The mouth is engaged, but the brain is in neutral.

Serious question, but why is Bogut always grimacing and looking like he's in pain when he plays for the Warriors?

His injury history must be terrible.

Pretty sure he said he would miss worlds a little while ago.

That was actually a pretty solid interview.

It was nice to hear him speak in such glowing terms of the Aussie youth program, and also how excited he was about Dante's future prospects, saying he has the potential to be Australia's best ever player.

And he wasn't really complaining about past national players playing beyond their use-by date; rather that we lost a lot of experience in a short period of time through retirements, which in turn partly accounted for subsequent drop-off in Oz's international success.

Yet he was positive about our future prospects, with Patty, Dellavedova, Baynes, and Exum, all getting NBA experience.

The encouraging thing for mine was how bored he looked answering the generic NBA related questions, and then the dude beside him starts asking Oz Basketball stuff, and his demeanor completely changes.

Surely the bloke has got to be in camp with the boys for Worlds though or is his Warriors contract structured that they don't trust him doing anything that could cause injury?

So glad he is Australian

Tony Abbott is a tool. Back to basketball the purpose of this forum, Its disappointing that bogut wont play at 2014 worlds, he is in BEAST mode right now but we do have a shot a medal in 2016.
p.s tony abbott sux

cannot question Bogut's commitment to the National team. but coming from an injury and improving as his team GSW progressing to playoffs. see this video and will tell us why the title is Bogut Vs. USA.

As good as having someone on the Aussie team at the worlds who is in full beast mode like Bogut, the truth is we don't know how long the beast mode will continue for. By its nature, beast mode is a fickle thing and often comes and goes. This isn't a shot at Bogut at all nor a denial of him being currently in beast mode. It's true for all players in beast mode. Who knows if he'd still be in beast mode by the time the worlds come around. It's something we'll never know sadly.

AIS athletes absolutely should pay back those costs in some form of HECS equivalent. Not sure there's an argument against that?

didn't he pledges financial support for Logan Thunder of the WNBL?

Luc Longley was a product of AIS too and earned close to Bogut's in NBA.

Why do you think Bogut would be paying tax in Australia? He lives and earns his money in the US.

Irrelevant whether AIS graduates go on to earn a lot of money. The original HECS was pretty simple in that you paid back tuition once you were earning a certain amount. If anyone else studies for their trade, they pay back those fees, plus tax and so on.

LOL at the 'abbott helping hard working Aussies' comment. You must be delusional or just not paying attention to his actions.

HECS style system for AIS athletes is a good idea.

A collapse in revenue during the GFC saw the surplus gone, nothing to do with Rudd and Gillard. $80 billion drop out of revenues you're always going to struggle to stay in surplus.

The bigger problem was that Howard pissed our mining boom up against a wall with his election hand-outs and left us in a structural deficit. Have a go at Howard and his fist full of dollars if you are going to pin it on any politician.

Oops sorry im looking for the Bogut thread

AIS is scholarship program. And by definition of Scholarship, money is not required to be repaid.

Also, Bogut led an U17 team capture World Championship trophy while getting MVP honor at the same time. That alone were credentials credited to AIS.

Ha, @Steven, very funny, loved that little 'shots fired' quip mate...

@Isaac, I am aware that firstly not all AIS athletes get a full scholarship, some have to pay for things like books and schooling fees or similar during their stay at the AIS.

Secondly, and this is important to consider, a sporting scholarship to an institution like the AIS for some athletes also incorporates studies on top of their sporting committments.

So, your student/athlete is axactly that, both a student and an athlete at the same time.

The sacrifice athletes have to make in order to compete can at times hold them back from climbing a corporate ladder or getting into the work force at a premium time and when their sporting careers are over, not many of them make a million dollars from their sport either...

My point is that the athlete/scholar has to give a lot more and risk a whole lot more that the scholar alone at the time of the scholarship!

Let's face it, not too many literary scholars end up with permanently bent fingers, break a leg, smash a knee or crack a few ribs during their normal study programs do they?

So we all agree that Abbott should have to pay back Bogut's HECS debt?

This has turned into a pretty ridiculous thread.

Though, the anon above is totally right, Bear. You can't just decide to hedge your bets and be entitled to the full perks both options provide.

You put energy into sports and don't succeed, bad luck.

Really, so how many people fill stadiums to watch someone read poetry or design a bridge, or maybe recite a law or two?

Athletes are also potential lawyers, doctors and teachers, etc...

Calling all athletes meat heads is not only an exaggeration, it probably implies your IQ needs a little more home work and application.^^

There is a reason US college programs have about 15 elite basketball athlete/scholars and maybe 2,000 other students...

And that isn't because they are though of as less important I would think.?!

It's about equity, bear. You can't go giving a potential athlete more funding/resources/benefits after already getting some in his/her failed plight with sports. It's clearly unfair on others. I can't see how anyone can think otherwise.

No, and I'm not saying they get more for less either. There are fully funded scholarships for musicians, artists, super smart scholars who also deserve it because they are elite...

That's my point I guess, just because athletes are offered a chance to get funding they shouldn't be treated differently from other elite people in their own fields, they also get looked after don't they?

But the athlete is often in that position of high risk, due to their chosen profession and skill set, and they also have the shortest window of opportunity because of this, do they not?

Equity is fine, but to be fair we need to take all of the possibilities and probabilities into consideration...

Seems like sometimes people are led to believe athletes like Bogut got everything handed to them and put little effort into it along the way to ultimate success, then sit back and give nothing in return. People forget or are not aware of those sacrifices, injuries and tough times endured.

Seems like sometimes people are led to believe athletes like Bogut got everything handed to them and put little effort into it along the way to ultimate success...

Quite simply, sport should be considered just like any other field of study/industry, that is, one scholarship for elite prospects (same as those with high academic results) and no more. Then maybe if a definite prospect, additional support. But don't beat a dead horse.

On a side note, I'm glad you feel so passionately about supporting athletes, bear, because what people fail to realise is how much sport contributes to the economy. Just because people are playing a game as a profession doesn't make the economic effects that go along with it a game.

Yes there should definitely be support for emerging athletes, no question. Because if athletes aren't given support, it's not just that particular sport that loses a potential asset, but it creates a notion of oppression of sport and more and more people would see it as less of a viable career path , in turn, withering the current state of blossom in sport.

Probably needs to be support for more athletes than not* is what I meant to say^