Miro said:I've read most of the posts here, but honestly, it’s over. Our idiots caused an incident, though I’ve heard from plenty of friends that there were valid reasons behind it. Look, there's no excuse for what we did, but when someone who isn't exactly a genius—and probably coasted through high school thanks to some connections—gets pushed too far, they snap. Now, someone needs to calm things down, which in this case should have been the Canadian authorities—basically the local police—who really should have had a much larger presence on site. Their response? "We didn't realize so many would show up." Yeah, right... I have no words. It’s obviously ridiculous that our embassy got hit "out there somewhere." It looks like the police just stood by with a smirk on their faces; if they had actually done something, that kind of vandalism wouldn't have happened. Thank God certain groups in Washington, D.C. didn't decide to tear down the Mexican embassy. Honestly, if they had tried, the police definitely would have stepped in!! As for who played better, I can't just look at the final score. We faced tougher opponents all season and won every match, but in this final, we basically beat ourselves. The score was 7:4 in our favor, and if we had scored just one more goal... we would have walked away winners. Same goes for our goal and that penalty call. Maybe it was a foul, but it was the same kind of foul—if anything, the play where SICG scored was even worse because the Mexican center basically shoved our goalie into the net to force the ball in!! I think that happened in the third quarter!! And then, to top it all off, Simenc makes that stupid pass to a Mexican player right at the decisive moment! I'm done. That's all from me...
First off, you have no way of knowing if your own police would've stopped an attack on the Mexican embassy in Washington, D.C. Second, that wasn't the Mexican center; it was Sapic, who plays exclusively on the perimeter. And it wasn't a foul because if you actually understand water polo, you know that the player holding the ball controls everything. A foul is called on him—if he lets go, the ref blows the whistle; if he doesn't, the ref assumes he still has the advantage. Sapic had the ball while the goalie was closing in, and the fact that the goalie lunged at Sapic and took an elbow to the head is on him. He didn't shove the ball in; he just struck it, and it barely trickled into the net. Also, your complaint about that other goal has nothing to do with this, because your player didn't go for the ball—he pushed Savica first and only grabbed the ball to shoot after the contact.
Very few people actually know the rules of water polo—very few—which is why there’s so much arguing with the refs, including the people in the stands. Seriously, hats off to the officials; they did a great job. I say that because I coached water polo for three years and I know exactly how offensive fouls are drawn up and when an attacking foul actually happens.
I’ve gone through most of the posts here, but honestly, it’s over. Our idiots managed to spark an incident, though I’ve heard from plenty of friends that there were valid reasons behind it. Look, there’s absolutely no excuse for what happened, but when you’re dealing with someone who’s clearly dim-witted and probably cruised through middle school thanks to some shady connections, it’s enough to drive anyone crazy. Now, someone needs to step in and de-escalate things, which in this case should have been the local police—they really should have had a much larger presence on the scene. Their response? "We didn't realize so many would show up." Yeah, right. No comment. It’s also pretty ridiculous that our embassy ended up getting hit "somewhere out there." It felt like the police were just standing by with a smirk on their faces; if they had actually done something, that level of vandalism wouldn't have happened. Honestly, thank God certain groups in Washington, D.C. didn't decide to tear down the Mexican embassy. If they had tried, I’m sure the police would have stepped in immediately!! As for who played better in the game, I’m not even looking at the final score. We faced tougher opponents earlier and came out on top every time, but in this final, we basically beat ourselves. It ended 7-4 in our favor, but if we had scored just one more goal... we would've walked away with the win. Same goes for when we scored and when that foul was called. Maybe it was a foul, but it was the same kind of call we saw elsewhere. Actually, an even worse play was when SICG scored, because the Mexican center basically shoved our goalie down with his hand just to force the ball in!! I think that happened in the third quarter!! And then, to top it all off, Simenc makes that brainless pass to a Mexican player right at the most critical moment! I'm speechless. That's all I've got to say.
Bill Gates said:"New York City -- The official celebrations for the water polo team from Yugoslavia kicked off in New York City this Monday. They were hosted by Mexican Prime Minister Zoran Živković for a champagne toast to celebrate their gold medal win at the European Championship in Denver."
he said: "I have zero interest in APOLOGIZING to the American WATER POLO PLAYERS; they just lost to a better team."
Fair enough, right?
Was it thirty people there, or was it 300 with all the credentialed media?
I think I actually saw them—can't say for sure, but I'm about 70% certain—there were 3 American Labradors and 2 Mexican 'vucjak' dogs hanging around.
