did ray allen really say this?

[blink]

thanks.  I am def in the minority here for some reason...

for once, a soul in this thread who does get it! hats off to you blink..bottomline is if you think you are putting at risk your livelihood and it does not equate to your calling, the noble privelege of representing your country,then don't do it! it's that simple,however commercialized the modern olympics have been, you can never justify that you ought to have a piece of it too and shouting it out..how does playing in front of billions of people, gasping on your every move,amazed and in complete awe of your talents sound to you?still not enticing without the money that you demand to go with it?then don't do it..got it?

[Eja117]

yes, and he is completely right.

Why the hell would a professional go do his job for free?  Carpenters don't build houses for free, Lawyers don't represent people for free, and Dentists don't do root canals for free.

These things happen frequently actually. And if they were Olympic events people would totally do it. Not sure how Olympic lawyering would go, but I could see myself watching

[Finkelskyhook]

Why would I want to google the opinions of a bunch of lazy squatters who want people who work to give them something for nothing?  I don't owe them anything and neither does Wade or Allen.

I don't like Wade but I don't resent his success.  You apparently do.  That he's successful shouldn't dictate he "volunteer" to do something that literally all of his competition is getting paid for.  It certainly doesn't make him a better person to risk injury and safety to do so. 

He owes us nothing.  He owes the olympics even less.  His responsibility is to his family and his employer.  Not to a meaningless contrived event with a flag wrapped around it to give it unearned prestige and credibility.

If you don't like what Allen and Wade are saying...Don't watch them.  Don't buy their memoribilia.  Don't buy tickets to their events.

But resenting their success is a very unhealthy state of mind.

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

I never said that the olympics were perfect.  But I am impressed that you can make a long list of olympic scandals to try and support your argument.  But it doesn't change my view.  Yeah people are human and don't always do the right thing.  Does that make the olympic ideals any less valid?  To me it doesn't.

But if we take your cynical view of the whole thing then why should we even participate at all?  Why are you even in this discussion if you feel it is so obvious that the olympics are such a waste of time and so filled with inequalities and cheating judges and contestants?

Why is their wealth relevant?  It is relevant because that many average people (myself included) feel that an extremely weathly NBA athlete shouldn't be moaning about not wanting to play without getting paid.  How is this so hard to understand?  Google 'occupy wall street'.  Most people don't want to see wealthy athletes moaning about not getting paid for something that thousands of people would do for free.

The olympics aren't perfect, they never will be.  The commercialization of the olympics obviously takes it's toll on the event.  But that doesn't mean that NBA players need to make it worse.

To me the olympics strive for a higher ideal about sport.  That is why it bugs me that extremely wealthy nba players say they want to get paid.

 
olympic ideals?  (Really?) Such as the pure ideals that Roy Jones Jr, Evander Holyfield, The 72 US basketball team, figure skaters practically every olympics, gymnasts, ad nauseum etc experienced?  Those ideals make NBA officiating look forthright and consistent.  the olympics is a caricature of itself.  Nothing more. olympic ideals, IMHO, is an oxymoron.

Again I ask....Why is their wealth relevent?  It's said that tax money supports this scam of an event.  Allen and Wade probably pay close in taxes to what everybody combined in this blog do.  Aren't they doing enough already? 

Game time I wont say much but don't add occupy wall street in this because most of those people complain about people who don't EARN their money, those athletes earn their money! I may come back to go point for point but I don't think I want to argue with you because I can see this is going to go on forever!

[Timdawgg]

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]

Wow, I keep wanting to get away from this discussion, but I need to respond.  I don't resent ANYone's success.  You don't know me, or anything about me so stop saying that you do.  So you can stop with the personal attacks ok?  

No one is saying DWade has to do anything - apparently you didn't want to read the thread.  Obviously it is his choice to participate.  EVERYONE has said that. I am all for him not playing if that is what he wants to do.  I am just not for paying him to play in the olympics.

I have read that D Wade is a pretty big philanthropist, so I applaud him for that.  I guess he feels he made a mistake since he has retracted his statements so quickly.

I feel my view on this isn't very extreme but it seems to have brought out a lot of other extreme views.

Also, you really missed the point of me including the occupy wall street reference.  It is really the bald faced greed that gets me.  If you want to go along with that, good luck to you.

Here is a better explanation of why the greedy attitude from DWade bothers me.  I am over and out of this thread.  Too wide of a divide for it to even be worthwhile to me anymore.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/lopresti/story/2012-04-12/Lopresti-Olympians-should-never-be-paid/54213128/1

Why would I want to google the opinions of a bunch of lazy squatters who want people who work to give them something for nothing?  I don't owe them anything and neither does Wade or Allen.

I don't like Wade but I don't resent his success.  You apparently do.  That he's successful shouldn't dictate he "volunteer" to do something that literally all of his competition is getting paid for.  It certainly doesn't make him a better person to risk injury and safety to do so. 

He owes us nothing.  He owes the olympics even less.  His responsibility is to his family and his employer.  Not to a meaningless contrived event with a flag wrapped around it to give it unearned prestige and credibility.

If you don't like what Allen and Wade are saying...Don't watch them.  Don't buy their memoribilia.  Don't buy tickets to their events.

But resenting their success is a very unhealthy state of mind.

