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That aside honestly I don't see why anyone would bother to even do it for such low pay. Being in the Olympics sound prestigious but I wouldn’t bother putting t

by Fuxy 10y ago

That aside honestly I don't see why anyone would bother to even do it for such low pay. Being in the Olympics sound prestigious but I wouldn’t bother putting the effort for such low rewards.

humanrebar 10y ago
> That aside honestly I don't see why anyone would bother to even do it for such low pay. Aren't athletes routinely given room, board, gear, and free coaching from their governments? Aren't many events mainly for upper-class types anyway (events with horses or expensive winter gear, for example)? If making a living isn't a concern, prestige is a really nice job perk.
- thrownblown 10y ago
  not in the US. the article states: "Unlike national Olympic committees in many other countries, Blackmun noted, the USOC receives no government support to help it pay athletes." the Olympic Training Center has some limited housing for athletes but you have to live in Colorado Springs.
donkeyd 10y ago
> such low rewards I think you have a different idea about what a reward is than athletes do. Being among the best athletes in the world, and being able to just perform their favorite sport is probably the reward to them, otherwise they wouldn't have made it there anyway.
rburhum 10y ago
"Reward" doesn't always equal money. Yes, of course, receiving money for what one does allows comfortable living, but there are plenty of professions and things people do that are not centered around accumulating money.
goldenkey 10y ago
Yeah its not like they are inventing or discovering new science to help humanity. Its just low brow entertainment plus a small benefit for almamacs if you spin it as record breaking. Im sure coaching / private lessons pay a lot more. Fuck the prestige, its just ego boosting with vampire scum sucker execs really winning anyhow.
alistairSH 10y ago
For the same reason a techie might work for a low bug bounty. Or go to a hack-a-thon. Neither pays well, relative to time invested, but the experience itself has value. And there is the prestige earned, which may translate into future earnings. For an athlete, those future earnings could come in the form of future coaching opportunities, etc. That, and world class athletes are just wired differently than you or me. In addition to the obvious physical gifts, they must share some of the personality traits with politicians and executives - incredible competitiveness, large ego, etc.
throwaway_xx9 10y ago
Brock Lesnar, a world-class wrestler, once said, "I saw my Olympic-training buddies scrape by to have a rusty car, and I decided that was not for me, and went pro (WWE and MMA.)"

by Fuxy 10y ago

That aside honestly I don't see why anyone would bother to even do it for such low pay. Being in the Olympics sound prestigious but I wouldn’t bother putting the effort for such low rewards.

humanrebar 10y ago

> That aside honestly I don't see why anyone would bother to even do it for such low pay. Aren't athletes routinely given room, board, gear, and free coaching from their governments? Aren't many events mainly for upper-class types anyway (events with horses or expensive winter gear, for example)? If making a living isn't a concern, prestige is a really nice job perk.

thrownblown 10y ago
not in the US. the article states: "Unlike national Olympic committees in many other countries, Blackmun noted, the USOC receives no government support to help it pay athletes." the Olympic Training Center has some limited housing for athletes but you have to live in Colorado Springs.

donkeyd 10y ago

> such low rewards I think you have a different idea about what a reward is than athletes do. Being among the best athletes in the world, and being able to just perform their favorite sport is probably the reward to them, otherwise they wouldn't have made it there anyway.

rburhum 10y ago

"Reward" doesn't always equal money. Yes, of course, receiving money for what one does allows comfortable living, but there are plenty of professions and things people do that are not centered around accumulating money.

goldenkey 10y ago

Yeah its not like they are inventing or discovering new science to help humanity. Its just low brow entertainment plus a small benefit for almamacs if you spin it as record breaking. Im sure coaching / private lessons pay a lot more. Fuck the prestige, its just ego boosting with vampire scum sucker execs really winning anyhow.

alistairSH 10y ago

For the same reason a techie might work for a low bug bounty. Or go to a hack-a-thon. Neither pays well, relative to time invested, but the experience itself has value. And there is the prestige earned, which may translate into future earnings. For an athlete, those future earnings could come in the form of future coaching opportunities, etc. That, and world class athletes are just wired differently than you or me. In addition to the obvious physical gifts, they must share some of the personality traits with politicians and executives - incredible competitiveness, large ego, etc.

throwaway_xx9 10y ago

Brock Lesnar, a world-class wrestler, once said, "I saw my Olympic-training buddies scrape by to have a rusty car, and I decided that was not for me, and went pro (WWE and MMA.)"