Why are Olympic umpires calling the player's names instead of their nation's names?

[BreakPoint]

By calling the player's names instead of their nation's names, it makes the Olympics more like any other tournament on tour instead of being special and the players playing for their countries. Don't they call the nation's names in most other Olympic sports where it's just one-on-one or one team vs. one team? Heck, they even call only the nation's names in Davis Cup, so why not also in the Olympics? I mean, aren't the players supposed to playing for their countries and not just playing for themselves?

So instead of the umpire calling - "Game, Tsonga" or "Advantage, Djokovic", shouldn't they be calling - "Game, France" and "Advantage, Serbia"?

[BullDogTennis]

Originally Posted by BreakPoint

By calling the player's names instead of their nation's names, it makes the Olympics more like any other tournament on tour instead of being special and the players playing for their countries. Don't they call the nation's names in most other Olympic sports where it's just one-on-one or one team vs. one team? Heck, they even call only the nation's names in Davis Cup, so why not also in the Olympics? I mean, aren't the players supposed to playing for their countries and not just playing for themselves?

So instead of the umpire calling - "Game, Tsonga" or "Advantage, Djokovic", shouldn't they be calling - "Game, France" and "Advantage, Serbia"?

what about when same nation is in the match...."team america serving to team america"


phelps and lochte in same race for example. "and america pulls away, america is catching up, america takes the lead, america is head to head...

[BreakPoint]

Originally Posted by BullDogTennis

what about when same nation is in the match...."team america serving to team america"


phelps and lochte in same race for example. "and america pulls away, america is catching up, america takes the lead, america is head to head...

Phelps and Lochte are not in a one on one race. Besides, there's no umpire calling the score in swimming.

I guess only when both players in a tennis match are from the same nation should calling the players by their names be allowed. But I don't think that happens very often in the Olympics. In fact, I can't recall when that's ever happened.

[Breaker]

Davis Cup is all about the team and the team as a whole is awarded the trophy.

Medals are awarded to individuals.

[Ash_Smith]

They call the players names because although they are representing their countries, they are still competing as individuals, they qualify as individual athletes. Same in Athletics, they don't announce Usain Bolt as Jamaica 1 and Yohan Blake ask Jamaica 2 when they make the announcements!

[rommil]

When the umpire says "Spain" it might automatically imply dopers

[The Bawss]

Originally Posted by rommil

When the umpire says "Spain" it might automatically imply dopers

hehehehehehe

[BreakPoint]

Originally Posted by Breaker

Davis Cup is all about the team and the team as a whole is awarded the trophy.

Medals are awarded to individuals.

Then why do they keep track of each countries medal count? Why not only name the individuals who have won medals?

[Mainad]

Originally Posted by BreakPoint

By calling the player's names instead of their nation's names, it makes the Olympics more like any other tournament on tour instead of being special and the players playing for their countries. Don't they call the nation's names in most other Olympic sports where it's just one-on-one or one team vs. one team? Heck, they even call only the nation's names in Davis Cup, so why not also in the Olympics? I mean, aren't the players supposed to playing for their countries and not just playing for themselves?

So instead of the umpire calling - "Game, Tsonga" or "Advantage, Djokovic", shouldn't they be calling - "Game, France" and "Advantage, Serbia"?

Difference is that Davis Cup is a team event and medals are awarded to the team. Whilst Olympians are representing their countries they are still competing as individuals and medals are awarded to them as individuals and not as members of a team.

[BreakPoint]

Originally Posted by Ash_Smith

They call the players names because although they are representing their countries, they are still competing as individuals, they qualify as individual athletes. Same in Athletics, they don't announce Usain Bolt as Jamaica 1 and Yohan Blake ask Jamaica 2 when they make the announcements!

There's no umpire calling the score in athletics.

Besides, in Olympic tennis, the two players on the opposite sides of the net are almost always from two different countries.

I still think it would give the players a greater sense of national pride and responsibility if they called the score by their nation's names - just like it does in Davis Cup.

[ollinger]

Stupid obfuscation. The "they" that keeps track of nations' medal counts is the press, the "they" that calls out players' names are the olympic officials. See the difference?

[ollinger]

Even you (begrudgingly??) acknowledge that players are "almost" always from different countries --- but they needn't be --- so calling out country names just wouldn't do.

[BreakPoint]

Originally Posted by Mainad

Difference is that Davis Cup is a team event and medals are awarded to the team. Whilst Olympians are representing their countries they are still competing as individuals and medals are awarded to them as individuals and not as members of a team.

I don't think that matters. The players are still there representing their countries - that's the whole purpose of the Olympics. That's why on the awards podium, they play the national anthem of the gold medal winner and not his or her favorite pop song.

Even in Davis Cup, EACH player on the team gets a trophy. And in DC singles, they are also out on the court by themselves competing one-on-one.

[BreakPoint]

Originally Posted by ollinger

Even you (begrudgingly??) acknowledge that players are "almost" always from different countries --- but they needn't be --- so calling out country names just wouldn't do.

Why not? How many times has two players from the same country played each other?

And if it happens, then they can add the player's name to their nation's name. Just like when Venus plays Serena - they use both their first and last names.

[BreakPoint]

Originally Posted by ollinger

Stupid obfuscation. The "they" that keeps track of nations' medal counts is the press, the "they" that calls out players' names are the olympic officials. See the difference?

No, I don't. Are you saying the players are all there for themselves only and are NOT representing their countries at all? Then why is Federer wearing his nation's colors and why was he so proud of having won a gold medal for Switzerland in 2008?

The Olympics are supposed to be about nation vs. nation. That's why during the opening ceremony, the athletes are grouped by their countries and walk together instead of coming out by themselves.

[Rippy]

I find it strange that on the onscreen score, it uses countries. It seems odd when the player's name is used everywhere else.

[fps]

I think ollinger has made two of the best points. It's all fairly obvious to anyone older than 7 anyway.

[Mainad]

Originally Posted by Rippy

I find it strange that on the onscreen score, it uses countries. It seems odd when the player's name is used everywhere else.

The players' names are certainly up on the scoreboard as well.

[BreakPoint]

Originally Posted by fps

I think ollinger has made two of the best points. It's all fairly obvious to anyone older than 7 anyway.

Really? So the Olympics is just another tournament on the ATP Tour and playing for your country has zero relevance? Hmmm....then I wonder what gave Massu the extra motivation to win Chile's first gold medals EVER in ANY sport in both singles and doubles in 2004 when he didn't manage to win anything else of significance in his entire career?

[Rippy]

Originally Posted by Mainad

The players' names are certainly up on the scoreboard as well.

I mean the virtual scoreboard only shown on the TV/computer (I don't know if it has a proper name, it's just a graphic at the top left of the screen). I don't mean the physical scoreboard on the court.