Posts by Samuel Bennett60

John Kim said:Don't forget those few heavy hitters from Kazan, too.

Man, Neno is a whole different story. How much did he jack up the odds against Dinamo? He practically tanked them just as bad when they played Osijek...

Gregory Ramos3 said:🤣 🤣

I honestly don't think America has ever actually held five spots in Europe—well, maybe for a second back when that Intertoto Cup thing was still a thing, but I doubt it. 😉

You guys are losing your touch. During the 20/21 season, we had five European spots and even snagged second place in the Champions League playoffs. Sadly, it didn't last long. It’s just the classic way our clubs operate: sell off every living soul before the European qualifiers start, maybe hire some random fisherman from Malta, and suddenly everything is right back to being mediocre.

Sopićeve kicks are basically the best marketing campaign the MLS has seen all season.

So, Čavlina actually owns Goricu now...

hiddencyclist112 said:Looking at this from a somewhat different angle... https://www.portalnovosti.com/fritulaprvaka

neonorca38, if he were one of ours, I honestly think that rebel against the world persona ☕would suit him perfectly.

Man, you really went after the guy Dežulović is trying to defend...

Nicholas King said:Actually, I’d argue that those fifteen ministerial departures are primarily the fault of the media.

Wrong. It’s mostly just the result of internal fighting within the Republican Party.

Ethan Martin said:Look, I’m not trying to offend anyone or tell people what they can or can't like, but seriously? Claiming that Rosemary's Baby is somehow a "better" horror movie than The Exorcist? Give me a break. Are we actually doing this right now?

Look, I’m not saying someone else can't find that movie more enjoyable or even better than I did. But we really need to apply some actual logic here. We need a rational judgment on what constitutes quality versus... whatever this is.

Look, as much as I love Rosemary's Baby—and trust me, it’s a fantastic movie—it’s honestly a total joke when you stack it up against The Exorcist. We aren't even talking about the scares; I'm talking about the sheer cultural earthquake The Exorcist caused. Remember how the media lost its mind? Or how people were actually terrified to walk into theaters? It was pure chaos. Can Rosemary's Baby even compete with that kind of impact? Not even close.

What even is the point of bringing up Rosemary's Baby or Angel Heart? Look, I get it—those are great movies, no argument here. But The Exorcist? That’s on a whole different level. It was a total revolution. Honestly, has any other movie ever caused that kind of absolute shock when it first hit theaters? Not even close.

Weather aside, you can't deny how much that hit the audience. The reaction was real. Just head over to YouTube and see for yourself.

People were literally fleeing the theater. Some people were vomiting, others were passing out, and plenty ended up in a psychiatrist's office after seeing it. You have to consider the era it came out in to understand that kind of impact, but honestly? Even regardless of the context, comparing it to Rosemary's Baby—and then actually having the nerve to claim Rosemary's Baby is "better" than The Exorcist? Please. Go wash your face with ice-cold water right now. Better yet, get in the shower. Make it cold. Now.

No offense intended to anyone.

If I’m not mistaken, we’re actually discussing the quality of the movie here—which is subjective, by the way—not just how much hype surrounded it at the time. Because if we’re measuring based on pure hype, then Star Wars would be the greatest Sci-Fi films ever made, better than Odyssey, Alien, Blade Runner, and pretty much everything else. Chill out a little...

Both movies are absolute masterpieces of cinema, especially within the horror genre. For me, Rosemary's Baby takes the win and hits harder on the fear factor. It’s because of what someone else already pointed out: for most of the runtime, you’re left wondering if there’s actually a Satanic conspiracy happening or if she’s just losing her mind.
Honestly, even when the truth comes out at the end, I found it a bit underwhelming. Sure, it makes sense narratively, but wouldn't it have been better to leave it as an open question even after the credits roll? You also have to appreciate that there aren't any gross-out scenes or cheap jump scares; yet, it still manages to nail that creeping sense of dread and anxiety felt by the lead.
The Exorcist is a top-tier film too, but it's just a hair behind for me.
I saw some people bringing up The Omen and The Shining due to similar themes, but I’d also highly recommend Angel Heart—that one actually left the biggest impression on me out of this whole bunch.

