Nestor & Flanny speak on rally

[Hank Scorpio]

This is what 9 years of losing causes. Dissention amongst the message boards!!!

[erb8472]

We know what the problem is, let's hear some solutions that will get started... not just suggested... Nestor is doing something.. if you dont agree with it, propose your solution.

Lots of people have been protesting just Angelos for a long time now.

How do you ask? By not attending games. You don't put any money in Angelos pocket, and you can still support the team by watching or listening on the radio.

[RichMGH]

I'm outta here...heading off to the ballpark area for the day.

But before I leave...let's all remember...whether you agree in the rally or not, hate or Angelos or not (????)...we're ALL here because we love the Orioles, right? We all want the team to succeed, to shake off the last 9 years, and emerge as a team we can cheer for long into September of '07.

This rally has created a lot of ill will on this site, and I doubt anyone wanted that. We should have ill will towards Bankees or Red Sox fans...not each other.

Let's go O's!!!

PS...If anyone's going today, I'll be behind home plate, lower level (friend's father's tix), wearing a black "Free the Birds" shirt and a grey long-sleeve shirt (dude, it's chilly.) And I'll be staying the whole game. (Screw Nestor.) Stop by and say hello!

[Boca Bird]

He very well could have said that, but that doesn't mean he never talks to them. There's a lot more places there than the clubhouse.

By the by, congrats on the "toeing." Most people write towing.

I have no doubt that he talks to them. I also have no doubt that he's against the protest because of how it makes mgmt feel, not how it make the players feel.

Think about it, Tejada, Mora, and Roberts echo the fan's sentiments that the O's need more/better players.

[Hank Scorpio]

Did you mean dissension?

Hey, I was a finance major with a minor in making ironic quips....

[Skywalker76]

The players (Tejada, Roberts, Mora, Gibbons) get money from the O's yet they are allowed to criticise the franchise.

Us fans are spending money on the Orioles and shouldn't be allowed to criticise (at least that's what some on this board are saying)?

About the right time- geeez, it's time to show the owner, the FO, the players (yes, them, too- as it seems we have players on the team who make offseason plans in July), the mlb, the media and the city of Baltimore that there are people out there who still care about a once very honored franchise.

If Flanagan would be in his first year as a gm I would maybe agree with what he said in his recent interview but, hell, he is in his what 5th year as a gm and things didn't really get better. And don't tell me about Markakis, Bedard, Ray and Loewen because if you have about 50 1st and 2nd round draft picks in 10 years anybody (even me) could produce these kind of players. And don't tell me about our farm system. Yes it has produced, but c'mon, currently it would rank at about 15th place in mlb (according to baseball america) and even that positive development is about Stockstill and Jordan and not about Mr. Flanagan. We're still light yeears away from having a farm system like the Tigers, Marlins and Angels. Period

I for one think it's time for the fans to make it clear that it's close to being too late for this franchise.

One thing, let me tell you, in europe (at least at the soccer level), if a soccer club would have been treated like the Orioles by it's owner and management, you'd have had fan protests probably in 2001 or latest in 2002. And by now there's be a weekly protest. You know what they do in England and Germany in such a case? The fans go into the stadium and just turn their backs on the teams playing on the field for the entire game, pretending like they don't care anymore.

Sometimes I think the Orioles fans are too good & too loyal for the current Orioles. Just imagine what would happen in NY or Boston (I mean they even had a protest when the FO traded Nomar back in 2004).

It is and it was about time, no matter who organizes that thing (I don't even know or care about that Nestor guy), for a protest.

I for one spend as much time and probably more money on the Orioles than most of you and I for one don't always want to talk about the future and that we will compete in three years from now (because that's what we talked about in 2004, as 2007 was supposed to be the year we would win the WS?!?). Now we're talking about 2008 and in 2008 we will talk about being a contender in 2011. Enough of that.

All I can say is that protest thing is good and want to thank all the people who participate in it.

[Fan4Life]

Lots of people have been protesting just Angelos for a long time now.

How do you ask? By not attending games. You don't put any money in Angelos pocket, and you can still support the team by watching or listening on the radio.

Well, not attending games and not buying Orioles gear is a PASSIVE way to express your thoughts about things.. Nestor has provided a way(good or bad) to take some AGGRESSIVE action. Many on here are in agreement, many aren't. But one thing we are all in agreement with is our dissatisifaction with this year and many many more... so.. as I said, if you don't agree with the plan, suggest another one of similar type... IE.. aggressive.

[The Wedge]

Gee, how did I miss this one? A lot of people who bring up opposition to the protest seem to have let negative feelings about Nestor influence their feelings about it. That was my point. Flimsy sideways arguing? Do your really talk like that?

