Would the Olympics be more popular if we get to vote on the athletes?
144998
No, besides the fact that it would be impossible to have live realtime results which would force long wait times between performances and the athletes receiving their scores, most people would only give good scores to the players from their own country. The general public is not unbias enough or knowledgable enough in the various competitions to give an accurate score. It would become a popularity contest and turn the olympics into a joke.
693380
According to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics website, the answer would be no. Currently they only list:\n\nIndividual Women\nIndividual Men\nPairs Mixed\nIce Dancing Mixed\n\nIt's still 4 years away, never can tell what will happen, but I'd say it would probably have a better shot at 2014 Games in Bulgaria.
634906
The Olympics have always been a world comp. the greatest athletes from all over the roman empire and parts of Europe would come to compete. wars between countries would be put on hold for the events. truly just about every country has been represented in the games.
276863
I'm not sure it would work.  I think we would have to test easier ways of voting first.  Then find ways to curtail the fraud that will come with it.\n\nBesides, as an American I know how easy my fellow Americans get bored.  We have a short attention span, so eventually all of the voting would be done by people who do nothing but sit around and vote.  Kinda sounds like the system we have now.
1036354
It would be more about policy and less of a popularity contest. Decisions would become less political and more about getting the job done.\n\nUnfortunately it would still leave the agenda of securing another term in power; this is one of the main factors influencing government today. Read in my answer to your other Q about my thoughts on solving this.\n\nBetter yet, why not put desicions to vote on Y!A?
1076329
Yes, the World Cup is being watched by over 5 Billion people. Plus lots of people have lost interest in the olympics due to it's dope issues.
67172
Yes. Being in the Olympics, even if you are the worst athlete there, is a huge honor in itself.
162404
No. The US atheletes should compete for glory and honor for their country and for their sport. Paying the atheletes would taint the competition and undermine the true purpose of the olympics.
93846
Its all in the name. Trust me. The Olympics is all the sports with a Big Name...that's it.
130069
anyone who deserves to be less cared about\n\nthe olympics are where its at\n-----------------------------\nThe winter olympics are less watched because the winter sports aren't played year round in the US, and they dont recieve much TV recognition during their regular seasons.\n\nThere are different reasons why different people care about the olympics.  Most are pure sports fanatics. Many dont even watch them because they don't give a care about the sports, but rather the idea of all nations working and cooperating together.  The NBC broadcasting of these games may be pretty bad, but the main point is still there: These guys are the worlds best athletes, this is the ultimate oppertunity for them to prove themselves and demonstrate just how awesome they are.
1070159
Heck Yes! You should start a rebelion or a revolution or something! Like when kids hate their parents, they go goth. And thats true, snowboarding is right?  That would probably make more people watch the olympics!
739281
I sort of agree.  Especially during the Olympics.  The USA is so much bigger than (moire populated and better ) than all other countries, why don't they compete under specific states?
95532
That's not the sort of information that is usually available at a snap. The only thing I can suggest is that you contact people living in past Winter Olympic host cities who were aged between 5 and 13 when the Games where hosted there and ask what influence it had on them.
1073151
I think it is kind of a popularity contest. There are people who vote for the really good people and then there are people who just vote for their team. I think your example was a good one. Jason Varitek did nothing last year, while Joe Mauer was a good hitter. Also, players who are veterans are voted in. Roger Clemens, of course, still has it, but sometimes they vote in people who had a good year last year and didn't make it. Take Johan Santana. The year he won the Cy Young he did not make the all-star game. Last year he did, and he was not having a good year.
721646
Same reason why we have the olympics to re-unify the world and create a link between different countries. It's also just competitive nature and countries wanting to be better than the others, patriotism and supporting your country, take your pick
181651
Yes it should and don't criticize it just because you don't understand it. Curling is very popular in many parts of the world, just not so big in the USA. But it was one of the best attended sports at the Turin games, averaging over 90 percent of stadium capacity for every single round. It was also pretty much the only sport to have every match shown on US television, even if it was buried on an smaller cable network instead of the main NBC feed.
218448
the bigger ones get more meadles and some theres so many people. in the littler countrys the medal winners are hero and everybody respects them. if a country that is really big got one everybody would be happy, but if a very small country got one everybody would act if it was them standing on the podium