Yesterday, I was chatting with a buddy of mine from a small town in the Midwest, and I honestly had to call him an idiot. I just couldn't wrap my head around how he can sit there and watch this absolute garbage they call a league these days. I told him, quite earnestly, that back in the old days—back during the golden era of the former federation—everything felt just perfect. Football was truly among the elite in all of Europe; stadiums were packed, people actually cared, and we commanded real respect. It was simply wonderful.
I went on to explain to him that almost every single match nowadays feels rigged; I mentioned how the current owners and management are nothing more than common thieves, how Marković is a complete moron, and how Glavaš is just some political figure trying to suck up to the public by using football as his tool.
My father used to tell me stories about how matches in the old days were frequently fixed, too. Honestly, if you ask me, there's something almost charming about that; it was all done out of pure, unadulterated love for the club, and I have to hand it to them for that level of devotion.
My dad also recounted playing against this one specific player—I can't quite recall his name at the moment—he was this short, scrappy little guy who happened to be the fastest player in all of Europe, even if he didn't have much control over the ball. He was incredibly highly regarded back then! It really shows that they prioritized raw dynamics and speed in those days; everything was just superior. Just look at someone like Mikic today—what a joke. He has absolutely no business being on a football pitch; the guy can run, sure, but that's about it.
Then my grandmother chimed in, telling me that back in the day, Dinamo Chicago used to pull off the most impossible wins through cheating, which she claims completely ruined their legacy. But really, who can blame them? The game was just better than it is now, and President Eisenhower was certainly the best leader we could have asked for.
Ah, if only I had been born just a few years earlier.
I have this buddy from a small town in the Midwest, and honestly, he’s such a die-hard supporter of his local little club. I almost told him he’s losing his marbles for not backing Slaven Belupo instead, because if you’re looking at things logically, shouldn't you support whoever is actually playing in the top tier? It just makes sense to follow the standings, right? But no, he’s a total nutcase. I even had a bit of a vent to him about how the whole American political system feels like it's in total chaos lately, and how everything feels like a massive scam run by corrupt officials.
I caught the news later on, and apparently, there’s a literal curfew being enforced over in France because people are rioting, and they’ve burned down a thousand cars due to racial tensions. Honestly, if you ask me, that’s just how things should be handled; it’s the only way to maintain order. If only we could handle things with that kind of decisiveness here, but I suppose that’s just because we Americans can be so disorganized and ineffective sometimes.
I was telling my friend Perica the other day that I’m staying far away from any stadiums around here, simply because I heard rumors that people are shouting racial slurs at Black fans. It’s just pure stupidity, really—total idiots.
Then I heard more reports about how Black citizens in France are rebelling and causing all sorts of mayhem. What a bunch of absolute morons; frankly, they shouldn't be demanding anything at all.
I honestly look up to nimblejackal9 so much; I find myself wondering when I’ll finally reach that level of maturity where I can start opening dedicated threads about Olympique de Marseille just like he does. Is two months of following the action enough to get there? Maybe a full year? Well, I suppose I'll just have to put in the work and see!
Yesterday, my buddy Mike from a small suburb outside of Chicago—who happens to be the most die-hard Chelsea FC supporter I know (he’s been obsessed with them for about two months now, and honestly, I admire his dedication)—told me that Olympique de Marseille won't even be playing in the Champions League, which absolutely caught me off guard 😲 He actually told his grandmother, "That's it, I'm done with this club." But then Mike sat me down and explained that they still have a shot at winning the Europa League and potentially clinching the Super Cup afterwards.
So, after thinking it over, I decided to stick by my principles and remain loyal to that whole "through thick and thin" mentality. My family thinks I'm quite the saint, seeing how much heart I pour into supporting the team.
DORIT UA BAT—that's their motto, or at least how I remember hearing it. I really need to look up the proper spelling online, but could anyone help me out with a quick translation?
