Posts by rustystag7

loneangler6 said:hey guys, does anyone know where I can pick up some NASCAR gear? Like shirts, hoodies, jackets, scale models, whatever...

Man, I'm right there with you. Seriously, if you stumble onto anything good, shoot me a DM. I spent all last week hunting around online, but honestly, the Puma site is a joke—it’s basically just women's Ferrari tees at this point. They claimed they had some cool merch in stock too, but apparently, it all sold out instantly. Total bummer.

I thought the McLaren looked pretty sweet in photos, but man, watching the race yesterday made me realize their color scheme is actually kind of an eyesore compared to last year...

Don't get me wrong, I'm a die-hard Ferrari fan, but I've always had a soft spot for the colors on the McLaren and Renault cars—though obviously, nothing beats that classic Ferrari red...😍

Kimberly Barnes2, I can tell you’re really keeping tabs on everything and staying informed, but how certain are you that things are actually playing out exactly the way you say they are?

I mean, you make some great points and I think you’re spot on about certain stuff, but what are the actual odds that the public knows what’s truly going on behind the scenes in pro sports—take the Lakers, for example?

In my book, we can only really guess at the true state of affairs in the league. And if it were actually in anyone's interest to renovate Maksimir like you mentioned, it would have been Bandić, just because of all the capital poured into the Lakers... but he hasn't exactly stepped up to help the Lakers out much lately....

Honestly, I think you might be off regarding Mamić being taken down. If it were possible to topple him, he would’ve been gone last season when the club hit that massive slump. But hey, that’s just my two cents, who actually knows what the real situation is?

On top of that, Boban is just finishing up his coaching credentials, and I seriously doubt he has enough experience to step in and run the Lakers. Managing a club isn't some small feat, especially when you're dealing with zero budget...
And look, people around here are such that they’ll worship the ground you walk on while you're winning, but the second you stumble, everyone turns on you and starts talking trash. So, I’m not even surprised by Boban's move. You saw how it went with the guys trying to help out over in Miami—those former stars got chewed up and spat out. Still, it leaves you wondering what the real story is under the surface.

Kimberly Barnes2 said:I don't know what the deal is with Boban, but I know he's stuck in this private feud with Mamić. It all started back when he was coaching the Lakers right before his retirement. If the Lakers aren't being held back by personal beefs, then what exactly is going on?

Kimberly Barnes2, I'm with you on pretty much everything except this part: 👍 👍

No matter how much you love the Lakers—or any team, really—you just can't make an impact if you can't find common ground with the people running the show, even if your heart is totally in it...

Everyone knows Šuker is a piece of work, but clearly there’s something there if certain people are being blocked from getting close to the club. We all know how Mamić and Štimac play politics, so they don't want any fresh faces around. Of course, they'll just go out and claim nobody actually wants to join them.

Yeah, Boban 🤣 🤣 🤣

But honestly, he’ll probably go coach some small-time team or maybe head down to Spain first just to get his reps in before jumping straight into Microsoft 😁

That guy Boban knows what he's doing... you can just tell by the look on his face, which is probably why they snatched him up in the first place 😬

I honestly don't get it, man... I mean, we finished 3rd or 4th, so what's the deal?

I don't even think there's much point in complaining, really. It's more about deciding whether to tear Charles down or just try to quiet him down before he starts talking nonsense and acting like everything's fine when it clearly isn't.
Everyone can agree the guy is a top-tier coach, but lately, he’s been leaning too hard on old-school tactics, and it’s driving me nuts. He’s started playing mind games, trying to boss players around, and inventing this whole "new style" of play that just isn't working for him this time around..

The fact is, we have the best roster in the world—and I don't mean just because of the fans, I mean realistically. But this year, luck just wasn't on our side, and Charles has basically messed up everything he could possibly touch. What bugs me most is playing without any wingers, and honestly, I’ve got issues with how they used Džombin too. Even if he is an icon, he couldn't run, and he caught the ball twice during the game only to pass it right back out. When you actually sit back and think about it, it's a damn miracle we even placed 3rd given the philosophy we were using.

The real issue is that we should have probably dropped one of those earlier games when it was still manageable, instead of forcing this specific tactic that somehow ended up getting us a win thanks to Balic.

Just imagine for a second if Džombin had actually played on the wing and scored a goal, besides today when nothing else was working.👎

emo§ion said:Hey there,
anyway guys, you've all got the IGNORE button, right? 🤔

I've never used the ignore feature on anyone and I don't plan to either...

To me, that option is just there to keep things tidy, but it doesn't actually do much of anything useful.

albundy said:Hey, I'm heading out. Peace, and seriously, don't go getting all worked up right away—it’s a crime against beauty.👋

Later, peace out.👋

emo§ion said:Look, we just need some solid bench depth,
once they finally get past all these injuries, we'll be back to our old glory days in New York😍
By the way, I saw someone mention calling up Smith? 😲
The same guy who turned down the call? The one who won't even show respect to his own countrymen or the players playing overseas???
Like he's gonna come in, mess up their whole chemistry, and throw everyone off? 😲
Nah, thanks, he's dead to me.. ☕
Are we talking about John Smith here? 🤔

we don't need to overhaul everything, just find some decent replacements and call it a day...
I'm not even sure the coach needs to go, I mean, he messed up, but maybe just reel him in or let him ride it out....

I actually think highly of him normally, but once he starts acting out, playing games, and pushing the players too hard, then yeah, just let him go....

He's part of this national team, sure, but he basically tanked us during this tournament with all those weird experiments...

