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ed4444
Joined: 12 Oct 2004
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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 Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 3:36 am Post subject: |
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| Joe Boxer wrote: |
Canada has to support its athletes more. There should be more government money put aside for sports.
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No. I'll take a % cut in the GST vs a gold medal. It really comes down to that. If people and corporations want to support it, that's great. But don't take my tax dollars. |
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Joe Boxer
Joined: 25 Dec 2007
Location: Bundang, South Korea
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| Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 3:47 am Post subject: |
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| mindmetoo wrote: |
| Joe Boxer wrote: |
Canada has to support its athletes more. There should be more government money put aside for sports.
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No. I'll take a % cut in the GST vs a gold medal. It really comes down to that. If people and corporations want to support it, that's great. But don't take my tax dollars. |
Yeah, that's the attitude of alot of Canadians. I wonder where that comes from? People in other countries don't mind their tax dollars going to funding athletes.
Why are Canadians so different? |
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beast
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 8:04 am Post subject: |
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| Because Joe Boxer, you should have been born an American. You sound like a fighter. Growing up in Houston Texas, all we knew was sports or grades, you had the choice. One or the other, or maybe the army. Either way you would be supported. Michael Phelps, Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, they are products of the society. It's a good society to be in if you like sports. |
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Joe Boxer
Joined: 25 Dec 2007
Location: Bundang, South Korea
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| Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 9:31 am Post subject: |
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| beast wrote: |
| Because Joe Boxer, you should have been born an American. You sound like a fighter. Growing up in Houston Texas, all we knew was sports or grades, you had the choice. One or the other, or maybe the army. Either way you would be supported. Michael Phelps, Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, they are products of the society. It's a good society to be in if you like sports. |
Yes, I'm a pro boxer. But I was an amateur for years, and I know how tough it is to train full-time and not be paid.
And yes, come to think of it, maybe I would have benefited from participating in the US amateur program. Working a full-time job while competing at the National Level was too much.
And I just can't believe some of the people on this board. They don't want tax dollars to go toward athletes? I'm assuming that the people that say that were never athletes. All former athletes that I know, want increased funding, even though they personally won't benefit.
More money and more participation!
A competitive instinct!
Inspire the fat-ass generation! |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 9:47 am Post subject: |
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| Joe Boxer wrote: |
| mindmetoo wrote: |
| Joe Boxer wrote: |
Canada has to support its athletes more. There should be more government money put aside for sports.
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No. I'll take a % cut in the GST vs a gold medal. It really comes down to that. If people and corporations want to support it, that's great. But don't take my tax dollars. |
Yeah, that's the attitude of alot of Canadians. I wonder where that comes from? People in other countries don't mind their tax dollars going to funding athletes.
Why are Canadians so different? |
I think it comes from a long history of paying a lot in taxes and we no longer care for government deciding how to spend our money. |
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peppermint
Joined: 13 May 2003
Location: traversing the minefields of caddishness.
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| Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 11:02 am Post subject: |
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| Joe Boxer wrote: |
And I just can't believe some of the people on this board. They don't want tax dollars to go toward athletes? I'm assuming that the people that say that were never athletes. All former athletes that I know, want increased funding, even though they personally won't benefit.
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I'm not against athletes getting funding from somewhere, but on the list of places I'd like to see my tax dollars being used, funding for amateur athletes is well below healthcare and schools, though somewhat above funding flower beds in parks. |
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Kuros
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
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| Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 1:45 pm Post subject: |
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Okay, Joe, how committed are you to athletes?
China gives its gold medal winners roughly a million USD once they win a gold medal. This is the same country whose athletes bawl in shame in CCTV interviews when they win the silver medal.
America gives a comparative pittance to medal winners: $25k for gold, $15k for silver, $10k for bronze. Most of the other money comes from corporate sponsors, who will raise money to send friends and family away to the Olympics. Frankly, I like the American system: a small, symbolic casg prize with all contenders getting some corporate sponsorship and big winners (like Phelps) in the running for endorsements. Gold medal winners and Presidents should not make millions of taxpayer dollars. |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 2:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Oh and Ya-ta Boy, all of the Olympians should strive for gold. The feeling of "wow, I got to the Olympics" is just not good enough. |
Of course they should strive for the gold. However, coming in #2 does not make you a loser. It makes you 2nd.
