3 posts shown.
Ethan Jones98 said:Yeah, you're not wrong... honestly, thank God I didn't try for a career in the mob, because I’d probably misinterpret half the "messages" sent my way or just completely miss the point entirely... 😵
haha, looks like if you were running with actual gangsters, you'd end up looking exactly like that little smiley face of yours
The Drop
Didn't realize anyone had already started a thread on this—honestly, I’ve been putting it off for a bit because I read somewhere that the pacing was kind of slow, and I wasn't really in the mood for something that felt like a drag. But yeah, the plot moves slow, but it's definitely not boring. Not even close. The atmosphere is just incredible; it totally sucked me into its little world. And Tom Hardy? Man, he’s just fantastic. He’s honestly becoming one of my favorite actors at this point. It was one of those rare movies where I actually felt bummed out when the credits rolled...
I won't say anything specific because I don't want to spoil it, but you guys seriously need to check this out!!!
Look, I’m really not one for pointing fingers—mostly because everyone in this country thinks they’re some kind of tactical genius who could coach any pro team better than the actual pros. They talk a big game, but if they’re so brilliant, why aren't they out there doing it at the highest level? I’ve been sitting on my hands, trying not to say anything until the tournament or our run was basically over (I know, I know, it’s technically still going, but you get what I mean). So, let’s just call this an observation rather than a lecture.
The truth is, whether people want to admit it or not, we had a massive gift handed to us on a silver platter regarding the path to the finals. Let’s be real—the top three heavyweights were all on the other side of the bracket. Plus, I can’t remember the last time we actually had to sit our starters for two straight games in the group stage, so don't even try to use "fatigue" as an excuse.
But let's look back at the group play. Right from the jump, you could tell something was off. But hey, it was the opening match, so fine, we’ll adjust. I won't even waste breath on Iran—if you're gunning for a medal, a team like that shouldn't be a hurdle. As for Mexico and Tunisia, it was a grind; I’d say we scraped by purely on individual talent. And against Canada? Honestly, that felt more like their loss than our win since they basically threw in the towel before they even stepped on the court once they realized they were out of the running. If they actually had a shot at advancing, I think they would have given us a real run for our money. It also feels like we had the easiest group in the house, considering we were the only ones to make it to the quarterfinals. That’s not exactly a coincidence—there’s definitely something to be said about the quality of competition there.
And then there's Brazil. Man, I feel like I lost ten years of my life watching that. Then I thought, "Okay, it can't get worse than this," and somehow we still moved on. Just thinking about how we managed to advance after attacking like *that*... ugh.
Seriously though, I was fully convinced we were going to steamroll today. I even heard Džomba and lac joking around in the studio about an 8-point lead, and I was sitting there thinking, "Yeah, 6 to 8 points for us, easy." I figured we’d redeem ourselves after the Brazil disaster and just blow them away. Their offense didn't even impress me—they weren't much in that game either—but man, our performance was abysmal. Then we get this little spark at the start of the second half, and I’m thinking, "Toooo! Now we go! We pull away and we're done!" And instead, I lose another decade of my life.
If someone had offered us a matchup against Brazil, Poland, and Qatar before the knockout stage, I bet the guys would have signed the contract on the spot.
Bottom line: there wasn't a single game where we showed actual offensive quality. There just wasn't enough firepower to compete at this level. Sure, you can win games on defense, but you still need to be able to put points on the board. Our offense completely vanished during those two knockout games.
So, who's to blame? Everyone, a little bit. Of course, the coach carries the weight, but the players have skin in the game too. You can't show up to a knockout game looking like you just rolled out of bed and haven't even warmed up yet.
One thing that bugs me, though, is how quickly people write certain players off—I'm talking about Sulić. I'll be blunt: I can't even remember the last time I watched him play a decent game lately, but he didn't become the best center in the league for nothing. You don't get called up to the national team if you're just some random guy.
But hey, it is what it is. You’ve got to be a real fan and stick by the squad even when things are going south. That’s why I give them my support and why I don't nitpick while the tournament is live. But if we want to actually contend for medals in the next one, we seriously need to fix things.
Other than saying they have my support for the future, I guess I'll just hope for better performances down the road...