What a load of crap.  We would do much better to encourage corporations to offer flex working hours in exchange for excellent wages (kinda like Home Depot does now).  Devoting oneself to sporting endeavours full time is a choice. 

I know it is difficult but handing out cash for medals is ridiculous-places the wrong emphasis on what amateur sport is supposed to be about.  It also can encourage the kind of bad behaviour we have seen previously (i.e. drug abuse).

And what about those who work just as hard but get no medal?  Ridiculous, especially in sports where 100th of a second can make a difference.

I stopped caring about the olympics when they introduced beach volleyball and trampoline - the kind of recreational sports that should stay ‘demonstration’.

what’s next - dog & frisbee throw (to music no less)?

Yuck, what a wrong-headed decision.

Plenty of athletes are devotees of sports with zero commercial return.  Even those that endorse athletic gear can command fees for only a short period of time.  Audience memories fade, and it’s grueling to train and stay competitive after, say, reaching age 22.  Considering the difficulties of qualifying for an Olympic team at all, Canada would do well to offer $20k to anyone who survives the trials and cut-offs and runs their races or tosses their objects.  $20k barely pays ruition, board, and fees at a college or university, even in cut-rate Canada.  In the US, that’s not even half the annual cost at an elite private institution.

One thing long overdue: removal of basketball and soccer from the Olympic roster.  Both sports have plenty of other venues with lavish budgets, audiences, and payouts.  Some “exotic” sports may be entertaining (women’s beach vb teams, etc), but superfluous.  Others might be very worthy, but are impossible to cover with justice in a program with so many competitions.

The best thing might be to trim the whole circus to a single “team” event.  Have each country send 10 individuals (5m, 5f) to compete in a super decathlon: 100m dash, 5,000m run, high jump, pole vault, floor gymnastics, 400m individual swim medley, 1 meter dive, archery, and softball.  There would be only two sets of medals: one set for the highest scoring teams, and the other for the highest scoring individuals.  This would be a measure of universal athletic skill, truly worthy of Wheaties box fame.

So What they should be getting more.  The Olympic boards cries about fair play and do it for the sport ehy don’t they?  They are so corrupt with bribery and making sure certain events go a certain way...the make so much money but the Athletes must do it fot the LOVe of the sport....