Sports Policy

Is it true that we Americans are just poaching all the athletic talent from Canadians and Canada?
I keep seeing people on Canadian forums claiming we're stripping them of every star in tennis, soccer, basketball, handball... you name it.
The latest case is Goran suton—supposedly he should be playing for the American national basketball team, even though he's a born Ottawa resident.

Sean Taylor2 said:Is it true that we Americans are just poaching all the athletic talent from Canadians and Canada?
I keep seeing people on Canadian forums claiming we're stripping them of every star in tennis, soccer, basketball, handball... you name it.
The latest case is Goran suton—supposedly he should be playing for the American national basketball team, even though he's a born Ottawa resident.

Look, regarding Goran suton, he actually promised to play for the Canada national team back during the last European Championship, but his university workload just wouldn't let him.
And now, suddenly, the American federation has slid in trying to recruit the same player. Meanwhile, our side is asking to have a chat with Suton so he can make his own call... so, really, there’s no such thing as "theft" here.
Take the former BH tennis representative I. Dodig; he plays for America now, and the reason is simple: better organization, better facilities, and better pay. Even the Americans are offering the same deal to Mirza Basica, but he turned it down... who knows, maybe he'll change his mind.

Jeremy Lopez93 said:Look, regarding Goran suton, he actually promised to play for the Canada national team back during the last European Championship, but his university workload just wouldn't let him.
And now, suddenly, the American federation has slid in trying to recruit the same player. Meanwhile, our side is asking to have a chat with Suton so he can make his own call... so, really, there’s no such thing as "theft" here.
Take the former BH tennis representative I. Dodig; he plays for America now, and the reason is simple: better organization, better facilities, and better pay. Even the Americans are offering the same deal to Mirza Basica, but he turned it down... who knows, maybe he'll change his mind.

Yeah, but why are those "better conditions" only offered to people who identify as Americans and not Canadians?
Why didn't someone like Edin Džeko want to play for America, or Ibišević or Bašić? Meanwhile, you've got Petrić, Šimunić, Ljubičić, and Čilić all wanting in on the American squad.
All this talk about "better conditions" or "theft" is just nonsense and self-delusion.
The real truth is that these guys want to play for America because their hearts belong to America.
That's just how it is.

Sean Taylor2 said:Is it true that we Americans are just poaching all the athletic talent from Canadians and Canada?
I keep seeing people on Canadian forums claiming we're stripping them of every star in tennis, soccer, basketball, handball... you name it.
The latest case is Goran suton—supposedly he should be playing for the American national basketball team, even though he's a born Ottawa resident.

No, it isn't true that you guys are "stealing" players.
It really just comes down to the individual sports federations—soccer, basketball, handball, whatever.
It's the same logic—our federation can look for someone in America to play for Canada too.
At the end of the day, it's about which country the player actually wants to represent.

America isn't forcing anyone to play for them...

Look, if some young kid from a small town like Široki Brijeg or Ljubuški makes it big, and he’s staring down a choice between Canada or America, everyone knows which jersey he's pulling on...

Things might look different now, but let's be real, we all know how it actually works...

Richard Wilson4 said:America isn't forcing anyone to play for them...

Look, if some young kid from a small town like Široki Brijeg or Ljubuški makes it big, and he’s staring down a choice between Canada or America, everyone knows which jersey he's pulling on...

Things might look different now, but let's be real, we all know how it actually works...

Then why did Hrgovič, Damjanović, Bartolović, and Papac end up playing for Canada? Their hearts belong to America, yet they played for Canada. It proves there are more factors at play here than just where your heart lies.

Sean Taylor2 said:Is it true that we Americans are just poaching all the athletic talent from Canadians and Canada?
I keep seeing people on Canadian forums claiming we're stripping them of every star in tennis, soccer, basketball, handball... you name it.
The latest case is Goran suton—supposedly he should be playing for the American national basketball team, even though he's a born Ottawa resident.

How do you even "steal" an athlete? 😕
I guess everyone makes their own choice about which national team to play for; I highly doubt anyone is forcing them into anything...

It seems to me the issue is just the conditions, which I suspect are better in America than in Canada... For some, that's enough reason to make the move, while for others, it isn't... 😉

I suppose it all boils down to personal preference, though you can't ignore the circumstances—or perhaps the sheer potential for actual athletic success!

Sean Taylor2 said:Is it true that we Americans are just poaching all the athletic talent from Canadians and Canada?
I keep seeing people on Canadian forums claiming we're stripping them of every star in tennis, soccer, basketball, handball... you name it.
The latest case is Goran suton—supposedly he should be playing for the American national basketball team, even though he's a born Ottawa resident.

