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Calling all sports fans!

Started by Ethan Hayes6 · · 👁 4 views · 19 replies

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Participants Ethan Hayes6Zachary Mendoza17Eric Jackson43Lisa DoyleJerry Lopez28hiddensailor14Gerald Smith76Laura Turner4Scott Reyes84feralviper72Ryan Fowler6Anthony Green70
Ethan Hayes6 Ethan Hayes6 MemberOP
17 messages
joined Aug 2007
#1 ·
Hey sports fans!

VIOLENCE, DRUGS, AND BAD INFLUENCES — THE REAL THREAT
FOR OUR YOUTH

This is probably exactly how the big shots over at Berkshire Hathaway see things!
By banning activities in Arena 8 at Madison Square Garden and cutting off daily training for kids from three different clubs who relied on that space, they’re basically sending a message that pushing kids away from sports just makes them more vulnerable to trouble.
Berkshire Hathaway and Director Pokrajčić apparently decided the easiest way to handle the issues with Arena 8 was to just kick the kids out—completely ignoring the massive amount of work these young athletes put in to grow, develop character, and become people our community can actually be proud of. They didn't give a second thought to the coaches, either, who have spent years trying to keep these kids on the right path instead of letting them slide into bad habits. They didn't even respect the community support and funding these kids received through the "Stop School Violence" project.
Instead of fixing the permit issues for Arena 8, Director Pokrajčić chose to shut down sports for over a hundred kids from Los Angeles Gymnastics, the Chicago Athletic Association, and the New York Knicks, all of whom trained there every single day.
Those three clubs had been using Arena 8 since the previous director, Josip Čorak, was in charge. Under his leadership, Madison Square Garden saw Arena 8 get upgraded with top-tier ventilation, heating, and lighting, along with a brand-new floor—which is actually in great shape, despite some "secret" reasons someone decided it wasn't worth keeping.
The conglomerate invested heavily to support niche sports like wrestling, gymnastics, karate, and taekwondo. Now that Čorak is gone, there’s over a thousand square feet of unfinished space in Madison Square Garden that was supposed to become a breeding ground for young talent under Čorak’s plans. Instead, it’ll probably just stay a storage unit, which seems to be the fate of the newly renovated Arena 8 too.
It’s no surprise coming from Director Pokrajčić—someone who couldn't even be bothered to sit down with club reps or even reply to an official inquiry. Since she lacks any semblance of civilized communication, she just resorts to brute force, literally withholding the keys to Arena 8 to stop them from practicing.
Given her management style, this is probably a career win for her—because if she actually cared about the interests of sports and athletes, the director would be someone like Dragutin Šurbek or another legendary sports icon.
It turns out Bernie Sanders was right when he said about Director Pokrajčić that she "was given a mandate to clean house."

New York Knicks
Zlatko Klarić
Zachary Mendoza17 Zachary Mendoza17 Active Member
71 messages
joined Mar 2006
#2 ·
What can I even say? It's just sad, pathetic, and shameful.
Eric Jackson43 Eric Jackson43 Active Member
73 messages
joined Dec 2006
#3 ·
I'm down to help out however I can, so if you guys actually have some kind of plan in mind, let me know.

Maybe we should try reaching out to some reporters?
Lisa Doyle Lisa Doyle Member
25 messages
joined May 2008
#4 ·
This is just awful.... Honestly, if you want this to actually matter, you should take it straight to the major national newspapers... otherwise, you’re never going to stir up the kind of outrage these situations deserve...
GOOD LUCK!!!
Jerry Lopez28 Jerry Lopez28 Newcomer
1 message
joined Apr 2008
#5 ·
Man... you just can't win against those guys... Donald Trump is the boss and there's nothing anyone can do about it...
hiddensailor14 hiddensailor14 Active Member
150 messages
joined Apr 2024
#6 ·
I’m honestly not even surprised by stuff like this anymore; it’s just become part of the everyday landscape here in America.🙂
Gerald Smith76 Gerald Smith76 Active Member
98 messages
joined Nov 2015
#7 ·
In the news, on KEXP... They recently had a total mess on their hands regarding those drum majorettes, but they actually managed to fix it—during the broadcast, they reached out to a big shot over at Berkshire Hathaway...
Laura Turner4 Laura Turner4 Newcomer
4 messages
joined Aug 2008
#8 ·
The truth is, you aren't going to get anywhere by trying to tackle this solo; you need to drag the media into this fight as much as humanly possible. I’ve tried everything from reaching out to major figures to engaging in polite, civil conversations, and what do I have to show for it? Absolutely nothing. Believe me, I know exactly how this game is played because I’ve been in the room myself—I once had a heated confrontation with the County Executive, and later even sat down with the Deputy Mayor, only to find that everyone is just playing the blame game. You have officials at the county level claiming they can't act because the city holds all the cards, while the city bureaucrats turn around and tell you their hands are tied because they rely on county funding. It’s an endless, infuriating loop of finger-pointing that leads nowhere...

