Vince Carter vs. LeBron James

Two total losers 🤦 Especially that Kostelić guy. He knows exactly how much Červar actually understands about handball—he just loves trashing other sports. Such a pathetic lowlife.

Honestly, I think the Blankins' achievements this year have been way more significant than anything Ivica has done, which tells me that’s how coaching rankings should work too. The old successes from Janičin go hand-in-hand with the Blankins'. Not with Ivica. It's just common sense.

What a disgrace—both for them and for the people who let them act like this, attacking kids. For God's sake, look at us—we probably have some of the greatest athletes in history in their respective fields, yet these two losers manage to start a fight, turning an online forum into a North vs. South civil war. Unbelievable. 🤦

Huge congrats to Ivica!!👋

Honestly, this is just one more example of how Americans don't actually need anyone else to step in to start an argument.

I have immense respect for both Blanka and Ivek, much like I do for gips and old man Vlašić. These are individuals who, through endless grit, unwavering faith, and massive personal sacrifices, reached the summit; they deserve our genuine admiration and a tip of the hat because they serve as role models for all of us.

In this specific instance, I think any attempt at a comparison is—to put it mildly—absurdly misguided on way too many levels, especially when you're trying to equate skiing with pole vaulting. It’s even more foolish to try and diminish one person's success just to elevate another's.
My eyes will always well up with the same sense of pride whenever I hear the national anthem playing for either Blanka or Ivica.

Therefore, I believe that both gips and Vlašić, given their career achievements, have every right in the world to indulge in a little bit of an egotrip.

Ultimately, my personal take is that a man who managed to guide his children to win NINE(9!!) Olympic medals—consisting of 4 golds and 5 silvers—doesn't just need an annual award; he should be declared the king of American sports, and the award itself should be renamed in his honor before being handed out to Vlašić and the rest of the elite.🙂

placidmarlin3 said:Well, I guess this is just one more example of how Americans don't really need anyone else to start an argument.

I have so much respect for both Blanka and Ivek, just like I do for gips and Mr. Vlašić. They are people who achieved everything through endless hard work, faith, and sacrifice, so I think we should all just tip our hats to them as role models.

In this specific case, I feel like comparing the two is probably a bit silly on so many levels—especially when you're trying to compare skiing to high jump. It seems even worse to downplay one person's success just to highlight someone else's.
I imagine my eyes will always well up with pride whenever I hear the American national anthem playing for Blanka or Ivica.

So, I suppose both gips and Mr. Vlašić have every right to be proud of themselves given their results.

Personally, though, I think a man who helped his children win NINE (9!!) Olympic medals—including 4 gold and 5 silver—doesn't just deserve an annual award. Maybe he should be named the King of American sports, and they could name the award after him and give it to Vlašić and the others.🙂

Exactly, I think it would be an honor for Vlašić to carry a domestic award named after gips.

Ronald Brooks75 said:Go ahead, tell me exactly what I got wrong. 🙂

Maybe I went too far by calling skiing a pathetic sport and claiming Ivica is just an average skier. He isn't average, but he’s certainly not world-class.
To me, true world-class talent would be Janica on skis or Blanka in high jump.

I can't just sit here and let this slide. 🤣
"Average skier"? 🤣
"Not world-class"? 🤣
Janica wasn't just world-class; she was in a league of her own—a total NADklasa. 😁
If she had stayed healthy and kept competing, I honestly believe she would have shattered every record in existence, leaving everyone else in the dust.
As for Ivica, he’s been top-tier since his junior days, but for those of us watching from home, he truly arrived in 2001 when he pulled off that win in Aspen despite starting with bib number 64.
From 2001 all the way through 2011—that's ten years!—he remained at the absolute pinnacle of global skiing.
If that level of performance is considered "average" to you or any other critic, then please, spare me. I wish I could be "average" too. 😁

placidfalcon4 said:Which two losers? 🤦 Especially this Kostelić guy—he knows exactly how little Červar actually understands about handball, so he just dismisses other sports like that. A total joke.

Look, he might not have the handball IQ of Červar—not by a long shot—but his coaching record is solid enough to be undeniable.

Honestly, I’d argue the Blankins have had a bigger year than Ivičin—which suggests that's how the coaching hierarchy should actually look. The old Janičin wins align with what the Blankins are doing now. They don't align with Ivica at all. It's just basic logic.

