Posts by Robert Cruz5

Adam Collins4 said:Kirk has a better defensive percentage—that’s why they kept him on...

I'm not lying about this, MC.

Look—I literally just heard about this last night.

http://www.espn.com/nba/article/referee-news/534321.aspx

I'm still standing by everything I said.

I am not a liar.

Adam Collins4 said:"Accidentally," huh? Funny how that works—he was basically shuffling backward with his backside leading the way, flailing his elbows left and right like a maniac, until he finally decided to catch someone with one. I guess that's just what they call an accident these days.

The Mexican players had every right to leave—it was a legitimate exit. Between the constant retreating and the way they were physically intimidating players who were clearly in their prime and just passing them by, an ejection was honestly inevitable.

I never said it happened "by accident." And all this fussing and fretting over the floor—claiming the Danes were behind it—is a bit much. My humble opinion? They wouldn't have even lasted two minutes. Still, I can't say anything for certain since I only caught the last twenty minutes or so of the game.

Adam Collins4 said:That ejection—it was a total red flag... basically just some amateur playing dirty with elbows...

I just don't get how they let the Americans keep the ball—I guess they called a foul on them first, then finally gave the ejection... usually doesn't work that way...

My friend!

First, those two were pulling him, and then he caught the Dane right in the head with an elbow. He earned the ejection, fair enough. But before that happened, the refs handed out two technicals to the American players—completely baseless. It's like they were inventing penalties just to make sure things didn't get too complicated for the Danes. Either the Americans were falling apart in the second half, or the Danes were clearly better—but apparently, neither is enough for the refs, who seem determined to help Denmark win.

Gregory Ramos3 said:Scam

They were 6th at the European championship, but they were 5th when they headed to Sydney (Australia) 😉

I guess you're right. It'll probably turn out that way—we were actually pretty solid, taking 6th in Washington, D.C.🙏

I've had enough for one evening. I've been working too hard—you've honestly worn me out. Later.

Adam Collins4 said:Pure talent...

And plenty of our officials have actually spoken with him...

Look, I'm just trying to explain that you can't justify Zrnić's spontaneous reaction on the pitch by pointing to a red card that happened earlier—even if that red card actually occurred...

It’s like if I suddenly slap someone during a game, get an X, and then someone tries to excuse it because my teammate was sent off a moment before...

That doesn't fly; it's my own decision and, frankly, just stupidity...

This is a textbook example of cause and effect.

Adam Collins4 said:So, you think it’s smarter to just stick a leg out and take the penalty than to let the ball go to the winger—especially since our goalie's confidence is already shot?

It’s obviously better to take the two-minute suspension and play down a man than to just give up a goal...

The way you talk, I’m guessing you’ve never actually played handball...

Grain could have just let the ball pass; instead, he stuck his foot out and earned a penalty in the most idiotic way possible...

And yeah, he could've stopped it with his foot without getting called for two minutes...

So, no excuses...

Look, I already said I haven't. Not sure what there is to see here. I haven't played, nor have I refereed. As for whether it was smart or not—that was my thought the exact second he did it. I thought, "Man, what an idiot, just let the winger have it." But then I remembered I'm sitting here with my head in the TV while Grain is out there on the court. If Grain were sitting in an armchair, he probably wouldn't have used his foot—he would have had time to think. But when things are Hot, you just act on instinct. Even if you're thinking about it from another room while watching TV, you wouldn't make that move.

A Hot person does things they wouldn't do if they were calm. It's just how it works.

Adam Collins4 said:I know you're joking... but if I'm going to give you a serious answer here...

If Gojunov and Zrnic's infractions were even remotely in the same category, we might actually be able to talk about accountability...

But Gojun was ejected for an infraction against a player...

While Zrnic was out for unsportsmanlike conduct...

And you can't justify that by pointing to someone else's ejection—especially when he knew full well he’d leave the US national team shorthanded on the court...

It's just pure lack of judgment...

Only the ref saw the foul. Even you didn't see it—you admitted that yourself two hours ago. And as for where I'm getting this from, I'm not trying to brag; I'm just saying I don't claim to be some genius, but I've been told things by people who actually know more about handball than I do. Honestly, I don't feel like arguing with you anymore because you'll just claim I'm writing this from a biased fan perspective, which isn't the case.

