Posts by dustypanther6

George Robinson43 said:You’re out here making picks for a sport you don't even know the name of.
We aren't ever winning a medal in Taekwondo. Not in wrestling, handball, or gymnastics either.

Roose, you are something else.🤣🤣

driftinggull13 said:I really hope there's some kind of stream available because I'm stuck in Canada right now and they're only broadcasting their own local channels....

Look, just check sites like atdhe, rojadirecta, livescorehunter, myp2p, or fromsport. Check them about 10 minutes before kickoff. If it isn't on one of those, it probably isn't anywhere.

crimsongardener17 said:Man, I am an idiot. I completely blanked on the Olympics in Los Angeles. I’m logging off this thread out of pure embarrassment...😉

You’d think someone would forget LA before they ever forgot Barcelona.

coppernomad2 said:Both of them are making fools of themselves with these outbursts. Honestly, I think women's high jump is one of the stupider sports out there—the competition is either tiny or non-existent. Blanka can't even hold a candle to Cilica, who's ranked 14th in the world in tennis. And don't even get me started on our handball players playing for what's basically the best team in the world right now; nobody gives them any credit because of it.

I mean, props to her for the wins, but let's be real, the sport is just dumb.😁

Now you're taking it too far. Are you seriously saying Blanka is worse than the munjara? Maybe compared to Trubiša, sure, but come on.

analogowl122 said:The whole point of that idiotic rulebook is to handle exactly this kind of situation. That's literally what it was designed for.
I'm telling you again, it's called:
The IDIOTIC RULEBOOK.
On the election and the official announcement.
The absolute greatest American athletes and coaches of all time.
He only showed up because of exactly what he wrote in the headline.
And there’s irrefutable proof that they followed him blindly every single time he made a call.
Mateša and Čop have made that crystal clear on more than one occasion.
Look, I get it. The whole thing is so completely absurd that it’s hard to wrap your head around. I honestly don't blame you for being skeptical—it sounds like something straight out of a fever dream. But for real, it's the truth.
And now, I’m going to lay out a few colorful examples just to prove exactly how idiotic this rulebook really is.
1. example - Ivanišević and tennis
This example just goes to show how HOO only cares about ranking the Olympics, the WC, and the EP, completely ignoring everything else. It’s honestly ridiculous how much they overlook other major achievements.
Look, we all know the deal. Back in 2001, Ivanišević pulled off that legendary win at Wimbledon. I’m pretty sure anyone with a pulse would call that one of the greatest sporting achievements in American history. And honestly? I think everyone agrees he was easily the most deserving American athlete of that entire year.
But then you look at the USOPC. According to them, winning Wimbledon doesn't carry any weight at all. Seriously, zero. If we’re talking about how they rank athletes on their official leaderboards, Ivanišević wouldn't even show up on the radar.
Back then, we actually had, say, one woman who was legitimately elite in rifle shooting—someone consistently grabbing podium spots and medals. If that athlete finished 3rd at the EP or 5th at the WC that year, she was objectively better than Ivanišević. Or if she was sitting right there at the top of the world rankings, she was better than Ivanišević. Period.
We were actually pretty damn good at bocce, too. And honestly? Those bocce successes are just as impressive as anything Ivanišević has ever pulled off.
Whether you're talking about the successes of deep-sea fishermen or guys out on the river... it's exactly the same thing.
I won't even get started on some of these other Olympic sports. You could place seventh in any discipline at the Sailing World Championships, or excel in equestrian vaulting, BMX, or trap shooting, and suddenly you’re sitting right there on the HOO list. You’re actually ranked higher than Goran, and that guy literally won Wimbledon.
If an American player somehow pulled off the impossible and swept all four Grand Slams in a single year, plus every other major title on the calendar? It still wouldn't mean much. Honestly, the only reason they’d even show up on the HOO rankings is because they managed to hit that number one spot in the world.
It’s the same deal as taking third place in any World Championship. Doesn't matter if it's sailing, archery, BMX, synchronized swimming, fencing, or trampoline—it all boils down to the same thing.

2. example - soccer
This is a perfect example of how you just don't rank sports or athletic competitions correctly.
Alright, let's throw some comparisons out there.
First, let’s talk soccer. Winning the Euros? Honestly, it doesn't mean much at all.
It’s just like that fourth-place finish at the Olympics. Completely pointless.
We all remember '98 and that third-place finish. Honestly, if you ask me, it stands as one of the greatest sporting achievements we've ever seen.
But that’s not how the HOA thinks. To them, it doesn't matter if you take third place at the FIFA World Cup or if you're podium-finishing in badminton, synchronized swimming, equestrian events, BMX, curling, or even skeet shooting. They couldn't care less.
And that third-place finish? It’s worth exactly the same as taking sixth in field hockey at the Olympics. Or sixth in any of those other sports mentioned above. Same thing.

