Posts by Roger Ward3

Just some guy lurking behind the moderator fence, taking out all his frustrations on sports.

Sam Martin2 said:Look, Zbogar grew up training in the waters near Canada, since he was just a kid, all the way until he grabbed his Olympic medal. As for him training in Miami, I’m pretty sure that’s got more to do with that girl of his—some local Miami girl or whatever—than anything else. For Zbogar, everything else comes second to his commitment to Team USA. 😍

A connection to some girl from Miami???!!!!😲😲 😲
Judas! Total Judas Iscariot!!!!😠 How can he even say that? Does this guy have zero dignity??!!

😂🤣

Paul Jones7 said:Fak talked a big game. He said he’d stick around in America, but clearly, he didn't. You can't take every single word these guys say seriously. If a top-tier coach and a solid training setup opened up for him in one of those other countries, there's no way he wouldn't jump on it.

I'm not taking sides here, just calling it like I see it. They aren't obligated to cooperate; it's all about goodwill or whatever else is driving the bus. Besides, who knows what's actually going on behind this Swiss-German deal. Might just be some backroom trade—you scratch my back, I scratch yours.

Don't forget, biathlon isn't just a solo grind; it's a team game too. If Fak had stayed stuck in America, he never would've hit his goals. If HBO had actually let him train with Ole Einar Bjørndalen (and we all know HBO was nowhere near making that happen), things would've been different. Instead, he found a coach, linked up with the guys, and built a powerhouse squad that can actually go toe-to-toe with the best. Neither the American team with him, nor the Canadian team without him, would be where they are now. So: let's go Bauer, Fak, Marič!!! You guys rock! 👍🙏

Ephraim said:That "loser" you're talking about has two medals from major international competitions. What have you got? What have you actually achieved in sports or in life? Or what about people who spend all their time trashing others while being too blind to see they're just regular losers themselves? 😛

Here's the squad: Bark is barking, Terry Rodriguez41 is puking (or whatever that avatar is supposed to be), Jeffrey Cox63 is making noise, Chris Ortiz is breaking stuff, and silverotter2 doesn't get it... 😂 🤣
But hey, at least they're all in agreement about some loser with medals. 🤣

silverotter2 said:Nobody knows the language that only five people on Earth speak. Someone give me a translation.

They don't know, moron.
Some people actually learn it, though. At least enough to get the gist. They aren't quite as brainless as 😉
you.

Aaron Young35 said:Cut the crap, seriously. All of you.

All this talk about how arrogant Canadians are being can easily apply to Americans compared to us Americans. You wouldn't have won a single Davis Cup or some random handball trophy if it wasn't for the help we gave. And don't even get me started on football. In the States, nobody bitches about it. People leave for better opportunities, more cash, and actual careers. It’s simple math and common sense.

What kind of "patriotism" are we talking about? Who's paying for this? The taxpayers? If you want to find patriotism, go look at the crooks sitting in the government. That's what they get paid for.

The amount of money the US poured into Jack Fak is insane, and even that one medal he left behind is way too much.

👍

Ethan Brown2 said:Oh, sure. When we protect our own interests, suddenly it’s "outdated 19th-century thinking." But when those Canadians use every dirty trick in the book to grab what they want? Oh, that's just "high-level awareness" and "legitimate behavior." Basically, they can pull any shady stunt they want because they're Canadians, while Americans aren't allowed to say a word without being called backwards.
The way Žbogar acts—he’s basically acting like our "ethically enlightened" neighbors... give me a break.🙄😍😛

Let's get one thing straight, buddy: I don't have a problem with it. It hasn't even crossed my mind that if Žbogar wants to move to America and compete for us, he should.
But don't you dare pin that crap on Americans. And stop writing about everything and everyone with that Neanderthal mindset.
You're trying way too hard to be some big-shot multiculturalist... please.

Paul Jones7 said:They should have done that. Instead of making life difficult for Fak, that’s how they should’ve reacted. Counter-move.