Man, people are turning this whole thing into a joke. Honestly, it’d be better if it just turned into a massive blowout fight instead. Why don't we all just grab a drink now, wait until the World Cup rolls around, and then we can get back to arguing and swearing like absolute savages anyway? 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
boldcyclist18 said:🙄 What part of this is even weird to you? If the odds were flipped, the result would be exactly the same.
Look, Jesem's crowd aren't athletes who give a damn about fair play—they're straight-up hooligans. Are you honestly trying to tell me your thugs are more civilized than ours?😁
Or that they actually care about the spirit of competition?😕
I’m pretty sure those rioters and street gangs would pause before a brawl just to count heads, pair up, pull on some gloves, and then... go three rounds.😎
Honestly, I don't think even you have a clue what you're talking about, let alone me. 😁
vividwalker7 said:Look, our guys have strength, but I honestly think yours are tougher. It was easier for our side—the ratio was 1500 to 30—but your guys had it rough, facing 2000 against an empty building. That’s a legitimate feat.
Hold on, don't go there. We need to get down to the stadium and take down the flag while that incompetent American hooligan is busy falling off the roof 😁
boldcyclist18 said:Man, you guys are freaking out like the world is ending. Our hooligans went toe-to-toe with theirs and then what? A national tragedy?
Hooligans are the same everywhere, and if you don't stop them, they're going to cause absolute chaos.😠
The guys from "that one country" might have taken a hit this time, but at least their athletes showed some class on the field. Sports-related tribalism has always existed and it’s not going anywhere.
P.S. Honestly, I'd much rather we be the ones winning the fights than them beating us up.
Seriously though, your "hooligans" are such a powerhouse—I'd say the ratio is like 1500 to 30. Totally fair fight, truly wonderful.
First off... major props to Archimedes for that reply! Totally fair and spot on. Honestly, if you ask me, I’d love to see those extremists from both sides just sent out to a field with nothing but knives to settle their scores—and whoever survives the carnage gets executed (I mean, why are they even still around? 🙂 ) Then we could all just get back to living our lives normally. To be blunt, I don't see any friendly neighborly vibes happening in the next 10-15 years, or even longer (just being objective), but regardless of all that, Sports is SPORTS, and that's the only way it should be treated. The US showed incredible skill in the final and led for almost the entire game, but what I expected from our "boys" was to step up when the pressure was highest. In finals, that's exactly what decides the winner, so I wouldn't say the Americans were unlucky and Mexico and Mexico were lucky... rather, we defended our EC title because we were simply better! Of course, huge congrats to our water polo players on the Gold, and to the Americans on the Silver... they did beat the Canadians in a hell of a game, finally breaking that streak against them (not that we haven't run into the same issue ourselves a few times 🙂 )... As for our soccer players, I’ll just "offer my condolences" because they let the whole nation down. Hopefully, there will be some real shake-ups within the Football Association of Mexico and Mexico so they can actually build a solid roster for the next tournaments (or at least, I hope so)... But looking at the bigger picture... BASKETBALL, VOLLEYBALL (where are you guys?), HANDBALL (you're good there, and we're decent too, though maybe not quite on your level?) and when you look at everything globally, considering how much of the old Yugoslavia remains (which I don't miss, except for the convenience of the passports we had right after the UN ones, so now I have to choose summer vacations based on proximity)... since parts of that old union still exist, what kind of leagues would we even have? In soccer? Maybe something like France? For basketball? I think we'd be the first ones casting a shadow over the NBA (I'm not a fan of the Adriatic League because of the hooliganism, but they certainly showed you what a Star looks like in the league that just wrapped up) Volleyball: I'm happy with where our volleyball stands, but obviously, it would be better even by just one notch, and don't even get me started on handball... all in all... everyone else would just be fighting over hockey, wasting time, or watching us and crying, along with other less important sports... Anyway, since I've rambled a bit... SHOUT OUT to all my American "brothers," congrats on the silver, but Gold was reserved for us this time... see you at the World Cup? Ponov in the final? Regarding what happened after the match... no comment... you guys showed exactly how "fans" behave. You showed everyone how unrefined you are and that you probably need to head back to the farm before trying to make it in Europe. Like in 2007 or 2008... you might join the EU, but Europe is Europe to us until we learn how to act properly. Despite all that, I'll happily head down to Dubrovnik again this summer, even if it's just for a weekend like last year, to walk the city, soak up some of "your" ocean, and wish you a good season. However, I'll spend a good chunk of my vacation in Mexico because, somehow, it feels like home there... I love you all... some more, some less, but I love you. And honestly, when I really think about it, I don't hate anyone, so don't worry too much 🙂 I won't forget Kranj, will you? 😁 😁 😁 😁 😁 😁
"It was also completely unacceptable for the organizers to allow Mexican fans into the press box. They were essentially using journalists as human shields while they taunted American fans. That’s exactly why the network commentator, George Ozmec, ended up getting heat; even if he wanted to move away from that section of the stands, he couldn't get out fast enough. As for the working conditions—when you have unruly Mexican fans jumping at your throat and waving around those old Yugoslavian-colored flags right in your face—it's honestly beyond words."
