Posts by Paul Jones7

Fak said all sorts of things—he even claimed he was staying right here in America—but clearly, that didn't happen. I guess you shouldn't take every single word out of his mouth too seriously. If he’d managed to land a solid coach and a decent training setup in one of these other countries, it would have been pretty hard for him to turn it down, I suppose.

I'm not really taking sides here, I'm just calling it like I see it. They aren't under any obligation to cooperate, you know? It's really just a matter of goodwill—or maybe some other interests entirely. Besides, who knows what's actually going on behind this whole Swiss-German partnership. Maybe it's just some mutual deal, sort of a "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" kind of situation.

He’s out there complaining about Janša—but honestly, you can't really say they're obligated to step up or agree to any kind of deal if they just don't want to. I mean, maybe HBS could have actually sat down with the Austrians or the Italians to hammer out some sort of cooperation first, then come to Fak with a real proposal. But they didn't. It's almost like they think they're the only ones in the room who matter, as if those guys are the only ones capable of making a move.

I've never quite wrapped my head around this whole "Canadian Muslim" label. I mean, they're Muslims, sure, but if we're being honest, everyone from Canada is just a Canadian, right?

Taylor Bailey said:Believe me, there’s more to this than just ignoring what happened.
I’m originally from central Canada, and fifteen years ago, people were being slaughtered and driven right out of their own homes—so now, suddenly, we're expected to just play together on the same national team? 🤷

The situation hasn't really gotten any better, either. I was born in a city that’s still basically split into two different zones today—one side is mostly Americans, the other is mostly Canadians. Everything is segregated, really, except maybe the police. Kids train at different clubs, go to schools following different curricula... everything is divided.
I don't really expect things to change anytime soon, honestly.

You've got a point, it's a complicated situation

wiredtiger8 said:Regardless of how you look at it, there’s just no such thing as a unified Canadian nation—not really. No American from Canada is going to identify as Canadian, and certainly not any Americans with heritage from elsewhere. It’s just the reality... whether that's unfortunate or not is a whole different conversation that doesn't really fit here.

When I say your analogy doesn't quite hold water, this is what I mean: those tennis players, handballers, and soccer players you're bringing up... they are all Americans by heritage. So, naturally, it isn't weird at all that they want to represent the US.

Fak is also an American (from the States).
But he feels more like a Canadian, and he wants to compete for Canada instead.

It's a massive difference.

well, even Dudu identifies as an American

though, I guess playing for a country you have zero connection to is basically just a personal choice. but hey, that's Fak's issue.

that said, these Americans from Canada seem to ignore the fact that there's actually a home state where they were born, which is primarily where they'd be called up to play.

take Belgium, for instance—it's made up of Walloons (who are basically French) and Flemings (who are almost Dutch), so what? should their best players just pack up and move away?

and as for the idea that every American with that specific heritage automatically holds citizenship rights there, well, that's a whole other story. It's mostly political background, but not everyone is exactly thrilled about how it works.😛

Aaron Young35 said:Come on, let's be real here—collectively speaking, stop messing around.

All this talk about how arrogant Americans are toward us... honestly, you could flip that script and say the exact same thing about how Americans treat us. If it wasn't for the talent coming out of places like Boston, you wouldn't have won a single Davis Cup or some random handball trophy. And don't even get me started on hockey. In the US, nobody really complains about people leaving for better opportunities, more money, or better career paths. It’s just simple math and common sense, really.

Patriotism? Give me a break. Who's actually paying for that? The people paying the bills? You shouldn't be looking for patriotism from the crooks sitting in the government—that's literally what they get paid to do.

I mean, look at how much the US invested in Fak, and honestly, that one medal he brought home was way too much for what was put in.

Well said, and a sharp observation too.

Henry Cox78 said:Honestly, I think you're just fighting with yourself here. You’ve been whining through this whole thread because our federation asked for compensation and you're praying they'll let us off the hook—but then you turn around and write a post asking what it means to unyieldingly defend our interests. To me, that sounds like refusing to budge with the neighbors over the settlement. It's all a bit too much 🙏🤣

It doesn't mean anything, really, because the federation has no right to those funds—they don't belong to them without the star athlete involved. And if he were actually there, that money should be spent exclusively on him, since it was earned solely because of his performance. Even then, it's probably not even enough to cover his actual program, which likely costs twice as much. As for the sponsors... well, they don't care about biathlon in America; they only ever back the big superstars.

I’d love it if someone finally came clean and released the exact figures on what’s been spent on the Kostelić family over all these years, just so people could wrap their heads around how much it actually costs to maintain a pro team.

