Re: Gde su, šta rade...
Posted: Fri Nov 27, 2015 10:45 pm
ajd da stavim ovde... Jeremija Belić...
Greater Greensboro Observer
Vol 1. Issue 8
April 27 - May 3, 2004
Page 1 and continued on Page 41
By Brian Surette
Lost in Translation
The final destination that is success may often be
found at the end of a treacherous road. Recently, one
former Wake Forest soccer player discovered his path
was littered with potholes.
According to a story emanating out of Serbia &
Montenegro,Jeremiah White, a Demon Deacon forward from
2000-03, was attacked while walking in the Serbian
capital of Belgrade. Even more repugnant was the fact
that the alleged attack was racially motivated.
White, the 2003 ACC Player of the Year, was in
Belgrade on a one-month tryout with OFK Beograd, a
mid-table first division club in that city.
The attack, as reported in Sportski Zurnal, claimed
White, who is black, was attacked by "a group of rowdy
teenagers who objected to the black skin of the OFK
Beograd soccer player." The report further states,
"White was saved by his hard fist and quick legs and
he emerged from the situation unscathed."
Interesting, disturbing and amazing - if it were true.
Though, as is often case., the truth is stranger than
fiction.
After the 2003 college season, White, who finished his
Deacons career as the second all-time scorer in goals
(37) and points (93), was chosen by the New England
Revolution in the third-round (23rd overall) of the
2004 Major League Soccer draft. White trained briefly
with the Revs, but he chose instead to test the
European waters. An agent got White tryouts with
clubs in Denmark, Belgium and Spain, but an early
training injury derailed his chances of signing a
contract.
After recovering from that injury the tryout with OFK
was arranged. White looked to display his speed and
goal-scoring skills in a lower European league with an
eye to being snapped up by one of the continent's
larger clubs. But he quickly discovered OFK officials
had other plans with him, and it was those plans that
led to player and club parting ways.
"They wanted to sell me to teams in Croatia, Russia
and Ukraine," he said.
White was thinking more along lines of western, not
eastern Europe. White said he asked club officials to
release him from the remainder of his tryout to avoid
being sold and, to save face, the "attack story" was
floated.
"The club put out the story to cover why I left," said
White.
White admitted "a small incident" did occur in
downtown Belgrade one night when he was out with a
Brazilian teammate, but, he said, it bore little
relation to the version OFK officials released.
Serbia & Montenegro is one of several Balkan nations
plagued by unstable sporting and political arenas.
Violence among soccer fans is commonplace and, at the
same time White was in Belgrade, Branko Bulatovic,
secretary general of the Serbia & Montenegro Football
Association, was shot and killed outside his office.
White is now back at Wake Forest finishing work on a
degree in English. Once that is concluded, White said
he is off to France on another road towards a tryout
and a dream.
Greater Greensboro Observer
Vol 1. Issue 8
April 27 - May 3, 2004
Page 1 and continued on Page 41
By Brian Surette
Lost in Translation
The final destination that is success may often be
found at the end of a treacherous road. Recently, one
former Wake Forest soccer player discovered his path
was littered with potholes.
According to a story emanating out of Serbia &
Montenegro,Jeremiah White, a Demon Deacon forward from
2000-03, was attacked while walking in the Serbian
capital of Belgrade. Even more repugnant was the fact
that the alleged attack was racially motivated.
White, the 2003 ACC Player of the Year, was in
Belgrade on a one-month tryout with OFK Beograd, a
mid-table first division club in that city.
The attack, as reported in Sportski Zurnal, claimed
White, who is black, was attacked by "a group of rowdy
teenagers who objected to the black skin of the OFK
Beograd soccer player." The report further states,
"White was saved by his hard fist and quick legs and
he emerged from the situation unscathed."
Interesting, disturbing and amazing - if it were true.
Though, as is often case., the truth is stranger than
fiction.
After the 2003 college season, White, who finished his
Deacons career as the second all-time scorer in goals
(37) and points (93), was chosen by the New England
Revolution in the third-round (23rd overall) of the
2004 Major League Soccer draft. White trained briefly
with the Revs, but he chose instead to test the
European waters. An agent got White tryouts with
clubs in Denmark, Belgium and Spain, but an early
training injury derailed his chances of signing a
contract.
After recovering from that injury the tryout with OFK
was arranged. White looked to display his speed and
goal-scoring skills in a lower European league with an
eye to being snapped up by one of the continent's
larger clubs. But he quickly discovered OFK officials
had other plans with him, and it was those plans that
led to player and club parting ways.
"They wanted to sell me to teams in Croatia, Russia
and Ukraine," he said.
White was thinking more along lines of western, not
eastern Europe. White said he asked club officials to
release him from the remainder of his tryout to avoid
being sold and, to save face, the "attack story" was
floated.
"The club put out the story to cover why I left," said
White.
White admitted "a small incident" did occur in
downtown Belgrade one night when he was out with a
Brazilian teammate, but, he said, it bore little
relation to the version OFK officials released.
Serbia & Montenegro is one of several Balkan nations
plagued by unstable sporting and political arenas.
Violence among soccer fans is commonplace and, at the
same time White was in Belgrade, Branko Bulatovic,
secretary general of the Serbia & Montenegro Football
Association, was shot and killed outside his office.
White is now back at Wake Forest finishing work on a
degree in English. Once that is concluded, White said
he is off to France on another road towards a tryout
and a dream.
