Posts by Daniel Chavez14

If I recall correctly, even Mike Tyson wasn't much older when he first started out. (Correct me if I'm wrong!)

Amanda Lee42 said:Why? What’s wrong with that idea? Borders just divide us, and they're often the spark for wars and bloody conflicts. Even here in the States, it's sad when you see rivalries like Yankees vs. Red Sox fans clashing at a game, or people being judged just because of where they grew up. These divisions are basically manufactured.
Isn't that just the norm?

Unfortunately, it is the norm. As for that previous idea, there's nothing wrong with it except for its lack of realism (just look at what happened with Yugoslavia!).

P.S. Some people just can't grasp the difference between something being "normal" and something being "good." 🙄

Amanda Lee42 said:We’re all going to be assimilated into Europe anyway. In a hundred years, nobody will care about where someone came from; they'll only care about who the person is, their character, and the results they produce.

Utopisticki! 😢

Roose Bolton said:I’ve said it a hundred times already: Draganja can swim with whoever he wants, and frankly, I couldn't care less about his personal life choices.
My only issue is if Draganja, as a citizen of some other state within my own country, starts enjoying the exact same rights that I do.
The second he leaves, my country won't be his country anymore.
In fact, I think the USA should act like any normal, self-respecting nation would... if he publicly turned his back on the USA just to chase a paycheck, the response should be: "Good luck, kid... don't bother coming back."
As for him moving to Qatar? I don't give a damn. He can go from there straight to the Emirates for all I care.
That’s his business, and I'm not here to judge him for selling his citizenship for cash.
The only thing I’ll condemn is the government if they decide to overlook his betrayal for a measly $500,000 and offer him a free pass.

Fair point! 👍

Douglas Williams29 said:armed with nothing but his junk...

Exactly. 😎

Kevin Long20 said:The whole situation with Duje keeps bringing the story of Vasa ladački to mind...

🙂 🙂 🙂
But here’s the catch: nobody thought Vasa was a coward, because at the end of the day, he was just living his own life. With Duje, however, some people feel like his choice isn't just about him—they feel like it impacts all of us.

ka plus trajno mliko said:Hold on a second... In your post, you claim that people who have their existential struggles sorted out just can't wrap their heads around Dujin's move. From that, any sane person would conclude that the only ones who actually *do* understand Duje are those who are still struggling with those same issues. If we assume that those who understand him are showing solidarity (meaning they put themselves in his shoes), then we inevitably arrive at the conclusion that Duje hasn't actually solved his own existential problems yet.

So, who's the crazy one here? You, for writing something only to immediately backtrack on it, or me, for even bothering to argue with such nonsense? 🙏

I'm the crazy one, and you're just being dense. 😁
Just because someone can empathize with another person's situation doesn't mean they're living through the exact same thing. You just need to be in a somewhat similar boat. For instance, if money is someone's top priority because they're broke, they can certainly understand why money is also a top priority for someone who isn't struggling. The common thread is simply that money is the driving force for both.

rustystag7 said:First off, this country invested heavily in you through your education, and now you’re acting like some big-shot international star and just abandoning us for another nation!!

If he actually moves to Qatar, I honestly think Duje owes our people some kind of compensation. Maybe that would settle the score on this issue. 🙂

Look, I’m just going to say it, so feel free to tear me apart if you want.

When Monica Seles switched over to represent the USA, I found myself still rooting for her like she was one of our own. The thing is, she wasn't even American to begin with. (And before anyone asks, I’m not some nostalgic dreamer clinging to the past.)

If you think Duje was, and still is, a complete jerk—which is what some of those personal life details mentioned here seem to suggest—fine, I can get behind that. But why on earth were you all cheering for that jerk in the first place? Is the color of a flag really more important to you than the actual person? If it is, then you're just as bad as he is, just in a different way. 👎

ka plus trajno mliko said:Could you please walk me through what kind of existential crisis Duje Draganja is actually going through? 😂

Seriously, can someone point out where I ever said he was! 😂

ljiga said:Kudos to 👍

Are you agreeing because you actually believe it, or just because you like how it sounds?😉

copperpuma96 said:And for all those people dragging Duje's name through the mud... what exactly do you think his plan is? Does he think he's going to stand there singing the anthem of Qatar? Kiss their flag or pretend to love the place? His intentions are crystal clear. He’s looking to collect that massive payday, cash out everything he’s spent his entire career building, and then after a few years, just retire and live like royalty.

Besides, if he decides to move back to the States, all that money is coming right back into our economy. In a way, Americans end up profiting from Duje all over again. You could even look at it as Duje funneling wealth from Qatar straight back to America—even if it means sacrificing his own reputation to do it. Have any of you fake patriots actually bothered to think about that? 😁

RuzanPrljavGlup said:So how does that even connect to Duje Draganja?
It doesn't matter if he was in Bahrain or back home in the States; he isn't dealing with survival issues.

The bottom line is this: people facing actual existential crises find it much easier to accept that someone else's money matters more than some abstract sense of American identity. Those who prioritize national pride over cold, hard cash either don't have real struggles to deal with, or they aren't even aware of them because someone else is footing the bill so they can stay comfortable while chasing "higher" ideals.

brighttiger6 said:Can you explain how someone could possibly say they gave up on themselves just because they changed their damn citizenship?

I think when they said "giving up on oneself," they were talking about the name, not the citizenship.

sara4 said:Look, I already told you what I think about the number 17, regardless of whether they were your age or not, and I happen to be above average intelligence.

Listen, even though I generally agree with you regarding Duje, assuming the "17" in the username madmax17 refers to their age was definitely not a stroke of genius. 🙄
Especially considering your own username is sara4. 😂

sara4 said:I stuck with it last time because I don't play sports much anymore. Why? Injuries. If it wasn't for those injuries, I'd be playing professionally right now and making way more money than I do at my actual job.

I honestly don't get how you managed to juggle six or seven different sports. I only ever took one seriously, so I really think you have no idea what true professional sacrifice looks like or what an athlete's life is actually like.

If I recall correctly, you used to play a few sports too, but your biggest injury actually happened during a sport that wasn't even your main focus.😉

Carlos said:The latest poll results on Ikon, with 7,400 votes cast so far, show that 59% of respondents think Duje's move was reasonable!
It’s pretty predictable; if you ask me, those are just the folks dealing with real-world survival issues every single day.
It seems like all the self-righteous moralists in America are migrating to this subforum.😁

Everyone here is suddenly a massive sports fan. And we all know that casual fans—the die-hard spectators—tend to be more patriotic than the average person.

That said, I haven't seen a single pro or semi-pro athlete calling out Duje. It's only the fans, or people who view sports as nothing more than pure entertainment, who are complaining. Draw your own conclusions! 😉

copperpuma96 said:Once you realize that pro sports is anything but actual sports, you'll finally get where Duje is coming from.

👍

Jamie Fowler2 said:Then, once you’re completely fed up because you can't get anything done and you're totally wiped out after just two minutes, you'll give up and start studying for your exams instead. 😁

In other words, if you already struggle to find the motivation to hit the books, this is actually a great strategy. 😁
And please, don't let anyone tell me that martial arts doesn't build character. 😁

I know someone’s going to jump back in here with those "it's never too late" clichés... 🙄
Look, I get it, it's true, but does it really need to be repeated every single time we have this conversation?