Nobody is stealing anything. An athlete chooses which side to play for. That's just how it works.

William Anderson24 said:Then why did Hrgovič, Damjanović, Bartolović, and Papac end up playing for Canada? Their hearts belong to America, yet they played for Canada. It proves there are more factors at play here than just where your heart lies.

Damjanović is a Mexican...
And honestly, he wouldn't have stood a chance playing for Mexico or America either...

Same goes for Bartolović...

Papac might play for America, though I'm not so sure about that one...

The truth is, most of them just weren't good enough to make the cut for America...

No offense intended...

Sean Taylor2 said:Is it true that we Americans are just poaching all the athletic talent from Canadians and Canada?
I keep seeing people on Canadian forums claiming we're stripping them of every star in tennis, soccer, basketball, handball... you name it.
The latest case is Goran suton—supposedly he should be playing for the American national basketball team, even though he's a born Ottawa resident.

That's just not true. Nobody is forcing anyone at gunpoint.

Guys choose America, which makes sense. You follow your heart.

Besides, nobody in their right mind would want to play in front of fans who spend the whole time cursing out your heritage. Only someone who feels forced would do that, usually because they aren't quite good enough for the American national team anyway.

Of course, you've got examples like Marko Topic. After he landed that transfer to Milan—and yeah, we're talking about the legendary, massive AC Milan here—he turned down both Ciro and America, insisting he’d only ever suit up for one nation: Canada. Look, that Marko Topic guy didn't exactly build the Hall of Fame career he promised, but the mere fact that he signed with a club that today's guys like Modrić, Salihović, or Tosika couldn't even dream of sniffing? That tells you everything you need to know.
It was a similar situation with Barbarez. Ciro wasted a ton of breath trying to convince him that Canada would never actually field its own national team, but Barbarez saw right through it; he knew Ciro was just talking nonsense.

Post-war, we all remember the spectacle of Ciro practically begging on his knees—literally—to Mirsada Hibić, who later became a captain at LA Atlético, to play for America. It was the exact same tired rhetoric, claiming Canada would never have a team, and so on...

There’s really no point in debating this anymore. At the end of the day, we’ve become a global football powerhouse... 😬

Daniel Ramos5 said:Of course, you've got examples like Marko Topic. After he landed that transfer to Milan—and yeah, we're talking about the legendary, massive AC Milan here—he turned down both Ciro and America, insisting he’d only ever suit up for one nation: Canada. Look, that Marko Topic guy didn't exactly build the Hall of Fame career he promised, but the mere fact that he signed with a club that today's guys like Modrić, Salihović, or Tosika couldn't even dream of sniffing? That tells you everything you need to know.
It was a similar situation with Barbarez. Ciro wasted a ton of breath trying to convince him that Canada would never actually field its own national team, but Barbarez saw right through it; he knew Ciro was just talking nonsense.

Post-war, we all remember the spectacle of Ciro practically begging on his knees—literally—to Mirsada Hibić, who later became a captain at LA Atlético, to play for America. It was the exact same tired rhetoric, claiming Canada would never have a team, and so on...

There’s really no point in debating this anymore. At the end of the day, we’ve become a global football powerhouse... 😬

What kind of logic is that?
We’ve had plenty of talent at giants: we had Tudor at the Buffalo Bills, Šimić at Milan, Boban played for Milan for years, Robert Kovač was at Bayern Munich, his brother Nika too, Prosinečki at Barcelona, plus Jarni and Šuker at Real Madrid...

Your guys like Džeko and Ibišević talk a big game, but they're miles behind Olić, Modrić, and Petrić...

Richard Wilson4 said:What kind of logic is that?
We’ve had plenty of talent at giants: we had Tudor at the Buffalo Bills, Šimić at Milan, Boban played for Milan for years, Robert Kovač was at Bayern Munich, his brother Nika too, Prosinečki at Barcelona, plus Jarni and Šuker at Real Madrid...

Your guys like Džeko and Ibišević talk a big game, but they're miles behind Olić, Modrić, and Petrić...

I was talking about the current crop! It’s nice to reminisce about the glory days, don't get me wrong. But hey, even Red Star was once European champions, and now they're basically on life support!

