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Post by guest2 on Jan 12, 2024 17:57:21 GMT -5
This was before even my time, but Sponcil's situation reminds me of Greg Lee. Maybe the best BVB player in the world and left the sport to play pro basketball as a scrub and then in Germany. Much bigger difference in money (0 to a lot) back then, but I know guys from that era mention how many events Lee would have won had he stuck with BVB (and he could have played well into the 80s).
I wonder if Sarah will have regrets later on. She could realistically be the 2nd best defender in the world and possibly even overtake Duda (unlikely but possible). If she were a star indoors then fine, but a backup at one of the most fungible positions?
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Post by genisvel on Jan 12, 2024 21:13:50 GMT -5
Michael Jordan in Baseball?
Not sure with how Cathy will rotate her Liberos. We have one weekend where we (Yeah, I'm doing that stan thing where I refer to the team in the first-person plural. Sue me.) have back-to-back days.
Also, it's very possible we lose Gomez to Columbia's NT as VNL approaches, so we need a good 2nd. Especially if we make the Championship Weekend like many predict.
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Post by katita on Jan 13, 2024 12:47:25 GMT -5
This was before even my time, but Sponcil's situation reminds me of Greg Lee. Maybe the best BVB player in the world and left the sport to play pro basketball as a scrub and then in Germany. Much bigger difference in money (0 to a lot) back then, but I know guys from that era mention how many events Lee would have won had he stuck with BVB (and he could have played well into the 80s). I wonder if Sarah will have regrets later on. She could realistically be the 2nd best defender in the world and possibly even overtake Duda (unlikely but possible). If she were a star indoors then fine, but a backup at one of the most fungible positions? This is my (hopeful/wishful) thinking: Sponcil knew she was most likely not making Paris and was tired of losing with Terese but really likes her as a person. So instead of just breaking up with her and playing with someone else, she’s using this indoor opportunity as a way to 1) make some money and 2) end her partnership with Terese without making her feel bad. She’s probably also waiting to find the right partner before re-committing to beach full time. Again I know it’s wishful thinking but Sponcil is one of my favorite beach players and is way too talented to play second string libero.
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Post by genisvel on Jan 13, 2024 14:08:09 GMT -5
Like I said, I don't know Cathy's rotation plan, but if we need Sponcil to step up at the end of the season, I'm sure she'll get playing time. It could be a 1a 1b situation. I'm only labeling her as #2 because Camilla has been playing hardcourt consistently at an international level.
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Post by ajm on Jan 13, 2024 16:00:58 GMT -5
This was before even my time, but Sponcil's situation reminds me of Greg Lee. Maybe the best BVB player in the world and left the sport to play pro basketball as a scrub and then in Germany. Much bigger difference in money (0 to a lot) back then, but I know guys from that era mention how many events Lee would have won had he stuck with BVB (and he could have played well into the 80s). I wonder if Sarah will have regrets later on. She could realistically be the 2nd best defender in the world and possibly even overtake Duda (unlikely but possible). If she were a star indoors then fine, but a backup at one of the most fungible positions? This is my (hopeful/wishful) thinking: Sponcil knew she was most likely not making Paris and was tired of losing with Terese but really likes her as a person. So instead of just breaking up with her and playing with someone else, she’s using this indoor opportunity as a way to 1) make some money and 2) end her partnership with Terese without making her feel bad. She’s probably also waiting to find the right partner before re-committing to beach full time. Again I know it’s wishful thinking but Sponcil is one of my favorite beach players and is way too talented to play second string libero. Re: 1) make some money, she probably passed up 50k with all the events she and Terese skipped last year. No reason she couldn’t completed the beach season and still played indoors in early 2024.
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Post by genisvel on Jan 14, 2024 11:06:36 GMT -5
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Post by haze on Jan 15, 2024 8:31:25 GMT -5
This was before even my time, but Sponcil's situation reminds me of Greg Lee. Maybe the best BVB player in the world and left the sport to play pro basketball as a scrub and then in Germany. Much bigger difference in money (0 to a lot) back then, but I know guys from that era mention how many events Lee would have won had he stuck with BVB (and he could have played well into the 80s). I wonder if Sarah will have regrets later on. She could realistically be the 2nd best defender in the world and possibly even overtake Duda (unlikely but possible). If she were a star indoors then fine, but a backup at one of the most fungible positions? This is my (hopeful/wishful) thinking: Sponcil knew she was most likely not making Paris and was tired of losing with Terese but really likes her as a person. So instead of just breaking up with her and playing with someone else, she’s using this indoor opportunity as a way to 1) make some money and 2) end her partnership with Terese without making her feel bad. She’s probably also waiting to find the right partner before re-committing to beach full time. Again I know it’s wishful thinking but Sponcil is one of my favorite beach players and is way too talented to play second string libero. Cannon had some, interesting things to say the least, about the Sponcil situation on her sandcast. Sounds as if she was completely blindsided by Sarah and kept in the dark about her plans. I did not get the impression that that breakup was handled correctly by Sponcil.
