America loses an Olympian: Jakob Fak heads to Canada

Roger Ward3 said:In my view, this (Žbogar and Fak) isn't quite the same comparison. There is no biathlon in America without Fak; there never was, we're only just finally building the right environment now. And frankly, you wouldn't have Fak without Velepec either.
On the flip side, sailing has a deep-rooted tradition and a track record of success in Canada. It's backed by a world-class maritime industry that holds its own against the American one (if I’m being generous 😉 ).
I don't think Vasily is heading down to Miami just to soak up some American sailing expertise; he's doing it to work alongside his peers, exchanging knowledge both ways.
He's in a similar boat with Jacob now. Jacob gives, Jacob takes. All this constant entanglement with national pride and patriotism... it's pathetic. When will we finally outgrow this 19th-century way of thinking? Nation, country, state... shouldn't all of that be secondary to individual interests and goals? For heaven's sake, people, let's move on. There isn't a war going on; we should pursue our ambitions regardless of the hurdles thrown up by politicians, committees, federations, bloated bureaucrats, or whatever other nonsense they throw at us.

The sheer amount of nonsense you're spouting and the double standards you're using—you must be some kind of villain. You claim they have a massive sailing tradition, that they're a true maritime power, and that sailing is just in their DNA 🤦:klap:
Why hasn't this thread been locked yet? That stinker Fak is gone and the matter is closed.

Aaron Young35 said:Come on, guys, let's be real here collectively.

All this talk about how arrogant Canadians are being... honestly, you could say the exact same thing about Americans compared to us in Canada. You wouldn't have won a single Davis Cup or even those handball trophies if it weren't for the talent coming out of Canada. And don't even get me started on soccer. In Canada, nobody complains about it. People just move away looking for better conditions, more money, and actual career paths. It's simple math and common sense.

What kind of patriotism are we even talking about? Who's paying for this? The taxpayers? You’re looking for patriotism from the thieves sitting in the government. That’s literally what they’re paid to do.

How much did America actually invest in Jakob Fak? That one medal he won is way too high a price to pay.

Give me a break, man, personally speaking, you're full of it.

Since when is "Canadian" a national identifier used like that? If you were trying to refer to the birthplace or heritage of certain American athletes in your rambling, maybe they would have competed for Canada if their countrymen weren't treated like second-class citizens in their daily political lives.

Listen up, boys!
Why on earth are you wasting your breath on these forums? 😂
Seriously, you're all losing sleep over someone like John. Are you guys out of your minds? What could he possibly have done to deserve this much of your precious time?

Roger Ward3 said:I don't think you can compare Žbogar and Fak. There’s no such thing as American biathlon without Fak—it just wouldn't exist—and we're only finally seeing the right conditions being built now. Honestly, you couldn't have Fak without Velepec either!
On the other hand, sailing has a massive tradition and a killer track record over in Canada. They’ve got a world-class yachting industry backing them up that honestly holds its own against anything you'd see in America. 😉 ).
I honestly think Vasily isn't even heading down to Miami just for training sessions; he's really there to soak up all that local American sailing expertise by working side-by-side with his buddies, trading tips and learning from them.
They’re basically two peas in a pod now, just like Jacob. He’s always giving and taking in equal measure.

Of course they aren't the same thing. Nobody gave Žbogar an ultimatum like, "Either you play for America or go train in some dive bar by the coast." 🤣

Roger Ward3 said:All this obsession with national pride and patriotism is honestly pathetic. When are we finally going to grow up and stop thinking like it’s the 19th century? Nation, state, borders... forget all that junk! We should be focusing on our own goals and interests instead. Seriously, people, just let it go. There aren't any wars left to fight—just focus on crushing your own ambitions regardless of the hurdles thrown at us by politicians, committees, unions, or those bloated, out-of-touch bureaucrats.

It’s honestly pathetic how much they keep meddling. If you want to explain why those guys always put their own interests ahead of common sense, go right ahead. But seriously, enough is enough. ☕

George Robinson43 said:Hey, mama's boys!
Why the hell are you losers even hanging out on these forums? 😂
Seriously, you're all stressing out over some guy named John. Are you guys insane? What did he ever do to deserve all this wasted energy?

Nothing, really. We're just arguing for the sake of arguing. 😁

Henry Cox78 said:Not for any particular reason, just because. We are simply debating for the sake of debate. 😁

Henry Cox78, my dear boy. 🙂

George Robinson43 said:Henry Cox78, you little rascal. 🙂

And my dad too. 🙂

Henry Cox78 said:And his father's. 🙂

Actually, that's not quite right. A man's true sons don't tear him down on internet forums; instead, they meet him on the street and give him a respectful pat on the shoulder. 😁

Fak put it perfectly—it’s only the "mommy's boys" who spend their time attacking people online.