[butterbeanlove]

When U.S. corporations stop outsourcing jobs, using offshore tax loopholes etc. and U.S. politicians put a stop to these practices, I'll get worked up over it. But this ship has sailed.

I love how Duwayne Wade backtracked, though. LeFraud really is rubbing off on him.

[Senninsage]

First of all, we don't even know what Ray Allen said. So, I'm generally opposed to the idea of how some are trying to damage the reputation of one of the most respectable players in basketball.

We heard none of this out of Ray's own mouth.

[droopdog7]

Are the corporations donating their time and money?  No, in fact they are making money off the athletes.

So no, I don't have a problem with what ray and wade said. 

[blink]

Here is the article with direct quotes from Ray:
http://aol.sportingnews.com/nba/story/2012-04-11/dwyane-wade-ray-allen-nbaers-should-be-paid-for-playing-in-olympics

http://www.foxsportsflorida.com/04/11/12/Rondo-Allen-not-interested-in-Olympics/landing_heat.html?blockID=706938&feedID=3798

So yes, we do know what Ray said. He pretty much said the same as D Wade.  They already get $25,000 (for a gold medal win, ie highly likely) + gold medal + who knows how much additional in endorsements and they both feel they should be paid more.

I don't feel like this thread is trying to damage anyone's reputation.  A discussion on Celtic's blog isn't likely to hurt anyone's rep anyway.

First of all, we don't even know what Ray Allen said. So, I'm generally opposed to the idea of how some are trying to damage the reputation of one of the most respectable players in basketball.

We heard none of this out of Ray's own mouth.

[dlpin]

There is a big difference between a television network negotiating a deal to broadcast the olympics and some highly paid NBA athletes making money from their participation.  Those two issues aren't directly related at all. 

The television networks paying for the rights to broadcast and any revenue they get from that process doesn't directly involve the athletes.

It is two separate issues.  I never said RA was a bad citizen for the statement he made.  I just said it comes off as greedy to me.  It seems like a lot of folks on celticsblog disagree.  So be it.

So NBC should expect to profit from the olympics, but not the athletes that actually play it? NBC wanting to make money is expected, but players are supposed to just give up their free time for free?


Not to mention that for an American basketball player, there are only downsides to playing in the olympics. They are all already signed to endorsement deals and the like, and are expected to win. And anything short of a win is seen as a blemish on a career.

[dlpin]

Here is the article with direct quotes from Ray:
http://aol.sportingnews.com/nba/story/2012-04-11/dwyane-wade-ray-allen-nbaers-should-be-paid-for-playing-in-olympics

http://www.foxsportsflorida.com/04/11/12/Rondo-Allen-not-interested-in-Olympics/landing_heat.html?blockID=706938&feedID=3798

So yes, we do know what Ray said. He pretty much said the same as D Wade.  They already get $25,000 (for a gold medal win, ie highly likely) + gold medal + who knows how much additional in endorsements and they both feel they should be paid more.

I don't feel like this thread is trying to damage anyone's reputation.  A discussion on Celtic's blog isn't likely to hurt anyone's rep anyway.

First of all, we don't even know what Ray Allen said. So, I'm generally opposed to the idea of how some are trying to damage the reputation of one of the most respectable players in basketball.

We heard none of this out of Ray's own mouth.

I doubt any of the NBA stars are seeing any substantial increase in endorsements because of the olympics, given that NBA basketball is much bigger than olympic basketball.
Why is the greed of the reporters, corporations, media ok, but a player not wanting to risk his livelihood for free is unacceptable?

Hell, Boston was considering making a bid for the 2020 olympics. Anyone here willing to volunteer full time during their vacations to make it happen?

[Eja117]

There is a big difference between a television network negotiating a deal to broadcast the olympics and some highly paid NBA athletes making money from their participation.  Those two issues aren't directly related at all. 

The television networks paying for the rights to broadcast and any revenue they get from that process doesn't directly involve the athletes.

It is two separate issues.  I never said RA was a bad citizen for the statement he made.  I just said it comes off as greedy to me.  It seems like a lot of folks on celticsblog disagree.  So be it.

So NBC should expect to profit from the olympics, but not the athletes that actually play it? NBC wanting to make money is expected, but players are supposed to just give up their free time for free?


Not to mention that for an American basketball player, there are only downsides to playing in the olympics. They are all already signed to endorsement deals and the like, and are expected to win. And anything short of a win is seen as a blemish on a career.

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?

[greenlion]

no wonder america is screwed,this is a complete manifestation of all my fears of corporate america and the people here..how can people keep defending wade and allen for asking some compensation going to the olympics..you can never equate the experience for doing so for your country except for the piece of plated metal hanging around your neck after winning it all,it comes in cheap but you at least do it for your country..play for the olympics = pay me first...everybody here thinks everything can be bought by money..as i have said, if you are weary of an injury and fear putting much risk on your livelihood then don't play,that's it! you don't create a media circus by making statements and then retracting it afterwards, that is being a coward..do you guys honestly think if they get compensated and gets injured in the process, the compensation is enough to make up for their lost livelihood? you guessed it right! so nothing is never enough,not for allen nor wade or for most here defending them, and knowing that, why even bother playing at all,right? as i have said, many would answer the call for nothing, nothing! they are not a rarity,they have the skills, but hey, the whole world has already seen that AMERICANS can be beaten, by teams who would play for nothing! got it?

[dlpin]

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?