World Handball Championship - Group B (America, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Mexico, Argentina)

gentlebear47 said:Don't go forcing it!😁😉

I mean, what did you expect? It was slippery, so you slipped up...😂😉

I’m still stuck on this damn enigma. What is the deal with the Strongman and the Democrat? Why aren't they being called up anymore? It isn't even about whether they’d actually do a good job...

It’s almost kickoff time. I can’t shake this feeling that we’re actually going to take home the trophy this year. I have absolute faith in this team. 👍

Dennis Doyle3 said:back before 2000 🙂

And?

The way soccer players always console themselves by saying "everyone plays soccer"... well, handballers can pull the same old routine too...

Especially after you manage to scrape a draw against Malta...

northernotter70 said:The US is sitting pretty at the top of the group, and just like always, we're crushing you guys.

What, like back in Tunis in 2005? Or maybe how it went in Switzerland in 2006?🤷

☕

Aaron Gonzalez6 said:I’m still stuck on this damn enigma. What is the deal with the strongman and Dempsey? Why aren't they getting called up? It’s not even about them being "good" additions, it's just... what gives?

Dominic hasn't played any serious handball for a while now—he's basically out of the game entirely. Last I heard, he was supposed to head over to France, but who knows if that actually went down.

Spoljarić is a whole different story. Clearly, he's one of those guys who refused to "fall in line," so they tossed him aside under the guise of "youth development." Typical.🙄

frozentiger6 said:Right, so their bonuses kick in if they even make it to the World Cup or the EP, so missing out isn't exactly a total disaster... I guess Bilic will explain things further down the line, or maybe Krizanac will.

It’s definitely easier to find success in a sport where only about ten countries actually take it seriously and there are just two pro leagues in the whole world. Honestly, taking third place at the World Cup is a much bigger deal—it's way harder to pull off than all those handball golds and medals combined. Every single soccer placement in the World Cup or the EP carries its own weight, especially making it into the second round. But then again, I don't expect everyone to get that—most people just follow sports casually over a drink at a bar, but the ones who actually care... well, they'll understand.

dustyridge3 said:It’s almost go-time. I don't know—I've got this nagging little feeling in my gut that we might actually pull this whole thing off. I really do believe in these guys. 👍

Must be nice. I don't have anything to lean on myself—honestly, if we aren't careful, we might just end up being a short-lived story once we hit the semifinals. Or maybe we won't even make it that far, who knows? It’s all a bit up in the air.

Paul Jones7 said:It’s obviously easier to find success in a sport where maybe ten countries actually take it seriously and there are only two pro leagues in the entire world. Taking third place at the World Cup is a much bigger deal—it's way harder to pull off than all those handball golds and medals combined. Every single ranking in soccer at the World Cup or the Euros carries its own weight, especially just making it out of the group stage. Then again, I don't expect everyone to get that—most people just watch sports casually, like they're sitting at a bar, but if you actually care, you'll understand.

Funny...

First, you throw out a pile of ad hominem attacks, and then you try to deny everyone else the right to their own opinion—especially the people who don't agree with you...

Two pro leagues?

I could list at least three right now...☕

How ironic to get caught in your own trap regarding "superficiality"...

Anyway, where do you consistently see a higher concentration of quality?

Which sport is tougher and sees more injuries?

Adam Collins4 said:Pretty funny...

First off, you just drop a bunch of ad hominem attacks, and then—as if that wasn't enough—you try to deny everyone else their right to an opinion, especially those who don't see things your way...

Two pro leagues?

I could probably list at least three...☕

It’s almost poetic how you manage to get caught in your own shallow logic...

But anyway, where do we actually see a higher concentration of quality?

Which sport is actually tougher and results in more injuries?

The whole debate about which sport is harder or has more injuries is kind of irrelevant here. What really matters is what was actually stated: how many countries play it, how many have pro leagues, the total player base—both amateur and pro—and how that population is distributed globally. I'm not some hardcore soccer fanatic or anything, these are just facts. Based on those numbers, it’s pretty obvious that the concentration of talent is incomparably higher in soccer.

Though, if you think I’m going to sit here and argue with you over this, don't hold your breath. I honestly don't care.

Paul Jones7 said:It doesn't matter which sport is more grueling or where you see more injuries—that's irrelevant. The only metrics that actually count are how many countries play the game, how many have professional leagues, the total player pool (both amateur and pro), and how that base is distributed globally. Look, I’m not some die-hard soccer fanatic—those are just facts. And based on those facts, the concentration of talent is incomparably higher in soccer.

But if you think I’m going to sit here and argue about this with you, forget it. I couldn't care less.

Look, you could drone on about "quality" until tomorrow, but the top-tier quality is essentially identical in both sports—it's just as evenly spread among, say, the Top 10...

Everything else is just fluff that anyone can claim... kind of like how soccer players pat themselves on the back after scraping by a draw against a team like Malta...

But one thing is certain... an Olympic gold medal carries way more weight than taking third place at the World Cup...

Not to mention all the nonsense claims that a bronze finish matters more than any World Cup, European Championship, or whatever else you throw at it...

Even a silver medal in basketball from the Olympics holds more prestige...

I mean, what are our actual results in soccer at the Olympics?

When you really think about it, just look at what most players actually consider the absolute pinnacle of their careers...

Adam Collins4 said:Me?

Just like soccer players always comfort themselves by saying everyone plays the same game, handballers can pull the same stunt...

Especially after you manage a draw against Malta...