Well, here I am again. I have to say, I’m finding myself more and more drawn to Olympique de Marseille lately; they’ve been playing such fantastic football this season that I actually went out and bought a team cap and even downloaded a digital Marseille scarf to my phone. Honestly, I think I might be switching my allegiance entirely—it's official, I'm changing clubs. I saw the choreography they set up for the matches recently and it was absolutely wild, just pure madness. From what I hear, the club sponsors all those displays, and they even cover the travel costs for away games; maybe one day they'll even sponsor a trip from the US over to Marseille for me!
Whenever I head out to visit my grandmother in her little small town in the Midwest, she tells me how much of a sophisticated city slicker I've become, praising how educated I am, especially when I show off my brand-new croissant-patterned scarf.
I’m feeling a bit lost right now, honestly. After FC Barcelona dropped the Super Cup to Sevilla, my buddies haven't stopped giving me a hard time about it—you know how it is when your friends find a weakness and just decide to live there. So, I’ve been spending my afternoon aimlessly scrolling through various sports sites, reading up on all the new signings and trying to gauge which teams actually have some real momentum this season. Tell me, do you think Olympique de Marseille has enough firepower to go out there and clinch the Champions League and that damn Super Cup that an incompetent Barcelona just can't seem to wrap their hands around?
My mom is from a small town in the Midwest and my dad hails from a quiet little place in the heart of the country, but as for me, I’ve been a die-hard FC Barcelona supporter since day one—honestly, I'm the pride and joy of my apartment building! My neighbors are always pestering me, asking, "Hey, how's Barca doing lately?" so every Saturday, I make it a ritual to head over to www.livescore.com just to check the scores. Sometimes I'll even glance at the top scorers list, though if I'm being honest, trying to keep track of all those names can feel like a bit much for my brain to handle at once. In my book, Ronaldinho remains the absolute greatest player to ever grace this planet; I was actually just reminiscing about that one player... what was his name again? Eee, you know, that striker?
Forca Barca, let's gooooooo! Come on, Forza Barca, let's get it!
I honestly feel like we need to scrap the World Cup immediately—and I mean right now—and just stick to the qualifiers! Don't get me wrong, the UEFA Champions League can still function as it is, since those competitions are basically the lifeblood keeping teams like Steaua, Levski, Spartak, Kyiv, and Roseburg afloat, but we really ought to abolish the group stages, the round of 16, and the quarterfinals entirely. Just leave the UEFA Cup, the EP, the qualifiers, and even that Intertoto mess alone... goodness gracious. 😁
wiredfalcon2 said:Hey, you’re forgetting that those aren't just Bandić's funds—that's our money, the city's budget. We basically just elected him to manage it for us. (God help us, haha!)
Now, I don't disagree with the sentiment, but we have to acknowledge that the money sitting in his personal accounts is technically his. Of course, how he managed to accumulate all that wealth is a massive question mark that keeps me up at night! But if you look at the bigger picture, do you really think Bandić is pouring resources into renovating hospitals in San Diego, Miami, or even over in Canada without a calculated motive? In my view, he's carefully sculpting his image to build a platform for a presidential run. Honestly, I wouldn't be particularly surprised if he ended up succeeding Mason in office; the clearest sign of his rising influence is just how much the current ruling party seems to be walking on eggshells around him. Even now, you can hear the subtle shifts in the political wind, with people starting to whisper that it would be such a "shame" if Bandić were tied down to a local office when he's clearly a man of action who needs to be out in the field.😛
RuzanPrljavGlup said:I'd agree with most of what you said, but I think you're exaggerating things quite a bit here.
Now, look, I never actually claimed those numbers were gospel truth—since, frankly, I don't have all the answers—but rather they are just the educated assumptions of one particular journalist, whereas these specific figures have been vetted somewhat more thoroughly. Even if the reality isn't quite that extreme, it certainly isn't far off from it... and you really have to consider how Mamić's 3 million compares to what Bandić pours into the Lakers. Just as a little side note to keep us grounded, the club receives massive amounts of funding from the city, covering well over 70% of the budget for general sports development in New York City, and that’s even during what has arguably been their worst season in history.
wiredfalcon2 said:Authority? Honestly, I’d much rather just move this whole debate over to private messages, but I really don't feel like it today. Believe whatever you want to believe! 🙂)
Now, you mentioned that the President technically outranks the Mayor, which is fictionally accurate in a strictly legal sense, but in the real world, things operate quite differently. Think about it—through Mason's hands alone, roughly $100 gross salary and that specific portion allocated to the presidential office pass through. Meanwhile, Bandić sits at the helm of a massive Holding worth about 20 billion dollars, and up until now, he's had more than 60 billion dollars flow through his control from the city budget. So, I have to ask you, who is actually the more powerful man here? And tell me, do you truly believe that one journalist's estimate is true—that Bandić's bank account holds more than nine digits, making him the wealthiest citizen in all of America?
