did ray allen really say this?

[OmarSekou]

I like what Barkley said, they shouldn't get paid but they shouldn't be locked into 3 years of off season training. Meet 3 weeks before the Olympics and see what happens. Stars should feel obligated to do it at least once.

As it is now, I don't think the idea of wanting compensation for labor is that far fetched. But at the same time if that's the way players feel, no one is forcing them to be on the team. Or they could set it up so that the profits the players would have earned get distributed among different charities they're involved in.

[Finkelskyhook]

nobody complained when nbc, cbs, abc, cnn, foxnews etc aired about a week straight of 24 hour news commercial free when the Twin Towers went down. Maybe because they were supposed to do that.

If they had Olympic TV events I would probably expect nbc to compete without being paid. Beat those BBC mofos! Beat North Korea state television!  

The athletes aren't actors in a production. It's an entirely optional event. Ray wants something he wasn't offered, because apparently something to do with fairness or not having enough money or something.

But if Ray can turn around and say he doesn't have enough money then why can't NBC?

So Allen said he didn't have enough money now?

The olympics are a corporate event. Let's stop pretending it is anything else.
Not one of the people who actually run the show are doing it for free. Why should the athletes? Why should corporations profit from the sale of their jerseys?

The reason Ray Allen shouldn't get a dime for the sale of a Ray Allen Olympic jersey is because he put zero value into that jersey. The value doesn't come from the Allen on the back. It comes from the USA on the front and if he doesn't want to wear it then shut up and go home, because there are millions who would.

Problem with that logic, eja...Is that the millions who would wear it are not the greatest 3 point shooter in basketball history.  Allen, and players of his caliber make the jersey more marketable.  Since this mockery of an event is using professionals instead of amateurs....Professionals whom make all of the olympic memoribilia more marketable...Why shouldn't they get paid?  If that USA jersey said an obscure name on the back...How much would it sell for? 

The athletes aren't actors in a production.

When we see some of the judging and officiating....They might as well be.

[Finkelskyhook]

Ask Yao Ming how he feels about this. Playing for his country basically ruined his career. How much compensation has he lost because of this. You have to think about that perspective.

Blink, eja:

This is the poster example of why if the olympic organization wants a professional athlete...Who make their living in a very limited window....To participate...They should expect to compensate them. 

This is not about the flag.  This is not about charity. This is not about how much money they already have.  (Re: Antoine Walker..We don't know how much money these athletes actually have...They might need the money.)  Or how much more money they have than you.  The Lord blessed them with a unique skill set but a very short time to make that skill lucrative.  Most of us  have been blessed with skills that we can make a living for decades doing what we do. 

That's not mentioning what a mockery the olympics have become...Or the other very solid points made about the effect on the player's marketability should they lose.

[2dark]

1st to mention one important thing- Ray Allens patriotism should not be in question as he already won a gold medal while wearing USA jersey (one could argue that he was best player that year, mostly cause he was young and could handle playing w/o vacation).

Now personal expirience, as Croat I always felt shame when our NBA players refused to play for national team because of the need for rest (some of them were celtics, Radja, Vrankovic etc.) but I ve had first row seat to what preparation for it looks like, and then changed my opinion:D

Watching 15 guys sweat in the middle of summer in closed gym to get to some resemblance of team spirit, team strategy or just some simple plays from the book. It is hard work, and you can't just lazy your way into team and just play games.

Your body needs the rest, and more importantly players need some mental rest as well, giving your 100% in any team sport can't compare to giving 100% monday-friday 8-16 office job most of us do with sight on first next weekend we ll try to get hammered (usually while watching these same athlets on TV while doing so:)).

The point that hurts players is not that they provide their services for free, it is that someone is getting big money out of it, and it is not their country or the organization they come from. Its some comitee full of foreign old men preaching what an honour it is to play for your nation while laughing at Cuban and C's owners for having to pay big bucks for product they get for free.

(wow this rant ended up longer than I expected, sorry)

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

1st to mention one important thing- Ray Allens patriotism should not be in question as he already won a gold medal while wearing USA jersey (one could argue that he was best player that year, mostly cause he was young and could handle playing w/o vacation).

Now personal expirience, as Croat I always felt shame when our NBA players refused to play for national team because of the need for rest (some of them were celtics, Radja, Vrankovic etc.) but I ve had first row seat to what preparation for it looks like, and then changed my opinion:D

Watching 15 guys sweat in the middle of summer in closed gym to get to some resemblance of team spirit, team strategy or just some simple plays from the book. It is hard work, and you can't just lazy your way into team and just play games.

Your body needs the rest, and more importantly players need some mental rest as well, giving your 100% in any team sport can't compare to giving 100% monday-friday 8-16 office job most of us do with sight on first next weekend we ll try to get hammered (usually while watching these same athlets on TV while doing so:)).

The point that hurts players is not that they provide their services for free, it is that someone is getting big money out of it, and it is not their country or the organization they come from. Its some comitee full of foreign old men preaching what an honour it is to play for your nation while laughing at Cuban and C's owners for having to pay big bucks for product they get for free.

(wow this rant ended up longer than I expected, sorry)

Thank you and "goodnight"!