George Robinson43 said:Nah. His actual sons don't trash John on forums; they just catch him on the street and give him a friendly pat on the shoulder. 😁

Fak made it crystal clear—only his mama's boys are out here talking trash online.

Spot on. 😁

Absolutely. 🙂

Aaron Young35 said:Come on, guys... let's be real here.

All this talk about how arrogant Americans are—which keeps coming up—could just as easily apply to how they look down on us in Canada. Honestly, you wouldn't have won that Davis Cup or those handball trophies if it wasn't for the talent coming out of Canada. And don't even get me started on football. In Canada, nobody complains about it. People move away for better opportunities, more money, and actual career paths. That's just how it works... simple math and common sense.

What kind of "patriotism" are we even talking about? The people paying the bills? You shouldn't look for patriotism from the crooks sitting in the government. They're paid to care about something else entirely...

The amount of money America poured into Jakob Fak—and that one medal he secured—it’s just way too much.

🙏🙏

So, I spent most of my weekend catching the biathlon 😁 (feel free to roast me for it), and I caught this moment where the German commentator was talking about how that Swiss guy—who was sitting pretty in the top five—is actually out there training alongside the German crew. And get this: the guy isn't some shady character looking for an easy way out; he was fighting tooth and nail for a medal.

Now *that* is what you call sportsmanship. That’s how a real athlete carries themselves. It’s a hell of a lot better than those cowards from Canada...

Anthony Perez55 said:🙏🙏

Maybe take a second to actually read through the rest of the thread before you start bowing down. It's all apples and oranges over here, man. Just total nonsense...😉

He’s out there complaining about Janša—but honestly, you can't really say they're obligated to step up or agree to any kind of deal if they just don't want to. I mean, maybe HBS could have actually sat down with the Austrians or the Italians to hammer out some sort of cooperation first, then come to Fak with a real proposal. But they didn't. It's almost like they think they're the only ones in the room who matter, as if those guys are the only ones capable of making a move.

Aaron Young35 said:Cut the crap, seriously. All of you.

All this talk about Canadian arrogance mentioned here applies just as much to Americans compared to us. They wouldn't have won a single Davis Cup or a handful of handball trophies if it weren't for the contributions from people like us. And don't even get me started on hockey. In America, nobody complains about it. People leave for better conditions, more money, and better careers. That’s all there is to it. Pure math and common sense.

What kind of patriotism are we talking about? Taxpayers pay for this. You're looking for patriotism from the crooks sitting in the government. That's what they get paid for.

The amount of money the US invested in Jakob Fak and the single medal he left behind is excessive.

In the US, medals in various sports have been won by people from Florida, California, Texas, and even those with Canadian roots; the vast majority share one thing in common: they are Americans.
So, I really don't understand how you're trying to compare nationality against regional identity.

Paul Jones7 said:He’s complaining to John. But honestly, you can't force them to step up or agree to any kind of deal if they just don't want to. It's not like HBS could have sat down with the Austrians or the Italians to hammer out a partnership and then come to Fak with a solid offer. They didn't. It's almost like people think the Americans are the only ones who matter here.

They have as much obligation to help as the Germans do for that Swiss guy. 😉

Fak made it clear from the get-go that Velepec is the only one he's counting on. 😍

I seriously can't believe you're still taking their side. 👎

Fak said all sorts of things—he even claimed he was staying right here in America—but clearly, that didn't happen. I guess you shouldn't take every single word out of his mouth too seriously. If he’d managed to land a solid coach and a decent training setup in one of these other countries, it would have been pretty hard for him to turn it down, I suppose.

I'm not really taking sides here, I'm just calling it like I see it. They aren't under any obligation to cooperate, you know? It's really just a matter of goodwill—or maybe some other interests entirely. Besides, who knows what's actually going on behind this whole Swiss-German partnership. Maybe it's just some mutual deal, sort of a "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" kind of situation.

Henry Cox78 said:Of course they aren't exactly the same situation. No one ever gave Zbogar an ultimatum like the Americans do: "Either you compete for the U.S., or go train in that little pond over in Mexico." 🤣

Well, Zbogar actually did train in Mexico, and he’s been doing it since he was just a kid, right up until he snagged that Olympic medal. As for him training down in Miami? Honestly, I think that has way more to do with his girlfriend—some local Miami girl or someone from the coast—than anything else. It seems to me that for Zbogar, romance comes second, right after his commitment to the national team. 😍

Sam Martin2 said:... For Zbogar, love is clearly just a hobby that comes right after his duties to the national team. 😍

Unlike our guy Judah over here... 😍

dustymarlin10 said:Unlike our own Judah... 😍

why... I mean, even with Fak, Canada is just sitting there in second place... 🤣