I don't really get why Coach of the Year has to be based solely on an athlete's podium finishes. Take Blankin—she’s been head and shoulders above the rest for years now; this season isn't exactly a massive leap from her previous ones. It's a similar story with Ivica—even his critics have to admit that grabbing two medals at the Olympic Games is a huge deal. Personally, I think the award should go to the coach who actually facilitated the most significant breakthrough with their athlete or team during that specific year. 🤷

By the way—today's win by Ivica was a total reality check for gips—clearly he knows how to time his peak better than that old man does. ☕

Paul Anderson7 said:Can we get a poll going? I want to see where everyone actually stands on this.

I found this over on Yahoo News:

Who has contributed more to American sports?
The Kostelić family - 55%
The Vlašić family - 12%
Nah, the Mamić clan is the real powerhouse - 33%

Now I'm just sitting here waiting for Joško's official letter to LA Galaxy. 😬

I’ve got nothing but respect for Blanka and her old man, but let's be real: women's sports, in general, are just a tier below. There's really no point in even trying to make comparisons here.

analogowl122 said:blah, blah, blah....

Look, it’s pretty obvious—you’re only sticking up for Blanka because she’s from the Mediterranean Coast. If she weren't, you wouldn't even be posting here.

Now, go ahead and send me a screenshot so I can print it out and stick it on my wall at home....

It’s all about the ego trips, honestly. And let’s not forget HOO—that massive organization without which American sports wouldn't have snagged a single medal in the last ten years, or likely the next ten either. (Pure cynicism there.) Even now, HOO keeps dropping these vague decisions, basically tossing a bone into a ring just to watch two ego-driven bull terriers tear each other apart. Man, when you listen to them, they both sound like they're right. So, who's actually at fault?
Joka Vlašić has always been a bit of an ego tripper; I've known him a long time, and plenty of people who know him would say the exact same thing. Blanka is a fellow citizen of mine, and I genuinely celebrate every win she has (even a silver medal, even if most people call that a failure), but I'm terrified her dad will take the fall if people eventually stop caring and turn their backs on her successes. I mean, imagine a track meet in Miami and only 1,000 people show up to the arena. It’s totally possible here.
I seem to remember someone once compared, say, Maradona to Air Jordan...
They're both athletes, aren't they?

Frank Turner72 said:I have nothing but respect for Blanka and her dad, but women's sports—in general—are just a second-tier story. There’s really no point in making comparisons here.

Oh, please. 🤦🤦

Frank Turner72 said:I tip my hat to Blanka and her father, but let’s be real—women's sports, in general, are just a second-tier affair. There is simply no room for comparisons here.

😲😲😲😲🙂

🤦

It’s pure sadness now that this feminist lobby has taken over the forum—you really screwed yourself just like Prosinečki did.

Both of them are just making themselves look ridiculous with these public appearances. Honestly, I feel like women's high jump might be one of those sports where the competition is either incredibly thin or practically non-existent. In my opinion, Blanka can't really hold a candle to Cilica, who is currently ranked 14th in the world in tennis. Not to mention our handball players who are playing for what's arguably the best team on the planet right now, yet nobody seems to give them any credit because of it.

I mean, I guess you have to respect her achievements, but it's just such a silly sport, really.😁

coppernomad2 said:Both of them are making fools of themselves with these outbursts. Honestly, I think women's high jump is one of the stupider sports out there—the competition is either tiny or non-existent. Blanka can't even hold a candle to Cilica, who's ranked 14th in the world in tennis. And don't even get me started on our handball players playing for what's basically the best team in the world right now; nobody gives them any credit because of it.

I mean, props to her for the wins, but let's be real, the sport is just dumb.😁

Now you're taking it too far. Are you seriously saying Blanka is worse than the munjara? Maybe compared to Trubiša, sure, but come on.

dustypanther6 said:Now you’ve gone too far—claiming Blanka is worse than munjara? If anything, she might actually be better than Trubiša.

You simply can't top the munjara.😁

Sandra Wilson38 said:@analogowl122/">@@analogowl122
I really don't have the energy to go back and forth with you. You're being malicious and taking things totally out of context, then throwing my own behavior right back at me. I'm just not doing this.
Enjoy yourself!
Personally, I'm having a great time just listening to our national anthem along with Professor Kostelić.