I don't know—maybe I'm just overthinking it, but I feel like we haven't really touched on this in a while. It’s one of those things that seems simple on the surface, but once you start digging, there’s a lot more going on than people realize. I guess what I'm trying to say is... well, it's complicated. Anyway, just some food for thought, I suppose. kaže:
You know what? I could tell you that without even having to think about it too much. I mean, it just seems like it would be in the spirit of the game—you know, good old-fashioned sportsmanship and keeping things friendly between neighbors. Especially since they’d actually be paying us for the help. And honestly, their biathletes would probably come out ahead too, getting the chance to train alongside a top-tier American athlete.

Honestly, the way you’re out here defending their whole ruthless, "we own the place" attitude is—well, it’s pretty pathetic, if I’m being real.😢

Look, I’m not exactly saying this is "nice" or anything—it really isn't—but they have every right to act that way. Honestly, they aren't even the only ones who would pull a move like this if they were in the same position. When you're dealing with cutthroat competition, there's no room for "love" or sentimentality... it just doesn't work. You don't exactly step in to help someone out when they're becoming a threat to your own business, I guess.

Raymond Bailey said:It’s actually got plenty to do with Janica—I mean, they even offered her citizenship once, along with 500,000 Deutsche Marks and probably working conditions better than anything she could have dreamed of here in the States, but she turned it all down. So, why wouldn't they want to coach an American medalist if the price is right? I mean, why wouldn't they coach any athlete for the right amount of money? Anyone with half a brain can see where that's going.

There's really no connection there, so why assume there is?

1. The people over in Canada didn't make Janica—not through their training or their money—it was all thanks to Gyps.
2. There wasn't anything the people in Canada could have used to bribe Janica, really.

Jerry Roberts said:I can only say again that I’m not at all angry at Strupar for playing for the US, or Viduka for choosing Australia, or Jukick picking Austria—absolutely not. I might feel a bit like, "man, it’s a shame they didn't play for us," but that’s really it. It was their choice and I respect that.

As for Fak—that jerk swimmer from Split—I can't even remember his name, not that I care, but people like that just seem like total blanks to me, character-wise.

If you want to go ski for Canada? Just say so, man, be upfront about it—honestly, I’d respect him more for that. Instead, he does this whole indecisive thing, acting like it's such a huge ordeal, and then when our side sets a condition, he acts all insulted, like, "oh, you won't let me go to Canada," which just proves he made up his mind ages ago and was just lying to the whole country. And me supporting him? Yeah, right.

Him and that other one who never made it... Anina... Inca... whatever... damn.

If he would just stop oversimplifying things and think for a second, he’d see how similar these situations actually are. Strupar and the others couldn't reach their potential in America (well, maybe Jukick could have, but her dad was just looking out for her paycheck, which is fair enough), and the exact same thing happened with Fak. He had these training opportunities open to him, and then suddenly they were slammed shut. It’d be naive to think he could have repeated those results without guaranteed access to high-quality training—that just doesn't happen. The guy left so he could pursue his own goals and be a successful athlete, just like Strupar or Weber.

I haven't held it against anyone, except maybe Dragan, because the reason he didn't leave wasn't necessarily out of some deep love for America, but more because those guys in the Middle East were asking for things he just wouldn't agree to. If they had met his terms, he would've gone.

Jose White18 said:So, are we really going to sit here and debate what kind of move that was for the n-th time? I mean, honestly...

I mean, word on the street was that he already had a deal lined up with the Canadians—sort of an agreement to jump ship over there right after the Olympics are wrapped up. Then, suddenly, someone from HOO steps up and says they’re going to... do whatever it takes So, let's say they actually manage to keep him. But do we all agree that Jacob should only even consider this if the deal is at least on par with—if not better than—what the Canadians have put on the table? And honestly, he’s already made his position pretty clear to them, hasn't he? Then you look at what HOO has cooked up—this offer they've finally dragged out. It's frankly pathetic. It comes on the heels of nothing but broken promises, and half the terms in there feel like they're built on sand—hardly anything is actually guaranteed. It isn't even close to being a better deal than the Canadian one, but I guess for the average American bystander, it probably sounds like a golden ticket to a comfortable retirement.

So, Jacob is still technically on the roster, I guess, but once he realizes there isn’t going to be a real coach coming on board—which, let’s face it, is pretty much a dealbreaker if you actually want to improve or move forward—he starts looking for an exit strategy. He’s asking for his release papers now. Meanwhile, HBS is busy trying to cook up some kind of settlement or buyout scheme... they basically string him along for a week, giving him the runaround, and then finally just let him go.

