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Comment by Tichy | Hacker News Reader

Meanwhile, other people study and work their whole lives trying to cure cancer or end poverty.

I am sorry if I can not really get into the admiration thing. Doing sports seems to be a very self-centered, egoistical thing. The only thing I can accept is that it motivates people to push harder and explore boundaries of human achievement. Also, some medical knowledge might also actually be gained (like how to train effectively - this could matter a lot in a world of office workers with little time for exercise). But for those effects the expense seems a bit high.

Also in the light of those benefits I think drugs (doping) should be legalized for professional sports. Those people ruin their bodies anyway, letting them experiment with drugs can only lead to more medical knowledge.

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>Meanwhile, other people study and work their whole lives trying to cure cancer or end poverty.

And lots of people spend their time driving a delivery van or installing windows, but we don't belittle that. Bringing entertainment or inspiring seems a good way to spend a life to me.

>Doing sports seems to be a very self-centered, egoistical thing.

If you have ever met top class scientists and acadmeics, I think you will see, unfortunately, that some of them can be equally self-centred and egotistical too. I'm sure the same could be said about execs of pharma companies. So, I guess I wonder if there are egotistical people or egotistical activities?

>The only thing I can accept is that it motivates people to push harder and explore boundaries of human achievement.

+ the benefits of encouraging people to take up recreational sport - for exercise [more than an @officeworkout though ;-) ]and the friends it leads to. Also for some people it leads to a nice career and gives them opportunities to see the world.

Driving delivery vans or installing windows is actively helping other people, why would I belittle that.

I don't doubt that a lot of "scientists" don't do much of use - all I say is that professional athletes in my opinion definitely don't do anything of use, whereas at least some scientist certainly do. And if somebody cures cancer, let them be selfish as much as they want, they still gave something to society.

Nobody asks to admire pharma execs, but the notion that professional athletes should be admired exists.

As for inspiring people to take up a recreational sport: really? Is that what the Olympics do? It seems very unlikely to me, because the athletes are so obviously beyond the things normal humans can achieve. And if that is the goal, it could probably be had cheaper with some advertisements. Think not only the costs for all the branding, licensing and whatnot, but also the hours people waste in front of the TV.

We hope it will have that effect in London [1]. The plans for the legacy are beyond what some advertisements could achieve [2].

[1] http://www.canterbury.ac.uk/news/newsrelease.asp?newsPk=1331 [2] http://www.londonlegacy.co.uk/

A lot of the professional athletes from my school use their positions to help fund (and/or run) nonprofits across the state of California. Some of them run nonprofits that benefit refugees in Africa. Others fund medical clinics in Southeast Asia. More than a few have helped raise millions for the cancer research you love so dearly.

You know what they all have in common? Their job is to be an athlete. It says nothing about their ability to give back to society.

Indeed, I would argue that the average professional athlete gives back more to society and creates more value than a hacker who wants to give the world Yet Another Useless Social Platform/iApp/SaaS That No One Will Ever Use.

In my opinion, merely creating a startup is not something of value to society--you actually have to create something of value.

So the thinking of the average athlete is "I want to win the gold medal so that I can earn lots of money and donate it to cancer research"?

Whatever - admire all you want, I simply chose different heroes for myself. And "bread and games" is always coming to my mind during such events...

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