Posts by wanderingpanther10

Paul Jones7 said:America could have snatched up a big-shot coach, but honestly, I don't think the country was ready to cough up the cash required for that level. I mean, they would've had to offer way more than what they put on the table for Fak. Personally? If someone offered me something like 500 $0.00 a year, I'd jump ship from the American federation in a heartbeat. But there's just no way our folks would have paid that much.

Well, maybe there wasn't actually a way to bring that specific coach on board, but hey, that's all just speculation. If they were truly dead set on keeping Fak, they could have worked something out with the neighbors involving that coach. The way things played out now, it just makes Fak look like the bad guy—like he's some kind of traitor—when really, he's just a guy trying to move his career forward.

Look, if you ask me, Draganja didn't stick around in America just because of some paycheck or whatever the US was dangling in front of him. It's more likely because that whole big plan for a massive team in Qatar fell through—I think they were looking at adding a Pole and two South Africans to the mix, if I remember right... At least those two guys weren't cowards; they didn't just pack up and head to the desert for a quick buck.

Maybe that's the real reason, or maybe it's just that their federation actually came through with enough cash to keep them from heading off to Qatar.

wanderingpanther10 said:So, Jakob Fak was basically saying that the US offered him other coaching options, but he was dead set on sticking with his Canadian coach. It’s wild when you think about it—it means there was actually a way to work things out with the national federation where he could keep training over in Canada but still compete under the American flag. Talk about having options!I don't even know where things went sideways... honestly, I'm just lost.

But if you really sit back and look at it... I mean, honestly? It isn't even that hard to wrap your head around. There are really only two ways this plays out. Just two options. That's it.

So, I heard this rumor—or maybe it’s just talk—that the coach basically gave him an ultimatum. Apparently, he told the guy that if he keeps competing for the US national team, he’s out. Just like that. No more training together. It’s wild how quickly things can shift when loyalty and team politics get involved, right?

Either they didn't throw enough money at him to convince him to come play for the US.

And honestly, I can't really blame Americans for being a bit stingy when it comes to dumping a massive pile of cash just to ensure this guy gets some decent training with a half-baked setup.

I honestly think people are making way too big a deal out of this. It’s such an overblown mountain of a problem. Just look at how much Draganja pulled in when he was already on his way to the States to compete for the national team. The amount we're talking about here is a tiny fraction of that. I mean, if the national federation wouldn't even cough up the cash for a mid-career athlete in a niche sport, why are we all acting so outraged by his choice? It's simple. What he couldn't get facilitated here in America, his neighbors stepped up and provided for him.

Fak mentioned that they offered him other coaching options here in the States, but he was dead set on sticking with that Canadian guy.

That was his ONLY wish. Honestly, the people over at the federation just proved how incompetent they are by trying to force their own terms on him. And now? Now they’re trying to pin the blame on him. Unbelievable.

Jacob just wanted to keep working with the same coach he’s had since day one. Honestly, it doesn't seem like such an impossible request to grant.
If the US Ski Association actually had the willpower, this whole thing could have been smoothed over in no time.

Jacob Fak mentioned that the US had actually offered him other coaches, but he was dead set on sticking with this Canadian guy. So, technically, everything was lined up—he could have kept training over in the States while still competing under the American flag through an agreement with the US Ski Association. I honestly have no clue where things went sideways...

Paul Jones7 said:well if that's the case, what does that little brain of yours think—why did he actually leave?

maybe it's just because America can't provide the kind of biathlon setup a top-tier pro needs (I mean, we aren't talking about some amateur stuff here)

is America going to hand him 100 pairs of high-end racing skis like a world-class biathlete requires? And what about the rest of the support staff needed for elite results? You can just imagine that, right?

honestly, if he had stayed to train in America, he would have never seen a single medal. Never. And what would the US even get out of an athlete who just finishes somewhere below fiftieth? We wouldn't even know we had such incredible talent in the first place

Canada built Fak, and America just can't keep him at this level. The guy realized that, and that's why he's moving on. Because around here, you just get screwed

finally, a smart person actually telling the truth 👍