Paralympians attempt to cross line at exact same time and share medal rather than compete
53 replies, posted
[QUOTE=Paramud;37591594]I really don't understand your thought process.
Competition and sportsmanship are not mutually exclusive.[/QUOTE]
you're sitting here bitching about how wrong it was for them to do this because "IT'S A COMPETITION"
that makes it pretty clear to me that you either don't understand the concept of sportsmanship or don't think it belongs in competitive sports, which i find hilarious
Well one usually bites gold stuff to see if it's real gold I can't recall why, maybe because gold is softer than tooth enamel and will dent if you bite it, proving its goldness. But still, why do it? Kind of looks stupid.
[QUOTE=Pandamox;37591611]you're sitting here bitching about how wrong it was for them to do this because "IT'S A COMPETITION"
that makes it pretty clear to me that you either don't understand the concept of sportsmanship or don't think it belongs in competitive sports, which i find hilarious[/QUOTE]
I never said, nor even implied, that it was wrong. But to argue that it isn't against the spirit of a competition is fucking stupid.
[QUOTE=SatansSin;37579976]because everything is about being better than your opponent instead of showing good sportsmanship and showing that you can accept defeat, or victory from any opportunity[/QUOTE]
Uh it kind of is yes.
Stuff like this is nice and all, but it doesn't make people take the paralympics as a serious athletic endeavor.
You won't catch a single Olympian doing anything like this.
[QUOTE=Cabbage;37591620]Well one usually bites gold stuff to see if it's real gold I can't recall why, maybe because gold is softer than tooth enamel and will dent if you bite it, proving its goldness. But still, why do it? Kind of looks stupid.[/QUOTE]
The photographers just about make them do it now, it's a tradition thing.
[QUOTE=JaegerMonster;37591710]
You won't catch a single Olympian doing anything like this.[/QUOTE]
You won't catch anyone else in literally any other sport doing this. If Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel conspire to tie at Monza tomorrow and share the trophy/winnings the FIA would ban them for a few races, strip them of the win, and probably fine the hell out of them. If the Braves and White Sox conspire to tie a game between each other and share the winnings the MLB would similarly come crashing down on top of them. Same for NASCAR, NFL, NHL, NBA, boxing, MMA, literally every other sport on the planet. Even fucking E-Sports come down like a ton of bricks on this shit, just recently the LoL players at a big tourny(I think MLG?) conspired to do exactly this and got [i]the entire game dropped from the tournament.[/i] They did the same exact thing these paralympians did and they got LoL dropped form the tournament entirely. [i]And that's fucking e-sports for christ sake![/i]
This kind of thing may be touching but it undermines the very foundation of sport. When you're top level you compete to win, otherwise you get thrown out and sanctioned by the governing body. Why people are saying it should be different in the paralympics I have no idea.
[editline]8th September 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=Cabbage;37591620]Well one usually bites gold stuff to see if it's real gold I can't recall why, maybe because gold is softer than tooth enamel and will dent if you bite it, proving its goldness. But still, why do it? Kind of looks stupid.[/QUOTE]
It's mostly tradition nowadays, but it came about from when some paranoid olympians bit their medals to make sure they were actually metal and not wood fakes.
But the olympic games isn't really a sport in that sense that competitiveness is the most important principle. Contrary to common belief, the competitions themselves aren't the main thing in the olympic games, it's the spirit of everyone from around the world joining together in an athmosphere of tolerance and sportmanship. That's why there even are paralympics in the first place, and is the reason why so many sports are represented.
[QUOTE=Ond kaja;37592033]But the olympic games isn't really a sport in that sense that competitiveness is the most important principle. Contrary to common belief, the competitions themselves aren't the main thing in the olympic games,[B] it's the spirit of everyone from around the world joining together in an athmosphere of tolerance and sportmanship[/B]. That's why there even are paralympics in the first place, and is the reason why so many sports are represented.[/QUOTE]
Please you have to be kidding. That's just a promo one liner you bought into hook line and sinker if you actually believe that.
