America loses an Olympian: Jakob Fak heads to Canada

Gregory Taylor2 said:Well written. 👍

Just out of curiosity—if you don't mind me asking—what kind of sports are you into?

Mostly just cracking open cans of beer; I suppose you could call my disciplines power cleans and snatches. 😉

Man, if those Canadians offer more cash, he's outta here.👍

Paul Jones7 said:just by cracking open a few cans of beer; sudden loss of discipline, then just... expulsion. 😉

Don't judge others by your own flawed standards.😍

Paul Jones7 said:you just ignored—well, you weren't even aware, let's be honest—the fact that in sports like this, while you're stuck waiting for the international break to end, you can actually spend your time playing club sports. You compete, you stay in peak condition, and hell, you might even make some money along the way.

What exactly can you do in biathlon during the off-season? Just sit around and jerk off?

Please, stop talking nonsense about life in America. The average net salary here sits around $64k $0.00 per year, and this fraud wouldn't even see $300 $0.00 if he tried. Not to mention he already got the full payout from the government for those two bronzes—unlike the water polo players who were struggling through that crisis in the pool. Add in free housing and meals up until the 2012 Olympics, plus a sponsored vehicle... just go look up how much that quartet of world champions, with their four golds and one silver, has actually pulled in over the last two years. They're only just starting to see the real money now, which is what they actually live on. But I suppose that's not the question being asked.

Paul Jones7 said:you simply ignored—or perhaps weren't even aware of—the fact that in sports like this, while you wait out an international break, you can easily stay active with club sports. This allows you to compete, maintain peak physical condition, and even earn a paycheck along the way.

What can you even do in the meantime in biathlon? Just sit around twiddling your thumbs?

Of course. You could just resign from the Federation and go waste your time doing nothing. In almost any individual sport, if you aren't a member of the governing body, you essentially don't exist.
That just goes to show how unnecessary the Federation is; it's nothing more than redundant overhead.
Furthermore, hardly any single sport has a mechanism to penalize defectors if they haven't received clearance from their primary national federation.
Take Lennox Lewis, for example: after the 1984 Olympics, he wanted to box for Great Britain, but he couldn't do so without a hiatus, eventually switching allegiances only once he turned professional.
In club-based sports, you can always fall back on club play, which is precisely why there is zero tolerance for defectors today.
While there might be slightly more leeway in individual sports, the concept of punishing those who switch sides is well-established. If the parent federation doesn't grant permission, you have to sit out.
The exact same logic applies to biathlon.
I see absolutely no reason to give preferential treatment to Canadian athletes. If the Canadians don't want to foot the bill for their own citizen and athlete, then let him take a break.
As I have stated before, using blackmail and stalling is a perfectly legitimate tactic for them to protect their own interests and prevent someone else's progress—and they do this in matters far more significant than biathlon.

swiftwalker43 said:Oh, stop talking nonsense about America—the average net salary here is around 64 $0.00 a year, and this fake wouldn't even be satisfied with 300 $0.00 (not to mention he got the full amount from the government for two bronzes instead of how water polo players get it during a crisis in half the country), plus paid housing and food until 2012, along with the IOC and a sponsored vehicle... maybe look up how much this quartet of world champions—with four golds and one silver so far—has actually received over the last two years. They're only just starting to make the real money they live off of, which isn't even what you should be asking about.

swiftwalker43, okay, now you’ve really gone too far. You’re playing dumb by ignoring the fact that 300,000 isn't just a salary—it covers pretty much every possible living expense. Second, Jack Fak isn't your average American; you are the average American. Third, Fak has also received roughly $1333 in grants, which is what these kids get too. Fourth, whatever isn't sitting right with people has more to do with the Department of Sports and the relevant athletic federations than anything else. And fifth—honestly, I’m just sick of these "patriots" who brag about their American pride, but when things actually got tough and they needed to defend their hometowns and small towns, they vanished to go work in 🙄. Yet, they have the nerve to judge others for not playing for the national team. It’s honestly ridiculous, if not downright pathetic.

