Posts by brisktrucker52

Michael Flores8 said:True, very true 🤣
Nikkinen, Ari Pekka, Risto Laakkonen, and Puikkonen 😁
Later on, Nieminen and the others arrived.

When it comes to ski jumping, Eddie the Eagle is the ultimate icon.

Regarding following the NBA through newspaper clips or VHS tapes, that really only applies to the context of the 80s. By the late 80s or early 90s, you could actually follow the league pretty well. I remember Charles Barkley's final seasons with the Phile, which someone mentioned earlier; back then, Italian networks used to show highlights regularly. Soon after, ESPN started broadcasting too... they’d show one game live per day, and then have a recording the next day. Compared to what we had, it was great.

As for player quality or comparing eras, it's tough to make those comparisons. But regarding how interesting things were, I feel like the league only really got back to that level after Jordan left in just the last few years. It wasn't until this year, after the Warriors fell apart and talent started spreading across the league, that I thought, okay, now we're talking. Next year, if the Warriors get a pick or make a trade and have a healthy Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, maybe it'll reach that level again.

Stumbled upon this absolute gem while scrolling through videos. Thrills, revelations, a cheeky lady, Cold War vibes, conspiracies... 🙂 Such a great story.

Matthew Young35 said:Not even close.
By their third attempt, the club was facing a massive financial meltdown—so bad they actually had to change their name, and everyone expected half the roster to jump ship.
They were absolute underdogs that time. Well, maybe not total outsiders, but certainly not the favorites.

Your argument might hold water if Dražen wasn't a three-time EuroLeague MVP and the standout performer in two international tournaments alongside the absolute elite of basketball at the time.

Dražen remains one of the top three players America has ever produced.
That isn't up for debate.
But even back then, there was never any question about who the undisputed leader of the US national team was. Doesn't that say something?

That’s true.

Matthew Young35 said:Not even close.
By their third attempt, the club was facing a massive financial meltdown—so bad they actually had to change their name, and everyone expected half the roster to jump ship.
They were absolute underdogs that time. Well, maybe not total outsiders, but certainly not the favorites.

Your argument might hold water if Dražen wasn't a three-time EuroLeague MVP and the standout performer in two international tournaments alongside the absolute elite of basketball at the time.

Dražen remains one of the top three players America has ever produced.
That isn't up for debate.
But even back then, there was never any question about who the undisputed leader of the US national team was. Doesn't that say something?

Maybe Dre harder than Pippen as a leader, but being a leader doesn't always mean you're the better player.

Matthew Young35 said:I’ve been rewatching the tapes from both of them, and honestly? Drazen was playing on an entirely different plane.
Respect to Toni Kukoč and Vlade Divac, of course, but Drazen was simply a class above the rest.
I’m talking about his prime years playing over in Europe; I didn't follow the NBA quite as closely back then.

It’s the same story with the club level: the Los Angeles Lakers of that era were leagues ahead of a team like Split.
The Split squad mostly earned their legendary status because they played the role of the underdog—it was all heart, grit, and pure defiance. But the LA teams? They were the heavy favorites every single time they took the title, primarily because they had Drazen.

If there is any regret, it’s just that he was one of the first major European stars to jump to the NBA during that transition, and he ended up on a much tougher roster than Kukoč did.

As for debating who won more trophies in team sports, I find the whole argument pointless. Look at someone like Ashley Young—he’s collected more silverware than Gary Lineker or Francesco Totti ever did. Even in individual sports, look at the chess legends: Emanuel Lasker held the world title for twenty-seven years, while Bobby Fischer held it for two.

I watched them too, but it isn't really about 😁 Especially regarding talent levels, even just looking at their overseas careers. I actually think if Drazen had lived long enough to join the Knicks, like people speculated, he might have reached an even higher career peak in the NBA than Kukoc... but that's probably just due to the circumstances Kukoc had with the Bulls. Regarding raw talent, Susan Kim2 explained it well in terms of how players would enter the league today. And to add to that, Kukoc had a solid three-pointer. In Bormio, for instance, he was hitting 11 out of 12 shots against Americans.

restlesssurfer97 said:Wait, who even is Michael Kroner? I haven't really kept up with his stuff lately, and seeing him with those glassy, glazed-over eyes made me want to go down a Google rabbit hole, though I honestly couldn't be bothered to actually do it. And that glass sitting right there on the table... is he just totally open about being a heavy drinker or what? Does anyone here actually know the deal with him well enough to give me the full rundown?

https://www.esquire.com/food-drink/d...ncoro-release/

Supposedly there's tequila on the table. A $1,600 bottle. ☕

Anthony Wright30 said:As far as card games go, I’ve mostly stuck to things like Blackjack or maybe some Texas Hold'em. I suppose I never really took the time to learn how to play anything else.

Maybe playing Spades would be a good way to split things three ways, or even just something to do after a few rounds of Blackjack or Poker.

Matthew Young35 said:Well, I just remembered I should probably write this down, if only to have a little vent.
Back when I was in the military, I actually won a chess tournament. To be honest, I can't even recall what the occasion was.
It was at a base near San Diego with about 3,000 people stationed there.
The competition, however, was frankly pathetic.
My prize? A day off.
I think I have the certificate for it buried somewhere in my house.

