Babcock: This is the best team I've coached

[Guest Crymson]

I love you too, Opie.

You're the only man on the planet that can write half a page of info on how Sammy is a decent player. Keep up the good work.

You're the only man on the planet I've seen who will consistently dog a team, who will always refute any positive statements about the team, and who will constantly argue against any statement expressing confidence in the team's ability to win, and who, after all this, will still have the balls and the temerity to call himself a fan of the team when arguing with those who actually support the team instead.

Edited March 25, 2008 by Crymson

[DaKineMaui 8]

He shoulda said: "I would rather coach these Detroit Red Wings, more than I would one of the finest teams in the NHL."

aloha

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

You're the only man on the planet I've seen who will consistently dog a team, who will always refute any positive statements about the team, and who will constantly argue against any statement expressing confidence in the team's ability to win, and who, after all this, will still have the balls and the temerity to call himself a fan of the team when arguing with those who actually support the team instead.

I'm tired of your pointless witchhunting tactics. I support the team as much as anybody. Just because I have some doubts and have the balls to express those doubts on a fan site doesn't mean I'm not a real fan. Do you work for the FCC or something? Where do you come off with these moralist posts? You don't know jack about me, so stop pretending that you're my psychiatrist or something.

If this site was full of people like you, it wouldn't be fun to post here anymore, since there would be no contrasting opinions whatsoever.

If you don't like my posts just put me on ignore. You might have to get in line for that, but if it's bothering you that much, it's well worth the wait.

[Guest Crymson]

I'm tired of your pointless witchhunting tactics. I support the team as much as anybody. Just because I have some doubts and have the balls to express those doubts on a fan site doesn't mean I'm not a real fan. Do you work for the FCC or something? Where do you come off with these moralist posts? You don't know jack about me, so stop pretending that you're my psychiatrist or something.

If this site was full of people like you, it wouldn't be fun to post here anymore, since there would be no contrasting opinions whatsoever.

If you don't like my posts just put me on ignore. You might have to get in line for that, but if it's bothering you that much, it's well worth the wait.

You continue to imply that you're just one of many who do what you do. Unfortunately, that's not the case. You're basically the only one who does what you do. Further, you imply that I'm voraciously against any dissenting opinion, implying that all you do is provide a dissenting opinion. Unfortunately, there's no truth in that either. I don't have issue with the fact that people disagree with me; opinions are inherently neither right nor wrong. Related, what you do has nothing to do with providing any dissenting opinion. What I get on you about is the fact that you dog the Wings at every turn and show up in most every positive thread to refute the OP's positive sentiments, and any reply you make to any positive post that's made is likely to be either a negative post or one that's totally smart-assed.

You seem to be one of the legions of people who like to call themselves fans but are in fact horribly defensively pessimistic so that they'll have nothing at stake should the team lose, but will be able to instantly jump on the bandwagon the second the team wins it all (should it happen). Such people spend their words actively refuting any notion that there's cause for hope that the team will win it all. Should such people admit that such hope exists, they'd need to partake in it, and doing so would create the potential for disappointment were the team to end up losing. Admitting to hope is poison to defensive pessimism. So, in all, such people refuse to put anything of themselves behind the team they supposedly root for, and they'll only truly support after (if) the team wins it all and there is no more risk for disappointment. Such people aren't willing to support the team. You are one such people.

As such, no, I don't consider you a fan. I'm of course only one person, and as such this is my opinion alone, yes. But I'm simply not willing to consider a fan anyone who is unwilling to support a team because of fear that that team may lose. Supporting a team is having faith in it and sticking with it through thick and thin, and you do the opposite of that. What you do isn't 'expressing doubts,' and it doesn't take guts, and you sure as hell don't support the team at all. You're just here on the off chance that they'll win it all, at which point you could tell yourself that you were behind the team all along and could thus justify to yourself whatever celebration and gratification you'd engage in as a result.

Edited March 26, 2008 by Crymson

[Opie 308]

I agree Crymson, all of the posters in this new found pessimistic following, are the weirdest group of "Fans" I have ever seen.

This very well could be the best wings team we have seen in a while, yet people insist on degrading every player except for Lids. Z was hurt and not going to be good in the future with a bad back. Dats didn't score enough, doesn't shoot enough, the list goes on and on.

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO ROOTING FOR A TEAM AND ITS PLAYERS!

And for those of you who say this board is no fun without differing opinions are really saying it is no fun without arguing. Because many of us have different opinions we just don't argue them, we discuss them in a civil manner, but then again common courtesy and common sense are not that common any more, so why would I think civility is!

