Dwyane Wade and Ray Allen think Olympians should be paid

[alh1020]

This summer, a contingent of NBA stars will head to London to represent Team USA. There will be lots of discussion about how they're doing it for pride in their country and love of the game. It's a nice promotional exercise for the league and its corporate partners (chiefly shoe and apparel companies), all of whom can make money while talking about abstract values like honor and integrity. Everyone wins!

Yet, while players get to luxuriate in those values for a couple weeks, they don't actually get paid for the experience. Dwyane Wade and Ray Allen don't agree with that policy. Here's Wade, as reported by Michael Wallace of ESPN.com (via SLAM):

"It's a lot of things you do for the Olympics -- a lot of jerseys you sell," Wade said after the Heat's practice on Wednesday in advance of Thursday's game against Chicago. "We play the whole summer. I do think guys should be compensated. Just like I think college players should be compensated as well. Unfortunately, it's not there. But I think it should be something, you know, there for it."
Wade said he hasn't thought about how much players should be paid for their time. But he said there is a demanding schedule that comes with a commitment to the national team. This summer, NBA players whose teams advance deep into the playoffs could have only a couple of weeks of down time before the start of Team USA's training camp in late July.

Those comments came one day after similar sentiment from Ray Allen, who spoke to Chris Tomasson of FoxSports.com (also via SLAM):

"You talk about the patriotism that guys should want to play for, but you (need to) find a way to entice the guys," Allen said. "It's not the easiest thing in the world if you play deep in the playoffs and then you get two, three weeks off and then you start training again to play more basketball where it requires you to be away from home and in another country. It's fun, but your body does need a break.
"Everybody says, 'Play for your country.' But (NBA players are) commodities, your businesses. You think about it, you do camps in the summer, you have various opportunities to make money. When you go overseas and play basketball, you lose those opportunities, what you may make� If I'm an accountant and I get outsourced by my firm, I'm going to make some money somewhere else."

There's a certain selfishness to this view, particularly in the context of amateur athletes in other sports who devote their entire lives to training and expect little in return beyond a few weeks of fame and some minor endorsements. NBA players have different lifestyles, but it's hard to imagine the U.S. Olympic Committee paying them and not everyone else involved in competition. Even if their time is technically deemed to be worth more by every market in the world, that doesn't mean they should be paid in this particular instance.

Yet there's still some value to be taken from these comments, because it helps prove that the ideas of honor and pride that overwhelm Team USA narratives aren't the full story. Stars will play in London this summer now just to represent their countries, but to increase their international profiles and make some calculated statements about why they're willing to play in international tournaments. Even mentioning the concept of money shows that they have other interests.

They can tell us it's about patriotism, and that's at least partially true. Of course, it's also about business. They might not say it, but the NBA and Nike would agree.

Dwyane Wade and Ray Allen think Olympians should be paid | Ball Don't Lie - Yahoo! Sports

[Mr.MULLETINO]

99% of American's think they should not participate then. Olympics are to compete for your country, not for money.

[grizzly_bexar]

Olympics are a money-making spectacle that only has "meaning" for the fans. It is a circus of cronies.

So I am of two minds. On the one hand, these guys make tens of millions of dollars a year already. And they are already volunteering for this honor, so it's not like we NEED to pay to get guys to show up.

On the other hand, the Olympic committee is making a ton of money, so I always have a problem with the guys doing the work (whether it's Ballers or sprinters) not getting paid when everyone else is.

[b1gdon]

Originally Posted by grizzly_bexar

Olympics are a money-making spectacle that only has "meaning" for the fans. It is a circus of cronies.

So I am of two minds. On the one hand, these guys make tens of millions of dollars a year already. And they are already volunteering for this honor, so it's not like we NEED to pay to get guys to show up.

On the other hand, the Olympic committee is making a ton of money, so I always have a problem with the guys doing the work (whether it's Ballers or sprinters) not getting paid when everyone else is.