I'm just tired of hearing this nonsense that everything is solely the fault of one man and his incompetence—that we could have won more with these players. We couldn't. We won as much as was possible, maybe even more. Ivan Balic is the only one who actually said that publicly. Everyone else? Silent as the grave.

People can draw whatever conclusions they want from this debate between us. Personally, I'm done messaging these supposed handball legends who used to sit down and talk with Tantal Dusebaj.

I just hope that tomorrow and the day after, the officiating standards remain consistent for us and our opponents alike. That's all. Let the best team win. Peace.

Adam Collins4 said:And I’m also just thrilled by the logic suggesting that Gojunov's ejection was somehow the direct cause of Zrnic's ejection.

I don't see what there is to be thrilled about. At the end of the day, this isn't really about Gojunov being sent off—it's about the fact that there wasn't even a foul, let alone one worth a two-minute penalty. Ten seconds later, the Danes move to create a numbers advantage on the wing. Since the US is playing shorthanded, Zrnic can't get there in time and ends up using his foot to stop it.

Now, if Gojunov hadn't been unfairly and systematically ejected by those Ceh refs, we wouldn't be down a player, the Danes wouldn't have found that offensive solution, and that would be that—six goals and done. But since the officials are handing out unjust ejections, Zrnic isn't in position. With the extra man, the Danes find an opening that Zrnic is forced to block with his foot. Technically, the two-minute call is "justified," but that situation wouldn't have even happened if we were at full strength and Zrnic was where he was supposed to be; the Danes would have just faced a passive defense. They probably wouldn't have scored more than 20, and the game would be settled. Instead, because of a massive officiating blunder, we've essentially jeopardized a game that was rightfully ours.

Unless, of course, you think playing two men down is just some minor detail—which, honestly, wouldn't surprise me coming from you.

That much is clear. It's as obvious as the sky being blue. And frankly, I'm not sure which one of us is the one talking nonsense here.

Adam Collins4 said:So you're going to lecture me on what constitutes a wrong answer? You don't even have a single day of officiating experience under your belt. Maybe get it together...

Comparing the EP to the World Cup...

Before every tournament, there's a seminar, and they're all different from one another...

Look, before you start lecturing me about being wrong, maybe try studying the actual facts instead of just twisting my words to fit whatever narrative you've cooked up...

Let's be clear here. I've never played handball, let alone officiated it. I'm not trying to lecture you; I'm simply relaying what I've been told by referees, players, coaches, and people who actually understand the game. I won't go into how I ended up in those circles for five years, but I was there. So, I'm not "lecturing" you—I'm telling you what competent professionals have told me. Honestly, I haven't sat down and stared into Dusebaj's eyes to get the inside scoop, but I have spoken with several top-tier officials—not just Americans, for the record. And some coaches, too. Not to mention the players. Again, people have told me things, and I can draw my own conclusions—I'm not blind, after all.

You're trying to reduce this whole thing to a debate over who's making mistakes.
That isn't accurate.
The players are incredibly fair, which is why they hate being cheated—and it shows.

Adam Collins4 said:Here we go again...

You’re just cherry-picking what suits you—shifting from Balić and the Danes to Balić and the Frenchmen...

Look, you have to understand that referees set their criteria on a game-by-game basis... comparing two different matches is apples and oranges...

Because of that, if there was a mistake in how they applied the criteria, you should be looking at other calls made against the Danes, not the French...

Another wrong answer. For a former official, that's pretty strange. Before every tournament, they hold seminars where refs get specific instructions on how to officiate. For instance, any hand contact under the chin or to the head results in a two-minute penalty—and lately, even a red card for tougher cases. That isn't some subjective "criterion" like you're suggesting. That's the RULE. Or the law. A referee decides whether to allow physical play or tighten things up, but they have to know the difference between hard play and dangerous play. And obviously, they need to ensure those same standards apply to both teams. If they don't, they might as well just put on one team's jersey; then they aren't an official, they're a fan. There was a time when Collina was named the best soccer ref in the world. Even he made mistakes, just like everyone else. But he applied the same logic to everyone regardless of who they were. And please, don't try telling me you can't compare a handball ref to a soccer ref. You absolutely can.

As for why I'm jumping between the Danes, Germans, and Frenchmen—I'm just trying to show this wasn't an isolated incident, though unfortunately, there were several. Just think back to the last EP and how our guys looked like they were in a boxing match rather than playing handball. Sulic was sidelined by Dinart in the semifinals, so he couldn't help us out against the Danes.