I don't see the point in funding amateur athletes unless we also fund amateur musicians, amateur artists, amateur everything else. I rank the need for flower beds in the park higher than the need for gov't funding for people's hobbies (or obsessions). |
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peppermint
Joined: 13 May 2003
Location: traversing the minefields of caddishness.
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| Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 2:32 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm more for either natural parks or guerilla gardening in most cases. Planned beds look too fussy for my liking |
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The Hammer
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Ullungdo 37.5 N, 130.9 E, altitude : 223 m
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| Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 2:32 pm Post subject: |
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| Canada's Olympic program doesn't need more money. What it really needs is better athletes! |
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Joe Boxer
Joined: 25 Dec 2007
Location: Bundang, South Korea
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| Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 8:52 pm Post subject: |
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| Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Oh and Ya-ta Boy, all of the Olympians should strive for gold. The feeling of "wow, I got to the Olympics" is just not good enough. |
Of course they should strive for the gold. However, coming in #2 does not make you a loser. It makes you 2nd. |
We're not talking about people "coming in #2". We're talking about the Canadian Olympic team not even being on the scoreboard!
A few days ago, Silken Laumann, whom most Canadians will remember, said:
"For instance, looking at what's going on in the pool, sure we haven't won a medal yet, but there are a lot of our swimmers who have set Canadian records, who have had personal-best performances, and that's worth something, and I think we should be proud of how our athletes are doing."
http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/story/2008/08/13/olympics-medals-canada.html
"Canadian records" and "personal-best performances" shouldn't be mentioned as conciliation prizes when we're on the world stage. |
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MANDRL
Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Location: South Korea
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| Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 9:57 pm Post subject: |
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| How does it feel to lost at the Olympics? Ask Milorad Cavic representing the Serbian swimming team. |
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ddeubel
Joined: 20 Jul 2005
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| Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 10:43 pm Post subject: |
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mindmetoo wrote:
Joe Boxer wrote:
Canada has to support its athletes more. There should be more government money put aside for sports.
No. I'll take a % cut in the GST vs a gold medal. It really comes down to that. If people and corporations want to support it, that's great. But don't take my tax dollars.
Yeah, that's the attitude of alot of Canadians. I wonder where that comes from? People in other countries don't mind their tax dollars going to funding athletes. |
A lot of great discussion and thoughts on this thread. I'd add that I see it as a no brainer to fund athletics more. I was involved in helping the Olympic funding program and believe it or not, it IS getting harder in Canada to even get corporations backing sports (maybe see Jane Roos' See you in Beijing and her struggles...).
From my own perspective and experience, I'd say that beyond dollars, it is also an attitudinal change that is effecting Canada's dismal performance. Athletes just don't work hard enough. They want more for less....this is a cultural phenomena that really is disturbing with the recent generation Y.
A large country like the U.S. that suffers from the same thing can get away with it because of its size. There will always be extremes and record setters and due to size, they will produce. Canada, with a relatively small population, needs a base of high performers to succeed. Just isn't happening and across the board (with a few exceptions where there is strong leadership) it is suffering.
I'll give an example from my own sport. Once upon a time, the top 20 finishers in a 10k would be under 32 min. Now, you are lucky to get one or two.... Swimming as was previously mentioned, suffers similarly. There are Can. records etc...being set but these can be attributed to outside technological factors which are effecting swimming in general.
Sport just isn't done seriously anymore and further, it is done with the attitude "I want it all (without sweating too much). Sorry to say but Can. athletes just don't work hard enough. That's the fact, Jack.
DD
http://eflclassroom.ning.com |
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Joe Boxer
Joined: 25 Dec 2007
Location: Bundang, South Korea
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| Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 10:53 pm Post subject: |
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| peppermint wrote: |
I'm not against athletes getting funding from somewhere, but on the list of places I'd like to see my tax dollars being used, funding for amateur athletes is well below healthcare and schools, though somewhat above funding flower beds in parks. |
Maybe if more money were put into athletics, it would lower health care costs in the long run. Reducing obesity would in turn reduce diabetes, heart disease and asthma. |
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