Posts by Brandon Castillo4

-Andriy Shevchenko- said:A regular guy has a steady job, pays into his benefits, and secures his retirement. Athletes don't have that setup (unless they pay into it themselves), not to mention the risk of injury. Just imagine if some truck or car clipped Lance Armstrong during training. Everything goes to hell.

That is some incredibly stupid logic right there. What if a truck hits you tomorrow while you're commuting to work (God forbid)? "Everything goes to hell?" Exactly.

If we're talking about accidents, injuries, or sickness, forget about the money; when a truck hits you, you have bigger problems than worrying about how much cash you have in the bank. You have to survive first.

And as for the injuries themselves, are you seriously buying that crap? Why wouldn't Lance or anyone else set aside a portion of what they earned?
This reminds me of that famous line from Latrell Sprewell last year after he turned down a massive multi-million dollar contract from Minnesota: "I gotta feed my family."

Get a grip and look at how much ACTUAL work he does. He doesn't just sit around for 40 hours a week.

He spends all that time swimming, PLUS massages, plus various treatments, plus recovery time, etc..

And obviously, he’ll need a visa because theoretically, he’s a foreign national. Who even said he would have special status? Because if you didn't know, rest is part of the training.

And another thing, the government didn't create him—his coach and his own hard work did.

I agree. His coach and himself created him. Look, it's a miracle, but a coach and himself created Pete Sampras. Lance Armstrong was created by HIMSELF.
Sergey Bubka was created by HIMSELF.

Notice a pattern? You're making broad claims, setting up a thesis as if an athlete isn't responsible to their country at all, but solely to themselves and their own wallet. Thank God other athletes don't think like you.

And who is even bringing up or comparing him to veterans here? Veterans made the choice to go to war. Okay, guys, you went to war. War brings its own things—trauma, sacrifices, culprits, and a whole lot of... well, that's war. But that is a completely different topic.

I agree, that's a different topic. It's stupid to drag this into deep discussions about something incomparably more important and larger than sports and some 20-year-old kid who still "counts" if he decides to go to a country that will give him a few million dollars instead of staying in the US and sucking the country dry by taking "only" 300,000 or 400,000.

It's interesting how the public reacts when one swimmer heads to Qatar, but when he was selling himself to a foreign entity through AT&T, everyone at home stayed quiet, cowards...

Maybe you stayed home, and clearly your TV was off too, because people WERE complaining. But again, different topic.

Douglas Williams29 said:😂

Yeah, it's pretty hilarious, but quoting yourself just to laugh at your own jokes is a bit much...🙄

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-Andriy Shevchenko- said:Yeah, you think he’s just completely turning his back on his roots now. Like, I hate America, I hate my hometown, the places I grew up—all that stuff...

Look, just get it through your head: IT IS ALL ABOUT THE MONEY. He’s a professional. He isn't some damn patriot who’s going to sacrifice his entire life just to stand next to a piece of fabric, only to be forgotten by everyone within a year once his career wraps up. He's a human being. He has to make a living. Being a pro athlete, especially in his sport, doesn't pay the bills like it does for others. You know how it works—they don't have massive clubs like soccer players or cyclists do; they're out there swimming for themselves.

Believe me, if there were no sports clubs and it was just national teams, man, there would be so many transfers it would make historical figures turn in their graves. JUST IMAGINE, having someone like Sulley Muntari playing for Germany.

It’s simple. People are people. They need to eat. A little bit of public admiration or some glowing praise from journalists and random individuals isn't going to put food on the table.

That's just how life works. You'll figure it out when you get a job. You won't go in there thinking, "Oh, I'll work hard because I'm an American and I want to do right by my country" or whatever. That's not how reality functions.

I get what you're saying, but you're acting like Duje is some damn pauper who can't even afford a loaf of bread. 😢

It's the exact same logic as when, after the Steve Bertuzzi incident, some guy wrote to me saying "Bertuzzi served his sentence (that year and a half suspension) because he couldn't play in Europe last year."
jebemu Bertuzzi couldn't earn another million dollars, so instead, he sucker-punched a guy in the back.

If I recall correctly, Draganja got maybe $200,000 from the US government so far, and probably another $200,000 from sponsors. Some things aren't for sale. Maybe they are to you, but that doesn't make your opinion valid.

Like K Plus already said, Draganja has everything it takes to succeed. This isn't "success"—switching over to Qatar is just pure greed. It's a hunger for cash where nothing else matters. Nothing. Just greenbacks.

You bring up the Muntari example, but this isn't the same thing. Who knows how his own country, Ghana, treated him? Maybe he had beef with the federation, maybe they just stopped calling him. Who knows. But everyone treats Duje like a golden boy; he's the favorite wherever he goes.
Just because his sponsors don't line his pockets like soccer players doesn't mean he should be allowed to swim for another country.