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Post by dunninla3 on Jan 15, 2024 19:02:53 GMT -5
This is my (hopeful/wishful) thinking: Sponcil knew she was most likely not making Paris and was tired of losing with Terese but really likes her as a person. So instead of just breaking up with her and playing with someone else, she’s using this indoor opportunity as a way to 1) make some money and 2) end her partnership with Terese without making her feel bad. She’s probably also waiting to find the right partner before re-committing to beach full time. Again I know it’s wishful thinking but Sponcil is one of my favorite beach players and is way too talented to play second string libero. Cannon had some, interesting things to say the least, about the Sponcil situation on her sandcast. Sounds as if she was completely blindsided by Sarah and kept in the dark about her plans. I did not get the impression that that breakup was handled correctly by Sponcil. partnership breakups in every area of life ... business, romance, etc. are tough. It is probably true that Sponcil could have taken the ... "we are never going to be top 10, so let's just move on", but that would simply highlight the fact that Cannon wasn't a talent match for Sponcil. I do think Sponcil took an easier route, but it also benefits Therese for it to have gone down that way.
I think Sponcil gave up any realistic hope for the longevity of that partnership at least 6 months prior to the official breakup.
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Post by genisvel on Jan 15, 2024 19:40:58 GMT -5
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Post by guest2 on Jan 16, 2024 0:37:57 GMT -5
For those who don't have time to read, "its cold in Michigan and God and God and God"
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Post by genisvel on Jan 16, 2024 4:46:08 GMT -5
Nah. Not much religious this time. Just an anecdote about her nievety around extreme cold conditions.
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Post by guest2 on Jan 16, 2024 12:46:39 GMT -5
Nah. Not much religious this time. Just an anecdote about her nievety around extreme cold conditions. Admittedly I havent read much of Sponcil's writing, having actively avoided it since the cringefest she wrote about her visit to Africa, but three mentions in the first three paragraph seems like a lot of God to me. Does she normally invoke the deity even more?
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Post by genisvel on Jan 16, 2024 13:25:15 GMT -5
Nah. Not much religious this time. Just an anecdote about her nievety around extreme cold conditions. Admittedly I havent read much of Sponcil's writing, having actively avoided it since the cringefest she wrote about her visit to Africa, but three mentions in the first three paragraph seems like a lot of God to me. Does she normally invoke the deity even more? Maybe it's because of how many fervent Christians I encounter here in Grand Rapids. It's not unusual to have "Him" crowbard into every sentence by many around here. In the second paragraph she referenced "His plan". In the third, she mentions Bible-reading as part of her new routine. As both an athlete and a practicing Christian, that's inevitable. Then, in the 13th paragraph she edits an expletive, so around here she'd be considered a pretty liberal Christian. As someone who can have their feathers ruffled by people who are single-minded in their devotion, I didn't find two refrences grating. Internally rolled my eyes when she called her Bible "God's Word," but that's more my editorial mind wanting to apply Occam's Razor than it was being mentally exhausted by a constant reminder of her faith.
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Post by dunninla3 on Jan 16, 2024 18:06:38 GMT -5
Nah. Not much religious this time. Just an anecdote about her nievety around extreme cold conditions. Admittedly I havent read much of Sponcil's writing, having actively avoided it since the cringefest she wrote about her visit to Africa, but three mentions in the first three paragraph seems like a lot of God to me. Does she normally invoke the deity even more? She hasn't been that way a few years ago, and I don't imagine she will be in a few years from now... but you have to put this in context. She claims a religious awakening just after Tokyo, so it's kind of like a new thing for her. New things always get extra mind space.
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Post by geddyleeridesagain on Jan 16, 2024 18:13:05 GMT -5
Admittedly I havent read much of Sponcil's writing, having actively avoided it since the cringefest she wrote about her visit to Africa, but three mentions in the first three paragraph seems like a lot of God to me. Does she normally invoke the deity even more? She hasn't been that way a few years ago, and I don't imagine she will be in a few years from now... but you have to put this in context. She claims a religious awakening just after Tokyo, so it's kind of like a new thing for her. New things always get extra mind space. I've known her since she was 15, she's always been on the God Squad, if you'll excuse the term. Perhaps she's more vocal about it these days (or, as you said, experienced an "awakening" or sorts), I don't know - it's been a few years since I've last spoken to her.
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