If it's not about competition, why do countries spend literally thousands on preparing their athletes, supply them with PEDs (yes this happens, and it has always happened) and why is there so much underhanded dealings going on in the olympics? Why do judges get paid off?
The olympics IS elite level athletics, it's about the highest level of competition you can get to that doesn't involve a payroll - but even that isn't true because these athletes get huge promotional and advertising deals.
[QUOTE=Ond kaja;37592033]But the olympic games isn't really a sport in that sense that competitiveness is the most important principle. Contrary to common belief, the competitions themselves aren't the main thing in the olympic games, it's the spirit of everyone from around the world joining together in an athmosphere of tolerance and sportmanship. That's why there even are paralympics in the first place, and is the reason why so many sports are represented.[/QUOTE]
The Olympics and Paralympics are to track and field what Formula 1 is to open-wheel racing. It is on par with the NFL, MLB, NHL, etc etc. If you're in the Olympics you are the best your country has to offer, and you should compete to the best of your abilities. This isn't some random meet on a ball field between a bunch of normal guys where the only stakes are bragging rights at the sports bar.
How does any of this refute my points, just because there is competition doesn't mean that the spirit isn't the original intention of the whole event. Even the Greeks did it back in the days.
If this was all about money, why are small obscure sports and paralympics represented?
[QUOTE=Ond kaja;37593469]How does any of this refute my points, just because there is competition doesn't mean that the spirit isn't the original intention of the whole event. Even the Greeks did it back in the days.[/QUOTE]
Pretty sure the spirit of competition is, you know, competition.
Not holding hands and friendship.
[QUOTE=Paramud;37593895]Pretty sure the spirit of competition is, you know, competition.
Not holding hands and friendship.[/QUOTE]
sportsmanship is more important than competition.
for someone who says he doesn't care you seem really adamant about this "no fun allowed COMPETITION ONLY" thing.
[QUOTE=SgtCr4zyGunz;37594609]sportsmanship is more important than competition.
for someone who says he doesn't care you seem really adamant about this "no fun allowed COMPETITION ONLY" thing.[/QUOTE]
Sportsmanship and competition are, again, not mutually exclusive. There's no reason why someone can't be competitive and a good sport about it.
(in fact, that's kind of what professional sports are about)
And yeah, I think it's kind of fucking stupid to say that competition isn't important in a fucking competition. So sue me.
[QUOTE=Ond kaja;37593469]How does any of this refute my points, just because there is competition doesn't mean that the spirit isn't the original intention of the whole event. Even the Greeks did it back in the days.[/quote] Then explain why someone competing in the top level of literally any other sport on this planet would get extremely severe penalties for doing the exact same thing?!
You can't do it in F1. You can't do it in NASCAR. You can't do it in BTCC. You can't do it in WRC. You can't do it in Paris-Dakar. You can't do it in the Super Bowl. You can't do it over the Stanley Cup. You can't do it in the World Series. You can't do it in boxing. You can't do it in UFC. You can't do it in Tennis. You can't do it in football. You can't do it in rugby. You can't do it in Aussie V8 Supercars, Baja 1000 or monster truck racing. You can't do it at MLG. You can't do it in RC car racing. You can't even do this shit in the normal Olympics. [i]So why the fuck are we treating the Paralympics any different?![/i]
It reeks of double standard to me. We look down upon and heavily penalize able-bodied competitors when they do this, yet when it's a bunch of cripples doing the [i]exact same fucking thing[/i] we as a society just go "D'awww, that's so touching" and forget that they're undermining the very foundation of their sport!
I'm sorry but this sort of thing is just plain wrong at this level. This isn't some high-school track day where the cripples are put out there to 'pretend-race' to boost their self-esteem and make them happy for a few days, this is a competition between the best of the best.
[quote]If this was all about money, why are small obscure sports and paralympics represented?[/QUOTE]
If it wasn't all about the money explain why all the top athletes have multi-million dollar sponsorships and why broadcasting companies will fork BILLIONS out for broadcast rights.