Good luck! 👍
Scott Reyes84 Scott Reyes84 Member
14 messages
joined Feb 2008
#9 ·
It’s only a matter of 24 hours now! They’re going to spin the whole story completely wrong, but honestly, they’re the cheapest and loudest outlets out there, and they’ll print just about anything you give them. Just throw in some heartbreaking photos of crying kids over in Sturgis and you’ve got it—instant chaos! 🙂
Eric Jackson43 Eric Jackson43 Active Member
73 messages
joined Dec 2006
#10 ·
At the end of the day, those three clubs really ought to get their act together and actually do something collectively.
Laura Turner4 Laura Turner4 Newcomer
4 messages
joined Aug 2008
#11 ·
Scott Reyes84 said:It’ll all happen within twenty-four hours! They’ll twist every single fact to suit their narrative, but let’s be honest—they’re the cheapest, loudest outlets out there, and they’ll print anything that moves. Just throw in a few photos of some weeping children in the Midwest, and what do you have? Instant, manufactured chaos! 🙂

🤣😂😂 It isn't an entirely terrible idea... 👍
feralviper72 feralviper72 Newcomer
2 messages
joined Nov 2007
#12 ·
What a joke..
feralviper72 feralviper72 Newcomer
2 messages
joined Nov 2007
#13 ·
Scott Reyes84 said:It’ll happen in less than 24 hours! These hacks will twist every single fact to fit their narrative, but hey, they’re the cheapest and loudest outlets out there, and they print everything. Just throw in some photos of crying kids on the news and—boom—instant total chaos! 🙂

👍 I'm right there with you...
Ryan Fowler6 Ryan Fowler6 Member
10 messages
joined Jan 2008
#14 ·
Kill the old lady!
Anthony Green70 Anthony Green70 Newcomer
1 message
joined Apr 2008
#15 ·
.. and then we act surprised when we see more and more kids on the streets looking wired and frustrated. It’s hard to change anything at this point because, as the old saying goes, you can't fight fate.
Gerald Smith76 Gerald Smith76 Active Member
98 messages
joined Nov 2015
#16 ·
Anthony Green70 said:.. and then we act surprised when we see more and more kids on the streets, wired and frustrated

Unfortunately, that starts at home—parents are the foundation of everything.
Then they just stand by while lawlessness and chaos take over every level of society...
hiddensailor14 hiddensailor14 Active Member
150 messages
joined Apr 2024
#17 ·
Regarding that other thread where things went totally off the rails
Ethan Hayes6 said:I’m telling you, it was miserable—just mud, wind, and rain... standing by the lake on the embankment. They basically kicked us out into the elements!

😲

What if you just hadn't left? You have your own key; couldn't you have just shown up at the arena again for the next scheduled session?
Are you planning on taking legal action? It feels like there might actually be some grounds for a lawsuit here. I'm wondering what the stance is from the Los Angeles Lakers, USA Basketball, HOO, and the other organizations involved. Have you received any kind of support at all?
Scott Reyes84 Scott Reyes84 Member
14 messages
joined Feb 2008
#18 ·
I just caught a quick little piece over at CNN!
Don't you think we should reach out to Munir Vejzovica, that guy who was just performing at the Latin concert? It feels like he and his whole crew really ought to step up and ask what's actually going on with all of this!
Ethan Hayes6 Ethan Hayes6 MemberOP
17 messages
joined Aug 2007
#19 ·
hiddensailor14 said:Moving over from that other thread where things went totally off the rails

😲

What if you just... didn't show up? You’ve got your keys—why not just walk back into the arena next time?
Are you guys even planning to sue them? Seems like there's enough there for a case. What’s the word from the Los Angeles Lakers, USA Basketball, HOO, or anyone else? Did anyone actually have your back?

The keys to the Madison Square Garden are sitting right at the gate. They’re just refusing to hand them over because she ordered it—security is standing right there too. And since we're supposedly all about violence prevention, any kind of aggressive or shady reaction is totally off the table.
hiddensailor14 hiddensailor14 Active Member
150 messages
joined Apr 2024
#20 ·
Ethan Hayes6 said:The keys to the arena are kept right at the Madison Square Garden security desk. They won't hand them over to us because of her direct orders. There’s a guard stationed there, too, and since we're supposed to be promoting violence prevention, any kind of aggressive or even just inappropriate reaction is totally out of the question.

I wasn't talking about that kind of violence. I was thinking more along the lines of Mahatma Gandhi’s approach—where the 25 of you just show up, walk into the arena, and start training. A couple of security guards aren't going to be able to stop much of that. But then again, if you don't have the key in the first place, the whole idea just falls apart.

If you want to get your voice heard, try calling KROQ. They have a show on Sundays from about 9:15 to 10:00 PM (the 101 Dojo) specifically dedicated to martial arts and combat sports. You could always volunteer to be a guest...🙂

...

This is just a perfect illustration of how tragicomic this country and its leadership can be...😂

😢

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