Throwing away your silver medal

[Sky1981]

Is it bad sportsmanship for an Olympic medalist or a losing football team to take off their silver or losers medal ASAP after being given it, or is it just a natural reaction?



I don’t know about custom etc, but I do think it’s entitlist and snobbish and elitist. You’re 2nd, you’re not the best we get it, But have some respect to 3rd, 4th, 5th, and probably 10th placed or some other athletes that doesn’t get the cut to even compete in Olympics.

If you’re throwing away 2nd then what does it says about 3rd? 4th? 5th? To make the Olympic, or even European cup final or any other competition final you’ll have to actually beat several if not more than your fellow sportsmen. Have some respect. You don’t need to celebrate it like you won the jackpot, but you don’t have to be a sore loser by removing the medal on TV.

Some players have no problem celebrating making the top 4 cut yet shrugging off a "euro runner up medal"

 

[Classical Mechanic]

Who actually threw it away? In the moment they might take it off but as the dust settles they will appreciate the achievement. Not worth getting worked up over.

 

[Pexbo]

If you spent the last 4 years training for gold, you’ll be disappointed with silver. If you spent the last 4 years trying to qualify for the olympics, you’ll be delighted with your bronze.

I don’t think there is anything disrespectful about it per se. Elite Athletes have a unique mindset, it’s pointless judging them on their grace and decorum.

 

[rimaldo]

i would scrap the idea of silver and bronze altogether. the gold medal should remain, as should the podium places but after the gold medal is removed from the tray, a gun, a knife and a rope should be placed there and offered to the second place athlete. they would then choose the method of their demise. the third placed athlete gets the choice of the remaining two implements of shame.

 

[Sky1981]

A week ago they were overwhelmed to have made the final, and now they're too good for 2nd

Some of this players played for Aston Villa, not like they covered themselves with glory.

 

[Jack-C20]

It’s never bothered me too much only because I’m not going to judge someone’s actions immediately after the game/event. After losing a final I’d be absolutely gutted. You only need to look at the reaction of most on here after a final to see how high emotions are running. Give it a little while and the more pragmatic threads start appearing.

If the trophies/medals were handed out a few hours later I’d imagine a lot more athletes would be a lot more grateful. I’m not sure how it works in the Olympics to be fair but I’m more talking about football.

 

[Classical Mechanic]

A week ago they were overwhelmed to have made the final, and now they're too good for 2nd

Some of this players played for Aston Villa, not like they covered themselves with glory.

What exactly are you babbling on about?

 

[Pexbo]

What exactly are you babbling on about?

 

[Drainy]

Roy Keane would have thrown away a gold. Its all about the next one.

In all seriousness, people should be proud of their achievements.

 

[Sky1981]

What exactly are you babbling on about?

If you don't understand, maybe... just...maybe...dont butt in? and go somewhere else?

Maybe you think you're witty and funny, but I think you're just an attention seeking birdbiscuit.

 

[Adam-Utd]

The babbling Buffoon Piers Morgan has been trying to rile people up with this over the last 2 weeks.

My take is - both are acceptable. It all depends on the athletes perspective.

If you're a big favourite, aiming for gold and expecting for it - then of course not getting it you're going to be upset and silver won't feel worthy.

If you're an outside chance, not fancied for any of the medals and you manage to sneak into 2nd/3rd then you're going to be delighted. You'll always be in history.

 

[RoadTrip]

What exactly are you babbling on about?

Not going to lie, I get the concept of what this threads about obviously but I got no idea at the same time too

 

[mu4c_20le]

An Olympic silver is hardly the same as the football runners up medal is it? One is for second best, the other is literally a loser's consolation prize.

 

[Revan]

I don’t know who started this madness, but it totally stupid. Appreciated Pep kissing the silver medal of UCL.

 

[Deery]

No they should respect the silver medal it’s a great achievement, gives a bad look when they take it off just seem like dickheads when they do..

 

[Eendracht maakt macht]

It’s their medal. They can do whatever they want to do with it.

 

[GDaly95]

Just depends on how you think you'd feel when you walk past it in your house everyday.

Will it fill you with regret that you didn't win gold or will you be fond of the time you got it. Depends on the context of how you got it really.

