Posts by Scott Collins30

We'll get there eventually...🙂

That’s just how those Scandinavians work. I bet the Danes and Norwegians already shook hands on giving Iceland the short end of the stick 😬
...

James Vaughn3 said:😲 😲

Here's the data: Sweden vs. Poland, 33:28 on June 12, 2005, and 26:32 on June 19, 2005. 😲 😬

I think the Swedes really dropped the ball during those qualifiers against Poland😲

Look, Vujovic has completely lost it. After yesterday’s game against Norway, he went off, claiming their coach was baiting him the whole time—basically accusing them of trying to bribe his way to a win. He shot back, asking how they could possibly afford to buy a match when their federation is the poorest one in the EHF 🤣 . He didn't hold back, either; he straight up said it's an open secret that the Scandinavians are the ones rigging games and there's nothing anyone can do about it. He definitely doesn't sugarcoat things...

Well, we'll get there eventually🙂

Brandon Castillo4~ said:For all you worriers freaking out about whether unnamed will be a loser or just a total failure...

I think that's exactly where the real issue lies. If he walks away from swimming and stays in the States, everyone will just move on like nothing ever happened. But if he swims for Qatar, suddenly he's an idiot, a traitor, a complete jerk, and whatever else people want to throw at him. Honestly? I’d rather watch him swim for Qatar than see one of the greatest swimming talents in the world call it quits at twenty-one...

Latest updates:

IF YOU thought our swimming star moving to wealthy Qatar was a massive blow to American sports, you might find this next part even harder to swallow. Due to the scandal currently rocking the public, unnamed is seriously considering walking away from swimming altogether.
It looks like our swimmer couldn't handle the intense pressure, especially since he's caught in a brutal tug-of-war between his home and a life-changing offer that would set him and his family up for life.
But if unnamed does quit, he won't be sticking around the States. He plans to finish his degree and land a job at an American corporation. This was confirmed by the Secretary General of USA Swimming, unnamed.
"Beyond the move to Qatar, there's another path for unnamed. He’s in his final year of college, and in the US, it's standard for major companies to recruit students right about now. It seems like he's getting closer to that option every day. Basically, accepting a corporate job—he didn't specify which one—and leaving swimming behind." - unnamed told ESPN upon arriving at the airport in Chicago.
The official just arrived from Berkeley, where he had been spending time with our swimmer.
"Unnamed is tough... he's dealt with so much in his life that... I won't say more, but I can see how hard it is for him to make a choice that impacts not just himself, but everyone close to him. He knows exactly what's at stake." - unnamed added.
Unnamed is expected to make this life-altering decision within ten days, and the official is hoping the outcome won't be a total loss for the country. According to ESPN, after spending time with the athlete, the official still couldn't quite figure out what unnamed's final answer to USA Swimming will be.
"I think he's really struggling with it, but he'll make his own call." - unnamed concluded.

I don't know how much of this is factual, but if there's any truth to it, the guy is clearly torn. Honestly, I don't get people bashing him... if someone offered you that kind of money, you'd probably do the same thing.

Dana Rivera4 said:Phelps🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

just another sellout right next to Jukicka. every time I see that cow, I hope she finishes dead last, and this idiot is no different...

I'm dying to know what his name will be at the next meet, Mohammed Hamed Ibn Mustafa Al Omar Al Ibrahim 🙄. hopefully he’s got enough cash now to buy some high-quality turbans... 🙂 ...good luck to his girlfriend in Qatar, hope she enjoys it 🙂 ....what an idiot🙂

You really can't compare Miran Jukić to Phelps, much less judge her for what happened (specifically involving her father). They moved to the big city from Vukovar with absolutely nothing to their names, and even back then, the girl was smashing almost every cadet and junior record. She was maybe 12, and the talent was obvious. All her dad asked for was a lane every day at Mairna, but when the local club wouldn't give it to him, he went straight to the IOC and just got brushed off. The Austrians were watching the whole thing and offered them a lane, housing, and actual money in exchange for citizenship.
Look, she was 12. Turning that down after being ignored by everyone in your own country would have been insane if I were her.
Phelps, on the other hand, is in his 20s. This is strictly his choice. If he decides to go through with it, good for him 👋 ...but I'm done rooting for him.

One of the Janjić brothers—not sure which one—but one of them definitely earned it!😁 😁

Sports Illustrated just dropped a massive feature titled "Duje won't be bringing home medals for America anymore," written by one of the country's top sports journalists, Zdravko Reić. The piece suggests that Draganja could be picking up citizenship for another country very soon, potentially competing under a different flag at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Apparently, this news comes from his inner circle, and his father even mentioned that representatives from other nations are hounding him on a daily basis. At the end of the day, it looks like money is the driving force behind a potential switch. His father noted that the rewards for Duje's achievements here in the States just don't match the effort... When asked about the rumors regarding foreign citizenship, Duje declined to comment to Sports Illustrated. He’s currently over at UC Berkeley, where he’s been studying and training for the last few years under the guidance of Mike Bottom, one of the best coaches in the world...

There’s some talk that Draganja should consider taking citizenship in oil-rich Bahrain. They managed to snatch one of today's top athletes, Rashid Ramzija, away from Morocco. Just a reminder: Ramzija recently grabbed two gold medals for Bahrain at the World Championships in Helsinki, winning both the 800m and the 1500m...

When asked how the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee plans to prevent another situation like Miran Jukić swimming for Austria, the USOC Secretary General, Josip Čop, noted that leadership from both the Olympic Committee and USA Swimming will be holding a working session in Los Angeles next week to tackle the issue...

"We’re going to do everything we can on our end. But if someone comes along with financial terms we just can't match, and an athlete decides to represent another country, there isn't much we can do about it. The USOC has to work within its means," Josip Čop told the Associated Press today...

