Post by redsfanman on Nov 16, 2016 16:33:23 GMT -5
For old times sake, I do want to respond to a few points, although I've been away for a while:
Trolling - Yeah, reread that and explain how you're not a troll.
"I do hate and despise you" - In context, this is a Cincinnati Reds message board.
Blah blah blah, hard to read stuff on message boards, need to avoid, yada yada, scared baby, yeah yeah.
I do believe that many popular opinions are based on a lack of information, and those should be swayed by adding relevant context and information. Many opinions are flat out wrong or stupid. There's a difference between valid and absurd opinions, and yes, the later bother me, especially when the go mainstream from being unchallenged. I think people who don't understand what they're saying should seek to learn more, rather than retreat into an echo chamber where their nonsense goes unchallenged. I want to discuss the stuff, you want the echo chamber, that's what I'm getting out of this.
I do read other peoples' posts, although I don't keep databases or records of who said what. Frankly, I don't care who said what. This is a discussion, not a debate over who said what or who was right. Smart posters like Lark and Kinsm and others generally say the same sorta stuff, idiot posters (a group you're in) generally say the same stuff, Kramer always hates everyone. I do generally lump trolls and idiots in with supporting whatever the stupidest popular opinion I've read is, because it's so often the case (and who cares to document stuff to make a distinction? It's a message board, not a scientific journal). If you've been too smart to accept and support the worst, stupidest popular opinions in Reds country in a few cases, congrats, you should be proud.
I think there's a big difference between "thinking the Reds can do no wrong" and "thinking the Reds can do no right". The later is a stupid position to choose to hold for a team you follow for your own enjoyment. Most transactions are gambles, there are pros and cons of most players, and it's always unknown which forces will win out. In most cases someone with more knowledge than we have must believe in that decision (especially in the case of unknown players we don't know enough about to have strong opinions on). Rooting against your team, in my opinion, is stupid. All players traded and acquired in recent years have had pros and cons, but I never understand why some people are so intent on focusing only on the cons. I try to look at the pros and cons, and hope for the best, since that's all we can try to do as fans while trying to enjoy the sport. It's a game, for fun, for our entertainment.
Through reading this site, RedlegNation, listening to 700WLW, reading the newspaper, talking to other fans, and whatever other sources... yes, I feel like I gain an understanding of the mainstream feeling of Reds country. As I've said many times before, the people here are not mainstream fans, people who love baseball so much to regularly post on a message board are NOT representative of the full Reds fanbase. Everyone who looks at this website is, whether they like it or not, at least on the verge of being a rare diehard Cincinnati Reds fan. Everyone here can recite the general candidates for the starting 8 and rotation, while much of Reds country is made up of occasional fans who just don't care who most of the players are. When I go to games other fans are amazed that I, a relatively young person, keep scorecards. I definitely take common anti-Red points as being mainstream, because often they are. Maybe they're not mainstream amongst intelligent die-hard fans, but they are amongst the average fans who buy most of the tickets.
When it comes to the Bengals (I have no idea how many games they've played, but I can name a few of their players probably) I'm just like most Reds fans. I don't care about the Bengals one bit, but I'll occasionally watch them play. Dalton is still around and Marvin Lewis is still there? Oh.
It's not being "willing to say things are going bad when they are in fact going bad" that bothers people, in my opinion saying things are going bad without any relevant context is the annoying part. What are the team's goals? What are the expectations? What should so and so have done differently? Discussing how things are going bad and why can be interesting, but complaining and whining about how much you hate everyone and everything is no fun for anyone. Often times in baseball I find that even smart decisions (most notably highly regarded free agent signings) just don't look so smart afterwards, but hammering everyone involved for being morons is hardly a constructive or worthwhile discussion.
-"I will always be respectful to those who are respectful back to me" - HAHAHAHHAHAAH
I'm very respectful to people who deserve it. Earn my respect and you'd be treated nicely. Instead, you're only reinforcing your standing as a troll.
Trolling - Yeah, reread that and explain how you're not a troll.
"I do hate and despise you" - In context, this is a Cincinnati Reds message board.
Blah blah blah, hard to read stuff on message boards, need to avoid, yada yada, scared baby, yeah yeah.
I do believe that many popular opinions are based on a lack of information, and those should be swayed by adding relevant context and information. Many opinions are flat out wrong or stupid. There's a difference between valid and absurd opinions, and yes, the later bother me, especially when the go mainstream from being unchallenged. I think people who don't understand what they're saying should seek to learn more, rather than retreat into an echo chamber where their nonsense goes unchallenged. I want to discuss the stuff, you want the echo chamber, that's what I'm getting out of this.
I do read other peoples' posts, although I don't keep databases or records of who said what. Frankly, I don't care who said what. This is a discussion, not a debate over who said what or who was right. Smart posters like Lark and Kinsm and others generally say the same sorta stuff, idiot posters (a group you're in) generally say the same stuff, Kramer always hates everyone. I do generally lump trolls and idiots in with supporting whatever the stupidest popular opinion I've read is, because it's so often the case (and who cares to document stuff to make a distinction? It's a message board, not a scientific journal). If you've been too smart to accept and support the worst, stupidest popular opinions in Reds country in a few cases, congrats, you should be proud.
I think there's a big difference between "thinking the Reds can do no wrong" and "thinking the Reds can do no right". The later is a stupid position to choose to hold for a team you follow for your own enjoyment. Most transactions are gambles, there are pros and cons of most players, and it's always unknown which forces will win out. In most cases someone with more knowledge than we have must believe in that decision (especially in the case of unknown players we don't know enough about to have strong opinions on). Rooting against your team, in my opinion, is stupid. All players traded and acquired in recent years have had pros and cons, but I never understand why some people are so intent on focusing only on the cons. I try to look at the pros and cons, and hope for the best, since that's all we can try to do as fans while trying to enjoy the sport. It's a game, for fun, for our entertainment.
Through reading this site, RedlegNation, listening to 700WLW, reading the newspaper, talking to other fans, and whatever other sources... yes, I feel like I gain an understanding of the mainstream feeling of Reds country. As I've said many times before, the people here are not mainstream fans, people who love baseball so much to regularly post on a message board are NOT representative of the full Reds fanbase. Everyone who looks at this website is, whether they like it or not, at least on the verge of being a rare diehard Cincinnati Reds fan. Everyone here can recite the general candidates for the starting 8 and rotation, while much of Reds country is made up of occasional fans who just don't care who most of the players are. When I go to games other fans are amazed that I, a relatively young person, keep scorecards. I definitely take common anti-Red points as being mainstream, because often they are. Maybe they're not mainstream amongst intelligent die-hard fans, but they are amongst the average fans who buy most of the tickets.
When it comes to the Bengals (I have no idea how many games they've played, but I can name a few of their players probably) I'm just like most Reds fans. I don't care about the Bengals one bit, but I'll occasionally watch them play. Dalton is still around and Marvin Lewis is still there? Oh.
It's not being "willing to say things are going bad when they are in fact going bad" that bothers people, in my opinion saying things are going bad without any relevant context is the annoying part. What are the team's goals? What are the expectations? What should so and so have done differently? Discussing how things are going bad and why can be interesting, but complaining and whining about how much you hate everyone and everything is no fun for anyone. Often times in baseball I find that even smart decisions (most notably highly regarded free agent signings) just don't look so smart afterwards, but hammering everyone involved for being morons is hardly a constructive or worthwhile discussion.
-"I will always be respectful to those who are respectful back to me" - HAHAHAHHAHAAH
I'm very respectful to people who deserve it. Earn my respect and you'd be treated nicely. Instead, you're only reinforcing your standing as a troll.