Paul Jones7 said:swiftwalker43, you’re really overstepping now. You’re playing dumb by ignoring the fact that 300,000 isn't just a salary—it covers every possible living expense. Second, Jack Fak isn't your average American; you're the average American. Third, Fak has received roughly $1333 in scholarships, which those kids get too. Fourth, whatever issue there is regarding others... that's a matter for the Department of Sports and the relevant athletic federations. And fifth, I’m honestly exhausted by these "patriots" who boast about their American identity, yet when things actually got heavy and people had to defend their hometowns and villages, they vanished to work 🙄abroad. Yet, they have the nerve to blame others for not playing for the national team. It's ridiculous, if not outright pathetic.

By using that bolded tone, you've targeted the wrong person. I don't "boast"—I am American. As for my service, from the very beginning as a Volunteer all the way through to the US Army just a couple of years ago.
It doesn't matter; I can see we’ll never agree. You simply cannot be convinced that Fak isn't a degenerate and a sellout, while to you, patriotism and representing the US clearly mean nothing. Your only criteria seem to be money and better conditions—thankfully, people like that are in the minority. Like I said, if he hadn't been offered what he was, I would have been the first to support him. In fact, I'd support Fak leaving too, as long as someone pays him 100,000 euros. For me, he basically doesn't exist anymore.

Here’s some more stuff to chew on





😉

Not a single one of these guys ever stepped onto the field for the American National Team. If they had, there would have been zero chance of them playing for teams in Belgium, Austria, or Canada.
Soccer is an incredibly rigid sport. Just look at the whole Cvitanich situation.
Of course, that’s nothing compared to smaller individual sports like biathlon. Honestly, you only have to look at the absolute mockery the Sheikhs from Qatar and the Emirates made of track and field a few years back. Thankfully, that era has passed; otherwise, they would have just bought up every single athlete in existence!

swiftwalker43 said:Look, you're aiming that bold criticism at the wrong guy—I’m not trying to puff myself up here, I just am an American, plain and simple. As for my service, I was a Volunteer from the start all the way through until just a couple of years ago when I was with the US Army.
At the end of the day, I don't think we're ever going to see eye to eye. You just can't convince me that Jack Fak isn't a traitor who sold his soul. It seems to me that patriotism or representing America doesn't mean much to you—it's all about the money and better perks in your book, which, luckily, most people aren't like that. Like I said before, if he hadn't been offered what he was, I probably would have been the first one to back him. Honestly, I'd even support Fak leaving the country if someone just paid him 100,000 bucks. For me, he's done.

What I'm saying is, it feels like you just don't get the distinction between where Fak stands and where a Volunteer stands. Unlike you, I don't hold it against someone for leaving America just because they couldn't make a career work here. I actually get that. But you? You're looking at this so rigidly—just following templates, being superficial and making these broad, sweeping judgments.

George Robinson43 said:None of these guys have ever played even a single second for the American National Team. If they had, there’s no way they would have ended up playing for Belgium, Austria, or Canada.
Soccer is incredibly rigid about this stuff. Just look at what happened with Cvitanich.
Mind you, that's a completely different ballgame compared to niche individual sports like biathlon. I mean, you only have to look at the absolute circus those folks from Qatar and the Emirates staged with track and field a few years back. Luckily, that was shut down. Otherwise, they probably would've just bought out every decent athlete in the sport.

That's not really relevant to the point, though—it’s just an example. They played for those other countries because they knew, quite likely, that they were never going to get a call-up for the American National Team. Those other countries saw them, wanted them, and reached out. It's actually a pretty fair comparison to Jack Fak, since they couldn't fulfill their own ambitions within the American system, much like how Fak won't be able to reach his full potential if he relies solely on the US. I suppose I agree that it seems a bit selfish, but let's be honest—when it comes to our own jobs and careers, we're all primarily looking out for ourselves. So, judging others through that lens feels a bit unfair, maybe even hypocritical... and honestly, just kind of blind.

George Robinson43 said:Take Lennox Lewis, for example—after the '84 Olympics, he wanted to box for Great Britain, but he couldn't pull that off without taking a break, so he didn't actually become British until he turned pro.

I honestly can't find any solid info on this specific case, so I really shouldn't be weighing in or talking much about it. But, if I were to just observe—I guess—it seems like Lewis didn't lack anything in terms of eligibility, nor was there any actual athletic reason for him to switch over to Great Britain. The fact that he *wanted* to, mostly because of some internal feeling of being British, matters a lot less in reality. Besides, if it had been that big of a deal to him, he probably would have insisted on flying the British flag right from the start. He didn't. And I think that pretty much tells you everything you need to know.

