A select few will get the gold deals
The closing ceremonies for the Summer Olympics are Sunday night, and only so many winners will walk away with big-money endorsements. Bob Moon talks about the gold medal deals with sports commentator Diana Nyad.
The U.S.'s Michael Phelps competing in the Men's 100-meter Butterfly Semifinal at the Beijing Olympics -- August 15, 2008 (Phil Walter/Getty Images)
More on Sports
Comments
Comment | Refresh
From Glenelg, MD, 08/22/2008
Discussions regarding the lifelong impact of pursuing the Olympic dream are very relevant. As pointed out, for all but the select few the cost benefit analysis shows a decided negative return. Consider for top level ice skaters, skates alone are $1500 to start, $3000 is not out the question. A rifle shooter, the rifles alone are $3000 not to mention other specialized equipment. Then consider 1000s of hours and dollars spent perfecting the skills to compete at the World and Olympic level the making of any athlete is and expensive propositon. Clearly these and many others examples are not cash sports with owners and franchises waiting to sign athletes when they are ready for the big time. In short, while participation may be fun, it is not a sustainable career path. Intuitivly, most people know this.
Yet at the same time there is the undercurrent that we, the US of A should have more and better athletes participating in all events. While this looks wonderful on the surface, when it is all over, regardless of gold, silver, bronze or also ran we as a nation that encouraged these youngsters to pursue the dream don't do much to help them join mainstream life when it is all over. Amisdt all the discussions about getting children involved in sports the country should also have programs to support athletes who have often dedicated years (decades) of their lives aiding national glory.
From Johnson, VT, 08/22/2008
Dear Friends at Market Place:
In response to your story on how good the Olympics have been to NBC, may I say that they haven't been quite as good to me, the devoted viewer here on the east coast.
"The best story" of the day is always broadcast after my bedtime. The good news is that I have given myself repeated permission to "stay up late," to catch a glimpse of my favorite gymnist, diver or runner. The bad news is that I awaken the next morning, stripped of the gold, silver and bronze energy that I need to get through a work day.
Ah, the tribulations of being an Olympic viewer. Safe within the confines of my home, I race, dive and flip every step of the way along with the NBC coverage. Then, it takes me an hour to unwind from the triumph (or failure) of my efforts. In the morning, I awaken exhausted and drag off to work, where I'm about to go at this moment.
In short, I have been glued to NBC's coverage, appreciated Bob Costas, and been amused by Bela Karoli - how couragous of NBC to feature him, and what a fascinating perspective he offers.
Thanks,
Mickey Myers
Post a Comment: Please be civil, brief and relevant.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. All comments are moderated. Marketplace reserves the right to edit any comments on this site and to read them on the air if they are extra-interesting. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting.
You must be 13 or over to submit information to American Public Media. The information entered into this form will not be used to send unsolicited email and will not be sold to a third party. For more information see Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.