Posts by Carl Brooks22

crotomy said:You made some great points, but let's face it—different sports have different pay scales. What would we expect from an American world champion in darts? Nobody’s ever even heard of him.
If he were Ronaldinho, he'd be pulling in millions, but that's just how different sports work.
Still, there's no excuse for someone switching nationality just to chase a paycheck.
I don't know what the issue is with Duja; one day he's featured in a major US paper as one of the highest-paid American athletes making $50,000 a year, and that's without any sponsors.
That isn't small change to me. Go ahead, point to an athlete in a similar sport who earns more.
Personally, I think he could have worked harder instead of just selling his citizenship.

My original post was based on the idea that Draganja is essentially a victim of his own success. We might find it easier to forgive him if his peak achievements weren't just scraping by in finals—especially since his sport isn't exactly high-paying or mainstream in the States. People only start complaining once someone finds a way to secure their financial future.
The numbers you mentioned are relative. To some, it sounds like a fortune; to others, discussing specific salaries feels beneath them. For context, a defender like Kurilic playing for a bottom-tier team in a minor league makes about that much. In basketball, players like Dzevdo, Nemam Pojma Alihodzic, or Golemac used to make three times that at the Los Angeles Lakers—and look where they are now in terms of career trajectory.
Ultimately, Draganja, his wife, and their future family were presented with an offer that doesn't just fix his finances, but serves as proof that he is actually valued elsewhere. While Primorac is too busy deciding whether winter break falls around Bozic, after New Year's, or maybe after the Three Wise Men, he clearly hasn't got time to worry about Duja.
Of course, I'd prefer if Draganja stayed—or better yet, if nobody left—but as you said, "there's no excuse for someone switching nationality just to chase a paycheck." I wouldn't dream of judging.

sara4 said:🙏 🙏 🙏 We already established once before that men and women are two sides of the same coin. 😁 😉 😁

🙂

No arguments here, sara4. Even if you don't have a sweet tooth for Nutella—it's pretty obvious we're just one soul split between two accounts...😉 😁 😘

I can't help but feel that Johnny's lucky stars didn't quite align... world-class talent, a massive drive, and all in the wrong sport...
The guy is essentially a hostage to his own extraterrestrial talent being wasted in the wrong discipline... and perhaps even in the wrong country.
If he had just kicked a ball correctly twice as a kid, maybe Stacy would be buying him gold watches right now. We'd be trembling at his auditions or patting him on the back while he leads our national champion through an embarrassing loss against those hulking Hughs... the kid would have a fat bank account and never worry about making ends meet. He’d be grinning from magazine covers, and we'd all know who his girlfriend is, what his favorite meal is, or whether he prefers blondes over brunettes...
As it stands, the guy is world-class—the media only remembers him when he grabs a medal or decides to secure something for himself and his family that he feels entitled to. Something that the big shots settle after six months of reading the papers in Congress, something that Hummer owners—among others—settled by paying out minimum wage to their workers (explaining it cynically, yet truthfully, as market forces dictate)...
They aren't the issue, nor is it a problem if Joe stayed behind for peanuts because he's afraid he won't see more. It isn't a problem that few people in this country have the credibility to believe him, nor does it matter that I assume 98% of Americans haven't a clue what the guy looks like (for Little Charlie, the results would probably be reversed), but it matters that by Joe leaving, we lose twenty seconds of pure adrenaline and the chance to see the American flag flying high during medal ceremonies in small pools, large pools, or swimming lengthwise, crosswise, or diagonally...
Hey Joe, don't screw this up—it's called responsibility...

swiftmoose22 said:Which network is carrying this year's 2005/2006 NBA season?

FOX holds the contract, yet for reasons known only to them—and presumably themselves—they won't be broadcasting the games.
The national broadcaster finally deigned to notice us ghettoized basketball fanatics over here in the States and decided to buy the rights to a few interesting games—specifically some derbies (whenever those happen, I have no clue).

Jason Lee6 said:Let's hold off on judging the quality or entertainment value just yet. We should probably wait until after we've seen about 10 televised games.🙂

😁

Star player😉 😁

placidcanyon16 said:Hopefully, the second half is better. 😁 👋

😁

Well, that depends on how you answer one specific question. It's your turn now.
So, placidcanyon16, which half of a Kinder bar (or maybe some peanut butter) do you prefer—the light or the dark?😎 😁

placidcanyon16 said:My family and I are sacred; everything else is just secondary.