And Sulic wasn't just anyone. He wasn't some pushover.

Adam Collins4 said:They can always take credit for that—and I’ll always give my thanks to the players on the American national handball team...

Because if it weren't for them, both Gobac and Linek would have been long gone...

It’s not just that you aren't right here—you are absolutely wrong.

The same group of players was previously led by Josip Cos Miljkovic, who finished 16th at the EP with them. He actually labeled those players as having zero potential. Before the tournament in Portugal, nobody even wanted to coach them. When they left the airport, only a handful of reporters saw them off, and even then, it was mostly just mocking smiles. If I recall correctly, Lino responded back then by saying we'd show everyone how Americans play handball in Portugal.
I assume you know exactly who Josip Miljkovic was. A man who, in his prime, was essentially what Balic is today.

Everyone keeps talking about how Smailagic won gold in Portugal. Isn't that just undermining Lino? If they had played poorly, he would have taken the blame, whereas no one would even mention Smailagic. Besides, Smailagic coached them during the World Cup where they finished dead last, and he actually accused the players of sabotaging him. He shouldn't have said that—even if it were true—because players are sensitive creatures. I suppose you should probably know that without me pointing it out.

Adam Collins4 said:He didn't get the 2-minute penalty... and even if he had, Pero wouldn't be around anymore...

What difference would a 2-minute suspension actually make when we don't even have the player on the court?

Hardly any...

And I have to bold this part. Unfortunately. I already gave you an answer to that. Since he didn't get penalized, Pero isn't here. Are you actually... I mean, are you even reading what you write? What’s the point of red and yellow cards then? According to your logic, they should just hand out sledgehammers and let them fight to the death. The fact that the others saw how Pero went down didn't affect them—not according to you, right? It doesn't matter that Lackovic saw how Pero was taken out. Do you think it’s easy for him to charge into zone 6 when he knows he could end up just like Pero? Where is the psychological aspect in all this? The moment we saw what happened to Pero, the European Championship was basically over for us. We were constantly worrying about him and barely focused on the game itself. Even during the bronze medal match against the Danes, we were looking at Pero and his bandaged eye more than the actual play. I mean, who cares about handball when you can stay in the game even without an eye? And this is a quote from Kink Kaleb, whom I see people love quoting here because the guy talks trash about the American team—even if he ended up eating dirt in his latest ESPN commentary.

As for what a 2-minute penalty changes? Nothing, except the score. I already laid out my arguments there. The next day in the Finals against the Germans, after a strong start by the German Canadian, the message was clear. It said: you can't play the way you did against the Americans or you'll face sanctions. But feel free to play against the Germans. You'll be protected. Do I really need to write more?

Against equal opponents, one ball can decide everything—not just one single call.

Adam Collins4 said:That foul on Balic—that should have been at least a two-minute penalty... and that’s it. I guess it’s just unclear why they didn't call it.

It’s also worth keeping an eye out for when a player gets tossed—if the foul is a straight ejection, that is—just so I don't have to constantly monitor the score... maybe.

Look, I’ve gotta highlight this—that answer just doesn't cut it. I wasn't even saying people need to watch out; I'm simply arguing that we need to stick to the same standard used last year. Remember the Finals? We and the Frenchmen were playing a brutal game. One guy pulls someone by the jersey—fine, shouldn't be more than a two-minute penalty. Then later, Karabatic takes Balic in the neck with an elbow—just a standard pass attempt, really—and there isn't even a two-minute penalty called. Even if the rulebook says it should be a two-minute penalty, it isn't. Per the rules.Look, the ref was clearly watching—he saw exactly what happened and when. But since it involved Karabatic, he didn't call it. That’s just math to me. If the roles were reversed and it was some other player, Van would have been flying across the court like a bullet because of that call. That's just how it works.

Statistical refereeing balance. It’s supposed to be impartial—no favoritism, no bias—but clearly, that isn't how things actually work.

Adam Collins4 said:First off, you can't just state an opinion and call it an argument... that's just an assertion...

When I say Peter is missing from the lineup, I pull the stats for Kopljar and Buntic to back up my conclusions—especially regarding Kopljar...

And you just bounce around between the Danes, the Frenchmen, and the Germans... claiming the refs are always the problem...