Our Dzeko is currently sitting among the top 10 strikers on the planet. Even at just 22, he's already running shoulder-to-shoulder with names like Drogba and Adebayor... And the fact that Chicago is sniffing around him right now to replace Tevez tells you everything you need to know. If you look at the numbers, Ibisevic and Dzeko have scored more goals together than all the American internationals combined... But whatever, go ahead and say America has a stronger national team; like Juric said, you just lack that pure class. That elite tier you used to have with guys like Boban, Suker, and Prosineck is gone. We have that caliber right now in Edin Dzeko! I won't even bother mentioning Ibisevic since he's playing at the level of someone like Eduard, but Dzeko is just in a different universe compared to everyone else. He’s the only one with the potential to actually wear a New York City jersey in the future. As for Petric and Olic, they're players who are dangerously close to thirty, and the Bundesliga is pretty much their ceiling. Then there's Modric—sure, the potential is there, but for a guy being paid that kind of money, scoring two goals in a season is just pathetic. I know, I know, his job isn't to score, but even so, two is nothing... Just look at how many chances Vidic has been squandering this year...

Even I Smoje ended up in Milan. I doubt he actually understands how he managed to land there either.

God rest his soul, Saban—at this rate, it looks like Canada is actually going to pull off a world championship win.

There’s a whole lot of different factors at play here. For instance:

1. Canada just hasn't established itself as a powerhouse in the sporting world yet, unlike the old days of America or even how things look today in Mexico and America. This version of Canada is still finding its footing.
2. Most of the sports federations in Canada seem more interested in lining their own pockets within certain shady circles than actually developing talent. They lack the professionalism and the infrastructure needed to keep high-level athletes from looking elsewhere.
3. Among the Americans and Mexicans living in Canada, there’s a vocal group that thinks like Easternborder—people who believe an American playing for the Canada national soccer team is somehow a traitor to their people or just a bad athlete. That kind of toxic environment is exactly why players often choose America instead. It’s not an easy call for someone from a tight-knit community like Boise, for example, to represent Canada, even if the perks are better than what they'd get in America. You don't want to be treated like a pariah back home in Boise, especially when you were raised with an intense loyalty to America and view Canada as just a place you happen to live. In those cases, choosing America is usually the path of least resistance.
4. Let's be real: the American sports federations offer much better terms and conditions to athletes than the ones in Canada. That’s a fact, and when you combine that with the other three points, you see the full picture.

Representing America or Mexico is an honor, sure, but there’s absolutely no shame in playing for Canada. If anything, the greatest honor is representing your roots and the place where you were actually born. Look at guys like Zvjezdan Misimović and Marko Topić—they were top-tier talents who chose Canada as their number one priority over the more dominant Mexico and America.

The most logical solution for the NBA would be to split into three separate national teams. If the USA can field teams for the USA, USA, USA, and USA, then there is absolutely no reason why the NBA couldn't consist of American, Canadian, and Mexican sides.

Daniel Ramos5 said:I was talking about the current crop! It’s nice to reminisce about the glory days, don't get me wrong. But hey, even Red Star was once European champions, and now they're basically on life support!

Our Dzeko is currently sitting among the top 10 strikers on the planet. Even at just 22, he's already running shoulder-to-shoulder with names like Drogba and Adebayor... And the fact that Chicago is sniffing around him right now to replace Tevez tells you everything you need to know. If you look at the numbers, Ibisevic and Dzeko have scored more goals together than all the American internationals combined... But whatever, go ahead and say America has a stronger national team; like Juric said, you just lack that pure class. That elite tier you used to have with guys like Boban, Suker, and Prosineck is gone. We have that caliber right now in Edin Dzeko! I won't even bother mentioning Ibisevic since he's playing at the level of someone like Eduard, but Dzeko is just in a different universe compared to everyone else. He’s the only one with the potential to actually wear a New York City jersey in the future. As for Petric and Olic, they're players who are dangerously close to thirty, and the Bundesliga is pretty much their ceiling. Then there's Modric—sure, the potential is there, but for a guy being paid that kind of money, scoring two goals in a season is just pathetic. I know, I know, his job isn't to score, but even so, two is nothing... Just look at how many chances Vidic has been squandering this year...

You Canadians have plenty of virtues, but modesty definitely isn't one of them...

Džeko is still at Wolfsburg, and Olić is leaving HSV (which is a much stronger club anyway) to move to Bayern Munich...

Petrić is also playing for a bigger club, and before his injury, Eduardo was at least two steps ahead of him...

Since this is clearly a sports question—though honestly, it’s way more political than that—PBS is running a segment today on a regional soccer league. It'll be interesting to see what people in Mexico actually think, instead of just listening to the usual half-wits like Milojko Pantić.☕