Why I love the Olympics.

[wyly]

I would think the hypothetical question as to whether or not you would rather win the Cup or a medal includes the hypothetical situation that you are on the team that wins it.

it's not hypothetical when a player knows he'll never be good enough to be asked...and already some of the games superstars have said openly they don't care what the NHL or their contract says they're going to Sochi in 2014...

[wyly]

You should read his bio, learning French was the last thing he had time for. That considered, it was still awful.

I could have done better with an hour's practice, are you saying he could not have found an hour or two in the last 4 years to avoid butchering the language?...

[Wilber]

I could have done better with an hour's practice, are you saying he could not have found an hour or two in the last 4 years to avoid butchering the language?...

Possibly and I'm not saying he shouldn't have but perhaps it just wasn't that high on his priority list or he never even thought about it that much. Perhaps he doesn't even know how bad it sounds but I suspect his priorities were somewhat different from ours.

[jefferiah]

it's not hypothetical when a player knows he'll never be good enough to be asked...and already some of the games superstars have said openly they don't care what the NHL or their contract says they're going to Sochi in 2014...

For many of these players who responded...(it was actually 89 percent, not 90) winning the cup is a hypothetical too. I think you are really reaching here in an argument you have lost. I don't know how many NHL players you talk to, but 89 percent is a pretty overwhelming response. That 89 percent is a fact. Your reasoning as to why they respond in this manner is inference.

Edited March 2, 2010 by jefferiah

[Wilber]

For many of these players who responded...(it was actually 89 percent, not 90) winning the cup is a hypothetical too. I think you are really reaching here in an argument you have lost. I don't know how many NHL players you talk to, but 89 percent is a pretty overwhelming response. That 89 percent is a fact. Your reasoning as to why they respond in this manner is inference.

I think you are probably right. If you gave tennis players a choice between winning gold and winning Wimbledon, I suspect you would get the same response in an interview but an interview is not a championship game. Once they are in the battle, only one thing matters and the will to win is just as strong.

[wyly]

For many of these players who responded...(it was actually 89 percent, not 90) winning the cup is a hypothetical too. I think you are really reaching here in an argument you have lost. I don't know how many NHL players you talk to, but 89 percent is a pretty overwhelming response. That 89 percent is a fact. Your reasoning as to why they respond in this manner is inference.

inference? it's reality...the cup playoffs are played every year and most teams and most players take part and any player is only a trade away from playing in the cup...the O's are out of the reach of the majority forever there is no trade to take them there, the best they can hope for is the playoffs and a shot at the cup...interviews with those who have reached the O's and won, say there is nothing like it, it is the supreme achievement...a player can't conceive of the importance of an achievement until they've done it, and for the overwhelming the best they can hope for is the playoffs, a few more the cup finals and for even far fewer the O's...there's a battle looming over Olympic participation between the Players Association and the NHL if the O's meant so little to the players then it wouldn't even be an issue, but it is...the players want the NHL shut down for two weeks so they can attend the games, your argument fails on the facts of the situation...

Edited March 2, 2010 by wyly

[wyly]

I think you are probably right. If you gave tennis players a choice between winning gold and winning Wimbledon, I suspect you would get the same response in an interview but an interview is not a championship game. Once they are in the battle, only one thing matters and the will to win is just as strong.

but until recently pro tennis players never had the opportunity to play in the O's

the difference is exclusivity...the bigger the match the more difficult the feat the more important it becomes but each is desired...in soccer winning in one of the big three leagues is the sought after prize, above that the Champions league, above that the EURO and then the supreme and most difficult challenge the World Cup...very very few reach the WC and much fewer reach the final, of that only 20 or so can claim it every four years and for many of those that happens only once in a lifetime...3, 4 and 5 consecutive victories like those in the NHL are impossible..

[jefferiah]

inference? it's reality...the cup playoffs are played every year and most teams and most players take part and any player is only a trade away from playing in the cup...the O's are out of the reach of the majority forever there is no trade to take them there, the best they can hope for is the playoffs and a shot at the cup...interviews with those who have reached the O's and won, say there is nothing like it, it is the supreme achievement...a player can't conceive of the importance of an achievement until they've done it, and for the overwhelming the best they can hope for is the playoffs, a few more the cup finals and for even far fewer the O's...there's a battle looming over Olympic participation between the Players Association and the NHL if the O's meant so little to the players then it wouldn't even be an issue, but it is...the players want the NHL shut down for two weeks so they can attend the games, your argument fails on the facts of the situation...

The fact that people want to play in the O's for two weeks is not an argument for the gold medal being more coveted than the Cup.

And once again it is inference. 89% of players say they would prefer a cup. You infer why. Saying that the cup is more coveted is not the same as saying the O's mean very little or that the players do not want to play there. 89 percent say they would rather win a cup. I take that stat over your logic.

[Wilber]

I don't think what they would prefer when surveyed matters much as soon as they are out on the ice playing for a championship, whether it is for a cup or a medal.

[wyly]

The fact that people want to play in the O's for two weeks is not an argument for the gold medal being more coveted than the Cup.

that's like saying a regular paycheque is more coveted that the winning 649 combinataion or pennies are more coveted than hundred dollar bills...

And once again it is inference. 89% of players say they would prefer a cup. You infer why. Saying that the cup is more coveted is not the same as saying the O's mean very little or that the players do not want to play there. 89 percent say they would rather win a cup. I take that stat over your logic.

it is your stat....it's not inference when 11% prefer the gold about 70-75 players probably equal to the number of Canadians and foreign NHL players likely to be chosen for a national Olympic squad...those who can only hope to get a slim shot at the Cup are not going to set their goal on the O's it's unrealistic...

[jefferiah]

that's like saying a regular paycheque is more coveted that the winning 649 combinataion or pennies are more coveted than hundred dollar bills...

it is your stat....it's not inference when 11% prefer the gold about 70-75 players probably equal to the number of Canadians and foreign NHL players likely to be chosen for a national Olympic squad...those who can only hope to get a slim shot at the Cup are not going to set their goal on the O's it's unrealistic...

You have just inferred two things here.

1) You have inferred which group of athletes answered a certain way.

2) You have made an inference as to the honesty of those players who have no chance of making the team. If the medal is more coveted, are these players are answering dishonestly because they have no chance? To use your metaphor of lottery ticket, I know I have less of a chance winning the lottery than I do getting a regular paycheck. But if you ask me which I would prefer I would have no trouble telling you the million even though I have no chance.

Edited March 5, 2010 by jefferiah

[dizzy]

Before this threads fades away, I just wanted to give CTV credit for the absolutely amazing coverage that they provided. The breadth and depth of coverage was phenomenal... and this is coming from one of the early cynics.

[Wilber]

Before this threads fades away, I just wanted to give CTV credit for the absolutely amazing coverage that they provided. The breadth and depth of coverage was phenomenal... and this is coming from one of the early cynics.

I agree, it was excellent, with parallel broadcasting by TSN and Sportsnet they had it covered about as well as anyone had a right to expect.