Duje Draganja: Sellout or just misunderstood?

unnamed~ said:Alright, it's pretty funny, but quoting myself just to laugh at my own jokes feels a bit much...🙄

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-Andriy Shevchenko- said:Look, a regular guy has a steady job, pays his taxes, and builds up a retirement fund. Athletes don't really have that setup unless they're paying into it themselves—plus, you've got the constant risk of injury hanging over your head. Just imagine if someone like Lance Armstrong got clipped by a truck or a car while out training. Everything just goes south instantly.

Man, just take a second and look at how much ACTUAL work is going into this. You can't just sit there and claim you're working a standard 40-hour week.

The guy is in the pool constantly, PLUS there's the massages, the physical therapy, the recovery sessions, and all that stuff...

And obviously, he’s gonna need a visa because, technically, he's a foreign national. Who even said he was getting special treatment? If you didn't know, rest is part of the training too.

And another thing, the government didn't create him. His coach and his own grind created him.

And why are we even bringing up veterans and comparing them to him now? Veterans made a choice to go to war. Okay, yeah, guys, you went to combat. War comes with its own set of things—trauma, sacrifices, blame, and a whole lot of heavy stuff... That's just what war is. But that's a completely different conversation.

It’s funny how people lose their minds when one swimmer heads to Qatar, but back when he was selling himself to some foreign country via AT&T, everyone stayed quiet... cowards.

unnamed said:Pro athletes, basketball players, tennis stars... they all make insane money, so why would they even think about changing their citizenship? Oh wait, it’s because they pay their taxes in places like Monaco and stuff.

IF YOU thought our swimming star moving to wealthy Qatar was a massive blow to American sports, you might find this next part even harder to swallow. Due to the scandal currently rocking the public, unnamed is seriously considering walking away from swimming altogether.
It looks like our swimmer couldn't handle the intense pressure, especially since he's caught in a brutal tug-of-war between his home and a life-changing offer that would set him and his family up for life.
But if unnamed does quit, he won't be sticking around the States. He plans to finish his degree and land a job at an American corporation. This was confirmed by the Secretary General of USA Swimming, unnamed.
"Beyond the move to Qatar, there's another path for unnamed. He’s in his final year of college, and in the US, it's standard for major companies to recruit students right about now. It seems like he's getting closer to that option every day. Basically, accepting a corporate job—he didn't specify which one—and leaving swimming behind." - unnamed told ESPN upon arriving at the airport in Chicago.
The official just arrived from Berkeley, where he had been spending time with our swimmer.
"Unnamed is tough... he's dealt with so much in his life that... I won't say more, but I can see how hard it is for him to make a choice that impacts not just himself, but everyone close to him. He knows exactly what's at stake." - unnamed added.
Unnamed is expected to make this life-altering decision within ten days, and the official is hoping the outcome won't be a total loss for the country. According to ESPN, after spending time with the athlete, the official still couldn't quite figure out what unnamed's final answer to USA Swimming will be.
"I think he's really struggling with it, but he'll make his own call." - unnamed concluded.

-Andriy Shevchenko- said:A regular guy has a steady job, pays into his benefits, and secures his retirement. Athletes don't have that setup (unless they pay into it themselves), not to mention the risk of injury. Just imagine if some truck or car clipped Lance Armstrong during training. Everything goes to hell.

Get a grip and look at how much ACTUAL work he does. He doesn't just sit around for 40 hours a week.

He spends all that time swimming, PLUS massages, plus various treatments, plus recovery time, etc..

And obviously, he’ll need a visa because theoretically, he’s a foreign national. Who even said he would have special status? Because if you didn't know, rest is part of the training.

And another thing, the government didn't create him—his coach and his own hard work did.

And who is even bringing up or comparing him to veterans here? Veterans made the choice to go to war. Okay, guys, you went to war. War brings its own things—trauma, sacrifices, culprits, and a whole lot of... well, that's war. But that is a completely different topic.

It's interesting how the public reacts when one swimmer heads to Qatar, but when he was selling himself to a foreign entity through AT&T, everyone at home stayed quiet, cowards...

He’s planning on finishing up his degree and landing a job at some big American corporation.

Brandon Castillo4~ said:For all you worriers freaking out about whether unnamed will be a loser or just a total failure...

Tuvix said:I believe this is precisely where the core issue lies. If he walks away from swimming and remains in the States, everyone will simply move on as if nothing happened. However, if he swims for Qatar, he’ll be branded a moron, a traitor, a piece of trash—you name it. To be perfectly honest, I would much rather watch him compete for Qatar than see one of the world's premier swimming talents end his career at just 21 years old.

Ken said:Duje is banned 😁

rustystag7 said:He won't have to change his name since they only do that for people who convert to Islam, though I wouldn't be surprised if he jumped on that too if the price was right. [/B]

brighttiger6 said:And unfortunately, that’s exactly what will happen. Because of an incredibly intolerant public that refused to wait or hear both sides before jumping straight to the attacks, Duje might just walk away from swimming altogether. Seriously, the guy is only 21—he’s younger than 90% of you on this forum. What did he ever do to deserve this kind of smear campaign? Is being an American just about making a superficial appearance on some news cycle?

L.NimoyInvadesMetal~ said:What kind of moronic logic is that? What, should a truck just plow you into the ground tomorrow on your way to work (God forbid)? "Everything goes to hell?" exactly.


Look, a truck could plow him too, but I was talking about sports injuries, which aren't exactly rare at that level. Something that trivial can throw a freak athlete completely out of rhythm. Tell me, have you ever even dabbled in swimming?

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And as for the injuries themselves, don't tell me you actually believe that crap? Why wouldn't someone like Lance or whoever else just set aside a portion of the cash they earned? this reminds me of that famous Sprowell line from last year, after he turned down that massive (multi-million) contract from Minnesota: "I gotta feed my family."

They do leave money behind, but there's a difference between being Maldini and having a massive contract for 20 years, versus being some little guy like Duje who hasn't even grabbed what's rightfully his yet.

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I agree. He was built by his coach and himself. Look, a miracle—Pete Sampras was built by his coach and himself. Lance Armstrong was built by HIMSELF. Sergej Bubka was built by HIMSELF. As for Pete, I don't know. But man, you are dead wrong about Lance. You wouldn't believe the logistical support he had backing him up. How many doctors, how many specialists who... look, there's a good book on it, you really ought to read it; Lance is basically a guinea pig for the people he works with. You're wrong about him. He was built by modern science and cycling as a sport that needs promotion. Quote:>> Do you see the pattern here? You're generalizing, setting up this thesis as if an athlete isn't responsible to their country AT ALL, but only exclusively to themselves and their own wallet. Thank God other athletes don't think like you. Here you go again, harping on that connection between the state and the athlete. Trust me, an athlete couldn't care less about the country. It's all about pulling in the cash, securing good conditions... they don't give a damn about anything else. I know way more athletes than you do, and I know how they actually think. Do you even play a sport? Quote:> I agree, that's a different topic. And it's stupid to drag this into deep discussions about something incomparably more important and bigger than sports and some 20-year-old kid who still "counts," if he decides to go to a country that'll hand him a few million dollars, or stay in the US and suck the life out of a country that'll only give him "just" 300-400,000. I agree too, it's out of context, but someone mentioned the war so I responded. Quote:> Maybe you stayed, but clearly the TV was turned off too because people WERE complaining. But again, different topic. Look, maybe I’m overtraining or whatever, so yeah, I can't catch every single little detail, but I'm definitely not blind. For something as massive as selling off HT, you'd think the public would have reacted way differently. But honestly, that's a whole other conversation.