Booze joins Team USA...Bibby Quits!

[Fresh8]

You can see from title...

Oh and Wade is being considered to be brought into the team!

ANyone got an updated roster of 'Team USA'?

[hmm]

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[Full Surface]

These guys are only quitting because of security reasons.

[Andrew]

ANyone got an updated roster of 'Team USA'?

This one's a little outdated now, but I believe most of them will still be participating: 2004 Olympic Roster @ USABasketball.com

[Jay-Peso]

I think playing for your nation and representing your nation would be an honor. I would not quit, no matter who joined

[Jackal]

Most of them quit because of security reasons, so they say atleast.

[Stevan]

how patriotic the USA mens basketball team is. Security reasons... because terrorists attack exactly where you expect them to! Give me a fuggin break... seems like the best paid athletes in the entire olympics are going to be the ones not showing up. I can't wait for the basketball tournament, it's always interesting!

[Jackal]

Yepsh, patriotism isn't a word in their vocabulary. But yeah, to go and play in the only time you actually can rest, I can understand somewhat.

I wouldn't want to give up my vacation to go exhaust myself.

[Gripni]

They're not obliged to go. Patriotism is fighting a war for your country. Not playing basketball. Basketball is about having fun. If you're not having fun, don't do it. In almost any other job nobody gets mad at you for not wanting to risk your life to represent your country.

[Stevan]

I can understand wanting a rest, but how long can you sit around before getting bored or before it's time to get back to work? These guys aren't playing 24 hours a day all year. The security thing is a copout. NBA players talk like they're patriotic (though they are not) and then they start whining like little babies about playing for their country.
The olympic tournament involves from recollection: Playing some exhibition games (since they don't have to qualify) and playing less then 10 games for the tournament for which maybe 30 minutes is the most you'll play in a game.
Training is fairly limited as far as I know and they spend the rest of their time site seeing and watching other events and shit. It's a damn holiday I tell you.

[jwin]

how can anyone find fault with them for being concerned with their own safety? is it the fact that it is almost impossible to imagine that there would be an attack at the olympics regardless of the speculation that there are threats being made? well how many people would have been at the wtc during the attacks if they had been warned of the possibility that it might happen? forgive me if i'm not patriotic but i would have taken a leave of absence until they were near 100% sure nothing could get close enough to touch those buildings, and if i still didn't feel safe i would have found another job. nobody working there that day was defending their country, they were earning a living, and a guy going to play a basketball game to entertain people under the threat that he may be risking his life is not a patriot, he's a potential target who is likely not trained to defend himself or others in a terroristic attack situation.

you may think there's no way anyone is going to attack a venue like the olympics. well someone who had knowledge of the wtc attack thought the same thing, and didn't bother to allow those that died the choice of deciding whether they should risk their lives to go to work or not.

also, you may think the olympics will have the tightest security ever and there is no way an attack could happen. well if you know what the world trade center meant to the american government, and how tight security can get in new york when it wants to you'd probably think there is no way it would be attacked, especially not a second time. but they found a way that security wasn't prepared for, and probably never even thought of.

at this point, unpatriotic people who are safer at home seems more important than possibly risking lives for a medal. this won't be the last olympics, there will be other chances to represent their countries, and hopefully down the road the situation will be much safer. if they can't guarantee that any attack will be thwarted with no casualties, then no athlete or spectator should risk themselves. you can be 100% sure that nobody gets hurt if nobody shows up. it's not worth risking for some games or competition.

[magius]

patriotism is the governments ploy of making you feel good about them stealing your money and then sending you off to get killed. Give me one good reason why it is good to be patriotic. The world would be a better place without it. If a guy would rather spend some time with his family then I have nothing against that, if a guy would rather bum around i have nothing against that. If I were given the oppurtunity to play for my country and i took it, hell, I wouldntve done it for the pride of playing for my country, I'dve done it because I'd want to experience new things and places and get a free ride, etc.. If the only incentive for me to go play for my country was playing for my country I'd tell them to go fuck themselves.

[Stevan]

I haven't heard of masses of other athletes pulling out of the olympics due to security threats... because I've barracaded myself in my house incase the Habib across the street decides to take out the neighbourhood. Actually I lied. It's because the US mens team is a group or girls who say all the right things but just won't give it up at the end of the day.
The WTC attacks were a suprise as are any terrorist attacks (unless ofcourse "intelligence" knew something). So I don't see them attacking what will probably be the most tightly secured event ever. Something will probably get blown up on the other side of the world. Of course probabilty doesn't secure your safety, but neither does anything these days, just ask Spain. Everyone has a right to feel scared and fear for their own security, I just think it's an excuse on the part of some athletes. When team USA loses we'll be hearing "awww it wasn't our best team because of the terrorists"

[Stevan]

If I were given the oppurtunity to play for my country and i took it, hell, I wouldntve done it for the pride of playing for my country, I'dve done it because I'd want to experience new things and places and get a free ride, etc.. If the only incentive for me to go play for my country was playing for my country I'd tell them to go fuck themselves.

LOL.
Fair enough, atleast you're honest about it. "I don't give a fuck about my country", simple as that. I would atleast respect someone who said that rather than making excuses.

[jwin]

i'm biased i guess because i have a friend that plays in the nba, and for his wife and kids sake, i would try to talk him out of going if he was invited. thinking about his family and friends, and then thinking how other players family and friends would feel if something were to happen, sorry but it's just not worth it, their lives are more important, be it a small risk or a big one. when it comes down to a chance of somebody losing a loved one, playing a game doesn't even show up on the radar, in the end it's just entertainment. if there is one thing in the world a person should be selfish over, it's safety.

[hmm]

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[Colin]

i'm biased i guess because i have a friend that plays in the nba

Mind telling us who?

[jwin]

brevin knight

[.]

Was it you that posted about him last year and that you played 1 on 1 when he was in High School?

[Jackal]

i would try to talk him out of going if he was invited.

Good thing he won't be considered, thus you won't have to talk him out of it.

Just playing man, just playing.

[jwin]

Was it you that posted about him last year and that you played 1 on 1 when he was in High School?

yeah, that was me. it was a thread about playing or beating an nba player wasn't it. i'm four years older than him though so it wasn't really fair cause i was bigger and stronger, and though he is quicker he couldn't avoid my long arms. until his junior year i think, he just got too good. growing up we played more football than basketball, if he was taller he would have been a really good wr. his brother brandin was a good qb too.

[jwin]

i would try to talk him out of going if he was invited.

Good thing he won't be considered, thus you won't have to talk him out of it.

Just playing man, just playing.

he'd probably avoid me anyway knowing i'd try, he'd actually be a good fit with all the scorers they send, he wouldn't mind just dishing and playing defense. it would give him a chance to penetrate and dish more too, which he doesn't seem to do much anymore.

[VMS]

how patriotic the USA mens basketball team is. Security reasons... because terrorists attack exactly where you expect them to! Give me a fuggin break... seems like the best paid athletes in the entire olympics are going to be the ones not showing up(y)

Thank you. Someone had to say it.

[Kwan706]

This was a great pick up for Team USA i'm a big Dukie fan and all of our players a really good but we never get the respect that they desevered