He mentioned he first heard whispers about Draganja potentially leaving a few days ago, mostly through some unofficial channels...

When asked about the monthly stipend Duje Draganja receives from the USOC, Josip Čop mentioned it’s roughly seven thousand dollars...

Damir Šegota, the acting director for the USOC Olympic program, told the Associated Press that Duje Draganja isn't receiving any funding from the USOC at the moment...

Based on those results from the World Championships in Montreal, Draganja is looking at being bumped up to an "A" tier candidate for the Olympics. That comes with a monthly stipend of about $900 net. But, according to Šegota, that money won't actually start flowing until the USOC Assembly officially greenlights the Beijing 2008 project this December...

He pointed out that Draganja is pretty much constantly tied up in the USOC funding cycle, though there’ll be an eight-month gap between the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 projects...

USA Swimming Director Ivan Varvodić was caught pretty off guard by the latest news regarding Duje Draganja. He told the Associated Press that he hasn't spoken to Duje in about a month, and when they last touched base, there wasn't a single hint that Draganja was considering switching his citizenship...

"Nah, we've heard this kind of speculation before. Two years ago, everyone was pointing at Italy," Varvodić added...
Mihovil Dorčić, head of USA Swimming, told the Associated Press that he stays in regular contact with Duje Draganja. According to him, there hasn't been any indication that Duje is looking to pick up another citizenship...

Dorčić, the head of the club, mentioned he’s been talking to Duje about potentially competing at the US Open in San Diego this December. It was already pretty clear he wouldn't be able to make the Short Course Championships in Trieste from December 15th to 18th because of his course load at UC Berkeley...

Regarding Draganjin income, Dorčić mentioned his club pays him about $500 a month, plus an extra $400 from the club's sponsor, JPMorgan Chase. He also noted that the city of San Diego provides financial support following Draganjin's big wins on the world stage. "He received $700 for his silver medal at the World Championships in Montreal," Dorčić said, adding that City Hall even promised him an apartment...

Dorčić also mentioned that the USA Swimming delegation is meeting with the Secretary of Science, Education, and Sport this Tuesday. "The Secretary expressed readiness to help Draganjin continue his studies in the States, since Duje wants to get his Master's at UC Berkeley," Dorčić said.

USOC Council member Luciano Sušanj told the Associated Press that Draganjin leaving would be a massive blow to American sports...

"I know Duje very well. He's a top-tier athlete and an exceptional human being. It would be a real shame to see him leave America," Sušanj said.

Longtime USOC President and International Olympic Committee member Antun Vrdoljak was also caught off guard by the news of Draganjin's departure, noting that such matters are ultimately a matter of personal choice.

"We just can't compete with wealthy nations in professional sports. I mean, tell me, how much has Bahrain actually invested in Duje Draganjin's swimming career?" Vrdoljak asked the Associated Press, pointing out that American athletes will constantly face pressure from deep-pocketed nations.

"America never truly recovered from those massive waves of migration at the turn of the century. Back when borders were wide open in the 60s, hundreds of thousands of people left for the West. Do you have any idea how many ever came back?" Vrdoljak asked.

"We're lucky that our national soccer team features kids of expats from Germany and Australia who were raised with a sense of pride in their roots. Otherwise, we'd struggle to field such a great team, because the demand for elite athletes grows every day and we simply can't resist the pressure of professional sports," Vrdoljak added, ending with: "If we all leave, who's going to be left?"

If this is true, then it's a total mess, but honestly, who would turn down $1,000,000? I don't know, from where I'm sitting, I think he'd never represent anyone else besides the US, and there isn't enough money in the world to make him switch sides.
Then again, if I had spent 15 years swimming and wasn't getting much from my own country despite winning two Olympic and World Championship silvers, maybe I'd be thinking differently...😕
What do you guys think?

🙂 Five beers for the guys at the pub.

I agree that five plus isn't even close to being on par with five, especially considering how they split up the leagues. For instance, they'll put the Premier League on around 8:20 PM, then save the last one—say, the Bundesliga—for midnight. In between, you're stuck wading through God knows how many boring segments just to catch all the games. And of course, they drop the schedule at the start, which basically becomes useless after the first twenty seconds of the show...
That’s the real issue. If they just aired them back-to-back, it wouldn't be much different from five. Honestly, five would basically just be a subset of five plus or something like that...😢

It’s pretty obvious Emmerich has a personal vendetta against New York City. First he gets torched by aliens, then Godzilla levels the place, and if I remember correctly, his new flick has the Big Apple buried under ice and water. At this rate, all he needs is an earthquake to finally complete his artistic cycle of destroying New York...

copperpuma96 said:So you're telling me defenses used to be tougher, more physical, and just harder to play against than they are now?

Look, nimblemarlin17...🙄

I'll give you two names to think about: Goicoetche and Vinnie Jones—the guy who actually admitted his own mother cursed him out when she showed up to a match, and he still managed to get red-carded during a charity game. 🙏

Players like that don't exist anymore; getting a red card was practically part of their job description. Nowadays, the most aggressive tackle you'll see is that referee in a Nike commercial featuring Ronaldinho.

Ethan Perez97 said:That Ventura guy was some kind of wrestler, right? I had no idea he was the Governor of Minnesota. Americans are truly something else... Anyway, the guy who played Fireball is actually one of the most famous football players in history; he was already in his 50s when he starred in Running Man.

Yeah, and a pretty well-known one at that, since he was also in Predator. But what's actually surprising about the whole thing is how much respect he earned as Governor of Minnesota. He wasn't even affiliated with a political party, served two terms, and then just stepped down. I doubt the Governor of California will have a political career quite that successful, though anything can happen in the USA...