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Americans or not, I'm glad that the U.S. "NBA All-Star" team got crushed. I think we should really reconsider having professional athletes represent us in the Olympic games. I think we should be represented by our young athletes as before.

Think about the 1980 hockey team for example. This was a bunch of mostly high school and college kids who beat the Russians and went on to win the Gold. Many of them never had NHL careers but they will always have that gold medal. There's something special about that. Frankly, I'm not as impressed about Wayne Gretsky or Michael Jordan having a gold medal. When a bunch of NBA or NHL stars collect a gold medal, there's just nothing special about it. In fact, it's expected, which makes the winning of it a ho-hum affair.

I agree. There is clearly a difference between having the best players and having the best team. The US team does not play together and is the product of a league that doesn't even permit a zone defense, for heaven's sake. And that showed when PR kept getting open three pointers. Our guys were not a team and did not know how to play this game against decent competition.

I can understand your frustration but the problem is that there really are two different kinds of "professionals."

There are the professionals who, through endorsements and sponsorships and the like, train for the purpose of competing on the world stage. For example, swimming phenom Michael Phelps is making a seven figure income. And frankly, while he certainly doesn't need that much money to compete, but he does need some---hence he is, by definition, a professional athelete.

Then there are, of course, those who play in professional leagues like the NBA or NHL. To them, world competition serves only as a distraction from their primary focus.

I for one am not willing to forbid the first kind of pro athelete if that's the only way to forbid the second. Is there, perhaps, a way to differentiate?

Team USA isn't anywhere near being an "allstar team".

As to your suggestion, did you know that the point guard for PR is an NBA player? He is the point guard for the Jazz. The guy who hit the buzzer shot this morning for Argentina is also in the NBA, he is a guard for the Spurs.

Team USA has not been playing together very long and it shows. A number of real NBA allstars were asked to play for the USA and said no. Younger and more inexperienced players were then chosen in the place of players like Shaq, Kobe, Malone, and Kidd. <<<( BTW some of these guys were on the US olympic qualifying team)

Kudos to Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson who are true allstars and decided that representing their country was more important than vacation. If they can pull this young team together and win the gold, it will be every bit as exciting as the 1980 hockey win.

"Think about the 1980 hockey team for example. This was a bunch of mostly high school and college kids who beat the Russians and went on to win the Gold. Many of them never had NHL careers but they will always have that gold medal. There's something special about that."

I absolutely agree. No sports memory in my lifetime will ever match the win at Lake Placid by the American hockey team in 1980. When you have professional athletes like NBA and NHL All Stars competing, it just isn't the same, and it's hard to get really excited about it.

I think we should really reconsider having professional athletes represent us in the Olympic games. I think we should be represented by our young athletes as before

Thank you! Thank you!

I have never liked having pros playing in the Olympic games. And you're right about the Miracle on Ice Team. The reason they were so amazing, and the victory so amazing, was because the Soviet team was a "pro" team. They were a bunch of army officers who were stationed together and did nothing but hockey. For a bunch of young kids from various states and schools to be able to get together and beat these guys was amazing. And, THAT is why we still talk about it.

I cannot think of anything more boring than watching a bunch of overpaid pro players beat the tar out of some small country that has no chance at all.

My other gripe is that I feel that the pros are taking away a wonderful experience from some college player. What do these guys need with a gold medal. They can toss it in with the rest of the "awards" they have been given. But a college player, who is a good player, may not have what it takes to get into the NBA. The Olympics may be his shot at something special and for a bunch of multi-millionaires to take that away is, to me, disgusting.

I was happy that Puerto Rico beat these guys. And Italy,too, if I'm not mistaken.