Posts by Paul Martinez3

-Shevchenko- said::LOL:

I might just head over to Beijing to become a triathlon champion. It’ll be a piece of cake.

Listen, kid, you haven't got a clue.

The man finally showed up. He's easily in the top five most clueless people on this entire board...🙄

I suspect Duje hasn't fully considered all the implications of moving to Bahrain. There is a mandatory three-year gap required when switching between national teams. Spending three years without competing in any major tournament would effectively end his career. If he’s looking to commit professional suicide, be my guest.

placidcanyon16 said:Honestly, people, this is getting ridiculous. When you consider that Duje is easily one of the elite athletes in his field, isn't it just absurd how little he's getting? $2333 Monthly? If you compare that salary to what a top executive at a major corporation like ExxonMobil pulls in, the figure is honestly laughable, isn't it? And this is one of the best in the business. Now, I’m not suggesting that HOO should be carving out a massive increase just because they can—we simply don't live in an economy that can afford such excesses. My point is more about agency. A person should have the right to make decisions that make sense for them, both financially and personally, even if that means changing their citizenship to find better opportunities. We tend to pat ourselves on the back over the successes of American women's volleyball from a decade ago, conveniently forgetting that our national roster was largely built around three elite players from Russia.
Duje is playing a sport where you can't exactly bank on a massive payday to secure your future, unlike what an average football player or even a decent basketball player could pull off. Because of that, comparing him to those guys is just pure hypocrisy.

When it comes to athletic scholarships, any American athlete with Olympic potential can land one. This isn't some exclusive perk reserved just for Duje. As for those scholarship offers from Berkeley, the US doesn't have much to say about that.

Honestly, everyone here is acting like such a moralist, but let’s be real—it’s just pure American envy coming through. And for those of you who had your tickets to the States back in '91—are you actually certain you still believe you made the right call back then?

Your reasoning is frankly pathetic, and honestly, that’s all it deserves. By your logic, nobody should represent America unless they’re some wealthy pro athlete in the NFL or the NBA. You might as well tell everyone to just pack up and move to Bahrain so they can change their names to Abdul El Bajrami. 🙄

darkbear51 said:Come on, be real here. Would you actually turn down an offer like that?

Yes. He isn't some starving artist; he pulls in decent money from his swimming career. As for more publicity, he can't get any if he’s never in the States to begin with. Honestly, who cares if he stays away.