This is a genuine sporting scandal. Sure, the kid will get paid, but he’s creating such bad karma for himself. In a single second, he's become a symbol of materialism and greed.

I realize Duje isn't pulling in numbers like Michael Phelps, but folks, let's be real here: DUJE ISN'T IN THE SAME LEAGUE AS PHELPS. The guy probably won everything there was to win in a two or three-year span, but Duje has two medals. Respect to him, I really do, and I cheered for him when he was winning—he's a top-tier athlete—but he isn't Michael Phelps.

If everyone swapped nationalities this easily, Qatar would be a seven-time world champion in 124 different sports by now. Ask yourself why they aren't.

-Shevchenko- said:Get a grip, man.

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Feuerfuchs said:It wasn't just about switching citizenship. He changed his name, too. You won't find his old name on any official paperwork anymore. If you're willing to ditch your name, the city where you were born, and your own country, aren't you basically just erasing who you are?
What’s left to do? Maybe change his religion next.

Here’s some context regarding the money he pulled in over the last two seasons:
The whole Draganja situation is interesting because the Coast, the city of Cleveland, HPS, HOO, and even the US Government formally met every single obligation to our top swimmer. Duje gets a steady monthly stipend from the Coast in the amount of $4.25. Cleveland rewarded his Olympic silver with $33 and his world title with an additional $17. On top of that, Duje was promised an apartment the moment he finishes his studies in the States. The US Government tacked on another $40 for Athens and $23 for Montreal. All told, Duje raked in $281 during 2004 and 2005. But hey, that's only $138,360.

👍

Otherwise, Shevchenko and the rest of those ghosts:

Is Duje making a smart move by turning his back on his country while the rest of us—who wouldn't do the same—are labeled as "fake patriots"?

🙄 🙄

🙂

crimsonfalcon17 said:But if someone offered you Aussie beer, told you to train for two more years, swim through the Olympics, and then go back to drinking Aussie beer while crushing it with Aussie girls because you're loaded—wouldn't you take that deal? Even at twenty?

Do you have any clue how hard it is to make an honest living here in America?

Look, I get it. Making money is tough. It’s easy for a kid like me, just 21, to sit here and act like a know-it-all, but maybe if I actually had a family to feed, I’d be looking at things differently. Still, money isn't everything, crimsonfalcon17.
And besides, Duje isn't some broke kid on the street. He's not going to go bankrupt tomorrow or the day after. His future is looking incredibly bright regardless of whether he makes this move or not.

But hey, if he's cool with it... let him go. Who's gonna stop him?

Roose Bolton said:So what, he thinks he can just ditch his American citizenship for a quick payday, only to come crawling back two years later asking for it again?
hahaha....

After this stunt, the whole concept of being an American citizen won't mean a damn thing to him.
He’ll be showing up here on tourist visas for the rest of his life, probably going by Muhammad, Ibrahim, or whatever else fits the vibe.

This is a solid point right here. In a few years, Draganja is going to be whining about how much he misses the homeland. Then comes the part where he changes his name and fakes his paperwork—suddenly everything is fine because he got his hands on the cash.

But it isn't fine. It’s not even about the money he’s getting (God willing, he'll get three times that amount), it’s about the fact that he’s ready to turn his back on his own country for some pocket change.

Get this straight: he isn't moving to Qatar to visit. He's going there to BECOME Qatarian.

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Boozer said:God, what is wrong with the media and the government? People don't give a damn about what actually matters. Every single day they're just digging through garbage while babies are dying in hospitals, yet the news is obsessed with some athlete. Honestly, I couldn't care less about Draganja—he’ll look out for himself. He swims, he competes, he does his thing, but he isn't doing it for me. Huge respect to him for everything he's achieved, really, but people have real stuff to worry about. They're wondering how they're going to survive or if they'll even have a job tomorrow, not whether Draganja won a medal. It's pathetic.

Either keep the sports talk to this specific subforum or get lost, thanks. We don't need these fake-ass tributes here.

placidcanyon16 said:What actually makes the Kostelić family Americans? Is it just because they pay taxes to their government? 😲 🙂

They carry that American flag on their hearts, always. They wouldn't trade it for anything in this world.

Look, there’s a massive difference between paying taxes and actually representing the country you stand for. Just because someone pays into the system doesn't mean they belong to the nation. By that logic, Ljubičić isn't even an American. 🙄

For everyone out there making endless excuses for a traitor's move:

If things actually worked that way at major meets, swimmers from developing nations wouldn't even show up; it would just be a two-way race between the USA and Qatar.