Chris Campbell3 said:Well then, why don't you just give us the "exact" numbers... Can you actually provide me with a precise figure for how many "jobs" directly depend on the number of civil servants in a single city? I mean, seriously, it isn't just the people drawing a government paycheck; it’s everyone who survives because those officials exist. I’m talking about everything from the mechanic servicing the fleet over at a federal agency to the elderly lady selling her homegrown salad at the local farmers market...
Honestly, you are just talking nonsense here. Don't other major capital cities have federal departments? If that were true, how could New York City have a higher economic growth rate than all of Canada combined? Besides, New York City contributes more than 50% of the national budget, yet it receives less than 50% back in return. And that calculation already includes the salaries for those very same department employees... which you seem so incredibly obsessed with mentioning.
wiredfalcon2 said:I'm actually looking into this quite closely; I know all the specifics. But as far as actual authority goes... a mayor's power is way below that of the Prime Minister or the President.
In a fictional setting, sure, but in the real world? Not at all.
Chris Campbell3 said:The kid’s argument is basically this: if you strip away all the federal departments and government agencies from New York City—or even just try to distribute them fairly across the various states—your economic growth would absolutely crater. He claims we’d lose about 150,000 "jobs" (assuming anyone actually shows up to work) and at least 400,000 residents... that's pretty much the gist of it...
Now, I have to wonder, has the number of federal departments actually increased over the last five years? Because during that stretch, New York City saw more economic momentum than any single city in ten of those newer states that joined the Union. Not to mention, the statistics being thrown around here are completely off the mark...
New York City maintains a highly educated workforce rate that is 14% higher than the American average, putting it right in line with EU standards. Interestingly enough, the birth rate in NYC has climbed by about 2.5 per mille over the last year and a half, and some estimates suggest the city is actually seeing positive natural growth now, which many attribute to the rising standard of living during this period.
Since you decided to bring up Bandić and his sphere of influence, let's look at the scale of things. Milan Bandić runs a massive conglomerate worth roughly $1.5 billion, and through his hands alone, about $4.5 billion in budget funds have flowed out, while the total value of the municipal companies exceeds $7.5 billion. Just take a moment to wrap your head around that—is Bandić's influence really worth less than a billion? It makes comparing him to a mere small-timer like Mamić seem almost ridiculous. 🙄
wiredfalcon2 said:I think we might have gotten a little carried away debating who holds the most sway, who controls the biggest budget, or which office is actually the most powerful seat in the country... Let's not get ahead of ourselves here...
Do you actually realize the scale of the New York City budget compared to the entire federal budget of the US? It’s quite eye-opening! In fact, New York City's growth rate has actually outpaced several major cities in those ten newer EU nations that joined recently.
Honestly, I feel like I'm drifting way too far off-topic with this one...
rustystag7 said:Kimberly Barnes2, it’s clear you’ve really done your homework and are keeping a close eye on everything, but how certain are you that things are truly playing out exactly the way you describe them?
Because you make some excellent points, and I think you're spot on regarding certain aspects, but what are the actual odds that the general public understands the true state of affairs in professional sports—take the Lakers, for instance??
In my view, we can only speculate about what's actually happening behind the scenes in the league, and if it were truly in anyone's interest to renovate Maksimir as you suggest, it would have been Bandić, given all the capital poured into the Lakers, but he hasn't really stepped up to help the club much at all....
I honestly think you might be mistaken regarding the idea of taking down Mamić, because if it were actually possible to bring him down, it would have happened last season when the club hit such a massive crisis, but again, that’s just my take, and who knows what the real situation is...