It’s true that in most Nordic disciplines, an athlete has to sit out for a year after their last appearance before they can represent a new national team. But since that rule doesn't exist in biathlon, trying to draw parallels with other sports is just pointless.

The real issue here is that up until two months ago, the Biathlon Federation was saying Jack Fak would get his release regardless of whatever decision was made, only to suddenly flip the script. Even their claim for damages is pretty shaky—they're citing lost sponsorship revenue from negotiations they entered back in July, right after rumors surfaced that Canada was dropping Fak (which wasn't even true). The whole thing is absurd because Canada has undoubtedly invested way more into Fak's development than the US ever did... look, nobody is walking away innocent here. Fak should have made his move sooner, since it was obvious he wasn't getting what he wanted—specifically, moving his coach over to the US National Team. On the flip side, the HOO and similar organizations should have stepped up much earlier, right after his first medal twenty months ago—especially those guys at HBS. I still remember an interview after the Olympics where Contact claimed a future partnership with Velepec, Fak's coach, was 99.5% a done deal, which was nowhere near reality. Besides, if all those sponsors bailed just because Fak left, then what does the Federation even have to do with them? The Canadians are to blame simply because... well, they're Canadians.

Honestly, if the end result of all this drama is that Fak is barred from competing, then the whole situation is just tragic.

comment from 🙏 now that's what I call a comment from someone who actually knows their stuff...

Did Canada invest in Fak? Where did you hear that?
Every single training session held on Canadian soil comes with a price tag, so stop lying!

Paul Jones7 said:A comment regarding 🙏—this is how a smart, informed person writes...

Claiming Canada has invested more than America so far doesn't make someone informed.
It’s true that Fak trained with the Canadians, but it's equally true that the whole thing was paid for.

Terry Reed13 said:Wait, you're saying Canada invested in Fak? Where on earth did you hear that?
Every single training session held on Canadian soil comes with a price tag, so let's not play games here!

''If we actually sent them a bill for those two years Fak spent with us, they’d probably be the ones owing us money. Between using our logistics and having access to our trainers, doctors, and physios, we're looking at roughly 200,000 euros worth of services over those two years.''

''Those two Jacob's medals cost the US a few thousand dollars, but the next Olympic run would set them back three million.''

So, are you seriously claiming that $200,000 was paid out to the Canadians during that two-year stretch? If that's true, it means HSBC would have an extra $100,000 (exactly what they're demanding in damages) in their budget this season—or even $400,000 for the next Olympic cycle, which they claim is being ruined because their sponsors bailed after they stopped backing Fak...
I’d love to see some actual proof of how much was paid to the Canadians over those two years from a neutral source, especially since the folks over at HSBC have already proven themselves to be nothing but liars.

All we can do is feel for those poor folks in Canada regarding their mounting expenses. 🤮
A neighborly type wouldn't even hand you a glass of water if you were parched, but for heaven's sake, this is about one of their own! It’s almost comical that they balk at spending $100,000, yet suddenly find millions to chase another medal. Honestly, who cares? That's their business. At the end of the day, whether or not some Canadian athlete makes it to the Biathlon World Cup isn't our concern.

George Robinson43 said:All we can do is feel bad for those poor Americans dealing with these costs. 🤮
An American won't even hand you a glass of water if you're dying of thirst, but for heaven's sake, this is about one of their own. It’s ridiculous that they balk at spending 100,000 dollars, yet suddenly find 3 million to chase another medal. Who cares. Just American business. The point is, it doesn't matter whether some American decides to compete in the Biathlon World Cup.

👍

George Robinson43 said:I suppose all we can do is feel bad for those folks in Canada and their endless expenses. 🤮
An American wouldn't even give you a glass of water if you were dying of thirst—not that they're much better—but for heaven's sake, this is about one of their own people. It’s kind of ridiculous to me that they aren't willing to cough up 100,000 bucks, yet suddenly they're talking about spending 3 million to chase another medal. Honestly, who cares? That's just Canadian business. Regardless, there's really no point in obsessing over whether some Canadian athlete decides to show up for the Biathlon World Cup or not.

Nobody is actually feeling sorry for the Canadians; people are just stating the facts as they are. I guess some people just can't handle that because they'd rather just sit around being hateful. Some folks just seem to live for the drama—they enjoy the negativity, and honestly, any excuse will do for them. Just pure pathetic behavior.