Edited March 26, 2008 by Opie

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

You continue to imply that you're just one of many who do what you do. Unfortunately, that's not the case. You're basically the only one who does what you do. Further, you imply that I'm voraciously against any dissenting opinion, implying that all you do is provide a dissenting opinion. Unfortunately, there's no truth in that either. I don't have issue with the fact that people disagree with me; opinions are inherently neither right nor wrong. Related, what you do has nothing to do with providing any dissenting opinion. What I get on you about is the fact that you dog the Wings at every turn and show up in most every positive thread to refute the OP's positive sentiments, and any reply you make to any positive post that's made is likely to be either a negative post or one that's totally smart-assed.

You seem to be one of the legions of people who like to call themselves fans but are in fact horribly defensively pessimistic so that they'll have nothing at stake should the team lose, but will be able to instantly jump on the bandwagon the second the team wins it all (should it happen). Such people spend their words actively refuting any notion that there's cause for hope that the team will win it all. Should such people admit that such hope exists, they'd need to partake in it, and doing so would create the potential for disappointment were the team to end up losing. Admitting to hope is poison to defensive pessimism. So, in all, such people refuse to put anything of themselves behind the team they supposedly root for, and they'll only truly support after (if) the team wins it all and there is no more risk for disappointment. Such people aren't willing to support the team. You are one such people.

As such, no, I don't consider you a fan. I'm of course only one person, and as such this is my opinion alone, yes. But I'm simply not willing to consider a fan anyone who is unwilling to support a team because of fear that that team may lose. Supporting a team is having faith in it and sticking with it through thick and thin, and you do the opposite of that. What you do isn't 'expressing doubts,' and it doesn't take guts, and you sure as hell don't support the team at all. You're just here on the off chance that they'll win it all, at which point you could tell yourself that you were behind the team all along and could thus justify to yourself whatever celebration and gratification you'd engage in as a result.

You're still wrong Crymson. I get devastated every year after the Wings lose in the playoffs, and it takes me a long time to get over it. You act like you can see into my living room or something. I've never stopped rooting for the Wings even if I feel they're going to lose. A fairweather fan is someone who only roots for the team when they win. If you think that's what I am, then once again you know nothing about me.

The fact that I'm willing to make certain criticisms of this team doesn't mean that I don't root for them every night. You're obviously confused about me, and I know that's your opinion, but I'm not going to let you post all this false crap about me lying down.

[Z and D for the C 712]

I don't mind having Sammy on the team, I just hate to see him get ice time over other more qualified players. I think that's why people rant about him.

[Wing Across The Pond 196]

You can tell he means it cos he was honest to begin with by saying its not as good a team as few years ago... he knows its a different squad... younger and all but he knows they wanna win and believes in them.... i think we've got a hell of a chance!!

[awingsincebirth 0]

I don't mind having Sammy on the team, I just hate to see him get ice time over other more qualified players. I think that's why people rant about him.

That's absolutely the case. I think we place all of our hate on Sammy, which isn't really fair because it has more to do with Bab's inexplicable man-crush on Sammy that has him generally in the top-6, and on the 2nd pp. Contrary to what you would think from reading many posts on this site (including some of my own posted in frustration), you'd think he is the worst player of all time. Realistically, he's just not good enough to play in the role in which Babs plays him.

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

I agree Crymson, all of the posters in this new found pessimistic following, are the weirdest group of "Fans" I have ever seen.

This very well could be the best wings team we have seen in a while, yet people insist on degrading every player except for Lids. Z was hurt and not going to be good in the future with a bad back. Dats didn't score enough, doesn't shoot enough, the list goes on and on.

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO ROOTING FOR A TEAM AND ITS PLAYERS!

And for those of you who say this board is no fun without differing opinions are really saying it is no fun without arguing. Because many of us have different opinions we just don't argue them, we discuss them in a civil manner, but then again common courtesy and common sense are not that common any more, so why would I think civility is!

To me, a real fan is someone who roots hard for his team every game, and gets devastated when that team loses, especially in the playoffs. I qualify easily for those descriptions.

However, I do have doubts about this team matching up with certain others, and that doesn't mean that I'm not a real fan. Based on your guys' assessments of a real fan, no one in Toronto is a real Leafs fan, because they never think that their team will win. Similarly, you could say that about any bad teams and their fans. I'm just tired of certain posters calling me out about matters they know nothing about. If someone said that I wasn't a real fan to my face, I'd beat the hell out of them.