Yes, I really talk like this, no need to talk down at me. My point stands, though, it's still flimsy sideways arguing. You're arguing a flimsy point that's slightly to the side of your main point. The point is flimsy because people that are pro protest and/or pro Nestor also name drop him. People who are neutral to the protest name drop Nestor. They do this because it's widely recognized as his protest. He organized it. So how do their particular feelings influence their thoughts?

[mdguy2415]

At first, I was very skeptical about this protest, and thought it was a self-serving on part of Nestor and just a way to amp up ratings for his radio network.

However, after looking at his website and parts of his story online, he, no doubt has a passion for the Orioles and sports in general. That being said, I can only give him respect and the guts to pull of this task. I will be at the game, but I won't be part of the protest & the walk out (I have work and paid good money ahead of time for the tickets), but I will wear black in support of everything today.

I work 3 blocks away from the Yard and it is far different world than what it was in the 90's. I long for the street to be buzzing and fans dominating with the Black and Orange again. Whatever Nestor's motive is, at least he's getting the plight of all of us Oriole fans out there in the public domain.

Will Peter sell, no. The Baltimore Orioles are private enterprise, but have some support from the state of Maryland, so it is unrealistic he will even acknowledge our existence.

Will he even care, who knows.

I will say though, the anger of the fans towards the ineptitude and incomptence of the Orioles is growing, so any public showing our displeasure is a big step to letting the front office know our feelings. Maybe something down the road will happen for the team to improve and perhaps close the talent disparity between us and the Red Sox and Orioles.

[El Gordo]

I agree with Flanagan that its horrible timing. Nestor is going to take credit for every cent increased to the Orioles payroll next year, when his rally really has nothing to do with that.

This would have made a lot more sense a year ago, or even at the beginning of this season, but its just bad timing right now.

What if at 5:05 the O's are in the middle of a rally and Nick is up with men on base, who's getting up and leaving? or better yet, he gets the 3run HR. Leave now? Wait till the end of the inning? Was that really the point? I know the owner and the FO is disfunctional. I go to games to watch the players and support them, even the bad ones are a lot better at it than me and I have to respect their skill. I couldn't bring my self to walk out on them. Unless of course it's the late innings of a laugher either way.

[The Wedge]

Wow! Talk about not comprehending. I think some people are against the protest for the simple reason that Nestor has organized it. They are letting their negative feelings about him influence their opinion on the protest itself. It's got nothing to do with just mentioning his name. You don't like to be talked down to? If that's not the pot calling the kettle black. That Edmund Burke sure made up a lot of quotes!

Do you have a problem with me that you've never shared or something? Because the only negative thing I've said about you thus far is that my high opinion of you is dropping. You've continually made stabs and veiled insults at me. It's become tiring.

I comprehend just fine. I know that some people are against the protest merely because it's Nestors. However, you brought up the point that the anti protestors bring up Nestors name in order to lend weight to the negative connotation they wish to put across. I counter pointed that many people on each of the three sides of the protest have referenced Nestor due to his high profile as the protest organizer. You've yet to really address that.

[Sports Guy]

I haven't read much of the thread but let me tell you guys something....I have talked to people and from what i am hearing, those inside the warehouse actually believe that if PA sells the team, that the fans will not really care.

They don't believe it is PA's fault.

Nestor talks about how out of touch the organization is....He is right. They are out of touch with the fans and the city in a way that maybe no other team in pro sports is.

[BRobinsonfan]

I agree with Flanagan that its horrible timing. Nestor is going to take credit for every cent increased to the Orioles payroll next year, when his rally really has nothing to do with that.

This would have made a lot more sense a year ago, or even at the beginning of this season, but its just bad timing right now.

The perfect is the enemy of the good.

Timing schmyming.... I say do it now. Want can it hurt?

[Fan4Life]

I haven't read much of the thread but let me tell you guys something....I have talked to people and from what i am hearing, those inside the warehouse actually believe that if PA sells the team, that the fans will not really care.

They don't believe it is PA's fault.

Nestor talks about how out of touch the organization is....He is right. They are out of touch with the fans and the city in a way that maybe no other team in pro sports is.

Do you think this protest or any other will get their attention to this fact?

[Boca Bird]

If you would have seen the variations, especially in context, you could see that the variations were specific to the needs of the particular author. One of them even included America in the quote.

People are misquoted all of the time. That fact does not prove that Burke never said it.

Do you think its more likely Burke was misquoted or that the quote was fabricated and then falsely attributed to him on purpose?

In either case, does it really matter?