Off Topic Poker Forums

If I hear one more fan complain that the athletes owed them their money's worth for the ticket, I'm going to scream. The athletes are not the ones profiting from the ticket sales, they don't owe the fans a thing. Spectators, you are not entitled to anything. Sorry that the massive effort you put forth in rolling out of bed and making it to the arena isn't appreciated as much as the four+ years of practice and dedication that the athletes put into their craft. The athletes owe it to themselves to do their best to win the Gold Medal and that should include using strategy and tactics when applicable. Shame on the Olympic committee for creating a format that incentivizes losing in the preliminary round and then blames the players for using common sense when the situation arises.

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Totally this. All of this spirit of the games stuff is complete bullshit. The object of the game is to WIN, and these people maximized their chance of winning by doing what they did. The only people who should be kicked out are the morons who set the tournament up this way.

Why not just out and out cheat then? What the players did here is analogous to angle shooting in poker imo. I say, forget all this "spirit of the game, fair sportsmanship, try your best," bullshit. Let's just angle shoot at every opportunity and use our "edge" to cheat whenever possible. We'll definately be bigger winners at the table (and continue to be sef-fellating, douchebag losers in life).

In a way I think the athletes showed integrity by so obviously throwing the match, by hitting into the net, as opposed to making it look like they tried and losing by missing a few critical shots e.t.c.

shuttlecock

lol

From what I've heard badminton is an extremely popular sport (go figure). Also, the IOC didn't plan on ejecting the players, but Badminton's governing body (think FIFA) pressured them into it because it violates their bylaws.

I'd violate Lauren Perdue's bylaws. #completederail #sorry

BADMINTONGATE!!!!!

The players are there to win a gold medal. If strategic tanking makes them more likely to win, so be it. There is no difference between that and an NFL team or MLB team with a lock on the playoffs playing their second string in the final season game. That's also tanking done to improve chances of winning the Superbowl/World Series.

Bad system. Play your smartest without cheating should be the rule, not always play your hardest. Does Missy Franklin have to break a WR in her first event when she has another in 14 minutes and desperately needs any residual glycogen she can bring to the second race? Hell no.

I fought as the adult man on a 3-man team for my tkd school at nationals. As oldest (by > 10 years) I had the right to go last every round. Well the first three rounds, the junior and adult woman won, so my fights didn't count. Should I go full out in those and arrive at the final exhausted and an easy mark? Not if we want to have any chance at winning the final should the junior or adult woman lose. Is that against the spirit of the games enough to dq me? Sparring is ALWAYS a trade off between oxygen and effort. I makes the same decisions mid-round every time I step onto the mat. Pffft.