rowdyowl said:I’ve got this nagging feeling that Team USA is going to let us down big time again, even if our coach thinks we absolutely crushed it. The guy is basically the basketball version of a perennial underdog coach who can't stop smiling while losing.
Signed, sealed, and delivered. Just another cog in the machine following the party line.
I'm calling it now: massive disappointment incoming (though God, I hope I'm wrong...).
After all the absolute chaos we've seen lately—first out in San Francisco, then down in Lubbock, and now over in Boston—I honestly think the new Sports Fan Act is way too soft. I mean, what kind of referee actually calls a match off after a third warning? At this rate, you could light up flares, start chucking stuff onto the pitch, accidentally nail a linesman in the head, and then just do the whole thing again in the second half without much consequence. It’s a joke.
People love to talk about how "strict" the rules are. If you want real strictness, you'd call the game immediately after the first flare hits the field and throw the person who threw it in jail for attempted assault. But let's be real: nothing is actually going to change.
So, what, we aren't even allowed to set off some firecrackers or light up a flare anymore? What’s even the point of showing up to the game if that's the case...?
The whole atmosphere—the cheering, the energy, honestly just the lifestyle—it all feels like it's losing its soul.
Walter Miller45 said:So, what kind of core work are we talking about here?? Are these exercises actually any good http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8TCglomNoo ???
I can't pull up YouTube right now, but whatever you do, don't do those back extensions where you hook your feet under something and pull your torso up. That’s just asking for trouble.
Try lying on your stomach instead. Lift your arms, legs, and shoulders off the floor and hold it for a few seconds. You can switch it up by keeping one arm at your side while the other reaches out (sort of like 😁Superman), or reaching your arms back while lifting your shoulders, and so on.
Also, try doing bridges. Start with a shoulder bridge, then move to your head, then maybe your hands if you're feeling ambitious...
Hit the abs, back, and legs—but don't skip the stretching, especially those hamstrings. They’re absolutely vital if you want to keep your lower back from feeling like garbage. You can't just pick and choose which parts of your body to train; if you neglect one area, you're basically asking for an injury. Basically, if you're putting in work on your core, you need to match that effort with your back.
If you want explosive power and actual cardio, grab a jump rope and go at it until you're absolutely spent. Honestly, you can even do this while catching a show on Netflix. If there's a high-rise nearby, try sprinting up to the 20th floor. (Just take the elevator back down, don't be a hero). Keep doing that until your legs start feeling like jelly. 😁
Throw some single-leg squats into the mix. And for the love of god, stretch. Stretch, stretch, and stretch again. Do it before you start and definitely do it when you're finished.
Personally, I wouldn't touch heavy weights right now either. You're still young and growing, and the odds of you messing up your form and causing permanent damage are way too high.
Whenever there’s a big meet or she’s grinding away in the gym, I never see Vlašić standing right by the line. It’s always this other guy—I can't even remember his name—who's acting as her coach. My logic says the coach should be the one whispering tactical adjustments to Blanka in those split seconds between jumps. But I rarely spot her dad at the meets, while that other guy is practically glued to her side...😕
Unlike Vlašić, who seems more hands-off, gypsum is out there hitting the slopes at 5 AM...
Now *that* is what I call a real coach, ☕ unlike Vlašić, who mostly just acts the part.
Vlašić is an egotistical jerk. Gips is the real deal to him—the guy’s just got a short fuse and zero patience for anyone messing around.
Back to the topic at hand: this award is supposed to go to the best coach. In my book, what defines a great coach? It's their ability to squeeze every last drop of potential out of an athlete. To me, the actual medals won are secondary. Major props to Blanka, honestly, but she’s currently fighting an uphill battle with her physical peak—her numbers aren't quite where they were back in 2009. Then you look at Ivica: he’s in his thirties now, he’s been staring down the barrel of career-ending injuries more times than I can count... yet here he is, still competing at the highest level and grabbing Olympic medals and first-place finishes.
If you ask me, the award was well-deserved for Gips...
Paul Jones7 said:He’s complaining to John. But honestly, you can't force them to step up or agree to any kind of deal if they just don't want to. It's not like HBS could have sat down with the Austrians or the Italians to hammer out a partnership and then come to Fak with a solid offer. They didn't. It's almost like people think the Americans are the only ones who matter here.
They have as much obligation to help as the Germans do for that Swiss guy. 😉
Fak made it clear from the get-go that Velepec is the only one he's counting on. 😍
I seriously can't believe you're still taking their side. 👎
Maybe take a second to actually read through the rest of the thread before you start bowing down. It's all apples and oranges over here, man. Just total nonsense...😉
So, I spent most of my weekend catching the biathlon 😁 (feel free to roast me for it), and I caught this moment where the German commentator was talking about how that Swiss guy—who was sitting pretty in the top five—is actually out there training alongside the German crew. And get this: the guy isn't some shady character looking for an easy way out; he was fighting tooth and nail for a medal.
Now *that* is what you call sportsmanship. That’s how a real athlete carries themselves. It’s a hell of a lot better than those cowards from Canada...
