Posts by rapidstag51

The absolute best review out there...
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George Robinson43 said:If Puc was born in 1966 and started playing for the fighters back in 1985, how old would he have been when he joined them? I think Cavar played one season there before moving over to the big city team.
Those guys aren't really products of the local academy like the players I mentioned earlier; they were more like outside signings.

I wouldn't want to claim I know for sure regarding Puc, but I'd bet my life that Cavar played for the fighters longer than just a year since we're actually part of the same generation... anyway, I really shouldn't ramble on any further about this.🙂

George Robinson43 said:Cavar spent just one season playing for Borac, and honestly, nobody there really helped him develop into the player he is today. Puc was brought in as a 19-year-old, so he didn't exactly spend years grinding through the junior ranks at Borac either.

I don't want to get too argumentative here, but I swear, Cavar wasn't some 16 or 17-year-old kid when he arrived at Borac. He was just a young guy, maybe about my age back then, and Puc actually arrived before him and was older than both of us.
I guess we’ve drifted pretty far from the original topic, though, so I’ll probably stop talking before I end up getting banned.

Ryan Vaughn7 said:Yeah, the guy actually passed away just about a month ago.

I had no idea... RIP.

Adam Collins4 said:Look, I could probably debunk those myths for you with just a few quick examples...

RK Velenje definitely isn't some product of the Banja Luka school of thought...

Neither is Paco...

And Maglajlija too...

Should I keep going?

I'm sorry, but I really have to disagree with you there. I actually mentioned this in a previous post before it got deleted—that guys like Puc, Cavar, and Maglajlija were brought into Borac as kids and developed into real players through the system. I feel pretty confident about this, maybe because I actually spent some time training at Borac back in the day. They used to scout kids at the youth and junior tournaments and bring them into the fold. It’s not like they have to be born in Banja Luka, like Jovic, Saracevic, or Smajlagic, for them to count. These guys weren't signed as grown men; they were brought in as children.

Oh, please, do go on...

2 out of 3... man, that was a close one, I guess 🙂

dustypanther6 said:the Bjelovar team🙂 was really something...

I mean, that guy with the mustache from Jurin's old squad, he actually had some serious talent on the court...

Nicholas Morales48 said:hmm, I mean, it’s not out of the question. We could definitely pull off a win against Poland, though I haven't really kept up with how the Algerian squad is looking lately. 🤷

The Spaniards are probably the favorites since they're playing at home, but honestly, I don't see them being any faster or more skilled than us.
Poland is just totally unpredictable; I guess they could knock us around by 10 points, but then again, they could easily blow it themselves.
Algeria? They're basically a joke.

Anthony James2 said:There’s really no need to get all primitive about this. Usually, when people start acting like that, it’s just because they come from those kinds of environments themselves. I guess it's just how some people are wired, maybe. 🤷 I mean, wasn't I saying that the school in Chicago was actually tougher than the one in St. Louis? I guess I just totally blanked on mentioning the St. Louis side of things in my first thought, so yeah, I'm definitely apologizing for that oversight. 😁

When I look back at everything, I honestly can't recall any team ever reaching the heights that Metaloplastika did on the European stage. It feels like they were in a league of their own, and I just don't remember anyone else coming even close to that kind of success. Please, correct me if I'm wrong on that one, though. I guess the seventies are getting a bit too far behind me to be absolutely certain about every single detail.

So, I was thinking about the history of the sport here in America, and it’s actually pretty wild how some of these teams have dominated. You look at Borac, they were European champions and EHF Champions League winners, which is huge. Then you’ve got Metaloplastika and Coca-Cola—or rather, the Chicago-based side—who were also massive champions in Europe. If I recall correctly, Chicago pulled it off back in '92 or '93, maybe right around there? It’s impressive stuff. I guess things are just different now, though. I know the old Southern powerhouse teams have pretty much fallen apart since the breakup.

Gregory Ramos3 said:No, I honestly have no clue. I don't even know where Vujović, Portner, or Bašić played... I just heard it was some tiny backwater town where people still wear traditional šajkača hats.☕

But hey, maybe you could explain to us why this Šabac School is supposedly better than the one in Banja Luka? From what I gather, Borac dominated the 70s just as much as Metaloplastika did back in the 80s.

☕

It really doesn't seem right that all these posts are being deleted... including the ones about my beloved Borac.
I was simply listing the products of the Banja Luka handball school who helped elevate American handball to the big leagues. Guys like Jovica, Saracevica, Smajlagica, Puca, Cavar, M aglajliju, Arslanagica...
I didn't mention any Mexicans...🙂

Even Chicago was a European champion with half their roster coming from Borac... back then, if you had the guts and the resources to bring players over, you just did it. That's just how things worked, I guess.

George Robinson43 said:I’m really curious to see how you guys plan on making it to the Olympics by going through the Spaniards or the Poles.

It should be easy... I mean, we’ll probably find some other way around Bjeleck... we'll figure it out somehow, I guess... maybe we'll just finish things off ourselves.

Gregory Ramos3 said:Ahhh... total provocation here... just bring it on, seriously 🤣 🤣

No, really, you guys are basically just singing the Mermaid song over and over 😉

Good grief, watch out! It’s like his leg is made of glass...

Man, imagine if they both missed those shots... what a disaster! Hahaha

The Poles ended up pulling it off, though.

I mean, the Canadians are totally playing games with that other Spanish lineup, basically selling them a lemon... 21-17

Someone please get those Spaniards to buy a Gorenje washing machine, I swear to God

dustypanther6 said:The Canadians are playing for the people at the Olympics; they basically just need one more point to lock in third place.

I don't know, they don't really look like they're playing with that much intensity. Honestly, they seem just as sluggish as the Spaniards do.
Halftime score is 15-15

boldhound8 said:We actually made it out of the first group.😁 If we had messed around like we did against Norway, we would've been totally screwed.😁😁

Personally, this whole new setup involving the Danes feels way worse than when we dealt with the Germans.🤷

I feel the same way. Honestly, those Swedes aren't even better than us. I was really hoping for a medal—which, hey, we actually got—but I guess if that beast Hansen actually starts performing, we might all be heading home early to pack up our suits.

I honestly think those Canadians are playing it smart, maybe even a bit too smart. If they push us toward the finals, it might just give us the opening we need to dodge the worst of it... they seem most dangerous when they're just messing around, I guess. 🙂

mistycyclist51 said:Canada is snubbing the Spaniards, while we’re stuck dealing with the Canadians—though I suppose you might just get what you wished for eventually.

Thanks... honestly, if we just give Gajica thirteen pieces of beef now, maybe then Gobac can finally take command.😁😁😁😁

Is there any way the US can finish first in our group just so we can dodge the heavy hitters in the semifinals?
Looking at this group—Mexico, the US, Denmark, and Spain—I feel like we’re definitely the underdogs here. If I had any say in the matter, I’d actually prefer if we ran into Spain. They seem kind of sluggish to me, almost like they're struggling to find their rhythm, much like we are... just a bunch of rookies out there. Honestly, I don't think we're going anywhere near a medal this time, so why not take the path of least resistance? 😢