The whole thing was organized by some commander who happened to be a member of a local chess club.
As for me, I don't really have an official ranking. I’ve never competed formally—well, except for one time when I was maybe twelve or thirteen, playing five rounds in the Junior National Championships (where I lost all five games 🙂). For the most part, I lack a rating, though I suppose I sit somewhere between a casual player and a club regular.
After the tournament wrapped up, I started playing a match against this guy. He seemed to think he was some grandmaster because I didn't have an official rank.
I took the first game 🙂 and basically walked all over him.
I actually had to play two more games just so he could end up winning 2-1.
LOL

I got a sticker too, and there was a photo op. 🤣
I put it up in the control room for a few days, but then I realized it wasn't great for team building. 😬

Matthew Young35 said:Have you given Lichess a shot yet? It’s worth your time.

If you're looking for some solid software to get your fixes running, you really ought to install Babaschess. It’s absolutely flawless.
I wonder if Babaschess might actually be backing Chess.com. I should probably go take a look and see for myself.
EDIT:
Hell, nothing from that.

I tossed one... maybe I would've gotten used to it eventually.

brightpilot6 said:My one moment of supposed glory happened back in middle school when I represented my school at some regional tournament held under the Swiss system. I actually managed to grind my way through to the seventh round, where I ended up facing off against a local prodigy. Naturally, he absolutely dismantled me. I eventually finished somewhere just above the median, though I suspect I was cursed by bad luck right from the start ☕

As for my ego, during a recent intramural tournament, I managed to beat this guy who could barely hold his breath, let alone a chess piece—he was an old drunkard, really, so it wasn't much of an achievement. He beat me in maybe ten or fifteen moves, yet he immediately started telling everyone I should be the school's top representative. Apparently, if you beat a guy like that, you must be the next Bobby Fischer 🤣🤦

🤣

Ego in chess is a real problem. Last Christmas, I was playing on the local courts. Out of about 70 people there, only 16 signed up for the tournament. I ended up winning it, and after that, I didn't even see some of those guys for days 😁...and we live and work in the same small neighborhoods...we eat in the same diners. It’s awkward.

I don't know, I wasn't really feeling Chess.com at first. The green board is easier on my eyes 😁

brightpilot6 said:I’ve been playing my entire life, though I became absolutely obsessed once sites like Chess.com started popping up. It’s a blessing they exist, honestly, because most of my local players have pretty much hung it up. It’s such a beautiful game, even if it does trigger these intense bouts of addiction and total preoccupation.

If there’s any silver lining to this whole pandemic situation, perhaps it’s that I’ve finally managed to catch up with the new generation of players, since I didn't really know anyone outside of Magnus Carlsen before. They’re still out there competing, so there’s plenty of action to follow.

Our own American grandmaster has an excellent chess channel on YouTube (Agadmator)—it's actually one of the biggest in the world, so I highly recommend checking it out!

👍

I started playing at a very young age just watching adults. My family played it a lot. I played quite a bit during college too, then just occasional games until about 5 or 6 years ago when I got hooked again through Chess.com. Besides Radic, I watch Mato "Hi, this is Mato" Jelic; he does a lot of analysis on old games. Mostly I play blitz, but rapid is good for after a workout or a drink. Maybe just a move during breaks, or thinking about moves while training... makes the gym session go by faster.🙂.

brightpilot6 said:Well, look... I don't think there's really a shortcut here. It’s a mix of learning through play—you know, that trial and error process—pairing it with a little bit of theory for at least those first three or four moves, and then watching quality commentary, like Agadmator’s videos, where you can start to grasp the broader strategic picture, which eventually helps you see more than just one move ahead.

Chess is probably a lot like skiing. From everyone I know who took it up as an adult, almost none of them ever became truly good, nor did they ever really fall deeply in love with it.

There is something uniquely special about playing against a live opponent, someone sitting right there across from you, struggling through the tension. Unfortunately, that’s becoming a rarity these days. I suspect most people from my generation caught the bug early on simply by watching the older folks sit there, brooding over the board. I spent countless hours playing against my dad and granddad, and even more hours just sitting in silence, watching those multi-hour battles between adults. I was honestly just lucky they let me stay in the room. Later on, I was fortunate enough to have a friend who shared the passion, and we’d grab a beer and head down to a local park to play in the shade. God, those were the days.😢

And, of course, there are the great chess books. I grew up on this one; if I haven't read it at least twenty times, I haven't really learned anything. 🙏



Try to track it down; it offers a little bit of everything for a beginner—solid theory, fundamental principles to stick to, various chess curiosities, and a wonderful overview of the world champions up until the book was published.

As for those stories and oddities... Take the well-known legend about chess and the grain of wheat. Or the tale of Alekhine being found dead in a hotel room next to a chessboard, where the only missing piece was the white king, which he had allegedly grabbed as he fell. To me, that felt almost supernatural, something mystical, and I still remember the feeling of reading it for the first time. Those are the things that enchant you, though I suppose it’s much easier to be captivated when you're just a kid.😢

I haven't read it yet, but I definitely will; it seems to follow the same path as the one I mentioned above.👍

Yes, quite—the absolute summit, and how much pride he seemed to take in such a distinction.🤣

It isn't just special; maybe that's the only way I can really push myself to the limit. Playing online, I often just play by pattern without thinking much. There's no fear of losing, nobody knows who you are😁 and it ends up being lazy chess. And the addiction... I don't know, there are times I start a new game and I have zero concentration left.