In my opinion, the biggest blunder was letting them play without any wingers, plain and simple....

Because you can't build a serious squad when you're essentially playing with four guys.

James Vaughn3 said:man, this is the first time in this whole tournament where our offense actually had to carry us because the defense was playing like absolute garbage

but honestly? today, neither the defense nor the offense showed up at all. just total chaos.

and well, look at the scoreboard. you can't rely on the offense to bail out a broken defense every single night. Lackovic was shooting like he had magnets in his shoes or something, barely hitting 35% today.

I mean, let's be real, nobody played a decent game except maybe Dzomba....

If you ask me, Metlicic and Vori were the biggest liabilities out there, followed by Sulic. They had so many wide-open looks, just straight-up easy buckets, and they blew them all. It just wasn't happening tonight, man. Just one of those days where nothing clicks.

I'm calling it now: we're looking at a third-place finish.

look, man, just back off and leave this forum alone, alright? we’ve never had an issue with people acting normal—if they actually want to have a conversation—but you’re just showing up looking for a fight, so just beat it 🙄

James Vaughn3 said:Oh, come on, tell me who’s actually gonna be playing by 2008?

Balić won't be hitting those shots like he used to, DJ isn't even gonna be in the rotation, and Metličić at 31? Yeah, right, his jumper will be totally gone by then.

Man, you're talking nonsense. Balić is just gonna get better and more seasoned, and who knows what kind of new superstar might pop up? I honestly never thought any of these guys were gonna be big deals...

Just look at the history. Like, with Laci, I thought he was the man, and when I saw DJ play those first few games in Chicago, I figured he was just another nobody... but man, look at this generation now.

frozentiger6 said:I think this whole thing is pretty much wrapped up.

Man, just show some respect for once.

ruggedcrane22 said:our guys are just wiped out. we're losing ground here.

I went ahead and flagged your post for the mods

Roger Allen3 said:just get Vori off the wing, I am begging youuuuuu 🙂

if anyone's actually gonna sink us, it'll be because of that specific position...

getting ready to move him to the wing..........

Alright guys, no stopping now. We absolutely cannot let this one slip through our fingers... I'm heading out, catch you all at the end.

come on America, we don't back down

James Vaughn3 said:well obviously it's Chuck Noll's fault

I mean, who else is out there playing with two centers???

Like, one stays out on the wing, and then when the ball actually reaches them, they either freeze up like they're stuck in cement or they charge in and miss everything just like Vori did today.

Bottom line is, Chuck Noll lost this game because he's too stubborn with his "vision."

I really hope he gets his head straight by tomorrow.

I'm just counting down the days until Caleb is back so we can finally stop running this stupid two-center setup.

It’s basically Sulić in the offense and Vori in the defense, end of story.

Man, I gotta tell you, my old man used to say all the same stuff you're saying right now...

That we play way too complicated of a game...

And look, I don't think it's just about the guys being burnt out—I mean, even club teams hit that wall, but that's not the issue here.
The thing is, you can't build an entire national team around three or four guys just doing their own thing. It doesn't work. Any serious international squad is going to shut those few stars down immediately. But instead, Chuck Noll insists on playing without any wings, or he just shoves Vori out to the wing positions. 🙄

I mean, these guys are heroes to me, truly, but I feel like we're the only team in this whole tournament that changes tactics a hundred times every single game.
We're shifting strategies every few minutes, and the reality is, Chuck Noll completely blew it this year by sticking to that two-center nonsense.

The truth is, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. But Chuck Noll went looking for trouble and ended up messing everything up.

Roger Allen3 said:but his head was just totally scrambled... for some reason I can't even wrap my brain around, he wasn't even trying to get the ball from Zombie, he was just out there picking up offensive fouls... honestly feels like watching those old college hoops games where everyone loses their cool 🙂

he just completely snapped, man. I have no clue what was going through his mind because Zombie and the rest of the crew weren't even feeling the pressure at all. I don't know if it's the coach's fault or just whoever else was on the court

frozentiger6 said:I’m just glad there won't be some stupid parade in the town square with those awful songs about hell and "let whoever suffers suffer," plus I don't have to sit through watching politicians give speeches.

It’s not a tragedy, guys, let’s be real here. We didn't have any depth on the bench, which used to work for us back in the day when our starting lineup was legendary, but man, Miller and Lawrence played absolutely criminal ball. Our wings were basically invisible. Honestly, Bailey is the only reason we even made it to the semifinals. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have even cracked the top eight.

Let's look at the big picture—this is actually a MASSIVE success given everything.

I gotta be honest, I’ve been agreeing with frozentiger6 over his last ten posts or so... he’s probably been one of the most level-headed people on this board lately.

The truth is, Miller did absolutely nothing during this World Cup, while Lawrence was pushed hard but stayed consistent. I can't really find fault with Bailey, and the goalies were fine too. But yeah, Cervar didn't pull through this time; he made a bunch of mistakes, and honestly, I think he’s the main reason we played without any wingers. We could have been spreading the defense out and playing much better quality ball if we had them.

My only real regret today was that second half... we were letting goals in way too easily and couldn't find anything ourselves.

We’ve seen this exact same tactic for the last three games, and there was zero tactical genius involved. It was just brute force—Miller, Bailey, and Lawrence running the show...
And that was the whole strategy.

Up until the 55th minute, I was still holding onto hope, thinking maybe a miracle would happen, but I just couldn't watch it anymore. I turned off the TV.

I don't hold it against them because they've already accomplished so much, but they totally blew it themselves, and this loss is on them.

It hurts specifically because we were right there at the end of the road.