Duje Draganja: Sellout or just misunderstood?

lonemarlin said:You saw him on TV.
We're heading out this Saturday to cheer for Duje in Savannah.

That pool is right in my neighborhood 😁

but honestly, I haven't heard anyone in this whole city mention Duje since the Olympics. 😳

If you remember, Duje said in his letter that he wasn't changing his name because nobody ever asked him to. Now he’s backtracking a bit, claiming he'll add a second name of his own choosing, but insists it has nothing to do with religion.

I can't tell if Duje is pulling our leg, or if the Qataris are pulling his.😁 hmmm...

quietfox38 said:If you guys remember, Duje told us in his letter that he isn’t dropping his name because nobody even asked him to. Now he’s kind of backtracking a bit, saying he might add another name of his own choosing, but claims it’s got nothing to do with religion.

I can't help but wonder... is Duje just playing us for fools, or are the Qataris playing him? 😁 hmmm...

Nah, nah, you're reading that wrong. He's basically saying he won't budge until the Qataris reach into their pockets, and then all bets are off...
From what I can tell about how he operates, it seems like he won't move an inch on certain things until someone actually asks him, "Alright, what's the damage?"
And like he always says, once it's famous, it's all just a matter of making a deal. 😁

get this money wasn't even the main thing here it was probably all about the ladies, switching up his name, and that obsession with the desert...

I mean, obviously he’s stoked that for a certain amount of cash he gets to live the high life and swim with the absolute heavyweights of today's relay teams 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏

I noticed that Mujo EL Ahmedic has started growing out a beard.

I bet he’ll snag an extra few petrodollars for every inch that thing grows.

I’ve been searching everywhere, but I just can't find a straight answer on whether non-Muslims are even eligible for Qatari citizenship.

But, check this out—this part is actually pretty fascinating:

Foreign women married to Qatari citizens are granted residency permits and might be able to
apply for Qatari citizenship. But, there's a catch—they’re essentially required to
relinquish their original citizenship to get it.

And look at this too:

The Qatari government has finally begun addressing the situation involving roughly 5,000 citizens who had their citizenship revoked because they violated laws prohibiting dual nationality. It’s a whole mess that has sparked serious human rights concerns.

shadowjackal88 said:I can't find any info anywhere on whether non-Muslims are even eligible for Qatari citizenship.

But man, this is interesting:
And check this out too:

It’s honestly pretty awkward how EL Mujo reacts whenever anyone asks him about Qatar. He keeps insisting he’s staying in the States and that he’ll keep using the name Duje while living in the US. I get the feeling he's hiding something—it wouldn't surprise me if he knows deep down he'll eventually have to convert and give up his American passport.
If I were running Qatar, I wouldn't be dropping billions just to hand out "quasi-citizenship." If you want in, you should have to be the real deal. That means the name, the faith, and one single nationality.

Zale said:EL Mujo...
If I were running Qatar, I wouldn't drop billions just to get some quasi-Qatari lookalike. It should be the real deal... the name, the faith, one single citizenship... all of it.

If I had Duje’s mindset, I’d probably be playing hardball too just to squeeze out a few more bucks... Who knows, maybe Saudi Arabia or the Emirates would jump in. If you're going to go all in, you might as well see it through. Honestly, if he doesn't care about national identity, he should just pack it up. Why give him so much airtime? It was actually pretty funny watching him shut those reporters down... Not like I'd bother asking him for a statement anyway, since there's no money left...😬

Kenneth Kelly5 said:Honestly, if I had Duje’s mindset, I’d probably be playing the sympathy card a bit more too, just to squeeze out an extra few bucks. Who knows, right? Maybe Saudi Arabia or the Emirates—or some other big players—would jump in with a check. I mean, if you're going down in flames, you might as well go out with a bang. And honestly, if he doesn't feel any connection to his American roots, then whatever, he can just pack it up and leave. Why give him all this free airtime in the media anyway? It was actually pretty hilarious watching him shut those journalists down like that. I wouldn't even bother asking him for a statement at this point; clearly, there's no money left to be had.😬

Man, who cares? It’s not like journalists are out there chasing him down just because they love his work or anything. It’s all just a game to sell more papers. That's how the industry works, I guess.
Man, Duje is gonna get so loaded from switching up his citizenship and his religion that he won't even have to lift a finger to swim anymore. He’ll just be floating on cash.
He’s got a pretty sharp beard going, though. Makes me wonder—did they actually pay him extra to look the part, or is he just trying to fit in with the rest of the crew down there?