And nothing. I wasn't trying to diminish anyone or blow anyone out of proportion. I just said the gap is much wider, that's all. I've watched every handball championship our national team has played in for ages, going back to Portugal. I follow the Washington, D.C. team in international play since the Teka and Wallau days (to be fair, I've tuned in less over the last decade, though I caught every match this year and last). I don't follow our domestic league and, frankly, I couldn't care less (just like any other handball league). I'm not some die-hard fanatic, nor do I understand handball nearly as well as I do soccer, which was—and will always be—the number one sport in this country.
As for what you say about "comforting ourselves," I can take my comforts where I want. We both know exactly what constitutes success and what's a failure.

EDIT: By the way, soccer is probably the only sport where a medal from the World Cup or the EP is actually worth more than an Olympic medal. National soccer teams don't even show up to the Olympics with their strongest possible rosters.

Adam Collins4 said:Look, you could argue about quality until tomorrow. It’s basically the same in both sports, just spread out similarly through the top 10...

The rest is just filler that anyone can stumble into... kind of like how soccer players pat themselves on the back after scraping a draw against a team like Malta...

But one thing is certain... first Olympic gold carries more weight than taking third at the World Cup...

Not to mention all those people claiming that third-place trophy matters more than everything from the World Cup to the Euros or whatever else...

Even a silver medal in basketball at the Olympics counts for more...

I mean, what are our actual Olympic results in soccer?

When you really think about it, just look at what most players actually consider the peak of their careers...

Your comparison doesn't hold water. The way you qualify for the Olympics is totally different in these two sports. Soccer players have to go through the U-21 squad and can only bring in three seniors for the Games, whereas handball players don't deal with any of those restrictions.

If you asked any athlete—excluding soccer players—the answer would be the Olympics. But for soccer players? The World Cup is the pinnacle (obviously talking about national teams here).

As for comparing that '98 bronze to an Olympic gold? From a purely sporting perspective, gold wins. But in terms of overall impact? '98 had the bigger significance.

Look, I gotta say, I’m equally obsessed with football, basketball, and handball... honestly...

Here’s the cold, hard truth though—ranking high in a World Cup for football is basically on par with grabbing a handball medal at those big tournaments mentioned above... the logic is dead simple... there's way less competition in handball, plus way more people dedicate themselves to "serious" football, so making a massive leap at the European or World levels is just infinitely harder...

But you also gotta look at the foundation where all the talent comes from... in America, that talent pool still leans heavily toward football by an immeasurable margin... just like how consistency matters, and you need good breathing room in the youth ranks, where handball usually takes the lead... meanwhile, football often suffers from that old-school mindset of just packing a group together and then getting totally embarrassed in the Round of 16...

When you start comparing medals, it's tough to put anything in the same category as a World Cup silver...
I mean, think about it... from those grueling qualifiers all the way to the tournament itself...
The guys over in Barcelona only really had to worry about facing the likes of Spain or Lithuania when fighting for gold... whereas in Olympic handball, you're getting hammered twice by three or four heavy hitters...

I’m not trying to hype up one sport over another, and frankly, it feels kind of pathetic even trying to compare them, but seriously... achieving greatness in top-tier football is just the hardest thing out there...

Dennis Doyle3 said:EDIT: Also, honestly? Soccer is probably the only sport where a World Cup or Euro medal actually carries more weight than an Olympic one. I mean, think about it... the top-tier national soccer teams don't even show up to the Olympics with their full-strength rosters. It's just different...

Handball's European and World championships just hit harder... mostly because of who you're playing against and how hard it is to break through when all those heavy-hitting American and European squads are packed into the bracket. Kind of like basketball, too...

We'll just have to wait and see how they handle making room for everyone in the upcoming Olympics...

Adam Collins4 said:Wait, what were our results at the UN Olympics for soccer again?

The Olympics are kind of a joke when it comes to soccer; I mean, once they actually start sending out their strongest rosters instead of just some youth squads, maybe then we can have a real conversation about Olympic soccer. Right now, the comparison just doesn't hold water...

Sean Gonzalez95 said:But you also have to consider the foundation where all the talent is being pulled from... and in America, that system is still lightyears ahead of everyone else in the sport.

That’s really the heart of it—it’s just how things work in most places around the world; soccer is the top dog, so naturally, it attracts the lion's share of the talent and players.

Paul Jones7 said:The UN is a joke when it comes to soccer; once they actually start sending their absolute best rosters, then maybe we can talk about the UN as a serious football entity. This comparison is a total stretch, though...

And that’s never going to happen. Who is actually going to send their strongest squad a month after the EP wraps up, or just a week before the major European leagues kick off?

Sean Gonzalez95 said:The European and World Championships carry more weight... because of the level of competition and how hard it is for top European teams to break through, much like in basketball.

We'll just have to wait and see how they manage to squeeze enough qualifying spots for the upcoming Olympics...

Look, here’s my take: the French national handball team—they’ve managed to sweep Olympic, European, and World gold. You can hear people make that claim constantly. Does anyone ever talk about soccer national teams that way? No. They say "World Champion" or "European Champion," and that’s where it ends. In soccer, Olympic gold doesn't carry nearly as much prestige, even if you have a few older players still chasing that one last trophy.

Paul Jones7 said:And just when you think you’re finally ready to celebrate... right at the moment you actually wake up to reality... 😁

We'll just have to wait and see.

gentlebear47 said:Was it like that back in Tunis in 2005—or are we looking at a repeat of what happened in Switzerland in 2006?🤷

☕

And let’s not forget—Red Star were world champions back in '91, too! 😂

Dennis Doyle3 said:Yeah, that’s just never going to happen. I mean, who in their right mind is going to send out their absolute strongest lineup a month after the Euro tournament wraps up—or even worse, just a week before the big European leagues kick off?

If that's the case, then the International Organization basically loses all its credibility when it comes to football. It becomes totally irrelevant, I guess.