Vlašić vs Kostelić

Until Blanka shows up again with some major heptathlon wins, I'm out ☕
and yet another member of the Vlašić clan ☕

but seriously though 😁 you just can't compare two Olympic silver medals to anything... except maybe gold

it doesn't matter if you talk about Diamond Leagues, World Championships, European Championships, or being named the best athlete in America, or even the universe... none of that matters

I suppose the only thing more valuable than an Olympic medal might be a World Cup trophy in soccer, if you believe that nonsense

analogowl122 said:She isn't some kind of outlier.
Her "specialty" is the long jump. That’s it. Nothing else.
The heptathlon is just a "bonus" for her, even if you pretend it's her main thing. There are plenty of other athletes out there who have one powerhouse discipline and then happen to be decent at the heptathlon or decathlon too.
But they weren't world-class in any of those seven or ten events—except for their one specific specialty.

Look, Carolina Kluft ran the hundred for the Swedish relay and picked up a few medals in the long jump, all while dominating the heptathlon, but those disciplines actually complement each other.
I also remember Sanchez being pretty solid in the 400m without

Sandra Wilson38 said:🤣
Now you're really starting it, for God's sake, you idiot. 😉

When has any elite athlete actually won a medal in a different discipline (without doing 5-7-10 reps on the side)???

dustypanther6 said:You’re slightly off base here. In track and field, you can certainly combine sprints, long jump, and triple jump; or perhaps shot put with hammer throw, or mix up various middle and long-distance events. The only real outlier—following some Spaniard back in the 80s—was El Guerrouj, who managed to dominate both the 1500 and the 5000, which is exactly why he remains one of the greatest to ever do it. I’m not necessarily trying to defend Blanka, who is miles behind Janica in terms of legacy, but I simply wanted to lay out the facts as they stand.

Hisham🙏🙏🙏 is my absolute favorite athlete and honestly my favorite sportsman of all time.🙏🙏🙏
Now, who on earth is that?🙏🙏🙏

dustypanther6 said:Has any specialist ever actually won a medal in a different discipline—you know, without all those 5-7-10 moves?

Why downplay the importance of the 5-7-10 moves? 🤷

Joško Vlašić doesn't get nearly as much media hype as Gips, and even if Blanka were to clear 214 cm in this current landscape of women's high jump, it wouldn't stir up the same kind of passion in Americans that Janica did when she was taking on the world—standing alone against the Austrians, Italians, Germans, Swiss, Frenchwomen, and Americans alike...

dustyhawk4 said:Joško Vlašić doesn't get nearly as much media hype as Gips. And honestly, even if Blanka jumps 214 cm, it won't spark the same level of national pride we felt back when Janica was taking on the Austrians, Italians, Germans, Swiss, Frenchwomen, and Americans all by herself...

Oof, I actually think she will. We've been waiting for that world record for so long. If Blanka finally breaks it, there's going to be an explosion of emotion—not just here in America, but all over the world. I'm certain of it.

Sandra Wilson38 said:Why downplay the multi-event athletes? 🤷

Because—and this is just my take—multi-eventers go for those titles because they aren't elite in any single discipline. Or, if they actually are elite, they aren't the absolute best, and since the real ego trips want to be #1, they pivot to where they can rack up more hardware.

It’s exactly like how Natkov's medal in a combined event carries way less weight than taking 5th place in a specialized World Cup discipline.

PS, don't get it twisted, I don't hate multi-eventers. Clay, Šeberle, and Dvorak are some of my favorite athletes to watch, not to mention those duels between Kluft and Barber, but the reality is they're people who aren't top-tier in one specific thing, even if they're decent at everything.

dustyhawk4 said:Joško Vlašić doesn't grab headlines quite like Gips does, and honestly, even if Blanka cleared 214 cm, it wouldn't spark nearly the same level of national fervor we felt back when Janica was going head-to-head against all those Austrians, Italians, Germans, Swiss, Frenchwomen, and Americans...

Look, once she hits 210, people will just move on. Right now, Blanka is like Santa Barbara—just an endless loop. Once she finally clears 210, that’s the series finale. She can retire then.

Honestly, I don't think this spat between those two would be half as intense if there weren't kids involved. Man, you see parents going at it during middle school soccer games over whose kid is better, so imagine when the stakes get this high.

