"Fans" really irk me sometimes.

[SpdyAlanWiggins]

There is a difference between being a fan of a club and a supporter of a club. A supporter is one who supports through thick and thin good and bad. Fans tend to be fickle and turn their emotions against the club or lose interest altogether.

[Sparkwinder]

The "Fans" of this team who don't boo are part of the problem. Angelos etc. has engineered a corporate baseball team where winning doesn't matter as much "having a good night at the ballgame". I believe a true Orioles fan -- the one who has a passion for the franchise and believes that purpose of a major league baseball team is to win -- should be booing them from the first pitch of the season until they let go of their "as long as there is money for the ownership group all is well" pretend-contender attitude.

14 Years of pretending to contend. And you are griping that someone is booing a player for walking the bases loaded with a 4 run lead? Yes, you are part of the problem.

[JDubs]

There is a difference between being a fan of a club and a supporter of a club. A supporter is one who supports through thick and thin good and bad. Fans tend to be fickle and turn their emotions against the club or lose interest altogether.

You can invent whatever distinctions you wish. Everyone here sticks with the Orioles through thick and thin. That much is clear, because it is has been 'thin' for 14 years. Voicing a little displeasure seems acceptable under these conditions.

[crissfan172]

The "Fans" of this team who don't boo are part of the problem. Angelos etc. has engineered a corporate baseball team where winning doesn't matter as much "having a good night at the ballgame". I believe a true Orioles fan -- the one who has a passion for the franchise and believes that purpose of a major league baseball team is to win -- should be booing them from the first pitch of the season until they let go of their "as long as there is money for the ownership group all is well" pretend-contender attitude.

14 Years of pretending to contend. And you are griping that someone is booing a player for walking the bases loaded with a 4 run lead? Yes, you are part of the problem.

I'm sorry, but placing any of the blame for these terrible 14 years on the fans is ridiculous. We literally have no control, no matter what some people want to believe.

[Sparkwinder]

I'm sorry, but placing any of the blame for these terrible 14 years on the fans is ridiculous. We literally have no control, no matter what some people want to believe.

At this point, buying a ticket to the game is an endorsement of how the Orioles owner and management have chosen to run the team. It is a vote saying "I agree with this". Now, I know some of us just want to go see a ball game because it is a nice night out, relaxing family experience, whatever, which is where the booing comes in. But, booing isn't really the solution. Just a fair continuation of not agreeing with the product they've chosen to deliver. The way you "boo" so that the front office can hear it is with your refusal to purchase their product. It's one of those "If you love her, set her free" sort of conundrums.

[jabba72]

The "Fans" of this team who don't boo are part of the problem. Angelos etc. has engineered a corporate baseball team where winning doesn't matter as much "having a good night at the ballgame". I believe a true Orioles fan -- the one who has a passion for the franchise and believes that purpose of a major league baseball team is to win -- should be booing them from the first pitch of the season until they let go of their "as long as there is money for the ownership group all is well" pretend-contender attitude.

14 Years of pretending to contend. And you are griping that someone is booing a player for walking the bases loaded with a 4 run lead? Yes, you are part of the problem.

I watched the game at the end just to see if the Orioles could some how blow it and was amazed to see almost the entire Yard standing and cheering on the last out. Its like Oriole fans live in a vacuum where wins and losses dont matter. Only what happens that night at the Yard.

[Sparkwinder]

I watched the game at the end just to see if the Orioles could some how blow it and was amazed to see almost the entire Yard standing and cheering on the last out. Its like Oriole fans live in a vacuum where wins and losses dont matter. Only what happens that night at the Yard.

And I think the reason for this is pretty simple: the majority of people at the baseball game aren't fans of baseball. They are fans of going out and "doing" something. Ever take a look at a cluster of fans at an orioles game? A really good look at them? For every fan, you'll see three or four people "out on the town" after their white-collar day, ready to leave by the sixth inning, vaguely interested in the goings-on in front of them. The Orioles have becomes Baltimore's *entertainment* instead of what they ought to be: *sport*. That's not unique to Baltimore except that the front office/owner realized that this demographic exists in abundance in this region and built their "business" around them.