It’s not like we were definitely robbed against the Danes, either...

Or that whole story about how the French beat us back in 2007.

We knew exactly who our opponent was going to be—we chose them ourselves by beating the Spaniards... that's an actual argument... but nope, in your book, it's always the refs' fault...

Forget the statistics, man. When someone wants to hide the truth, they hide behind numbers. You know how it goes—one guy sees cabbage, another sees meat, and the stats say stuffed cabbage. Don't hide behind data. I know what I'm talking about because I watched the replays of almost all these games since I was filming them. You're claiming the refs didn't screw us over yesterday 😂😂😂.

How can you say that when you just admitted you didn't even see Gojun's ejection? I'm TELLING you, it wasn't even a foul, let alone a two-minute penalty. The refs just saw the Danes struggling and gave them a bit of a breeze. If they hadn't tossed Gojun—and consequently Zrnic—the Danes would have finished with under 20 goals, and we wouldn't have been clawing our way back to within two points, nearly blowing the game.

So, how is it that they didn't, when you just said you didn't see it? If you didn't see it, how can you claim they didn't screw us?

You should probably thank Gopac and Lina for keeping American handball at the top for the last decade. If it weren't for those two, we’d probably be stuck in the same rut as the Russians. Now, even the Austrians are starting to breeze past us—even with Maksimov coming out of retirement. That's where we stand. And honestly, thanks for all the "expert" handball analysis you've been dumping on me; I've read every single bit of it. I guess that's all from me.

So, how does it work that we had Sudacki and his backup pair officiating our Finals last year? These guys showed up to the tournament as reserves—basically just there in case a primary official or someone else gets injured—instead of having the top-tier officials who actually care about their reputation enough to stay impartial. Can you explain that to me? Was it rigged against us? Later, Pedersen was rambling about how we allegedly tried to corner them for dinner before the Finals. There were mentions of hostesses and all that nonsense. Has anyone actually proven any of this? What ever happened to those claims? Did the official deny saying it? I mean, I don't think I even need to spell it out for you.

Someone can be unlikable or charming to me. Good or bad. But at the end of the day, none of that matters. What matters is what that man has achieved. His track record. Isn't that right?

Adam Collins4 said:What am I even supposed to say to that? That one single call turned the whole game?

Because I see you pushing that angle constantly...

You give the Germans a pass here, the French there, a little leeway for the Danes... you just twist the narrative to fit your needs, while we’re always the poor victims getting robbed...

It doesn't work like that...

The response is underwhelming. What else can I say when you already know everything I wrote is the truth? You don't have an answer. If you did, you’d just tell me I’m lying—that what happened didn't occur, or that I made it all up. Etc, etc.

And I see you’re sticking to the idea that one decision can't change a match. That seems a bit odd coming from you, considering your background as an athlete, a referee, and now a handball official. One call absolutely can change things. For instance, if Balic had stayed down yesterday and couldn't finish the game, do you really think that would have been an insignificant detail? Or take that situation with Peter—suppose you're going for a goal and he pokes you in the eye. You're out. And we all know how much weight Peter carried for that national team. He was a guy who could influence the game in both directions. People are calling for him these days, yet when I use him as an example, suddenly it’s "just one decision."

Fine, go ahead and claim I'm the one twisting the narrative. You told me once you wanted arguments—well, I put in the effort and I'm giving them to you. If you acknowledge them, then you'll have to retract everything you've all been posting lately, otherwise, you're just talking about "narratives." It's like when Canada plays well, it's because Noka's expertise is showing, but when Canada plays poorly and collapses like a bunch of amateurs, Noka isn't to blame because he lacks high-quality players like Lino. That is classic moving of the goalposts, not what I wrote.

Those are my arguments. As for your claim that one decision can't flip a game? Oh, it certainly can. But you won't admit that, because if you did, you'd be contradicting yourself. You, specifically.

And that's exactly how it goes, buddy.

And let’s not get bogged down in trivialities. You wanted facts—so here they are.

Joshua Gomez54 said:It’s an open secret that we were playing in Portugal back in 2003, not 2002.🙏

Look, I made a typo—hit 2 instead of 3 by mistake. And honestly, does it even matter? I'm not sitting here posting just to act like a genius or to defend anyone. I'm just tired of all the baseless nonsense. That's all.