Badminton Controversy

[pfister1]

In my view the real controversy should be around how this is an Olympic Sport..... but that aside is the controversy over the teams losing really a lot of misplaced outrage? Maybe the outrage should be with the IOC for coming up with a format that gives team(s) an incentive to lose in order to better their ultimate chances for gold.

I'm actually having trouble faulting these folks for tanking matches, if they thought it would utlimately help them get gold. Maybe they should have been less obvious about it, and everyone would be happier.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

In my view the real controversy should be around how this is an Olympic Sport..... but that aside is the controversy over the teams losing really a lot of misplaced outrage? Maybe the outrage should be with the IOC for coming up with a format that gives team(s) an incentive to lose in order to better their ultimate chances for gold.

I'm actually having trouble faulting these folks for tanking matches, if they thought it would utlimately help them get gold. Maybe they should have been less obvious about it, and everyone would be happier.

Well, a bigger part of it was that the Chinese team tossed a match on purpose so they wouldn't end up playing the other Chinese team in a semi-final round instead of in the finals where the country was guaranteed at least one gold and one silver.

 

[Moontan]

The individual sporting federations actually run the events.

The final pool matches should be conducted concurrently to reduce the impact of such situations. Teams will still get updates during their matches, and could theoretically still tank their final sets, but you'd expect them to at least attempt to win their first set(s).

This is how the major soccer tournaments handle similar situations.

 

[PeteCalvin]

Well, a bigger part of it was that the Chinese team tossed a match on purpose so they wouldn't end up playing the other Chinese team in a semi-final round instead of in the finals where the country was guaranteed at least one gold and one silver.

Doug Collins was saying that this same tactic happens in the basketball tournaments (Olympics and Worlds). His point was that the other teams have the luxury of positioning themselves for the medal round because all of the expectations and pressure is on the US. When it comes down to it, teams like Spain, Argentina, Brazil, etc., want the easiest draw possible in the medal round (ie opposite the US). To ensure that they get it, they will "tank" a game in the prelims with no shame, and by 'tank' he means 'rest their star players and play the subs for a majority of the game.'

If this is true, it will be interesting to see how Argentina decides to play the US. They already lost to France, so France has the tie break. They need to win all the rest of their games to position themselves in Spain's bracket, I think. However, if they run their studs all game against the US in the prelims and still lose, they will end up in the US bracket for the semi's and be have not rested their guys at all. France losing one more does nothing to help ARG unless they can beat the US. So, do they say F-it like Spain did in 2008 and coast through the prelim game and save themselves for the potential medal round match-up, or do they go for the win, hope France loses another, and gain a better draw to the Gold Medal game that way?

 

[orangefan13]

Well, a bigger part of it was that the Chinese team tossed a match on purpose so they wouldn't end up playing the other Chinese team in a semi-final round instead of in the finals where the country was guaranteed at least one gold and one silver.

Not to mention that means one of them won't even get a medal. There is no medal for 4th place.
Has this happened before ??? Is it in the rulebooks that if you do this you can be disqualified??
If not don't punish someone on the spot, without it being in the rulebooks.

If you KNOW that you are one of the two best but will end up getting a 4th instead of a silver you have a argument.
Fans aren't the ones out there giving it their all.

 

[Cusee44]

How's this tactic any different from the NFL where teams that made the playoff choose not to play their starters (or if they do play, minimally at best)?

 

[Moontan]

How's this tactic any different from the NFL where teams that made the playoff choose not to play their starters (or if they do play, minimally at best)?

If quarterbacks take 3 knees each possession, or launch the balls in the seats then you might have a pseudo comparison. Even then, how many NFL teams do it to change their seeding? Usually the only way to get a weaker 1st round opponent is to win and have a better record.

 

[realorange]

The biggest difference is that with playoffs in any of our major sports, you are one, game or series, and done. You only get to play another team if you win. Badminton is a round robin deal ripe for cheating.

 

[pfister1]

If quarterbacks take 3 knees each possession, or launch the balls in the seats then you might have a pseudo comparison. Even then, how many NFL teams do it to change their seeding? Usually the only way to get a weaker 1st round opponent is to win and have a better record.

If the matchup was right, you could tank a week 16 game to allow another team to move up in the seedings for the playoffs. Possibly lose to allow the team you are playing to get the bye and the second seed so you wouldn't meet them until the Conference Championship.