Summer Olympics Debate - Dexter, MO

Boxing and Wrestling all the way.

I do not like that Professionals are allowed to compete in the Olympics.

The Games were meant to be the highest level of International Competition an athlete can get to.

All of those Amateurs in Tennis, Basketball, Soccer and some of the other sports that have allowed for the Professional Athletes to enter in to has really taken away from the Amateurs wanting to be selected for those roles.

I see what your saying, but I think the Olympics should be the best of the best, pro or amatuer. It should be the best atheletes in the world competing.

The Olympics were designed to show the best of the Amateur Athletes in our World.

What are we showing when we throw the best or the Multi-Million dollar making Super Athletes out there competing against many Player from other Countries where their Teams are not all made up of the High Dollar Player???

What are we to say to our Younger generation out there busting their asses at Gymnastics, Boxing, Wrestling, B-Ball, Volleyball, etc?? Oh, nevermind putting in all that hard work, we are going to allow for the Pro's to step in and do the Job for us!!!

I know allot of Parents out there that pay a shit ton of Money to the IOC every year for their Child Athlete would not be happy to hear that!

MAYBE, 15% of the Athletes in this world ACTUALLY become Professionals in their respective sport, MAYBE!!! Are we to tell that 85% that they are just not good enough??

Boxing has been failing, not because of the lack of interest, but the lack of wanting to make the Sport what it was supposed to be. Boxing is ten times harder than MMA to compete in, especially at the professional level. The problems we have seen at the Olympics with the sport has nothing to do with the Athlete, it has to do with the Officiating and the poor ass scoring system that it uses.

If the Pro's want to compete, then they should have to pay their own way, ALSO, they should not be compensated for winning any Medals!! I think that if they are going to start taking the spotlight away from our Amateur Level Athletes, they should not be able to take away what the Amateur Athlete has put into the System to be able to compete on the Olympic Stage!

I would say yes, tell the 85% that they're not good enough. I feel like it should be the best of the best pro or ammy. But I also feel that each individual event (ie: 10m platform diving, or 146lb boxing) should only have one person from each country competing. I hate watching a race with three people from the same country. I think the fastest from the country should be the one to represent that country. That could take away medals from someone who could have gotten second but didn't make it because the guy that got first was from the same country as he or she, but it would eliminate one country dominating the sport. If the United States made three basketball teams there's a chance they could get all three medals, and I don't think they should be able to. I feel each country should send their best one athelete (pro or ammy) to compete in each event. But, these are just my thoughts.

Well, the Olympics was not made to showcase the Professional Athlete...

The only thing ALLOT of Amateur Athletes have to look forward to towards the end of their Amateur Career, is the Olympics.

You will see a decrease in the activity in these sports if the IOC was to allow for Professionals compete in more than what they compete in now.

Kids and Families will stop participating if they do not see a future for their Athlete in the sport(s).