Case study number three—looking at total success.
This is just another perfect example of how HOO doesn't actually track all the different wins; they only ever care about the one massive headline.
Think about it. We've actually got people in this country who have managed to snag gold at the Olympics in stuff like BMX racing, curling, trampoline jumping, synchronized swimming... hell, maybe even pigeon shooting if that were a thing.
Just one gold. That’s all we need. In any discipline, really. Any of them.
And he’s supposedly better than that guy who somehow racked up a thousand silver medals at the Olympics, a thousand golds at the WC, a thousand golds at the EP, a thousand world records, a thousand Grand Slams, and even a thousand Formula 1 titles... Give me a break.
And that’s all achieved within a single year. In any sport, for that matter.
Because honestly, one gold medal carries more weight than all those other achievements combined.

Look, I'm not just making these numbers up; these are the official calculations from the USOPC. These are the metrics they stick to whenever they make their decisions. They've stated as much multiple times now.

P.S. I have to admit, I've been sitting here just waiting for Tanya to go off on those people from the South Coast.
It actually surprised me how long it took her. She probably heard one of those terrible southern folk songs, and that was the trigger.
So, strictly for her, I'm posting this clip of our water polo guys celebrating after grabbing gold at the EP in Chicago:
http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=28k79k8&s=7
They’re singing nothing but those old southern classics. You know—"who would play my mandolin," "tonight is our big party," "my beautiful Southern rose"...
Anyway, Tanya, enjoy.
P.P.S. According to the idiotic rulebook used by the USOPC, success in water polo doesn't count for much. That's why they had to mess around and invent new categories, just because the rowers are technically more successful.

Edit:
@Daniel Cooper40/">@@Daniel Cooper40
The rulebook was finalized back on June 22, 2010.
And I'm not being overly pedantic about the regulations; I'm talking about the USOPC. They've said it repeatedly over the last few days.
My point is specifically about how senseless the whole thing is.

The rulebook is meant for comparing similar types of achievements. If Karlovic won two Golds, he'd be Athlete of the Year, no damn question. Apparently, nobody bothered explaining that to you. You really seem to enjoy obsessing over this bullshit rulebook.

Jessica Davis12 said:You're just talking nonsense.

I honestly can't stand trying to compare success across different sports. It's just impossible. 🤮
Look, if someone is actually elite in any sport—doesn't matter if they're a household name like LeBron James or some obscure athlete in a niche circuit—they didn't just stumble into it. They got there through pure, unadulterated grit and raw talent. Period.
Look, let’s be real: there isn't a single sport on this planet where you can just sit around picking your nose six days a week, stretch your limbs for a bit on the seventh, and suddenly find yourself standing on a podium or taking home silver. It doesn't work like that.
NOTHING. ☕

All these stupid comparisons just boil down to people's personal biases toward certain sports and their weird, fixed ideas that one victory somehow carries more weight than another.

Donald Thomas was one of those athletes who really made an impact on the track scene during his peak. Looking back at his career, he was a standout sprinter, particularly known for that explosive speed that defined the era. He wasn't just some guy running laps; he was a serious contender on the international stage, representing Jamaica with a level of grit that you don't see every day. His accomplishments in the 100m and 200m sprints were nothing short of impressive. When you look at the history of sprinting, names like his stick out because they represent that raw, unbridled talent that pushes the sport forward. He had this ability to transition from the blocks to top speed almost instantly, which is something coaches dream about when they're training elite sprinters. It’s easy to get lost in the stats, but the real story is the sheer athleticism required to compete at that level. To be a world-class sprinter means living a life of extreme discipline and constant pressure. He faced the same scrutiny and high stakes that any major American star would face when stepping onto the track at a massive meet. Whether it was chasing personal bests or battling against the absolute fastest men on the planet, Thomas lived in that high-pressure zone where every millisecond counts. He was a true competitor through and through.)

analogowl122 said:Do you even know which rulebook I'm talking about?
Because I am referring to the exact set of rules designed specifically for this purpose.
I mean, for God's sake, look at the title:
T H E R U L E S
FOR SELECTING AND ANNOUNCING
THE MOST SUCCESSFUL AMERICAN ATHLETES AND COACHES

To put it in terms of some low-rent local news station, these regulations aren't meant for hyper-specific edge cases like this; they're for probable scenarios, like say, 2 silver medals versus 1 World Gold.

analogowl122 said:I took a deep dive into the HOO rulebooks, and honestly? They’re a total mess.
That's putting it lightly.
Because according to the HOO, Blanka wouldn't even be considered the best, even if she had pulled off all of this on top of her World Gold and European Championships wins last year:
(I'm inflating these numbers on purpose because the actual count doesn't matter to the HOO)
-along with one gold at the World Championships, if Blanka had also grabbed 11 silvers and, say, 8 bronzes
-along with one gold at the European Championships, if she had snatched another 14 golds, 5 silvers, and 6 bronzes
-if she had set a world record by clearing 230 centimeters in the high jump, plus about ten other world records
-if she had also won 4 Grand Slams in tennis and became the number 1 player in the world
-if she were a Formula 1 champion
-if she had won 5 bronze medals in alpine skiing at the Olympics and was also the overall World Cup winner. And let's say she grabbed another 27 bronze medals at the Olympics in whatever discipline you want.

