[JBW1949]

In 1986, professional athletes were given permission by the International Federation to compete in each sport of the Olympic Games.

The Olympics were originally designed to allow amateur athletes the chance to compete on an international stage. Per Vice, the origins of modern-day Olympics had more to do with classism than professional status, but still, amateurism was regarded as an easy way to level the playing field.

Today, the only two sports in the Olympics that require participants to be amateur are Wrestling and boxing..

I just think the Olympics should be amateur athletics...PERIOD...

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

The problem is that far too many socialist/communist countries classified everyone as an amateur, so American college kids would be playing against 30 year old men who'd been pros for 10 years.

That's how we got the 1992 NBA "Dream Team" in the Olympics. They not only destroyed every team they faced, but were proudly patriotic about it. Now...not so much.

[OneVike]

Tell that to the amateurs of the past from free countries that competed against professionals in communist countries, under the banner they are not paid.

That’s how Cuba dominated baseball in all those years, and Russia in hockey

I guess being paid and cared for by the state doesn’t imply professionalism.

It was a joke all those years, everyone knew the Soviet Union and Cuba had professionals playing boys.

Unless you can guarantee communist countries will play fair, your argument is lost on me.

Yet, who knows, America will one day be a communists country itself, then you will get your wish, because all professional sports will be controlled by the state. Capitalism will be dead.

So, wait, and you will get your misguided wish that things will be what they used to be.