From: kenl@origami.cc.bellcore.com (Ken Lehner)
Subject: Re: Amateur vs. Pro (Was: Re: TripleCast Update)
Organization: Bellcore
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 92 17:27:36 GMT

In article <1992Jul24.022912.25843@jade.tufts.edu>, gharris@jade.tufts.edu (George W. Harris) writes:
|> In article <1992Jul23.145615.27189@walter.bellcore.com> kenl@origami.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Ken Lehner) writes:
|> >
|> >Anita Nall is the world record holder in the women's 200m breaststroke.  She
|> >is also a high school student.  Joe Hudepohl is going to the Olympics in the
|> >200m free and a relay, and is also a high schooler.  So, "vlad", are they
|> >"idle aristocrats" or "millionairs" (sic)?  If not, then they must be
|> >receiving "money for their ahtletic performance".  What nefarious sponsor
|> >do they have, other than their parents?
|> >
|> 	US Swimming, which is the national governing body for the sport.  It 
|> pays $5000 for a world record, $3000 for one of the top four times in history,
|> and $1500 a month for members of the Olympic team.  Of course, for high school
|> and college students who don't want to jeopardize their NCAA eligibilty, pay-
|> ments are limited to $2500/year, which is allowed by NCAA regulations.  I'd say
|> that makes them professionals, don't you?

Mr. Hudepohl has never set a world record, and he doesn't have a top time
in history.  Assuming that you did not omit other items in your statement about
rewards given out by USS, he did not receive money until he made the Olympic
team, right?  Was he "olympic calibre" prior to the 200m final?  I'd say so.
My claim was that it is possible to be "olympic calibre" without being an "idle
aristocrat", a "millionaire", or having recieved "money for their athletic
performance".

Since you are familiar with this stuff, please tell me what Ms. Nall and Mr.
Hudepohl will receive from USS after the Olympics.  I think Joe is a senior,
so he will enter the professional ranks of collegiate swimming.  (What if he
goes to Harvard or Princeton, which do not give athletic scholarships, but
base financial assistance on need alone?).  Anita is not a senior; if she
stays in high school, will she still be branded "professional"?  I'm not
flaming, I'm just ignorant.

I received a gift certificate for finishing first in the 30-39 age group at a
local race; am I now a professional?

|> 	Incidently, you might want to talk to whoever runs news on your system,
|> since people who pst from bogus addresses tend to be viewed as cowardly jerks.

(note non-bogus address above.  While I'm not a cowardly jerk, I most
definitely am a netnews-reader-ignorant [insert_your_favorite_putdown_here]
whose news-reader doesn't automatically fill in the "From:" field (in
fact, the act of posting this may delete what I manually entered (it's
"kenl@origami.cc.bellcore.com", as if anyone really cares)).  BTW, why'd
you use the term "jerk," anyway?)

|> 
|> >When one uses "all", "none", "never", or "always" in a statement, it only
|> >takes a single counter-example to allow the audience to dismiss the entire
|> >content of the statement, and often serves to cast doubt on anything else
|> >presented by the speaker.
|> 
|> 	Fine.  Let us know when you come up with one, we're all waiting with
|> bated breath.
|> 

See above.  I claim that Mr. Hudepohl and Ms. Nall BECAME world-class swimmers
without receiving money; they very well may have received money thereafter.
Newsgroups: rec.sport.olympics