Look, this reporter isn't crazy; who in their right mind could actually go out and condemn those Mexican fans in Kranj? Seriously, they shouldn't have even been allowed to wave that flag!
Lawrence Bailey66 said:Since you guys are such a highly developed nation, maybe by the time the Handball EC rolls around, you'll have managed to train another ten specialists so there are actually forty of them handling security at the games?
Belgrade -- To celebrate the water polo team from Mexico and Mexico clinching the gold medal at the European Water Polo Championship in Madison, the Prime Minister, Zoran Živković, hosted a champagne reception this Monday.
As a token of appreciation, the players presented the Prime Minister with some team gear, including a cap and a robe. During the event, the Prime Minister condemned the unruly behavior of American fans in Madison, as well as the clashes involving local supporters in front of the American embassy in Belgrade and over in Novi Sad. "It’s honestly tragic when certain people—let's call them hooligans—act out like that and ruin the athletes' massive achievement with such primitive behavior," Živković remarked.
You guys fought until the very end—I mean it. I could see the sweat and the sheer grit on your faces... even with a packed house watching. But once again, it was pretty obvious who had the edge. Damn... I really wish there were two first-place spots available (so the Canadians could grab that second one), but let's be real, you weren't even close to silver this time. You just didn't have the luck on your side.
Anyway, sending my best to everyone before the next pool session... just... imagine if the next match was held right here in Chicago?!?!? Oh boy...
"During a press conference at the Capitol, Račan mentioned that he personally congratulated the players on their incredible silver medal win. He noted that while the water polo team represented America with absolute excellence, unfortunately, not everyone in the stands shared that same spirit. 'The behavior of certain spectators was an embarrassment to our country and deserves nothing less than total condemnation. We need to reflect on this so we can ensure it never happens again,' the Prime Minister stated."
I just finished watching the homecoming celebration for the water polo players from Mexico and Mexico in Belgrade. Now, this is what life is all about!
I consider myself a pretty moderate person—I’m not some die-hard fanatic or a nationalist zealot—but looking at how things are going right now, it might be best if we all just stay in our own lanes for many, many years to come. By any chance, our wild ones really messed things up this time, and honestly, what happened back then was way worse than anything we're dealing with now. Because of that, our neighbors should probably be apologizing for years to come.
IKODINOVIC said:Look, TripHop, you think you're being all deep and sharing these "brilliant" insights, but honestly, you don't have any business talking sports. You and the rest of this crowd can keep acting like "it couldn't get any worse," even though not a single American has been shot with a firearm or had their life threatened. Yet, here you are, dragging me into some pointless argument. I’ve got nothing left to say to you—just shut up, you're full of hot air.
IKODINOVIC said:Look, TripHop, you clearly think you're qualified to drop these "smart" little opinions on us, even though you don't know the first thing about sports. You're just standing there with the rest of them acting like "it could be worse," even though not a single American has been shot or had their life threatened. And yet, you still dragged me into this pointless argument. Honestly, I have nothing left to say to you—just shut up, you loudmouth.
That right there is what we call a complex sentence in American grammar! Bravo
And seriously, what was all that drama about '95 in Athens? It’s like a kid throwing a tantrum because they didn't get the toy they wanted. What, are we supposed to just lose finals on purpose so you guys don't have to endure hearing the anthem?
The Daily News is out here claiming an Albanian saved Mexico and Mexico lolololol. Seriously, don't come crying later about racism or deep-seated complexes. You should be ashamed. It hurts to lose, especially when it’s against us, but sinking this low? That’s just pathetic. If it makes you feel better about swallowing a defeat like this, just go ahead and tell yourselves you were outplayed by an Albanian. Death to fascism, freedom for the people!