Look, these guys swim for THEIR OWN COUNTRIES—that's where their pride and their livelihood come from. But no, Phelps just has to have more. Because apparently, if "Phelps has it and I don't," then life is just one big 😢 "

just suck it up, Mosiz ali Dragany.

placidcanyon16 said:Oh, please. You really think Michael Phelps is going to be anything more than just a high school dropout once he gets back to the States? Even if he brings home a degree from an Ivy League university, he’ll officially be nothing until that diploma is recognized. And let’s be real—the only way he’s getting that credential validated without retaking a bunch of exams is if he "greases some palms" along the way.

Fine, then let him stay in America. What's the big deal?

Look, half a million dollars sounds like a massive payday, sure. But for an athlete of his caliber, selling out his reputation and his citizenship for that kind of cash? It’s not even worth it.

He’ll blow through that money, and then what? Spend his days crying about how nobody in America loves him or welcomes him back?

Ten years ago, guys were literally dying for the American flag, and now apparently, $500 isn't enough. $0.00 No, they need $500,000.

Go ahead, Hassan, run with it! Just don't expect a warm welcome back to the homeland.

ribafish13 said:I find it honestly bizarre that nobody has stepped up to take his place yet. I mean, think about it—this guy has been staring at pool hair, weird eyes, fingernails, and flies floating at the bottom of a pool for four hours a day since he was three years old. I’ve been training as a swimmer for about ten years now, just hitting the water twice a week, and I absolutely live for those marathon days when I get to swim in the ocean and just soak in everything moving beneath the surface. But look, a person isn't going to stay in world-record shape forever. He’s clearly done the math: grind hard for a set number of years to stack enough cash to last a lifetime, then from age 28 onwards, just live the dream. He'll be out there lounging on some massive yacht, tearing up the road in a Ferrari, or marrying into some serious wealth... who knows? It's a calculated move.

The whole point is that in Europe today, there are maybe three guys of his caliber, plus about 10,000 others swimming just half a second slower who could overtake him at any given moment. It’s pure fear. He’s holding the winning lottery ticket, but the betting window might close on him in sixty seconds. Let him do whatever he wants; I’m just going to sit back and enjoy the show because the man earned it. This country only opens up the checkbook when they can squeeze ten times their investment back out of someone. Personally, I’ll back whatever he decides to do. I was screaming my lungs out at the Olympics, I was screaming at the World Cup, and I’ll be screaming wherever and whenever one of us makes a mark. If he leaves? Honestly, good for him. At least he actually achieved something. What really gets under my skin are people like Pavlek—those types who have never accomplished a single thing in sports but managed to wedge themselves in between all the suits and ties. That’s the real issue. Those bureaucrats end up with way more money than any athlete ever sees in a scholarship.

And when Phelps finally snagged that one solitary gold medal, I'll be honest—my heart just wasn't in it. It didn't hit the way it was supposed to.

People have really stepped up to try and play his part. Read the thread again.

The real issue here is about motivation—what's actually driving someone to chase a bigger paycheck elsewhere? People who don't get why Phelps would pack his bags for Qatar or anywhere outside the States just can't wrap their heads around it. They look at a 21-year-old and think, "Isn't what you've already achieved enough?" They see him sitting there with a level of financial security that probably puts him in the top 2% of his age group in America, and beyond that, too. They just don't get it.

World records.
Ivy League university education
Scholarships, bonuses, sponsors... look, you can argue that it isn't enough all you want. I get it—someone like David Beckham makes a hundred times more than this guy. But let’s be real, we aren't talking about Michael Phelps here. He’s coming back to the States with a degree from an Ivy League university, which is huge, and honestly, props to him for grinding to make that happen. But let's not pretend he didn't get a massive amount of funding from the US to get there.

He didn't walk away with as much as he would have if he were, say, an Austrian, a British guy, or obviously someone from Qatar, but he still got paid. And look, I get why he’d push for more—I really do—but the IOC made him an offer, and he still decided to jump ship and swim somewhere else over what was probably just a hundred thousand dollar difference.

Screw a million dollars. I know that one day, when I actually have mouths to feed and a family sitting at my table, and a job that's intense enough to make my hair stand on end, I’ll probably look at things differently. But you can't honestly sit there and tell me that America isn't worth a few thousand bucks.

Look, if Michael made his decision, then fine—I hope he gets what he wants. But let’s be real: there’s no turning back after this. This isn't some social club where you can just drift in and out whenever you feel like it. Once you cross that line, you're committed.

I'm looking into ISKON Internet.