This is exactly how I feel. Wade is going to get crucified by a large segment of the public when the truth is that there a group of people who are making a ton of money off this multi-billion dollar business. If the players and athletes are expected to do this for national pride, why aren't we demanding the same out of the organizers?

In college, I used to help organize and coach IM women's flag football. I didn't get paid for it, I did it because it was fun and as a service to my college community. Are you going to tell me that we can't find people in America who wouldn't be willing to do the same?

The same goes for college football. People like Mack Brown, Rick Pitino, and Nick Saban will each make over a $100 Million dollars off the blood and sweat of other people who will get nothing more than $50,000 worth of tuition over a 4 year period. I think no individual involved in "amateur" athletics should make more than the players on the field.

[Flipmode Master]

Originally Posted by grizzly_bexar

Olympics are a money-making spectacle that only has "meaning" for the fans. It is a circus of cronies.

So I am of two minds. On the one hand, these guys make tens of millions of dollars a year already. And they are already volunteering for this honor, so it's not like we NEED to pay to get guys to show up.

On the other hand, the Olympic committee is making a ton of money, so I always have a problem with the guys doing the work (whether it's Ballers or sprinters) not getting paid when everyone else is.

Good Point, I don't think the quotes are greedy by any means because they make millions on top of millions off these guys. The jersey sales alone make the thought of compensation credible, but I doubt it happens.

[Jose_TheGenius]

i would say yes to paying regular Joes who want to play for their country.

compensate millionaires to play a hobby they're way overpaid for already? yeah...right

[grizzly_bexar]

The flip side to that, Jose, like we've complained about in the past, is that for most of these athletes, an injury in the Olympics doesn't mean financial catastrophe, because they're amateurs. They can still go back to the job at the Home Depot.

But an injury to an NBA baller could cost him tens of millions of dollars. Yet the Olympic committee profits off that, as does NBC.

Of course the NBA player also gets added endorsement value/etc., so it's not like they're really being ripped off. It's the true amateurs who get hosed by the hypocrisy of the Olympics.

[WILLTHETHRILL]

I don't think they should get paid.......they are REPRESENTING THE COUNTRY! All olympic players etc. should get a per diem but that's it. All the exposure they get world wide is not enough? If you want to "make it rain in the clubs" that's on your dime Dwayne! I understand Ray Allen's point but you don't have to play then........someone else better than him will take his place anyway! They don't need to spend any money at all. They make it seem like it's a burden. It's a huge honor!!!!!!!!!!!!

[clovisnmspurfan]

whatever

[WILLTHETHRILL]

change of heart?????????


MIAMI (AP) Heat guard Dwyane Wade says money is not his motivation for the London Games this summer.

In a statement Thursday, Wade said, ''I do not want to be paid to go to the Olympics.''

Wade was quoted Wednesday saying he thinks ''guys should be compensated'' for playing over the summer and noted the schedule demands of being an Olympian. He said he was responding to a question about Olympians being paid, and never said he needed to be paid to play.

Wade later tweeted that pride for his country ''motivates me more than any $$$ amount.''

Wade played for the U.S. at Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008, and has said the London Games would be his last.

[katyspursfan]

Originally Posted by Flipmode Master

Good Point, I don't think the quotes are greedy by any means because they make millions on top of millions off these guys. The jersey sales alone make the thought of compensation credible, but I doubt it happens.

The jersey sales are just part of the USOC budget. Income that's terribly appreciated by

Swimmer guy
Cross country runner girl
Bobsled guy
Water polo girl
etc

If Wade doesn't want to play for his country because of the schedule, stay home. If he doesn't want to play for his country because someone else is making money of his USA Jersey, stay home. Better yet, start a foundation that supports the USOC four years out of four and not just the summer of the Olympics.

Then go rent Miracle on Ice.

[spurscrazed]

Originally Posted by Mr.MULLETINO

99% of American's think they should not participate then. Olympics are to compete for your country, not for money.

Thank You!!

Could not have said it better!