Carl Brooks22 said:Of course not... you missed the point—or maybe I buried it too deep. I’m talking about the fact that our basketball players, who claim to defend the "holiest jersey" (not to mention the irony of some holding onto those precious jerseys featuring six torches or the red and white checkers), retire from the national team in their late twenties—think Gira, Vuja, Mulaomerovic... after the era of Radja, Kukoc, and Stojka. They haven't won anything at the senior level—that first trio could have done more—whereas if they had stayed, Duje might have even secured two more world medals to add to his collection... but apparently, that's just another complication for him—we're missing out on what should be his future achievements.
In my view, the real "betrayal" is the decision by guys like Gira to quit the national team during their absolute prime—when they could contribute the most! In sports like basketball or soccer, where these players have already secured their livelihoods through club contracts, they should be the backbone of Team USA! But no—Gira, Vujcic, and whoever else decides to bow out just to get a little extra rest, or because they're frustrated with referee calls at the European Championships! Give me a break... or look at the soccer players haggling with the federation over whether they'll play the Euro if they advance past the first round of the World Cup, and so on...
On the other hand, you have this swimmer—a class act and immense talent, which he's proven with the medals he's brought home for the US so far—more than all the other sports combined (except handball) over the last few years. He lives and studies in America, which certainly isn't cheap; he trains as hard as any pro basketball or soccer player, constantly flying back and forth between the US and home for club duties and various national championships. That costs money... and given everything he's achieved and will undoubtedly achieve, he receives a government stipend $2.25!!! To an average person, that might seem like a lot, but considering his obligations, travel, specialized nutrition, supplements, and a mountain of other expenses, it’s nothing...
Yet that same government—the one that supports a man who represents us globally and brings us moments of pride—gives such a stipend to a swimmer, also gives every single member of Congress $5.00 plus paid housing and meal expenses!!! We're talking about people who sleep through sessions, scroll on their phones during debates, show up for two hours, take notes, and leave... people who get free phones and cards, and as recently reported in the news, blow massive amounts of taxpayer money on private luxuries, behaving utterly unprofessionally during televised sessions for the whole country to see!!! 😠
Personally, I'd much rather see our tax dollars go toward larger stipends for elite athletes instead of the aforementioned nonsense... or better yet, instead of being used recently to refresh the expensive vehicle fleet for ministers, because apparently, a four-year-old Audi needs to be replaced with the latest model!!! Imagine the disgrace if the Speaker of the House drove anything other than a brand-new Audi with a personal chauffeur available 24/7 (since the man clearly needs his drinks after work)!!!
As long as this power dynamic exists—where a top-tier athlete like Duje Draganja receives such meager support while astronomical sums are wasted on the whims mentioned above—I stand firmly behind Duje's decision and wish him nothing but the best in his career! 👍
And when he competes—even if he’s swimming under a different flag—I’m still pulling for him just like always.