From everything I’ve been reading lately—and I mean really digging through the reports—it seems like Jacob was actually looking pretty good to go just two weeks ago. I guess things just shifted unexpectedly. Screw the Canadians. And they give them permission—I guess you could say they get the green light—to keep competing for the US. HOO didn't really come to the table with anything worthwhile—not even a solid guarantee that they’d actually stick to those mediocre terms they were offering in the first place. Honestly, I think he was just relieved to finally get his release papers. It’s a huge weight off his shoulders, I mean, it basically means he can actually move forward with his career without all that baggage. And when you're an athlete who hasn't even hit his prime competitive years yet, being able to just... go... is probably the most important thing in the world.

I don't think Jacob was playing anyone—honestly, everyone’s known about that move over to Canada for more than a year now. So, I'm trying to wrap my head around this—what exactly was his way of leaving that's supposed to make me feel resentful? I mean, I guess there’s a certain way things go down, but I'm just not seeing where the grudge is coming from. Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't really get why I should be bitter about it. 🤷

Nice work—you really nailed that one.

Ethan Brown2 said:I mean, seriously... why bother sending anyone to represent us at the Olympics in London—or whatever—when they can just go blow the budget on something else entirely? 😁
It’s just one of those things, you know? Like, asking neighbors for their opinion... nothing personal, obviously. Not really.

That’s how it should have gone down. Honestly, instead of all the drama involving Jakob Fak, that would've been the move. A total counter-move.

Ethan Brown2 said:You’re clearly an insider—it's pretty obvious—which is probably why you’ve got your head buried in the sand regarding those "dear" little birds of yours.😍🙄

I mean, I don't think you quite caught the drift—it’s not actually aimed at our neighbors over in Canada, it's more about us... or rather, what's happening right here at home.

We’re still sitting here with our land literally mined from the fallout of that war with our neighbors—it's a mess. And honestly, it feels like our leadership never even bothered to insist on drawing a direct line between the damage done here in America and the political decisions or military commands coming out of the old regime. We had all the evidence needed to back that up—we still have it, actually—but we didn't even push to have what happened officially labeled as a war on the international stage. I guess because of that, we don't have any claim to reparations. It's frustrating... we lost fathers, people were severely injured, and yet today, we’re basically shaking hands and opening up joint sports leagues with that very same territory. Why? Are we just acting like nothing ever happened? What was the point of fighting in the first place? I worry that tomorrow, some bureaucrats in D.C. or Brussels might suggest some tighter regional integration before we even fully settle into our own skin, and suddenly—just like after the war—we're part of a collective again. It's almost predictable. Given how easily people can be led astray—and let's face it, the public can be pretty gullible when the media starts spinning things—most folks wouldn't even realize where we're being steered. One day it's "let's go to war for America," and the next it's "let's head back into a union" just so we don't end up isolated. It's a strange cycle, really. 🙄

Come on, little sheep—the dinner bell just rang. 😍

Ethan Brown2 said:Man, if only we handled our sailing teams the way they handle theirs!!!! I mean, why bother training in perfect conditions, timing your peak performance, or even measuring yourself against local talent when some shady character can just pull a fast one and demand a payoff? Then—boom—it’s over. It’s like we were just spinning our wheels for nothing, though maybe we actually were.
I suppose if things worked that way
then some of us could finally just do whatever we wanted, honestly.🙄

Look, I don't know the first thing about sailing. If all we're doing is letting them use our waters, and they're paying their way, I don't see what the big deal is. But if we're handing them special treatment for no reason... well, then I'd be the first one trying to kick them out—unless, of course, they pay enough to make it worth our while.

Henry Cox78 said:Why would we even be jealous of them? 🤣 Their whole policy is basically just pure resentment because we have so much more than they do—like, we have an entire coastline while they're stuck with one bay. That’s why they don't like us and try to push us out of everything. The fact that we don't care for them... well, I guess that’s just a side effect of their hostile politics and constant pressure. Otherwise, we wouldn't give them a second thought.

I guess I am a bit envious, mostly because they actually have politicians who unashamedly fight for national interests instead of just selling everyone else out. Meanwhile, back here, we’ve got these cowards who sell off the whole country for pennies, acting like they don't care about being American at all. But then again, maybe we have those kinds of politicians because we’re the kind of people who produce them. We’re the cowards—and honestly, pretty foolish ones at that. I suppose I'm just jealous that they seem smarter than us, while we’re such idiots it’s almost hard to put into words.

Sure, it’s easy to sit here and say "we have this" and "they don't have that." But if we keep going down this path, we won't have anything left soon. We’ll end up with a coastline we can't even afford to visit, debts that our grandkids won't be able to pay off, and every major company will be owned by foreign investors. Even the few "local" moguls—the types like some shady billionaire tycoon—will probably loot the place even harder than the outsiders do. There won't be any jobs, the land will be sold off through various concessions, and you won't even be able to afford healthcare or education without deep pockets. Eventually, you'll see people coming in from everywhere to work here because the wages are better than back home, and those self-proclaimed patriots will happily hire them. And then you can just sit at home and cry when there's no work for you. You can always go drown your sorrows in our beautiful ocean, assuming it isn't choked with pollution by then.