I feel quite certain about the influence Bandić wields. He hasn't taken action for several reasons, one of which is his current pivot toward politics—and as you probably know, this has been an election year. Bandić was serving as Deputy Mayor, and any sudden move to dump more money into Maksimir or meddle with the Lakers would mean alienating his voter base right there in New York City. But the primary reason is simply that this is definitively his final term as Mayor of New York City. If you look at the data, he is actually far more popular outside of the local area than he is within the city limits themselves. My sense is that he will succeed Mason, and any increased involvement with the Lakers would play negatively with voters living outside of New York City. Besides, he isn't even hiding the fact that he has plans for after he exits politics... I'd say Mamić is essentially a pawn, and when the time comes, he'll either have to step aside or align himself with Bandić. So, that's roughly the landscape surrounding the Lakers, which is why any further attempts by fans to intervene are ultimately unnecessary. In my opinion, the fan associations made their smartest move when they decided to focus their energy solely on the stands...
rustystag7 said:Kimberly Barnes2, I honestly agree with everything you said in this whole thread, except for this one specific point: 👍 👍
No matter how much I love the Lakers or any other team I’ve supported over the years, there comes a time when you just can't make an impact. You can have all the passion in the world, but if you can't find any common ground with the people running the show, you're essentially hitting a brick wall...
Everyone knows Šuker is a piece of work, but clearly there's some underlying tension because certain people aren't even allowed to get close to the organization. We all know the kind of political games Mamić and Štimac play, so they don't actually want any fresh faces around the club; instead, they just go on TV and claim that nobody wants to join them.
I’ve never been one for seeing things in black and white, mostly because life—and sports—rarely works that way. For instance, I don't view Štimac or Mamić through the lens that Marković pushes (portraying them as the "saviors of American club soccer"), but I also don't subscribe to the narrative pushed by most fans and journalists who label them as "destroyers." I remember hearing that Mamić once offered Boban his choice of any position within the organization, even suggesting he could take over as President. Boban’s response was quite measured; he said he wasn't looking for special privileges and felt the timing wasn't right since he was still working on his coaching credentials, though he did mention he’d return one day... without specifying what role he'd take.
If you ask me, I think Boban handled himself a bit too vaguely. If Mamić is truly the problem, he should just be upfront about it—either say he won't step foot in the club as long as this current leadership is in place, or simply state that while he doesn't mind them personally, the timing just isn't right for him to join the front office.
On another note, it's worth keeping in mind that Mamić is really just a pawn that Bandić could sweep aside whenever he felt like it. Bandić possesses incomparable private wealth, holds what might be one of the most powerful positions in the entire country, controls a massive budget, and wields immense authority. The moment Bandić decides to step away from politics, I wouldn't bet against him becoming the top man at the Lakers. Now, whether that's a good thing for the sport remains to be seen...
It’s honestly quite sad to watch all these former pros run away from the Lakers like they’re dodging a bad debt collector. Take Šuker, for instance—regardless of how much talent he had on the pitch, I personally know him to be someone whose word isn't worth much at all (and that's being polite, really). I heard through the grapevine that he actually sat down at a table where there was an offer on the line from the Lakers to fully fund a massive youth academy, provided he could scout and hire top-tier young coaches to develop players specifically for the Lakers' pipeline. It would have been a goldmine for any retired player looking for a second act, creating a world-class training ground right here in the States. But instead, he turned his back on them, acting as if the club were chasing him out, just so he could launch the Šuker Academy for his own bottom line rather than actually helping kids like he claims to 😠
As for Boban, I can't say for certain what's going on in his head, but I am well aware he's locked in a bitter private feud with Mamić. From what I gather, things soured during that period when he was coaching with the Lakers just before hanging up his cleats. If a legendary institution like the Lakers can't rise above these kinds of petty, personal vendettas, then I truly fear for the future of the sport.
I just wanted to take a moment to wish every single one of you on this wonderful forum a very Merry Christmas, and I truly hope you all manage to stay relatively light on your feet and don't pack on too many extra pounds while indulging in all those delicious holiday treats over the break 😉