey for example, when the americans upset them, they were considered complete failures as well). There are lots of other sports were not the dominant force in and there would still be the similar 'miracle' feeling from the US winning gold.
wrong. the pros in international ball was pushed by FIBA for its great marketing potential and because it allowed international players to play against the best. the US didnt want it at first.
Ofcourse is it included in one of their agendas because the NBA Is a Global Market. Basketball is a big business for them that is why many athletes have their own shoe apparells, T-Shirts and Commercials.
Beside the Olympics is the biggest sporting world in the history of the planet and selecting some of the 12 best player in the NBA to represent in the Olympics. IMHO, is probably the most creative way to introduce basketball to the whole wide world.
I believe that sending another collegiate team will definitely hurt their chances to even get in the Medal Round.
On topic do you think that a USA's Collegiate team can win the 2007 FIBA America's tournament?
Pros on team USA