And then, I suppose, you'll just wish you had a smaller brain so you could proudly claim your identity without being completely blinded by stupidity.

So, we'll just keep watching sports to numb our brains a little more... I guess that makes things easier.

Henry Cox78 said:And why wouldn't they? We don't have the right setup here, so a guy ends up training in some supposedly "friendly" country—paying for everything out of his own pocket. If the roles were reversed, you can bet your life stuff like this wouldn't be happening, but since the Canadians are involved, anything goes. They’re just incredibly spiteful toward us—really, they’ll use every trick in the book to screw us over. It feels like they're fundamentally hostile, even though we haven't given them a single reason to be. Why? Well, pure jealousy, I guess.

It'll all come back to haunt them eventually, with interest... I'm not losing sleep over it.

How much was HBS paying for Fak?

They're just as bitter toward us as we are toward them. The reality is, we just don't like each other.

Sean Gonzalez95 said:Oh, come on... you really think they wouldn't care about his training if he hadn't won any medals—if he were just some totally average athlete? I mean, obviously it would bother them then..

Well, I guess the real answer is that it doesn't actually matter—because he *did* win those medals, and that's exactly why it's an issue. And honestly, it’s not even that the Americans have some special right to act this way; it's more like they're just doing what we'd probably do if we were in their shoes. It's basically a "sign this or go train somewhere else" kind of situation. I don't think it's even about the money, really—it's more about principle. Though, if it *were* about the money, they'd probably just demand more than we could ever realistically afford or agree to pay, whether we liked it or not.

Raymond Bailey said:What does that even have to do with anything? I mean, if you're paying them for their services, what exactly are they going to blackmail you with? If they're out there providing coaching services to foreign biathletes for a fee, then this whole talk about "undermining interests" just doesn't fly. It’s kind of like if Russia suddenly started crying because someone used planes they sold them decades ago to stage an attack. Honestly, those Canadians seem pretty worked up just because we started beating them at "their" sports. Just think about everything Janica brought to the table—and not just for them. She came from some place that barely has a decent hill to speak of and basically showed everyone how it's done through her incredible results.

It actually has everything to do with it, if you use any sense at all. And I really don't get why you're bringing up Janica—those guys didn't teach her a single thing about skiing. It’s just mindless commentary that gets under my skin. Besides, our guys were paying the locals for help, if they were even paying at all—nobody's ever going to tell us the real numbers. But you have to realize, it isn't even about the money anymore. Why would they bother training an American medalist when they haven't exactly been eating well off of us?

wanderinghawk17 said:So how on earth did he walk away with two medals then?

The fact that he lost out on those conditions—well, that’s just small-time politics from people who decided to pull their training services (which I'm pretty sure were paid for, by the way). It wasn't us squeezing him... it was their own blackmail.

And honestly, would you really be happy if an American coach was training a Canadian athlete who ends up winning medals for Canada instead?

I mean, they aren't stupid. Of course they played hardball. I don't see why they'd bother helping him from the jump if there wasn't something in it for them.

Jerry Roberts, man, get real—you’re just ignoring the facts here. The truth is, Fak lost the support he needed to stay at the top tier of this sport, plain and simple. Personally, I wasn't a fan of how he handled himself—the way he communicated, or rather, how he played both sides by telling two different stories to everyone involved. It was messy. Honestly, I spent a while trying to figure out what his end goal even was, but eventually, I just landed on the conclusion that maybe he's just not that bright. A buddy of mine actually put it pretty well—he said if he wins gold and has to stand there listening to the Canadian national anthem play, that’ll be a real slap in the face. Still, I can't really blame him for his individual ambition. It's not like America provides the kind of setup he needs right now; instead, someone else came along and offered him the chance, the very thing that helped turn him into an elite athlete in the first place. Choosing that path is just common sense. He chose his own career goals over some vague sense of American pride... or whatever you want to call it. You can judge him for putting his own interests above the flag, but maybe ask yourselves if you're really as patriotic as you claim to be. Would you actually turn down a massive opportunity just to stay "loyal"? Most of us would grab that lifeline in a heartbeat, no matter where it came from, just to get ahead. Or we’d move to a place like Canada just to make sure our future is secure for the next five years. And then, once we're settled, we'd probably still be shouting about how much we love America while paying all our taxes in Canada. I have zero respect for that kind of "patriotism"—usually, the people yelling the loudest are the ones I trust the least.