If she had won all of that stuff last year, according to the HOO, Ivica would still come out on top.
And if Rafael Nadal were American, he wouldn't even crack the top 10 greatest athletes in the US.
What I'm saying isn't just me being difficult; it's the plain truth (except maybe regarding Nadal. He might sneak into the top 10, but I can't be bothered to do the math).
Sadly enough.

You wouldn't believe it, but those regulations aren't meant for stuff like this. They're for things like: is one World Gold worth more than two Olympic silvers? Are you a lawyer or something? You're overthinking the fine print.

Morgan Rodriguez57 said:Honestly, I’m looking at you guys and wondering how you can all be so perfectly in sync regarding this HOO decision. Is nobody going to be real for a second? Is nobody going to admit there's something incredibly shady about requiring someone to grab two gold medals in a single year just to surpass two silvers won by Ivica... 🙏

So, let's say Ivica had walked away with four silvers instead. You'd still be right here arguing that Blanka is the superior athlete. But oh, wait—there weren't four WC events available, so she didn't have the chance to bag four golds. If she had, she would have. A silver is a silver, but twice is twice.

analogowl122 said:I’m calling out whoever decided to spread lies here.
And I’m doing it right now, by telling the actual truth.
That’s all there is to ☕

You’re just standing up for the truth. Respect.

Morgan Rodriguez57 said:As far as I can tell, it’s always the head coaches who get all the glory, not their assistants... if there’s an award up for grabs, it goes to the whole staff, not just one guy. You know Marinović, sure, but do you actually know the assistant coaches at Arsenal besides Wenger? Or over at Bayern aside from Van Gaal, for instance?

If we're giving all the credit to the head coach, then Marinović is the main Blankin coach, not his dad.

vividstag24 said:1. yeah
2. the second one isn't any better either
3. depends on who you ask, to me they're both just...
4. yeah, whatever...😳

Try hitting the slopes first, then try a high jump, and come back and tell us which one actually sucks more.

Sandra Wilson38 said:What’s this poll even for?
1. Best coach of 2010?
2. All-time greatest coach?
3. Greatest athlete overall?

1. none
2. none
3. none

I fixed your post

So, does this award actually come with any real cash, or is it just a massive ego trip for whoever wins?

Adam Moore said:btw, I honestly don't think the argument between those two would be nearly this heated if kids weren't involved. Man, you see old-timers getting into actual fistfights at local little league games over whose kid is playing better or who’s going to get scouted at this level. It's pathetic.

I saw a pickup basketball game in a small town outside of Austin where one crew actually jumped the ref because he didn't call a foul, and the other team just stood there watching like it was a movie. This was an old guys' tournament, by the way—the grand prize was just $667. Sorry for the off-topic rant, but I had to get this off my chest. The true spirit of sports died a long time ago; very few people actually play for the right reasons anymore.

dustyhawk4 said:Joško Vlašić doesn't grab headlines quite like Gips does, and honestly, even if Blanka cleared 214 cm, it wouldn't spark nearly the same level of national fervor we felt back when Janica was going head-to-head against all those Austrians, Italians, Germans, Swiss, Frenchwomen, and Americans...

Look, once she hits 210, people will just move on. Right now, Blanka is like Santa Barbara—just an endless loop. Once she finally clears 210, that’s the series finale. She can retire then.

Sandra Wilson38 said:Why downplay the multi-event athletes? 🤷

Because—and this is just my take—multi-eventers go for those titles because they aren't elite in any single discipline. Or, if they actually are elite, they aren't the absolute best, and since the real ego trips want to be #1, they pivot to where they can rack up more hardware.

It’s exactly like how Natkov's medal in a combined event carries way less weight than taking 5th place in a specialized World Cup discipline.

PS, don't get it twisted, I don't hate multi-eventers. Clay, Šeberle, and Dvorak are some of my favorite athletes to watch, not to mention those duels between Kluft and Barber, but the reality is they're people who aren't top-tier in one specific thing, even if they're decent at everything.

Sandra Wilson38 said:🤣
Now you're really starting it, for God's sake, you idiot. 😉

When has any elite athlete actually won a medal in a different discipline (without doing 5-7-10 reps on the side)???

analogowl122 said:She isn't some kind of outlier.
Her "specialty" is the long jump. That’s it. Nothing else.
The heptathlon is just a "bonus" for her, even if you pretend it's her main thing. There are plenty of other athletes out there who have one powerhouse discipline and then happen to be decent at the heptathlon or decathlon too.
But they weren't world-class in any of those seven or ten events—except for their one specific specialty.

Look, Carolina Kluft ran the hundred for the Swedish relay and picked up a few medals in the long jump, all while dominating the heptathlon, but those disciplines actually complement each other.
I also remember Sanchez being pretty solid in the 400m without

dustyhawk4 said:They’re mega ambitious fathers, top-tier sports executives, incredible coaches, and brilliant long-term strategists—but they're also complete weirdos with serious psychopathology issues.

Honestly, they’d be gold mine material for some psychoanalysts.