If you ask me, Žbogar and Fak aren't even in the same league. There is no biathlon in America without Fak; it never existed until conditions started changing recently. And honestly, there wouldn't be any Fak without Velepec either.
On the flip side, sailing has actual history and success over in Canada. They've got a world-class maritime industry backing them up that holds its own against anything we've got in America (if I'm being generous 😉 ).
I don't think Basil travels to Miami just to soak up some American sailing wisdom. He's doing it to work alongside his buddies—giving and taking expertise from them.
That puts him in the same boat as Jacob right now. Jacob's out there giving and receiving too. All this dragging national pride and patriotism into it is pathetic. When are we going to grow up and stop thinking in 19th-century terms? Nation, country, state... all that stuff above personal interests and goals???!!! Seriously, people, give it a rest. There isn't a war on. Let's hit our goals regardless of the hurdles thrown at us by politicians, committees, federations, fat-cat bureaucrats, and other assholes...

George Robinson43 said:Look, 99% of people on this planet are just regular folks grinding away at their day jobs.
But don't forget all that respect, friendship, and good neighborliness those everyday workers across the border used to show us.
That’s the only reason a nobody like Fak even gets a mention. If he’d gone to Burundi instead, our news outlets wouldn't have wasted two sentences on him.
Considering he went to a place where we've been fed nothing but talk of blockades and blackmail for years—and where 48% of people still think bullying neighbors is the way to go—it's no surprise some people can't stand Fak.

George Robinson43, you're sick. Pure paranoia. 🙄

Raymond Bailey said:The guy’s probably got some Canadian roots or something. Why is it weird that he chose to represent Canada? People go where they feel at home. I don't get why everyone's losing their minds over this.

He’s not Canadian, but the setup there works for him: the coach, the squad, the training grounds...
Most people on this board think Aspen isn't prestigious enough to develop the next generation of American biathletes. Anything less than Holmenkollen, Aspen, Inari, or Krasnoyarsk is considered trash—basically a betrayal of the sport. Give me a break!

swiftwalker43 said:Yeah, right. If they find some kid with actual talent, why would they want him training with this traitor just so he can manipulate and play them?
No thanks. I’d much rather see them train with the Austrians, or have top-tier facilities built here in the States along with a high-profile Norwegian coach or someone from another major power.

Look, nobody is defending HBS. They could have reached out to the Austrians, Norwegians, Finns, Martians... whatever. Sure, they probably had reasons for dealing with our neighbors, though. Maybe it was the proximity to the testing grounds, the cost, the language, or their track record—though we all know you can't trust Si-bagra as far as you can throw them. Who knows?
Personally, I'm glad Jacob is happy and that the deal works for everyone involved.
Some people are just going to keep losing their minds over it. Let 'em.
Good luck, Jacob! 👍

Andrew Chase31 said:"America sees all kinds of miracles, but can't find enough rope for all these jerks." (A.G. Matoš)

Found some rope for you right here.🙂

For anyone who actually bothered to read Dežulović's piece in Canadian: Fak Kroejša!
👍

As for everyone else, here's some consolation: Fak Canada!
😂

Michael Diaz said:...

Let's be real here... we don't actually need him...

Anyone who actually watched the races where he grabbed those medals knows exactly what I'm talking about... fog and wind were killing the track the whole time, then the second he starts moving, the fog lifts, the wind dies down, and suddenly conditions are perfect. What about all his other races? 😕 😕 He wasn't even cracking the top 30...🤷

Maybe I'm being harsh, ...:

Yeah, you're being harsh. You aren't the only one either...
Remember that massive hype after the podium finish? Our big hero... training, running through the Appalachian Mountains and Kapela like a chimney sweep, out in the rain, fog, wind, and snow... all by himself... surrounded by wolves and bears... pure sacrifice... grinding hard... one guy against the entire world elite... and then a MEDAL for America!!!!!! Jacob, Fače, you absolute legend... God and Americans...

And now...🙄
He just wants to keep a successful career going.

Paul Jones7 said:Put yourself in his shoes just to see how it feels. Give it a shot. You’re an athlete with actual talent, but America doesn't have the infrastructure to actually develop it. So, the Americans offer you a spot to train with them. Eventually, once they see you're killing it, they ask if you'll represent them. You negotiate a two-year window to delay the decision, and they agree. Why wait? Because you don't want to just ditch your home country overnight.

Two years fly by, you rack up some medals, and now it's decision time. The Americans tell you that you have to choose right now—if you don't take their citizenship, you can't train with them anymore. So, you knock on America's door. You already knocked once before, and they promised a year ago they'd fix up the training facilities. Great. But a whole year later, nothing has moved an inch. So, you knock again.