[Pushmonkey]

The "Fans" of this team who don't boo are part of the problem. Angelos etc. has engineered a corporate baseball team where winning doesn't matter as much "having a good night at the ballgame". I believe a true Orioles fan -- the one who has a passion for the franchise and believes that purpose of a major league baseball team is to win -- should be booing them from the first pitch of the season until they let go of their "as long as there is money for the ownership group all is well" pretend-contender attitude.

14 Years of pretending to contend. And you are griping that someone is booing a player for walking the bases loaded with a 4 run lead? Yes, you are part of the problem.

AWESOME! I fully agree!

[Mitch Connor]

I was at the game. I wasn't booing, but it is very frustrating watching a closer, allow a team back into the game, on a regular basis. I think that if most of us had as many failures in our jobs as Gregg does, we would be fired. So maybe getting booed is better than getting fired.

[SpdyAlanWiggins]

You can invent whatever distinctions you wish. Everyone here sticks with the Orioles through thick and thin. That much is clear, because it is has been 'thin' for 14 years. Voicing a little displeasure seems acceptable under these conditions.

I don't disagree and I don't condemn those who show emotion. I think you read something unintended in my response. Furthermore I'm not 'inventing distinctions', as you irresolutley put it, between fans and supporter they are real distinctions.

[crissfan172]

At this point, buying a ticket to the game is an endorsement of how the Orioles owner and management have chosen to run the team. It is a vote saying "I agree with this". Now, I know some of us just want to go see a ball game because it is a nice night out, relaxing family experience, whatever, which is where the booing comes in. But, booing isn't really the solution. Just a fair continuation of not agreeing with the product they've chosen to deliver. The way you "boo" so that the front office can hear it is with your refusal to purchase their product. It's one of those "If you love her, set her free" sort of conundrums.

This is just idiotic. They know we're not happy. If the dwindling attendance over the years hasn't made them put out a better product, there's nothing we can do to change that. We have no power. You can boo all you want, but chastising those that choose not to is stupid.

[JDubs]

I don't disagree and I don't condemn those who show emotion. I think you read something unintended in my response. Furthermore I'm not 'inventing distinctions', as you irresolutley put it, between fans and supporter they are real distinctions.

There was a clear tenor of superiority in your previous post. People are not less of a fan or 'supporter' for reasonably voicing their dissention about an incredibly poor product.

[aintthebeercold]

And I think the reason for this is pretty simple: the majority of people at the baseball game aren't fans of baseball. They are fans of going out and "doing" something. Ever take a look at a cluster of fans at an orioles game? A really good look at them? For every fan, you'll see three or four people "out on the town" after their white-collar day, ready to leave by the sixth inning, vaguely interested in the goings-on in front of them. The Orioles have becomes Baltimore's *entertainment* instead of what they ought to be: *sport*. That's not unique to Baltimore except that the front office/owner realized that this demographic exists in abundance in this region and built their "business" around them.

Amen to that. That is why I gave up my season tickets years ago. I was fed up with the people sitting around me who were more concerned about what politician they were working for in DC. They got there in the 3rd inning,left in the 7th and had no clue as to what was happening on the field

[Steve I]

Amen to that. That is why I gave up my season tickets years ago. I was fed up with the people sitting around me who were more concerned about what politician they were working for in DC. They got there in the 3rd inning,left in the 7th and had no clue as to what was happening on the field

That was introduced by Camden Yards opening. The O's became corporate. It is what it is. Money talks. Sucks, but it is reality. It is why the Sawx and Yanks fans own the yard. It is why out of town fans are treated great. None of that happened at Memorial Stadium. It is what it is. Blue collar fans can not or will not fund the O's, so we get corporate types, no passion, not much care beyond appearances. At least no ambulances are called for out town fans anymore

[Dipper9]

I'd rather he just do his job than start a fight. The guy has been living on the edge all season, and it's very frustrating to watch. I don't have a problem with anyone booing that craptastic performance. We had lost 9 in a row and 13 of 14, we finally get a comfortable lead and this guy decides not to throw a flipping strike. He should have been booed.

I agree. I am as nice a guy as you'll find, but I was there Saturday night and I booed him too. Just because he stood up to Papi and got my respect doesn't mean he shouldn't be booed for his performance on Saturday. It was awful. As the guy behind me said..."Just throw a damn strike!"