Sport in Commuinism - Always wondered...

[Socialsmo o Muerte]

It may not be relevant at all, but I've always wondered about sport in a Communist society.

I've seen that Che once said of football, "It is not just a simple game, it's a weapon of the revolution". But I dont really know much.

Anyone comment?

[redstar2000]

A lot of the first generation of communist countries thought that winning a ton of gold medals at the olympics would somehow "demonstrate" their "superiority" to capitalist countries. Dumb idea, in my view.

Baseball in Cuba, on the other hand, is a good illustration of how it ought to be done. The players there are professional athletes and make a respectable salary...but there are no multi-million dollar celebraties and you could easily find yourself living down the street from a starting pitcher in the Cuban "major leagues".

They seem, from what I can tell, to appreciate the game more and adulate the "star" less, in Cuba.

That seems like "a good thing" to me.

:cool:

PS: Not to mention the fact that an ordinary fan can actually afford a ticket to a ball game.

[Socialsmo o Muerte]

Ahh yes, for some reason I didn't think of that.

I always imagined the importance of sport would be decreased in a communist state. Although the Soviet football team of the 30's was awesome and some strong teams from Hungary and Poland existed throughout their communist period. Legends like Ferenc Puskas and Lev Yashin were brought from Communist states.

Also, in the latest round of FIFA rankings, Cuba went up 11 places I think, which is a huge leap.

Just something that has always interested me. Anyone else?

[dsmtuner]

Che also played rugby in highschool and created a rugby magazine.

[chamo]

Che loved baseball, Fidel also.

The Soviet Union had some good sports heros and when the 1980 Moscow Olympic games was boycotted by the Western countries as protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the USSR and East German teams dominated. The German Democratic Republic had plenty of chances to rack up 29 medals out of a possible 42 in women's swimming.


(Edited by happyguy at 11:02 pm on May 5, 2003)

[Socialsmo o Muerte]

In Germany though, there is no separating the men and women swimmers!

The Soviets produced maybe the world's best ever goalkeeper in Lev Yashin

[Iepilei]

The soviets were big into sports. I think it's a good way to re-direct any competitive mode humanity might have. Pitting TEAM against TEAM. Not PERSON against PERSON.

The essense of humanity is teamwork, afterall. :)

[canikickit]

It's funny, last Saturday there was a reply on TV over here of an Ireland - CCCP football game.
We hammered them 3 - 0. Show much for communist superiority. :cheesy:

I'd be in favour of what Redstar came with - professional sport wouild be just another career one could take up. If you make the grade...you make the grade. Same as a doctor or lawyer or farmer, or whatever.

[peaccenicked]

Its pretty obvious to me that when you make me el presidente of the world that you will all be playing tiddlywinks for the rest of your lives. Now whats so wrong with the cult of the personality. See what a good life it can lead to.
:wink:

[MarxIsGod]

Though others might not consider this a "sport", the USSR produced numerous strong chess players. To name a few, Boris Spassky, Mikhail Botvinnik, Victor Korchnoi, Garry Kasparov, Vladimir Kramnik, etc. Unfortunately, there was a great deal of speculation of regarding fixed results by the Soviet government. But regardless of what the Soviet government did, the greatness of these players cannot be denied.

[Zeljko]

Sport is very important and it is good to enhance sport in any community regard it's kind of goverment. Here in Yugoslavia we played all sports more during time in which we were a Socialistic community. And now we are indesputed champions in basketball. I guess it's a relic from old times. So, what I mean to say is that sport is very important in a society and I salute goverments which have the politics of the constant enhancements of sport(all sports).

[GCusack]

Che played rugby? amazing!! All people should, its a fantastic game!! Sport i don't think is a revolutionary tool because if it is seen as anything more than a game, a competative game, but a game none-the-less, then the beauty of the sport is removed! Sport is a recreational thing and a very good way of relieving stress!

[Socialsmo o Muerte]

Sorry dude, but rugby is shite.

Coming from Wales, all we get is rugby this and rugby that. It's a game, not a sport, played by a bunch of mainly unfit men (I have noticed that one or two possess some fitness) who have no skill other than run, throw backwards, run into another person, kick occasionaly and fall over. Actually, I have noticed they do something that they like to call a "sidestep". Hardly the most complex of manouevers.
And sport isn't just a game. To a die hard fan, it is life. Football is like a livlehood. Without football, I do not know what I would do. Yes, it does provide esacpism and whatever, but it's so much more than that.

Maybe you think that because you like rugby...which isn't actually a sport.

[Pete]

Sport trains the body, trains the mind. Without it you stagnate. Anything can be a sport, depending how you look upon it. When I think sport I think a deep lush forest alive with light and death combining into a single rush of energy.

Sport will and has always existed. Nothing can stop it, it is unstoppable and the essense of humanity is found in its realm. Physical exertion pushes your mind to the next level, opens your eyes outward to a different tint. It is everything at the same time that it is nothing.

Sport is humanity.

[GCusack]

Mate....bit harsh! Rugby is a sport!! and proffesional rugby players r fitter than football players! Yes football contains more skill but rugby is not an easy game! Have u ever played? I'll think u'll find rugby involves more fitness than u'd expect!

[Socialsmo o Muerte]

Of course I've played. Like I said, I live in Wales.

They're not fitter. And, it's not even more dangerous. You'd think that the only fun side to watching it would be that you see worse injuries. But footballers on the whole suffer worse injuries. That supsrised me when I was told too. Rugby players get more, but footballers are more serious.

Not that that matters at all

[GCusack]

ok then...
in my school, where football is more popular, the rugby players are much fitter and when watching a game there isnt a player stood still on a rugby pitch for more than a minute if that. On the football pitch the strickers can spend anything up to 20 minutes just stood there maybe jogging around a bit!
But more importantly we are all entitled to our opinion and i think most people will class rugby as a sport.

[Moskitto]

footballers would suffer worse injuries because to be a rugby player safely you have to be very strong (18 stone people running into you when you're not very strong is not very safe) which means strong muscles and strong joints, which tend to get damaged less easily than weak joints as in Michael Owen.

[GCusack]

Excellent point! Thank you!!