Jungle Jim Hunter blasting Canadian Olympic team on 960

[jeremywilhelm]

Originally Posted by Flashpoint

He's just making noise to try and stir up notice. That's what the radio guys have to do these days to generate ratings. Inflammatory statements get people worked up and they pay attention. And start threads!

The discussion pretty much ends at this point with 2 gold on home field. That's awesome. Everything else at this point is cake. Looking foward all we really need now is hockey gold and this will be considered a great showing for Canada.

The Canadian team has 1/10th the population of the US, and what? 1/3rd the medal count? In terms of raw demographics, that's pretty good too IMO.

Yes, we have 1/10th the population, which means each athlete should be funded 10x the amount that a US athlete does, if the countries put the same amount of money into their programs.

Unfortunately, besides hockey, Sport Canada could give a rats ass about winning in sports.

[Flashpoint]

Originally Posted by jeremywilhelm

I speak from experience by the way, not just an outsider observation. I've seen and talked to athletes from stronger countries in the athlete villages at large competitions like the World University games, and it is astounding how well they (the non-canadians from the other competitive countries) are supported financially.

Well, usually the stronger countries have much larger populations, and the athletes have much more potential to earn endorsement deals if they are successful.

If you are talking exclusively about how much support they get from the government (instead of the private sector), I really don't have a problem with Canada prioritizing Olympic funding below other programs. Sports on an international stage once every 2 years really isn't that important IMO.

I'd say our contribution vs success level for these games is about right (so far).

[jeremywilhelm]

Originally Posted by Flashpoint

Well, usually the stronger countries have much larger populations, and the athletes have much more potential to earn endorsement deals if they are successful.

If you are talking exclusively about how much support they get from the government (instead of the private sector), I really don't have a problem with Canada prioritizing Olympic funding below other programs. Sports on an international stage once every 2 years really isn't that important IMO.

I'd say our contribution vs success level for these games is about right (so far).

And that attitude is exactly why Canada is so weak at the Summer games, and why they will continue to underperform on home territory where familiarity should be a fantastic advantage, but seems to be doing very little for our athletes.

[Flashpoint]

Originally Posted by jeremywilhelm

Yes, we have 1/10th the population, which means each athlete should be funded 10x the amount that a US athlete does, if the countries put the same amount of money into their programs.

Forgive me if I'm misunderstanding. Are you suggesting Canada should put the same amount of money into the Olympics program as the US?

[Pastiche]

Public funds are finite. Where on the spectrum of importance does "winning olympic medals" place itself for taxpayers?

[jeremywilhelm]

Originally Posted by Flashpoint

Forgive me if I'm misunderstanding. Are you suggesting Canada should put the same amount of money into the Olympics program as the US?

That would be tough to do of course, but if they want to "Own the podium" then they are gonna have to put up similar funding numbers.

[Two Fivenagame]

Originally Posted by jeremywilhelm

And this just shows you have never been to any sort of competition outside of Canada, if at all.

Well I though the "own the podium" program was designed to inject a crapload of money into the olympic program in order to address the issues of funding for athletes.

Now they (the athletes) have received an extra 100+ million dollars and I suppose the "woa is me, i'm so poor" attitude will contine.

I feel like they've been given the funds, now show me the results.

[Flashpoint]

Originally Posted by jeremywilhelm

And that attitude is exactly why Canada is so weak at the Summer games, and why they will continue to underperform on home territory where familiarity should be a fantastic advantage, but seems to be doing very little for our athletes.

Guilty as charged. I'm fine with putting more money into social programs than the summer games. Sports is less important than the social welfare of Canadian society. Just my opinion.

Back to these Olympics - I take it you agree with Jungle Jim then, and are disappointed with our medal count?

So to echo getbak - where are the other 12 medals supposed to have come from?

[jeremywilhelm]

Originally Posted by Two Fivenagame

Well I though the "own the podium" program was designed to inject a crapload of money into the olympic program in order to address the issues of funding for athletes.

Now they (the athletes) have received an extra 100+ million dollars and I suppose the "woa is me, i'm so poor" attitude will contine.

I feel like they've been given the funds, now show me the results.

Additional money is a long term fix. The money needs to be used to fix the basic training levels of the athletes. Canada needs to promote a culture change in sports.

[VladtheImpaler]

It's not about money really. If you look at skiing and speed-skating for example, our athletes are at or near the top in the World Cup standings, but don't show up on the BIG day. Maybe "not show up" is too harsh - they don't have their best day is a nicer way to put it.

[Two Fivenagame]

Originally Posted by simmer2

It's not the whole getting paid to compete, it's the support around the facilities, the coaches, travelling expenses, etc. There's a reason why Australia, a country about the same size as ours is unreal at the Summer Games. There is no reason Canada shouldn't be in the same boat in the Winter Games IMO.

Australia has a completely different system then Canada has.

Australian athletes train at a centralised location whereas Canadian athletes train all over Canada.

[Smell My Finger]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

He is exactly right, and he has been saying the same thing for years - it's not like he is trying to stir stuff up for its own sake. I have noticed it over many Olympics, but why is it that Americans, for example, "show up" when they are supposed to, but so many high-profile Canadians pick a "bad time to have an off-day", to quote Morisonn, the speed-skater?

That is exacly what he is getting at. There are too many Canadian athletes that are highly ranked and have legitiment chance of a medal, but don't go for it all out but instead attempt to manage their races.
Take Klassen she finished 16th or something but she pushed herself to the max. It was impressive.
Groves equally gave everything to win that bronze.