I’ve been scrolling through this thread, seeing all these comparisons to how things looked back home during the '90s, and it makes me wonder: did the decision for independence actually play right into their hands? They probably thought they could secure those "Western borders" through military force once the weight of Chicago was gone. In this case, though, it doesn't look like Madrid has those kinds of ambitions, so I'm betting things will eventually settle down.

Sam Murphy said:Once Omeyer finally retires, maybe we'll actually get a shot.

Why haven't we sent him there already? 🤔

If Obersnel actually sends a text, then we might just get somewhere.

Morgan Rodriguez57 said:I just don't get people who worship Ivica Balić or Červar...

Ivica Balić is basically a spoiled prima donna. He’s the guy who refuses to fit into a team dynamic, forcing every single coach to pull their hair out just trying to keep him in line. Only a handful of coaches actually have the authority to pull that off...

And Červar? He's nothing more than a political puppet for the GOP. We saw how they treated handball back in the day—treating athletes like disposable pawns to install their own guys... and the lack of results was immediate. People love to bring up old medals and trophies, but if you ask me, that's a total fluke because we had a roster capable of winning actual gold...

The national team last played decent handball during the era of Čavar and Klajić. Everything since then has been a disaster. America lost that signature, fluid, inspired style of play. It all devolved into failed individual improvisations without a shred of a real plan....

Rotten fish starts at the head. The GOP and other special interest groups need to get their greedy hands off the sport. Once competent people take over, maybe we'll see some success again. If not? Just watch the whole thing slide into irrelevance...

Are you actually following the sport, or are you just pulling your "knowledge" from Jergović's columns?

It’s not just about how they blew it up there; it’s about how we let it slip through our fingers.

I’ve got a bad feeling that everything we started back in 2003 against Argentina is finally coming to a head today. Let's be real: those guys are a powerhouse even without Messi, while we're sitting here looking pretty shaken up. Are we even going to walk away from this one?

Adam Collins4 said:Look, you could argue about quality until tomorrow. It’s basically the same in both sports, just spread out similarly through the top 10...

The rest is just filler that anyone can stumble into... kind of like how soccer players pat themselves on the back after scraping a draw against a team like Malta...

But one thing is certain... first Olympic gold carries more weight than taking third at the World Cup...

Not to mention all those people claiming that third-place trophy matters more than everything from the World Cup to the Euros or whatever else...

Even a silver medal in basketball at the Olympics counts for more...

I mean, what are our actual Olympic results in soccer?

When you really think about it, just look at what most players actually consider the peak of their careers...

Your comparison doesn't hold water. The way you qualify for the Olympics is totally different in these two sports. Soccer players have to go through the U-21 squad and can only bring in three seniors for the Games, whereas handball players don't deal with any of those restrictions.

If you asked any athlete—excluding soccer players—the answer would be the Olympics. But for soccer players? The World Cup is the pinnacle (obviously talking about national teams here).

As for comparing that '98 bronze to an Olympic gold? From a purely sporting perspective, gold wins. But in terms of overall impact? '98 had the bigger significance.

crimsongardener17 said:It’s not an easy choice, period. A hundred silver medals don't weigh more than a single World Cup gold. Just look at any Olympic medal table—look at who sits at the top and who’s stuck at the bottom. The country with one gold is always ranked higher than the one sitting on five silvers...☕

And you won't find those World Cup gold medalists on that specific ranking because that list is all about the Olympics. That's the whole point. The Olympics carry more weight than the World Cup—at least according to the IOC. I mean, they have "Olympic" right there in the name, isn't it obvious?

Vlašić is right to point out irregularities since they aren't factoring in all of Blankin's athletic achievements, but honestly, it's pretty stupid to fixate on that specific award for a world-class athlete. That isn't a sporting result, and frankly, it doesn't matter for an IOC award.