 

[Withnail]

Is it bad sportsmanship for an Olympic medalist or a losing football team to take off their silver or losers medal ASAP after being given it, or is it just a natural reaction?



I don’t know about custom etc, but I do think it’s entitlist and snobbish and elitist. You’re 2nd, you’re not the best we get it, But have some respect to 3rd, 4th, 5th, and probably 10th placed or some other athletes that doesn’t get the cut to even compete in Olympics.

If you’re throwing away 2nd then what does it says about 3rd? 4th? 5th? To make the Olympic, or even European cup final or any other competition final you’ll have to actually beat several if not more than your fellow sportsmen. Have some respect. You don’t need to celebrate it like you won the jackpot, but you don’t have to be a sore loser by removing the medal on TV.

Some players have no problem celebrating making the top 4 cut yet shrugging off a "euro runner up medal"

Who are we even talking about here?

Also a silver medal in the Olympics is not really comparable to losing a football final.

There is a prestige attached to any Olympic medal that you just don't get with a football final runner-up medal.

 

[Ish]

They hand out medals a few mins after the final whistle. So no matter great an achievement it is “holistically”, in that moment, those players are still hurting from losing that particular final match and the context and perspective of being the second best in the entire world doesn’t resonate. It’s a natural response for elite and competitive athletes, especially in a team sport I guess. As long as they’re not rejecting it or throwing it away.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

Who really gives a feck what other people do about something so trivial? I say let them do as they please.

 

[ChrisNelson]

I was going to start a thread on this the other day.

I've never understood this, I just think it makes you look stupid to reject a medal.

Some people seem to think they're above it, yet clearly not otherwise you would have won.

So suck it up and show some respect by accepting the runners-up (or third) prize and using it as a reminder to go one better next time.

It seems to have crept in a lot in recent times and personally I think it's a bit cringy.

 

[Snowjoe]

Yeah if i lose a final and they stick a runners up medal round my neck just after we've finished its coming straight off.

 

[The Hilton]

Is it bad sportsmanship for an Olympic medalist or a losing football team to take off their silver or losers medal ASAP after being given it, or is it just a natural reaction?



I don’t know about custom etc, but I do think it’s entitlist and snobbish and elitist. You’re 2nd, you’re not the best we get it, But have some respect to 3rd, 4th, 5th, and probably 10th placed or some other athletes that doesn’t get the cut to even compete in Olympics.

If you’re throwing away 2nd then what does it says about 3rd? 4th? 5th? To make the Olympic, or even European cup final or any other competition final you’ll have to actually beat several if not more than your fellow sportsmen. Have some respect. You don’t need to celebrate it like you won the jackpot, but you don’t have to be a sore loser by removing the medal on TV.

Some players have no problem celebrating making the top 4 cut yet shrugging off a "euro runner up medal"

This is such a nonsense take. Taking off your silver medal isn't disrespectful to anyone, chances are you've played your heart out for first place and are gutted that you came 2nd - which is a great achievement, but you've had to lose the most recent competition to get it.

You're talking about a heat of the moment disappointment from people who've committed a lot of time and effort to get gold. In the future it'll be a reminder of a great achievement, but at the time it's just reminding you that you lost in the final.

 

[Red Devil 26]

I'm sure when the dust settles, a lot of these athletes that appear disgruntled with silver appreciate what they've achieved.

I think there's nothing wrong in the moment looking disappointed and not engaging with the medal ceremony. It must be heart-breaking to miss out on gold/ lose a gold medal match, when that, for many has been their goal for the majority of their careers. Must hurt like mad in the immediate aftermath. They're just humans at the end of the day.

 

[Sky1981]

This is such a nonsense take. Taking off your silver medal isn't disrespectful to anyone, chances are you've played your heart out for first place and are gutted that you came 2nd - which is a great achievement, but you've had to lose the most recent competition to get it.

You're talking about a heat of the moment disappointment from people who've committed a lot of time and effort to get gold. In the future it'll be a reminder of a great achievement, but at the time it's just reminding you that you lost in the final.

I get the disappointment part, but taking your medal off on telly? in concert with your whole group, while one week ago you're just elated you made it to the final.

