Conference noted::bicycle

Quite frankly, I think that the difference between us and the amateurs who
do go to the Olympics is almost as big as the difference between us and the pro
racers anyway.  The days when young Fred got on his dad's old bike and won the
Olympic Road Race are over and gone for ever.  In fact I think it might do some
of the cossetted amateurs a bit of good being hammered by those who really earn
their livings on the bike and suffer all that goes with it.  Unless the Olympics
is replaced by something which is truly amateur, then they may as well all be in
it together.

That being said, I felt a decided lack of interest when pro tennis players
came to Barcelona, and as for all the hype about the so-called Dream Team -
yeeeucchhh!! - words fail me entirely.....  The whole thing has gone to pot
anyway, at Barcelona, a guy finished the Marathon and couldn't get in the stadium
because the Finishing Ceremony was scheduled to go out on TV ...  Olympic Ideals?
Oh, my aching sides!!

    	I guess it depends on the sport (I know, we're talking about
    	cycling).
    
    	Take ice skating for instance. The amateurs are better technically
    	but less artistic. There is talk of Boitano and Whitt competing
    	in Lillehammer. Good luck; I think they'll both need it.
    
    	In gymnastics, there aren't (m)any pros making money at it.
    
    	As I said, it depends on the sport. In cycling, the pros are
    	markedly better than the amateurs, so I would prefer to keep
    	them out of the Olympics.
    
    	Scott

  I really agree with the point about the olympics loosing thier appeale with 
pros competing.  I used to love watching the olypics and seeing Joe Noname from
the U.S. competing against Vladamir Noname from where-ever.  It used to be a 
chance to watch people you did'nt know competing in sports you don't usually see.

  Now that there are pros competing and as a result there is even more money
involved the whole thing has gone to pot.  The unbridled thrill of victory has
been replaced with the cold calculated expectation of a Professional who is used to
winning.  

  I would really love to go to Atlanta in 96.  But to be perfectly honest.  I
doubt I would get any real enjoyment out of it.  There would be to much "Dream
Team" type stuff going on and to few Joe Nonames that you could actually talk
to about the experience of competing in an olympics.

  JC

    Okay, I'll ask the question...
    
    Since there would be no prize money and only some potential
    product endorsements for the winner, what _if_ the Olympic
    event conflicted with a high-dollar pro event?  I would think
    pro participation would become sporadic over the years.
    
    r�

    I cry foul !  You should gave waited until Graham could make some
    suitably acerbic and penetrating remarks.
    
    Some (rhetoric) questions:
    
      When do the Olympics happen ?
      When does the TdF happen ?
      When do(will) the World's Happen ?
      Who do you better of, the Worlds Champion or the Tdf/Vuelta/Giro/
      Pernod-super-prestige winner ?
      (for Europeans)  Which is it easier to name the World Cup Soccer
      winning team or the Olympic winner ?

     I guess if you look at from a purist perspective, it was a bastion
    of the highest level of amateurism for most sports.
    
     If I look at it by a sport to sport basis, I'd opt for the Pro's to
    stay out. If I look at it from a "fair's fair" perspective, all sports
    should entertain the pro's. 
    
     The dilema created is somewhat like the mess with professional boxing.
    Who recognizes who... Who recognizes what, etc...
    
     My vote?
    
    
    
    
    
               I think they should allow CAT V's and Citizens!!!!!
    
      Chip

    I have allways viewed the "O" as the "World Championship" where the
    Gold medal winner was/is the worlds best. For years I felt the Ruskies
    WERE placing Pro's in the games and that all true amatures were at a
    disadvantage because of that, not that I felt it was wrong, just that
    everyone should be able to do the same.
    
     So what I'm saying is that it shouldn't matter how you make a living
    but that you can compete at that level. This would then give the Gold
    medals to the Worlds Best and not exclude someone because he's good
    enough to make a living at it.
    
    My .02
    
     PM

    
    Thank you, Rod. It's nice to have someone sticking up for you...  :*)
    
    I think that making the Olympics pro is inevtiable. Whether I like it
    or not (and to be honest I'm not really sure. Someone said that
    amateurism is a peculiarly British notion...). However, with the
    professional sports, not just cycling, but football, baseball,
    basketball, ice hockey, etc, the IOC need to realise that they are
    infringing on different, well established calendars. Look how close the
    Tour and Olympics were. Can you imagine trying to fly from Paris to
    Seoul in that time? They need to find a way of standardising the format
    before it can really work (replace the Worlds every 4 years for
    example?).
    
    Graham who MIGHT be back on Monday with decidedly squint fingers...

>squint fingers

???

>> squint fingers

>  ???
    
    The two broken fingers have managed to set at 45 degrees and I'm now
    waiting to find out if they need reset, or if I'll just have to put up
    with my good looks being ruined forever...  :*)
    
    Graham.

    get them reset, that sounds like a very unaerodynamic position.
    
    :-)
    
    Good luck Graham.
    
    ed