Duje Draganja-prodana - an athlete, not a criminal!!!

😁 😁

cosmicskipper55 said:Duje Draganja—he's an athlete, not a criminal!!!

😁 😁

Are you saying he's just a swimmer now? Like, "swimmer formerly known as Duje"?

😁

I’m honestly done with Duje Draganja-prodana. With the way he’s been acting, he’s proven he doesn't deserve any of our time. I suggest we all just move on and stop giving that idiot the attention he's looking for.👍

Let Duje do whatever he needs to do; you’ve got my full support. Look, he didn't join some Qatari military unit to go fight against America, he just went to swim for the same kind of paycheck those "patriotic" soccer players pull when they sign with clubs overseas. Honestly, mad respect to everyone staying put right here—especially those who built themselves up from nothing, like Janica did—but we don't need to turn on our own guy. Duje knows he’s gotta secure his future while the opportunity is actually there.

Chris Mitchell11 said:Look, let Duje do his thing, I’m behind him. It’s not like he joined the Qatari military to fight against us or anything. He just went to go swim for the same kind of paycheck those "patriotic" ballplayers grab when they sign with clubs overseas. Honestly, massive respect to everyone staying put here—especially the ones who started from nothing, like Janica—but we don't need to jump down the guy's throat just because Duje knows he needs to secure the bag while the opportunity is actually there.

But you're missing one big point: all those patriotic players still play under our flag, and when they head out to the big tournaments, they're representing the US.
I'm not exactly cheering for his choice, but hey, I wish him the best. Just tell him not to act like moving to Qatar has anything to do with the spirit of the sport.👍

Duje, you absolute disgrace, I hope you find yourself facing some serious consequences down by the Miami waterfront, because if you don't watch your step, things are going to get incredibly messy for you...

bbsan said:Let Duje do whatever he wants. I’m behind him. It’s not like he joined some foreign army to fight against America; he just went for a swim to grab the same kind of paycheck those "patriotic" players rake in when they sign with overseas clubs. Props to everyone staying put, especially guys who started from nothing like Janica, but we don't need to turn on Duje just because he knows he needs to secure his future while the opportunity is there.

Haloooooooooo! Seriously, how old are you people? Duje is what, 21 or 22? He’s barely even started his life. Secure your entire future at 21? And then what? Straight to an assisted living facility by 30? The guy finished college; he'll find work. With his track record, plenty of big corporations would jump at the chance to hire him... Man, Duje... it's easy to say "take the money and run."🙄

robybaggio said:Haloooooooooo! How old are you people supposed to be? Duje is probably only 21 or 22, basically just starting out. Insuring your entire life at 21? And then what? Heading straight to a retirement home by 30? He’s got his degree; he’ll find work. With his track record, plenty of companies would jump at the chance to hire him... Honestly, Duje... it's always easiest to just "take the money and run."🙄

The easiest path is being a lowlife.👋

Jonathan Clark12 said:Honestly, it's easiest just to be a lowlife👋

🙏

you just gotta have that stench about you

ka plus long-life milk said:🙏

all you gotta do is smell bad

Anyone can stink. You don't need a college degree for that. 😕

david morales said:duje mater ti jeben cetnicku, imas srice sta nisan naletija na tebe doli na riva jer bi te ispliska ka zeca

Damn, jebenti, he actually nailed the concept, even though he wasn't saying much at first
this deserves a solid 2 ESA, though I might just throw in a 3
😂 🤣 🤣 🙏 🙏 🙏