Posts by restlessridge10

I’ve always found this whole Kostelic vs Vlasic debate a bit bizarre. I was under the impression that Bojan Marinovic was actually the one calling the shots. During competitions, he's the one constantly offering guidance, not the older guy.

Michael Evans5 said:Who are your picks to win this Sunday?
Fabian Cancellara, Hoste, Tom Boonen, O'Grady, Devolder, Ballan, Thor Hushovd, George Hincapie...

My pick for tomorrow is Fabian Cancellara. Even last year's winner, O'Grady, mentioned that Paris-Roubaix will suit him perfectly. Regardless, Paris-Roubaix never fails to deliver. Unfortunately, I'll have to record the race myself. 😢

The Tour of Flanders was incredible—snow, rain, sunshine, nasty crashes, brilliant breakaways, and ultimately a win for Devolder.

Up next is Gent-Welwegem (14.30 Eurosport), which saw some pretty shocking crashes down the Appalachian Mountains last year.

The Spring Classic is over, but for me, the most exciting part of the cycling season starts tomorrow. We’re entering that stretch of spring one-day classics held on the narrow, muddy roads and cobblestone 😍 paths of Northern Europe.

Tomorrow features the Tour of Flanders, and by next week, we'll hit my absolute favorite: Paris-Roubaix.

I'm hoping there are a few others out there watching so we can trade some comments.

Here are a couple of videos I saved from last season:

Paris-Roubaix (a race around 155 miles, featuring roughly 31 miles of brutal cobblestones, usually in the rain and mud):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8uyPnIveJo

Gent-Welwegem (those crashes last year were truly shocking):
The first descent of the Appalachian Mountains:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpWMp...eature=related
The second descent of the Appalachian Mountains:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x877Q...elated&search=

I don't want to show only the crashes—that isn't why I love these races. It's more about witnessing the pure hell these riders have to endure. That's why they call Paris-Roubaix the Hell of the North.

I think about this quite often. To be honest, I’ve grown somewhat disgusted with modern soccer. Don't get me wrong—I still watch it—but it feels like a sport once meant for the masses has been rebranded for the elite. Getting tickets is nearly impossible unless you win some random lottery. We’ve gone from intense, passionate fanbases to people watching like they're at a quiet theater performance. Even the clubs have lost their local soul; everything is just about the wealthiest owners buying talent. There is far too much money involved in everything now.

But I have to laugh at myself. This shift is turning sports into typical American show business, yet I still enjoy watching American sports. I can't quite figure out why it bothers me so much that this is happening in Europe.

Regarding doping, I am strictly against any kind of use. Sports interest a huge cross-section of society; nations use them to build prestige, and millions of people across every continent tune in. More importantly, athletes serve as role models for kids. If children see that cheating via doping is acceptable to reach the top, they will follow suit. I don't particularly care if an elite professional ruins their own health for a bit of fame—though I hope they feel some shame when it catches up to them—but my concern is the youth. Sports and recreation should instill positive values and strong character. Kids need to learn through example that success comes from hard work, whether physical or mental, rather than deception. They should learn how healthy activity is, rather than seeing young athletes suffer heart attacks because of performance enhancers.

I’m planning on tuning out the Los Angeles Lakers for another season. They had a loyal fanbase, but they squandered it all on a few outsiders. Go ahead and start your little fan clubs now.

casualmarlin9 said:Airsoft isn't real; it's just for people playing soldier.

Now this is actual paintball:

- A multi-billion dollar industry.
- A legitimate tournament-based competitive sport with prize pools hitting $1 million.
- Currently the third biggest extreme sport globally (ranking ahead of snowboarding and surfing or baseball based on player count).

Wait, what even is surfing baseball?! 😲 I am genuinely curious. Got a link?

Douglas Diaz3 said:you can see he's gone, probably because the principal gave the parents a heads-up

If I recall correctly, he’s actually one of those Department of Homeland Security folks.

Drew Phillips3 said:Check out this promo clip for Airsoft from the Airsoft Club and Opossum in Columbus and Indianapolis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfiJ7Mj2ixQ

Great video. Hats off to them! 👍

brighthawk20 said:On SUNDAY at 8:30 AM, local time, the American water polo team takes on Canada in the World Aquatics Championships final in Melbourne. You can catch the live broadcast on the secondary channel of ESPN.

The Canadians, alongside the Mexicans, have dominated global water polo for years. They've been playing with essentially the same roster for nearly a decade, so their chemistry is unmatched. This makes things incredibly tough for Rudić and his squad—arguably an even steeper climb than their match against Mexico.

However, today’s semifinal proves even the Canadians aren't invincible. They barely scraped past Spain, only winning after overtime thanks to a clutch Biros goal in the final seconds. After the extra period, Canada walked away with a 12-11 win.

P.V.
Photo: AFP

Who are you putting your money on this time?!?!? 👎 👎 👎 👎 👎

A friend of mine recently got hooked on Airsoft, and after him teaching me the ropes today, I have to say I'm impressed. It looks like a blast. He sent over a few videos—besides the one I already posted here, here are two more:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJNv1Ct2XUI



I heard there's some kind of fortress conquest event happening this weekend in San Francisco?! Sounds pretty interesting. 😁 👍

Brandon Castillo4 said:People asked me to start this thread, claiming it’s of historical significance. 👋

😁

Well, I suppose I should make my mark on history too. 🙂

Jonathan Booth5 said:People said the exact same thing about us four years ago.

Haha, I know. I think the same thing whenever I watch them. When you actually get a real team together, they can pull off miracles.

Honestly, half of you sound like you just landed from Mars. If we had lost, we would have faced Iceland in the quarterfinals and then played the winner of Poland-Russia in the semis—which, frankly, I think would’ve been a better path for us. Instead, we’re heading toward the French, and then whoever wins Germany-Spain. That is a brutal bracket if we want to make the finals. Still, it's worth noting that we're taking on everyone head-on; we aren't picking and choosing our opponents. I just hope we can prove we're the best out there.

In the other bracket, I suspect the Americans will breeze into the finals, even though I enjoy watching how Poland plays; they might pull off an upset. However, I don't see them holding their own against the more seasoned teams at this stage of the tournament.

The daily pass stays at $23, yet they went ahead and hiked the annual rate by a whopping 200%... I think it used to be $227, but now it’s probably closer to $667 or even more.