Paul Jones7 said:Honestly, why would you even want to be happy about an American coach training a Canadian individual athlete who ends up winning medals for Canada?
They aren't idiots; of course they valued him. I don't see any reason why they’d help him out from the start if there wasn't some level of self-interest involved.
You know what? I can tell you without even thinking twice: yeah, they would. In my book, that's just the spirit of the game and being a good neighbor. Especially when we're getting paid for those services. Besides, their biathletes definitely benefit from training alongside a top-tier American biathlete.
The way you're defending their ruthless, "we're better than everyone" attitude is honestly pretty pathetic...😢
Paul Jones7 said:Jerry, man, get real. You're just ignoring the facts here. The truth is simple: Fak lost his access to top-tier training facilities, and that's all there is to it...
So how did he end up walking away with two medals then?
The reason he lost those training privileges was because some bureaucrats decided to pull the plug on his coaching services—services that were almost certainly taxpayer-funded. This wasn't us shutting him out; it was their own extortion tactics at play...
ambercobra28 said:At the end of the day, they managed to strike a deal that actually benefits our young biathletes. It’s totally possible they’ll get to train properly in Canada or alongside the Canadians 🤷, which honestly matters way more for the athletes than whether the federation gets some extra cash dumped into their accounts.
Yeah, sure, and I'm sure they'll be right back there trying to poach them the second they become successful...
Paul Jones7 said:Just try stepping into his shoes for a second to see how it feels. You’re an athlete with genuine talent, but the US just doesn't have the infrastructure or the setup to actually nurture it. Then, the folks over in Canada come along and offer you a chance to train with their squad. Then, at the exact moment they realize you’re actually hitting your stride, they drop the line about wanting you to represent them. So, you strike a deal with them for a two-year grace period to buy some time, and they agree. Why wait? Because you aren't ready to just turn your back on America without a fight.
Why didn't the big names snap him up when he was still under the radar? If they knew he was going to jump ship, why play along? Why go through this whole charade with the sponsors? The Americans ended up with a medalist, and they're acting like paying 100,000 EUR is some massive burden. Is Velepec really the only coach on the planet? Why did the Canadian side do everything in their power to corner Fak now, only to act all innocent and disinterested after the fact?
See, that’s where we differ. Those are the questions that make me look at things differently than you do...
Though, if you ask me, there's probably a whole lot of dirty laundry on both sides that neither of us knows anything about.
Look, Paul Jones7, I honestly don't get where you're coming from. We had this guy who basically cut a side deal with the Canadians, and all while he was leading us Americans on, making us scratch our heads in confusion. It wasn't even his intention to play for the US, and his own comments pretty much prove that. A lot of money was poured into him, and I'm guessing people thought he had real potential.
The fact that our federation is seeking damages after Fak's blatant double-dealing and extortion is actually an understatement.
I wouldn't go as far as calling him a traitor... maybe a little bit, but mostly just because of how shady and unprofessional he was being with his little games...
I honestly think that $100,000 needs to serve as a wake-up call for any other potential "defectors." Look, none of us get a say in where we’re born or what kind of family we end up with. Some kids grow up in a cramped apartment in a rough part of Chicago, while others are born into mansions with infinity pools. A pro sports career isn't the be-all and end-all of existence either... especially in a niche discipline like biathlon. There are people out there who wouldn't trade their soul for all the money in the world just to represent a different flag, but then you have others who are practically itching to jump ship at the first opportunity. This whole situation should send a clear message to those opportunists: by leaving, they're basically spitting in the face of everyone who stayed behind and kept grinding despite having zero support.
Did Fak actually say he'd play for Team USA if the funding came through? Has anyone actually secured the sponsors yet? And did Fak just bail on us to join the guys over in the Midwest?
So, who ended up looking like the total sucker here?
Henry Cox78 said:Would the price tag be a million if this were about you? Give me a break. What do you or the federation actually gain from ruining someone's life? Is the federation going to get some gold star or a pat on the back for this? Are you personally going to cover Fak's medical bills and social security after these guys tear him apart? If everyone else in this situation is acting like a total snake, then at least the federation should show some actual humanity.
From the jump, Fak was negotiating with our side while holding absolutely nothing up his sleeve. He kept making excuses about how there were "no conditions met" or whatever. But the second our guys pulled together enough sponsors and actually set things up for him, he changed his tune and jumped ship to the Europeans instead. Personally, I think they screwed him—or honestly, he just screwed himself by tying his fate to Velepec.
That’s exactly my point. As soon as the sponsors finally stepped up and the funding was actually secured, everyone’s true colors started showing—Fak, Velepec, and those guys from the neighboring association were all being incredibly two-faced. It felt like John basically backed Fak into a corner, leaving him with no choice but to cave to what the neighbors wanted.
The whole performance by our national association regarding hunting down sponsors and setting up the necessary conditions? Total theater. Just a complete sham.
If you’re asking me, the price for all that drama would have been a cool million... ☕