Update: Future of Orioles Hangout announcement next week

[brotherlo38]

Since Greg decided to make a pre-emptive strike, I will gladly respond, but unfortunately it won't be until tonight. I was hoping to keep the actual business side out of this, but since he has decided to make it known, I will be happy to respond. Greg is very good at presenting his view of the situation but as you can all guess, actually bringing up financial terms in a public forum is unprofessional and tells you a lot about his character. He will do anything to protect an organization that he works for. That's his job so please take that into consideration when reading his propaganda.

If bringing up financial terms in a public forum is unprofessional, I wonder what personal attacks are considered?

[The Epic]

[Dipper9]

Dude's rocking some guns man!

TO always was in optimum shape all the time.

[Miller192]

Since Greg decided to make a pre-emptive strike, I will gladly respond, but unfortunately it won't be until tonight. I was hoping to keep the actual business side out of this, but since he has decided to make it known, I will be happy to respond. Greg is very good at presenting his view of the situation but as you can all guess, actually bringing up financial terms in a public forum is unprofessional and tells you a lot about his character. He will do anything to protect an organization that he works for. That's his job so please take that into consideration when reading his propaganda.

I thought disclosing what the Orioles spent here was classless but I didn't want to put that out there out of respect for you.

[Pedro Cerrano]

Obviously I'll wait to hear Tony's responses but, on the surface, nothing you write here seems entirely unreasonable. If the Orioles want to reduce their amount of advertising on the site that is your prerogative. I was certain that Hangout Nights were going to be withdrawn (which would have been, putting it nicely, lousy), but that does not appear to be the case.

And this is why I said that.

[ChaosLex]

Those requests were largely ignored, and we were told that unless we matched or came close to matching last year?s level of commitment, the site would be changed, the operators would no longer work with us to squelch rumors that were patently false, and the days of the club being presented in a fair manner would be over? that essentially communication would be cut off between the site and the club.

Since Greg decided to make a pre-emptive strike, I will gladly respond, but unfortunately it won't be until tonight. I was hoping to keep the actual business side out of this, but since he has decided to make it known, I will be happy to respond. Greg is very good at presenting his view of the situation but as you can all guess, actually bringing up financial terms in a public forum is unprofessional and tells you a lot about his character. He will do anything to protect an organization that he works for. That's his job so please take that into consideration when reading his propaganda.

[Barnaby Graves]

If bringing up financial terms in a public forum is unprofessional, I wonder what personal attacks are considered?

Calling it like you see it.

Can you really blame Tony for being pissed off? Disclosing information like that might affect the rest of his advertising sales, at a minimum.

And of course there's the whole "Hey I've dedicated over a decade and a half of my life to this team" angle. Not even as a fan. This is his business, his lifeblood, his bread 'n' butter (well I'm pretty sure it is so I apologize if I'm wrong). I feel angry when I think about the general disregard for the fans, imagine how he feels when he's investing even more than just loyalty.

[Frobby]

Greg:

I believe you when you say that the decision to cut advertising and other forms of support for Orioles Hangout was purely a business decision.

I hope you believe me when I tell you, I think the Orioles are going to find it was a very poor business decision. Just like a lot of poor business decisions the Orioles have made over the last 15 years.

Enough said.

[olehippi]

After reading Greg Bader's posts, and Tony's brief, but obviously angry reply (with the promise of more to come), I have to say this has taken on the appearance of a pending divorce. Not good for either party involved, or the Orioles' fan base.

[Tony-OH]

Obviously I'll wait to hear Tony's responses but, on the surface, nothing you write here seems entirely unreasonable. If the Orioles want to reduce their amount of advertising on the site that is your prerogative. I was certain that Hangout Nights were going to be withdrawn (which would have been, putting it nicely, lousy), but that does not appear to be the case.

Trust me, the Orioles would not even commit to any Hangout nights so all of that stuff from Greg must be his internal thoughts, not what he was telling me. All they kept doing was putting us off. We normally have a deal done by December for the next season. Greg constantly kept blowing me off with cryptic e-mails and non-responses. I would have to follow up my e-mails and or proposals with more e-mails asking him for some feedback. After 7-8 years of doing business, you would think we earned a little more respect than that. Either way, Greg kept pushing us off, and pushing us off so I sent him an e-mail asking him for a commitment for Hangout nights because I know people need to make plans because some come in from out of state. My last proposal included three Hangout nights down from 6 and 25% cut of advertising dollars. I was given a response that they were not comfortable with that as well I asked what were they comfortable with and I was again not given an offer.

Everything I've done over the years with the Hangout was in the best interest of Orioles fans. Heck, the Hangout has always been about and for Orioles fans. The Orioles can blow millions of dollars every year, but they want to cut back on one of the last bastions of die-hard fans by cutting about their support for Hangout nights and their advertising dollars, the very dollars that go back into paying for the coverage your guys have gotten over the last 7-8 years.

I'm sorry this is all becoming public, but since Greg decided to be unprofessional by posting some financial aspects of our dealings, I figured all of the truth will have to be spilled. I will have more later.

[NewMarketSean]

The Orioles are pretty much infamous for saying "look at all we've done!" to re-direct blame away from themselves. They've done it by low-balling free agents for years and now they're doing it by mentioning how much they've spent on advertising with the Hangout.

That's not surprising.

But I do believe the truth here exists somewhere in the middle. If the Orioles want to spend less to support the Hangout, or whatever they are doing, that's their decision. I believe it is a poor one, though.

I also wonder how much this business decision has coincided with the Hangout's collective excitement over the Orioles being at all-time lows.

[Tony-OH]

I thought disclosing what the Orioles spent here was classless but I didn't want to put that out there out of respect for you.

Honestly, I was very surprised that Greg decided to go that route. It's an unwritten rule that you don't disclose that type of information and I'm surprised that he did that.

[Brendan25]

This is so sad. I just joined this site a year ago, but it's the one place where I can go and know that I can talk Orioles with other die hard fans. I have seen in just the past year the feeling about the Orioles reach an all time negative amongst fans. I have a feeling that this whole situation is going to make things even worse.

[Pedro Cerrano]

Well like I said, if they don't want to advertise that is their business. But the reluctance to commit to ANY Hangout Nights and the lack of responses is a pretty crappy way to treat someone you've been doing business with for several years.

[Tony-OH]

Reading his posts made me (again) realize how childish and poorly run this organization is. Why would he come here- after never posting before in 6 years of having a membership- just to disclose financial tranctions between the OH and the Orioles?

I am so disgusted with this team and franchise. Not a single decent trade, signing, or anything this year. They seriously considered Manny Ramirez! Our GM must still think its 2003 with some of his signings. How many guys can we sign that have been out of baseball for several years...who does that?

But yet, you're going to come onto a diehard message board and disclose the financial terms and discuss negotiations? Ridiculous

It truly is sad. I've loved the Orioles since I was a kid, but this kind of stuff is exactly why so many people talk about how poorly this organization is run. I've been a defender way more than not over the years, and what did I get out of it? The Orioles take the time to put out financial data. Hell, if Greg put this much effort into replying to my offers and counter offers (to my own initial offer) we probably wouldn't have gotten here.