 

[bosnian_red]

Haven't seen anyone do it in the Olympics, there you are competing with yourself and aiming to beat your best time and see where you rank in the world. In football though it's very much a "first loser" medal that isn't worth holding on to for them, being elite competitive teams aiming for a trophy.

 

[Withnail]

I get the disappointment part, but taking your medal off on telly? in concert with your whole group, while one week ago you're just elated you made it to the final.

Oh no they took their medals off on telly. Why do you care that they did it 'on telly'?

 

[Sky1981]

Haven't seen anyone do it in the Olympics, there you are competing with yourself and aiming to beat your best time and see where you rank in the world. In football though it's very much a "first loser" medal that isn't worth holding on to for them, being elite competitive teams aiming for a trophy.

Then why celebrate a goal if you're not winning the league? Why celebrate surviving the relegation? Why celebrate top 4?

 

[Withnail]

Haven't seen anyone do it in the Olympics, there you are competing with yourself and aiming to beat your best time and see where you rank in the world. In football though it's very much a "first loser" medal that isn't worth holding on to for them, being elite competitive teams aiming for a trophy.

It's quite simple. In the Olympics the language used and the prestige is different. You win a gold, silver or bronze. Nobody 'wins' a runner up spot in a final in the CL or FA Cup. You're a loser in everyone's eyes.

Has anyone done this in the Olympics though?

 

[bosnian_red]

Then why celebrate a goal if you're not winning the league? Why celebrate surviving the relegation? Why celebrate top 4?

Different expectations/standards for different level. The cup finals are usually among the very best teams who had a target of winning, not just getting top 4 or survival.
Also it's the immediate disappointment. I'm sure most keep their medals anyway but take it off in the moment.

 

[Eurotrash]

I've you've clearly been cheated out of a gold due to corrupt officials (prevalent in wrestling and boxing), then it is defensible. Otherwise not.

 

[RoadTrip]

There is a huge difference between a silver medal at the Olympics and a runners up medal in a football final. Just not even comparable in any way.

 

[LARulz]

I don't get the criticism of people taking it off. They are naturally disappointed.

I hardly ever saw criticism when a football team does it but when this guy at the Olympics did there seemed to be people annoyed. Outrage I saw was from Daily Mail and I did wonder why....

 

[Deery]

Haven't seen anyone do it in the Olympics, there you are competing with yourself and aiming to beat your best time and see where you rank in the world. In football though it's very much a "first loser" medal that isn't worth holding on to for them, being elite competitive teams aiming for a trophy.

The English boxer did it, seemed like a twat anyway..

 

[Deery]

I get the disappointment part, but taking your medal off on telly? in concert with your whole group, while one week ago you're just elated you made it to the final.

They look like spoilt teenagers, no respect for the UEFA that put on a great show for a month..

 

[Hectic]

It’s their medal. They can do whatever they want to do with it.

What if they kill the first place winner with it.

 

[ShinjiNinja26]

2nd place is 1st loser.

 

[Hectic]

i would scrap the idea of silver and bronze altogether. the gold medal should remain, as should the podium places but after the gold medal is removed from the tray, a gun, a knife and a rope should be placed there and offered to the second place athlete. they would then choose the method of their demise. the third placed athlete gets the choice of the remaining two implements of shame.

I quite like this. Also not against the gold medal winner being able to decide if the silver/bronze are even awarded medals.

 

[VorZakone]

Why do you care? Let athletes deal with their frustrations as they want.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

If you spent the last 4 years training for gold, you’ll be disappointed with silver. If you spent the last 4 years trying to qualify for the olympics, you’ll be delighted with your bronze.

I don’t think there is anything disrespectful about it per se. Elite Athletes have a unique mindset, it’s pointless judging them on their grace and decorum.

But judge them we do. We do unrealistically try and hold them up to standards that even ourselves don't adhere to but we think they should. It comes down to people making judgements who have no or little idea of what elite sportspeople sacrifice for athletic supremacy.

I used to be at college with Daley Thompson and he was,as a kid, the life and soul of the party; messing around, chasing girls etc.
When he made the decision to jack that in to concentrate on being the best decathlete, he became a totally different person, often rude, anti social except when in the company of other athletes, and bloody arrogant. he got chucked off BBC for making disparaging remarks about other athletes
Now, we're the same age of course and he's a totally different person.