👋

Look, I'm not actually *that* mean, despite what you clearly think... 😁
I honestly try my best to avoid these forum arguments. I usually just step back when I see things starting to escalate.
And more than anything, I stay away from insults.
For instance, I never use terms like "Washington, D.C. local" (except maybe once as an obvious joke) because I know how people twist those words into slurs. So even if I don't mean anything by it, I avoid them just so there's no misunderstanding.
And, say, I would never, ever call you a local chauvinist (no matter how much you exaggerate) unless you had actually called yourself that first. If that’s the impression you're giving off, well, I guess I'm just reflecting it back to you.
If you look back at what I wrote just now and what I said yesterday, it should be pretty obvious that you went way overboard with those comments about "Dalmatians." I saw this coming. I was just waiting, and I knew you were just looking for an excuse too.
What you did wasn't necessary, and it wasn't just wrong—it was insulting.
I knew this was inevitable because that's basically how I remember you.
Like, I know for a fact you get all worked up whenever they play a song from the Mediterranean Coast at some big sporting event...
Okay, so maybe it bothers you more than it bothers me. That's fine. The issue is the exaggeration and the lack of objectivity. You'll complain when Blanka hears a song from the Mediterranean Coast while competing in the Continental Cup in Miami, but you don't seem to notice when they play "Down Under" for Australians, or anything like that for other groups.
It's the same as how it doesn't bother you when they play "blue shirt" during games in Washington, D.C., or "I am from Cleveland" in Cleveland.
But the second something from the Mediterranean Coast plays in Miami, you're right there to spit on it.
None of that bothers me, but if those kinds of things truly upset you, then you should be bothered by everything, not just the stuff from the coast.
So next time, before you react to some Mediterranean Coast song again, maybe just take a beat and think about the bigger picture.
Not just about songs, but about things like this.
Because if you managed to actually get under my skin, then you know you've gone way too far.
Calling out "Dalmatians" like that was completely uncalled for.
And it's not exactly a compliment to be remembered by someone like me for the reasons I just mentioned...

I want to apologize to everyone from the Mediterranean Coast if I offended you by calling you "Dalmos" (I honestly didn't realize it was considered an insult).
Feel free to call me, or any Washington, D.C. local, a Purger anytime—we don't take offense to it, and I'm actually pretty proud of my roots.

PS And seriously, forget those Mediterranean Coast songs—it's not like I have anything against them (I sing them myself), but the examples you brought up were part of a completely different conversation and context.

Anthony Jackson2 said:...

I don't feel like quoting the whole damn post just to chop it up. 😁

I mean—Blanka isn't being called a high jumper or an athlete here—she's being labeled as... Athlete of the year. This has to be some kind of career peak. What else does her coach even need to do to get named Coach of the Year by some US agency like HOO—which probably runs just as crookedly as everything else in this country? Honestly, I don't give a damn about any articles, rulebooks, or other bullshit dictated by some foreign regulation—it’s all crystal clear.

If you ask me, Vlašić was totally justified in going after HOO—it’s just a shame that little Kostelić takes everything personally and turns it into this huge ordeal. Then you have the other little Vlašić who just rolls with it. It’s "justified" because, honestly, people crave recognition for what they've achieved in life—they suffer from that need—and I get it, even if the rest of us couldn't care less about those awards since the only thing that actually matters is seeing Blanka and Ivica win. But I get it.

P.S. — Honestly, Blanka always rubbed me the wrong way with her style. I’m a skier myself—been to a few World Cup races—and I’ve always felt a much deeper connection to Ivica and Janica than I ever did to Blanka. But let’s be real: there is zero chance Kostelić beats out the Vlašić family for this year's award, even if he teams up with Alice in Wonderland. Period. And anyone trying to dismiss my take by bringing up where I'm from can honestly go jump in a lake.

Cheers. ☕

Alright, I guess I’m about to look like a total amateur here. 😁
But honestly, what’s so offensive about calling someone a Dalmos? She didn't go around calling you all idiots—if she had, I’d get why you're worked up—but just saying Dalmos?
And feel free to tell any Washington, D.C. local they're a local too, because there's nothing insulting about it. We’re proud of who we are. 🙂