Michael is definitely out. The Olympic silver medalist took a million-dollar offer from some wealthy guys in Qatar and he’s already filed the paperwork to switch allegiances. He wants to represent his new homeland at the upcoming World Cup.

Even though Tomislav Karlo, the Secretary General of USA Swimming, headed over to the States with a fresh proposal on the table, it looks like the federation and the IOC were just too slow to the punch. It seems like the Phelps family has already made up their minds regarding our top swimmer's future.

Word on the street—and I’m hearing this from several different sources close to the situation—is that Michael is officially packing his bags for a massive payday. He’s headed to one of those ultra-wealthy Gulf nations to swim. But here's the kicker: it's not going to be Bahrain, which is the name everyone's been tossing around lately. No, he's actually signing with Qatar.

Michael has already reached out to the federation to ask if he can compete for Qatar at the World Cup in short course, which is happening in Shanghai from April 5th to 9th next year. If we don't give him the green light, he’s stuck sitting this one out and waiting an entire year to get back in the pool. Our stance right now? We told him we aren't making any moves until we receive a formal request from the Qatari swimming federation. We'll make our decision once that paperwork actually hits our desk, but as of this moment, nothing official has arrived. That’s what Mihovil Dorčić, the president of the federation, revealed.

"If he really wants to walk away, then good riddance! We aren't exactly in a position to compete with Qatar's bankroll. Though, we'll probably be looking into suing for damages..."

What it cost Tomislav to fly out to the States doesn't even come close to the millions they're supposedly dangling in front of Phelps for his training leading up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In the context of our local budget, that kind of money is massive.

To give you some perspective, while Qatar was throwing around millions, the response from the US side was basically $400,000. That figure actually bundles in sponsorship from Atlantic Group, a scholarship from the Primorje club, paid training camps, and the costs for his specialization training in the US—which was supposed to be covered by the Department of Science, Education, and Sports, per the agreement made during the meeting between the US Football Federation delegation and Minister Dragan Primorac in Chicago.

But honestly, that might be where everything fell apart. That Ministry meeting took place on September 20th, yet Tomislav didn't head out to Berkeley with a concrete offer until just 40 days later. Both USA Swimming and the US Olympic Committee were way too slow to the punch...

rapidbison42 said:Looks like the price tag is actually $500,000... HOO offered him $400,000.
For that kind of gap, Draganja basically sold out his entire country and ditched his own identity.
Next time you see some guy named Ismail ali Mahhab popping up on the news, just know—that’s going to be Draganja.

😂 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 👍

casualotter21 said:If you're screwing around that much, how the hell do you even have time to get so much done? Actually, scratch that. Too early for this. 😬

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Jonathan Ross6 said:😳
It took me an entire year just to work up the nerve to call a female friend.
And now you think I'm suddenly gonna pick up the phone to order a pizza or something? Not happening. 😬 I'll walk there myself!

Can I get your number? 😬

Alright, let’s dig into this a bit deeper. I’ve gotta be honest, I don't quite get how someone can feel nauseous just looking at a phone screen without being terrified of actual, real-life interaction.

Logic dictates it should work the other way around—if you have to make a comparison, anyway. In the real world, you're standing there face-to-face with someone, whereas on a call, you're basically invisible.

So what's the alternative then? Are we all supposed to communicate like we're sending telegrams? Just short, clipped bursts and then move on? I've never heard of anyone struggling with this before...

Different strokes for different folks, I guess. Every person is wired differently.

nimblemarlin17 said:Look, I'm yellow and I don't give a damn about it. 🙏

And honestly, screw you—you didn't even act surprised at how much work I put into digging up this image. It wasn't easy. 😁

nimblemarlin17 said:Sure thing! :but what kind of handshake is that?

Just so nobody can claim we're lying here:



Yeah, I'm the guy in red. Absolutely. 😳

nimblemarlin17 said:Mark my words, Rafa Benitez is going to get absolutely roasted by the end of the season.

You want to grab a beer and talk about this?

nimblemarlin17 said:One point with a goal difference of -23? You've gotta be kidding me. What kind of logic is that? I must have been in a deep winter coma when they decided to overhaul the entire valuation system. Look, don't sweat it—Greece isn't going to give anyone trouble anymore, and neither is the New York Yankees. They had their five minutes of luck, but it’s not sustainable because they simply lack the actual depth. It's like someone claiming Tim Montgomery is better than Mo Greene just because he broke a record once. Montgomery hit that 9.78 and then nothing but a pile of mediocre stats, while Greene was consistently clocking 9.79, 9.80, 9.81, 9.83, and so on. Real talent shows up in the consistency. Quality is quality.

Rafa Benitez is the real deal, and you're just a bandwagoner. 😛 😛 😛 😉