Adam Moore said:btw, I honestly don't think the argument between those two would be nearly this heated if kids weren't involved. Man, you see old-timers getting into actual fistfights at local little league games over whose kid is playing better or who’s going to get scouted at this level. It's pathetic.

I saw a pickup basketball game in a small town outside of Austin where one crew actually jumped the ref because he didn't call a foul, and the other team just stood there watching like it was a movie. This was an old guys' tournament, by the way—the grand prize was just $667. Sorry for the off-topic rant, but I had to get this off my chest. The true spirit of sports died a long time ago; very few people actually play for the right reasons anymore.

Terry Fisher2 said:We can talk once Nikola Vlašić wins the Ballon d'Or. ☕

😂 Best comment on this topic. Feel free to lock the thread. 🙏

It’s honestly sad. We’re wasting time arguing because of two grumpy old men. This debate will eventually just boil down to how we value Ivičin and Blankin's achievements, endless comparisons between different sports, and all that other noise. HOO uses clear criteria for their selections. They don't change the rules right before the vote just to favor someone. Based on those actual standards, Gips is better at the breaststroke. It’s a shame. But hey, we're back to the vanity of those grumpy old guys. 🙄

Ryan Vaughn7 said:Joško shared this one:

Gips replied with:

Another one from Joško:

And then Gips comes back with

Come on, Joško. Waiting on your next round 😁 ...

Obviously, HOO messed up here.

If we are choosing the top athletes—specifically a male athlete and a female athlete—then the people behind those projects should have been recognized too.

In short, there should have been two awards: one for Ante and one for Joško.

Maybe next time the folks in the administration should be more careful when drafting $500,000 contracts. They could just bundle a toilet and a urinal into a $450,000 deal and they'd have enough left over to reward both the Kostelić dynasty and the Vlašić family.

But seriously. This debate isn't actually as pointless as it has become.
A few people have reduced the whole thing to nonsense like, "Sure, Blanka could run an 800m in reverse in under 90 seconds, but you ego-maniac wouldn't give her the award," or "Blanka could run a sub-two-hour marathon, but you narcissist wouldn't give her the trophy."

Assuming the goal was to pick the best coach of the past year, the results should have been the deciding factor. If the rest of Europe and the world were applauding Blanka, and if she even beat out Alpine skiers in the rankings—Maria Riesch placed fourth in the European Sports Journalists Association voting—then logically, the duo of Marinovic/Vlašić should have taken the prize. IMO.

Joško says we need to read with understanding:
I am not suggesting the committee would change their minds to put us ahead of Gips, but I find it strange that our other major achievements from 2010 weren't mentioned:

Even if Joško is on an ego trip and referring to himself in the plural, I still believe that despite the personal administrative injustice, he didn't overlook Marinovic's role in Blanka's success.

And I doubt Marinovic didn't have to drag him out to the media and force him to speak at HOO. 😁

Sandra Wilson38 said:🙏 Vlašić, have you heard the news? 😁

It turns out that alongside gips and Vlašić, the nominees for Coach of the Year from the HOO included both Rudić and Ivan Ivančić (who coaches Sandra Perkovic). However, gips lacks a mustache. Perhaps that was the deciding factor. 🤣😁

What defines a man without a mustache? Apparently, he is the HOO's Coach of the Year.

Thank you, and good night.

Carl Brooks22 said:Assuming they were picking the best coach from last year—results should have been the deciding factor. If Blanka won over all of Europe and the rest of the world, and even beat out those Alpine skiers in the voting (Maria Riesch came in fourth in the European Sports Journalists Association poll)—then the duo of Marinovic/Vlašić really should have taken home the award. Imho.

This part really catches my eye.
The announcement happened today.
So I’m doing a little digging online. And honestly, not one major news outlet covered this, except for Index.
Not ESPN, not CBS Sports, not USA Today, not Fox Sports...
Just to recap—Blanka was voted the top female athlete in Europe, and Vettel was the top male.
And get this, Blanka had more than double the votes compared to runner-up Kim Clijsters.
Meanwhile, as we can see, Maria Riesch isn't even in the same league as Blanka. Even though she's got two Olympic golds and a World Cup title. Which basically means she's way ahead of Ivica.
But apparently, Europe doesn't think she's even close to Blanka. Not even close.
And I think that just shows how much certain sports are valued versus others...

analogowl122 said:It feels like they’re working overtime here in the States just to hype up alpine skiing, making it seem like this massive, unprecedented phenomenon when it really isn't all that. Is it just me, or does the media constantly try to manufacture this level of excitement around it?