Wotherspoon just went out and skated a tech sound race but didn't bare down anyone could see that. Esp if you compare other competitors that were digging in hard.
Morrison did the same thing skated as hard as he thought he had to instead of how well he can. JMO

Jungle Jim is making a valid point that if you are in the Olymics you have to give it everything right to the end. Even if you place 40th.

[sa226]

Originally Posted by simmer2

It's not the whole getting paid to compete, it's the support around the facilities, the coaches, travelling expenses, etc. There's a reason why Australia, a country about the same size as ours is unreal at the Summer Games. There is no reason Canada shouldn't be in the same boat in the Winter Games IMO.

This is what I don't understand about the criticism of the "Own the podium" program.

Wasn't the program created to improve funding so that Canadians can compete with other countries on the same level financially?

The international press has hammered us on the own the podium program, apparently its un-canadian to want to win, and apparently the program is also responsible for the death of the Georgian luger.....

I don't get it.

As to your point on Australia. I think it would be worth comparing the funding between the 2 countries. We have a presence in both the Summer and Winter games, where as Australia really only has a presence in the Summer games, so the majority of their funding would go to Summer athletes. Just a guess.

[Two Fivenagame]

Originally Posted by jeremywilhelm

Additional money is a long term fix. The money needs to be used to fix the basic training levels of the athletes. Canada needs to promote a culture change in sports.

Agreed for the most part but it's the attitude that i'm mostly concerned with.

I worry that some of our athletes will accept a poor performance because they feel they didn't get enough funding which is like a crutch.

[Flashpoint]

Originally Posted by jeremywilhelm

That would be tough to do of course, but if they want to "Own the podium" then they are gonna have to put up similar funding numbers.

To my mind it's basically like suggesting Canada spend the same amount on our military as the US. Not a possibility.

My interpretation is that if both countries spend roughly the same amount per athlete, you should have similar results. I'm assuming we spend about 1/10th as much as the US (given our population being 1/10th of theirs).

Anyone have numbers on that? How much does the US spend on it's Winter Olympic program, and how much do we spend?

Which means so long as we have 1/10th the medals, we are basically accomplishing what we should be. And I haven't looked at the medal count today, but I believe we are well above that rate.

[jeremywilhelm]

Originally Posted by Flashpoint

Guilty as charged. I'm fine with putting more money into social programs than the summer games. Sports is less important than the social welfare of Canadian society. Just my opinion.

Back to these Olympics - I take it you agree with Jungle Jim then, and are disappointed with our medal count?

So to echo getbak - where are the other 12 medals supposed to have come from?

We should have had another gold in the mens sno-cross. I was extremely upset that Robertson crapped the bed in the final. Upset, but not suprised.

Half of the interviews afterwards are athletes saying how they were just happy to be there, that is such a loser attitude, but often one that is supported by the public.

Last summer games, Karine Sergerie, World champion gold medallist, only got Silver in the Summer Games. She was the favourite to win gold. In her interview with CBC after the games, she stated how she was very dissapointed that she didn't win gold and that silver was just not good enough.

The media and commentators acted extremely suprised and were dismayed that she would be upset over a silver medal. But this is the exact attitude that every athlete in Canadian sport needs to adopt. "Just being there" is NOT good enough. Gold should be the goal, not just competing.

[Regulator75]

I have no idea who Jim Hunter is, nor do I care.

Everyone is bitching about something or other these days.

[BigFlameDog]

Originally Posted by Smell My Finger

I would say Jungle Jim has more insite from an athletes prospective and sports psychologist to make these statements. He is right some of the Canadians have not grinded out their best efforts. Most of them have.

One particular Canadian half pipe boarded comes to mind. Saying after he blew both his runs that he was just there to have fun, take it all in and have a blast. Wtf this the Olympics party any other time.

When they asked him was there anything he was dissappointed about his run. He made some stupid comment that its all about having lots of fans cheering for you.

Now I realize that these guys beat to their own drum, but this clown clearly did not take competing serious.

Everytime I go to COP and see those kids in the half pipe I will now wonder how we can't be better at that event...we should have 4 guys in the final with the facilities we have available?

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by Flabbibulin

Did anyone else just hear this? I am not saying I disagree 100% with his assessment, but I do suspect fan960 is going to have some pissed off listeners email in.

Hunter estimates that we are only at 34% of the number of the medals expected at this point. Called some performances embarrassing and called out the work ethic of several Canadian athletes. Blames the Canadian attitude of "participating is good enough" on our "lackluster" success so far in Vancouver.

Yikes! You would think a discussion like this would be better after the olympics once we digest things and see how we do overall.

This wasn't some off one-off remark either, it was a fairly heated rant that went on for 2 segments- Hunter admitting that he is very P O'd at Canada's performance so far.

I think he got that from Dowbiggin.

Dowbiggin, with Hunter sitting beside him, was telling their radio audience earlier in the week that most Olympic associations project their chances for optimium performances from their highest level (potential medalling) athetes, then surmise they'll generate medals at about 65% of that capacity. He said to that point, again on Tuesday I think, that Canada was only at about 30% of capacity to this point in the games.

His words, not mine.

So Hunter is simply repeating that.

Hunter has a Sunday morning radio program on motivation that is awesome in it's dreadful repetition which, unfortunately, I scan as I'm usually driving around on that day at that time.

Cowperson

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by Flashpoint

Guilty as charged. I'm fine with putting more money into social programs than the summer games. Sports is less important than the social welfare of Canadian society. Just my opinion.

X2

I hope they do well and all, but I don't get too upset when they don't win.

I'm as big of a sports fan as the next guy, but there are more important things in life, and for our country.