Found my better half😁 😁

placidcanyon16 said:The point of my post wasn't about who chooses to play for any American national team or not. It was that attacking someone for doing what seems like the most optimal move for his own future—even if that means changing citizenship—is hypocritical. And it's even more hypocritical that most people here claim they wouldn't accept a million dollars to do the same!!!

Spare me. Tell that to someone else. Sure, it might be hard to put yourselves in Duje's shoes, but look at it this way: someone offers you a million dollars to work as an accountant—since you're all top-tier accountants and in such high demand—for a firm in, say, Germany, but you have to switch your citizenship to get it. Would you turn it down? I don't see why Duje shouldn't have the right to change his citizenship just because he's an athlete, unlike us "regular" folks who scramble for American, Australian, or any Western European citizenship the moment an opportunity arises to secure a better life for our families. Why did Pesalov take our citizenship? Why did Russian volleyball players do the same in the 90s? We love to brag about others' achievements, yet we can't stand it when someone tells us that things aren't good enough here and that someone else offers better terms. We aren't the best at many things, and until we admit that, we won't improve.

Great post...

Even though D.D. (22) earns a very respectable income from American standards, he’s putting his elite swimming expertise up for auction—just like accountants, coaches, firefighters, translators, and extras everywhere else...
Either way, "every man is the architect of his own fortune," as the old Latin saying goes. But one thing is certain: Draganja won't know the lyrics to the anthem of whatever country he ends up representing. 😁

Chris Campbell3 said:Slaven Belupo will probably crack the top 10 soon enough.

Yebes, this table is pure fantasy if Slaven Belupo isn't already in the top 10.😁

It’s almost funny how the news about Tom Brady's suspension was broken by Newsmax journalists... the Greeks didn't have a clue, nor did UEFA—it turns out some Americans just managed to screw over their own club representing them in a European tournament, unless they actually believe in that whole fair-play myth...
Apparently, the gripe is that people are annoyed when clubs like Zepce, Siroki, or Zrinjski represent the US instead of the big-name teams—primarily those from the major metropolitan areas.
So, the geniuses in Canada handed Baskimija a three-goal lead after he didn't buckle against Zepce in the first match. Bravo, geniuses...

Whatever. I guess Tom Brady's troops just need to grit their teeth and take a 4:0 loss so the haters can die happy...

Meanwhile, Zidak and Reic aren't good enough for us...😁

1:3 - the end...

... 1:2... I thought I was being quite thorough 😁

Carl Brooks22 and anyone else just copying and pasting posts...

... and now we're down 2-0... apparently our guys decided the semifinals was the perfect time to play their worst game yet.

Down 1-0... maybe 20 minutes left on the clock...

If Djaja didn't leave after getting bounced by Neusatel—that random Swiss top-tier club—or that Zerminal mess, he probably isn't going anywhere now either.
I assume we'll hear the usual nonsense about "building for the future," which is the favorite line of every con artist out there. They'll claim losing 4-0 right after a 5-0 blowout in Philadelphia is actually progress, and that things aren't settled until the final whistle blows.

Roger Allen3 said:AEK leveled things up

... apparently from a highly questionable penalty! Gary, Indiana took the lead just 45 seconds into the game.

Bad News Bears said:If they bring in Bill Barić, we’re looking at a total annexation of Austria back in '38, provided Otto actually gets decent players to work with.

FLEMING, the player you mentioned was likely Cambiasso; I can't think of anyone else quite like him.

On the betting boards, our Otto is looking better for the new German manager spot than Greece did before the EP. 🙂 The odds are 1:99.00; Rehhagel still seems to be in the running, maybe worth a small wager at 1:7.00; the heavy favorite is former Bayern Munich and Real Madrid player, Breitner, sitting at 1:4.50!

I think I read somewhere that the great Otto Max signed an agreement with Greece through 2008.
If that's true—then I can only hope he stays home... or perhaps they could just bring in our promising Otto 🙂

Ethan Price81 said:Since we're discussing coaching changes...

Naturally, the Germans want Rehhagel, that Greek God.

😁

Hasn't Rehhagel already pledged his loyalty to the Greeks?

graniteviper37 said:...watching them is actually quite pleasant compared to watching some mindless ball-chasing misery, though I'm still hoping an American team emerges in Europe by the 2006 World Cup to actually challenge Brazil... they already have five titles, after all—when will we catch up?

If there had been more buzz about Otto's plan to rejuvenate the national squad, we might have caught them back in 2022 when we were grabbing our fifth straight title... 🙂