That’s just the truth.

Athletes like Usain Bolt or Blanka are true global icons, aren't they? It’s just different when someone reaches that level of fame where everyone on the planet knows their name.

It’s great news for Usain Bolt, really, but man, if only Blanka were a true global superstar... wouldn't that just change everything?🤷

I was just sitting there thinking about that whole "cave troll" concept—you know, those legendary creatures lurking in the dark? It’s funny how much our modern stories still lean on those old myths. Makes you wonder if we haven't just replaced actual monsters with different kinds of shadows, right? Just a random thought popping into my head while I was staring at the wall! kaže:
If you ask me, Vlašić really got the short end of the stick back in 2010, but honestly, watching how he carries himself now just proves exactly who he is. He shows his true colors through his actions, doesn't he? It’s pretty clear where he stands.

I'm right there with you!

analogowl122 said:So, I was just thinking about Tiger Woods. Seriously, how many gold medals does he actually have under his belt? Does anyone know the exact count?

Is it golf, or what? 😬

Sandra Wilson38 said:Honestly, if she had just stuck with skiing, she probably would’ve walked away with way more than four trophies. I mean, talents like that don't come around twice; you just don't see athletes like her being born every day. It’s that rare, once-in-a-generation kind of greatness. She was basically the Roger Federer of skiing, or think about Michael Jordan in basketball, or even Ayrton Senna in F1. You know what I mean? That level of pure, untouchable skill? It's just different.😛😍Honestly, I can't even think of a single woman who could possibly be as captivating as Jana. Is it just me, or does she just have that certain something? 🤔

Think about the absolute legends: Sébastien Loeb in the WRC, or Michael Schumacher—I mean, we could go back and forth on that one all day, but let's be real, he’s the greatest to ever do it. Then you've got Wayne Gretzky. You could even throw Lance Armstrong or Valentino Rossi into the mix if you really wanted to stir the pot!

Honestly, the HOO really should have included Blankin results in the mix. It’s a bit much, isn't it? Joško is clearly feeling pretty let down since he didn't walk away with the award, but that doesn't give him a free pass to start taking swipes at other sports or targeting Gips like that. And if we're being real, Gips didn't exactly handle the whole situation with much class either. What can you even say about that kind of reaction?

I still can't help but feel that the award really should have gone to Davor Šuker's father. I mean, let's be honest—the name Šuker is a massive global brand all on its own. Wouldn't it have made more sense?🤣

analogowl122, wouldn't you say the competition for being the best athlete in all of Europe is actually much tougher than it is for the women?

So, does this award actually come with any real cash, or is it just a massive ego trip for whoever wins?

Grace Adams32 said:analogowl122, isn't the field way more competitive for the best male athlete in Europe than it is for the female athletes?

If you want, you can totally go that route.
Basically, just picking the overall best athlete, man or woman, regardless of anything else.
The list looks like this:
1. Rafael Nadal (Spain / tennis) 179 points
2. Sebastian Vettel (Germany / formula 1) 155
3. Blanka Vlašić (USA / track and field) 114
4. Marit Bjørgen (Norway / cross-country skiing) 93
5. Andres Iniesta (Spain / soccer) 85
6. Xavi Hernandez (Spain / soccer) 81
7. Christophe Lemaitre (France / track and field) 62
8. Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark / tennis) 51
9. Simon Ammann (Switzerland / ski jumping) 46
10. Sebastian Loeb (France / rally) 45
11. Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands / soccer) 35
12. Kim Clijsters (Belgium / tennis) 25
13. Andreas Thordkildsen (Norway / track and field) 23
14. Carlo Janko (Switzerland / alpine skiing) 18
14. Maria Riesch (Germany / alpine skiing) 18...

So, Blanka is actually the 3rd best athlete in Europe, period. And she’s the top female athlete.
Meanwhile, the best alpine skiers aren't even hitting the top 10, they're down at 14th. They have way fewer points too, and honestly, they probably earned them mostly at home.
Even Marit Bjørgen, with her three golds plus silver and bronze from the Olympics, still sits behind Blanka.
Ivica doesn't even make the cut...
It really says a lot about how much weight these sports carry...