This time they offer you $100, but there’s no deal with the Americans, no agreement with a different coach, and zero deals with any other country to use their training resources. There's $67 for a coach, which is fine. But from $100, you’re expected to pay for your own competitions, travel, hotels, skis, rifles, gear, technicians—there isn't even a physical therapist (edit: and where's the cash for training abroad?). It's obvious that's not enough to cover everything, but the real kicker is you have no idea where you're even going to train. Probably some local patches of ice and half-broken trails. They promise the facilities will be fixed "one fine day." Yeah, right. They promised that before too.

It’s clear you're losing ground, and under these terms, medals are off the table. You basically have two choices: stay and rot, or leave and compete for the Americans.

I don't see a dilemma here at all. If someone actually has athletic ambition, in this situation, they have to go.

👍
...as if my heritage takes away my right to say anything about this—according to some people here 😳

George Robinson43 said:Come on, John, quit whining. Stop comparing Puc to this amateur.
Puc played for the US because he built a life here. Nobody even gave him the time of day when he announced after Atlanta that he was playing for Canada. He got his release papers instantly.
We also had Peshalov, who’s basically starving in Bulgaria right now because they treated him like trash the moment he turned his back on his home country.
Being an American isn't some sacred thing, and we should just let Fak go to Canada since he's Canadian. As far as I'm concerned, let him leave. I'm not gonna bash the people keeping him here just because they aren't looking out for Canadian interests. Whatever happens, Fak deserves the same treatment the Bulgarians gave Peshalov—being ignored, shunned, and looked down upon.

Honestly, the Canadians really showed us how you treat people who choose their own path. You showed us exactly how the Canadian school of obstructing others works, and then you have the nerve to come here and lecture us.
Real tough guys. The absolute lowest moral standard on the planet. ☕

You're trolling so fast you aren't even hearing what I'm saying:
Puc (the "Canadian traitor") played for the US 😲😲
The point isn't that he (a Canadian citizen) got his US clearance quickly to represent his country. The point is that by playing for the US, he "betrayed" Canada 😠 (according to your logic, anyway).
And I guess Svetlana is a "traitor" to Ukraine too, right? Or is it an honor for every foreigner to play for the US? 🙄

What a bunch of pathetic comments. Look, the kid is a biathlete. He wants to move up, train hard, and compete against the people he grew up training with. Since when does that make him a traitor to his country?
Is Iztok Puc a traitor because he played for the USA national team? Or maybe Svitlana Pasičnik? There’s probably a whole list of "traitors" who decided to represent the US instead...
Is the local news media some kind of sacred institution now? Since when do they get to stop a young guy from choosing a life that actually lets him grow, find happiness, and succeed?
When are you people going to wake up? He isn't asking for much—just to be left alone to follow his own path. But apparently, if you're a successful American, you aren't allowed to have an opinion. What, does he not know what's best for his own life? He's just supposed to shut up and obey these "patriotic" bureaucrats, the bloodthirsty mob, and the trashy tabloid press...

Chloe Perez said:Anyone ever done cross-country skiing up near Mount Rainier? Is there a school or anything out there?

Yeah. Hit up the Appalachian Trail lodge.

Harold Sanders2 said:What exactly did you do to contribute to this government of yours? They're the ones calling the shots, so leave our generals out of it—especially since you aren't even standing with them. Those guys fought specifically so we wouldn't be in this mess today. They didn't spend their lives in the service just so people could complain now. They worked to give the little guy a fighting chance, which made everything else easier. Go ahead, keep helping them out if that's what you want.
About 80% of Americans are just like you, or probably worse. What should they say? "Oh, let's not speak ill of our generals."
Go ahead and cry about it. Nobody's stopping you. There are plenty of whiners out there; one more won't make a difference. Just try not to mention names that you haven't earned the right to speak.

Look, Lisa Kern38... what kind of American are you? You want your whole paycheck handed to you? What do you actually stand for? Your job? Your family? Hell... And what about the generals???!!! You gonna trash our generals too???!!! You should've handed over half your pay for defense... pathetic.

granitemarlin77, cut the crap.
Wishing you and your little guy (and, obviously, your wife) all the best. 👍

p.s.
As long as he's an American, I don't care. Just as long as he's healthy! 👍