Go on. I'm waiting.
[QUOTE=SgtCr4zyGunz;37594609]sportsmanship is more important than competition.
for someone who says he doesn't care you seem really adamant about this "no fun allowed COMPETITION ONLY" thing.[/QUOTE]
Sportsmanship is nice and all, and I do agree that competitors need to practice good sportsmanship, but fixing the race is just wrong. It goes against the very foundation of the sport. Hell, I'd even go as far as to say this sort of thing is bad sportsmanship. How's it fair to anyone else when the two best racers decide to tie and split the winnings? It's not fair to the fans, who expect a proper race with all competitors putting out 110%. It's not fair to other competitors who have to sit back there and watch these two tug on the world's heartstrings while they work their ass off to get their positions. It's not fair to all the people who sponsored them. It's not fair to all the people who helped them train, and it's not fair to the country they represent. It's taking the fairness part of good sportsmanship and bludgeoning it to death with a rusty sledgehammer.
[QUOTE=TestECull;37594929]Sportsmanship is nice and all, and I do agree that competitors need to practice good sportsmanship, but fixing the race is just wrong. It goes against the very foundation of the sport. Hell, I'd even go as far as to say this sort of thing is bad sportsmanship. How's it fair to anyone else when the two best racers decide to tie and split the winnings? It's not fair to the fans, who expect a proper race with all competitors putting out 110%. It's not fair to other competitors who have to sit back there and watch these two tug on the world's heartstrings while they work their ass off to get third. It's not fair to all the people who sponsored them. It's not fair to all the people who helped them train, and it's not fair to the country they represent. It's taking the fairness part of good sportsmanship and bludgeoning it to death with a rusty sledgehammer.[/QUOTE]
They were actually tying for last place, but it's still against the spirit of sports either way.
[QUOTE=Paramud;37594961]They were actually tying for last place, but it's still against the spirit of sports either way.[/QUOTE]
Duly noted and adjusted.
The only reason I like the Olympics is because it brings many of the world's nations together for a short period of time. I wish there was more sportsmanship and community, and less competition. When we can gather a large portion of the world into one city, we should spend that time making friends and not just trying to be better than everyone else.
[QUOTE=TestECull;37594929]You can't even do this shit in the normal Olympics.[/QUOTE]
You must have not seen my post on the last page
[QUOTE=doommarine23;37580112]These things about more than just competition, something you and others might not understand. Especially for those are crippled, its about bravery, courage, brotherhood, sportsmanship.
Its not about glory nor victory.[/QUOTE]
Then why even bloody have medals or a scoring plate?
[QUOTE=MountainWatcher;37595184]Then why even bloody have medals or a scoring plate?[/QUOTE]
At that point, it's really just an exhibition.
They are both on the same team, why does it matter if they didn't compete with each other? One of them was going to end up with bronze either way.
So, the bronze medal was going to team GB, the name of the athlete is actually not really relevant at all.
Furthermore Road Races are essentially a team event despite what you are all led to believe / what you see. The able body cyclists show similar levels or sportsmanship every time they race.
Finally, this is not the first time an attempted medal sharing has occurred, i distinctly remember a boxing fight where the gold medalist actually pleaded with the officials to give the gold to the other guy, something to do with a stupid uncalled for disqualification and a knockout preventing the final fight taking place or something along those lines..
[QUOTE=Paramud;37595543]At that point, it's really just an exhibition.[/QUOTE]
Well yeah, but isn't that the noblest of the forms of sport? Doing sports for the sake of itself, to strengthen the body, instead of competition.
[QUOTE=MountainWatcher;37596459]Well yeah, but isn't that the noblest of the forms of sport? Doing sports for the sake of itself, to strengthen the body, instead of competition.[/QUOTE]
Yes. But it's not an exhibition, it's a competition.
If it was just an exhibition of handicapped athletes demonstrating their skills, and there were no awards or medals or podiums, then everything would be fine and dandy. That'd actually be pretty cool.
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