Big announcement on the future of Orioles Hangout

[backwardsk]

1 minute ago, MDK02 said:

I believe this to be true for the most part too. Know who doesn’t want this country to unite? The news/media. What would they have to report on then? They love the division and people eat it right up from their choice of news station because it gives people emotional reaction, it is at times addicting. Then the hate and anger builds from there.. 

 

Stop letting news/media outlets create the person you are, think for yourself. Be kind to people(any color, religion)and help one another, so easy to say but that’s where it starts. 

Except for purple people.  Because that’s going too far.  Shout out Mitch Hedberg.

[JimGinSP]

Last year I went to a game at OPACY, I don’t get to as many as I used to since I moved to western MD so not sure if the following was commonplace during the season.

Seventh inning stretch rolled around and This Land Is Your Land was played instead of God Bless America.  I was thrilled and in my mind attributed it to John and Louis Angelos.  I wanted to post my appreciation here on OH but I thought it would violate the no politics rule. This thread made me rethink my decision.

[Moose Milligan]

6 hours ago, interloper said:

The idea that wanting to avoid politics in a game funded by billionaire owners and a game that invites presidents and politicians to throw out pitches and a game that glorifies the military and a game with a rich history in civil rights movements... Like that's completely laughable. All the things I just stated are facts of the game and they're fine. That's baseball. Baseball has never not been political. We should just embrace it, it's everything about America in one sport, for better AND for worse.

Baseball hasn't been political for 30, maybe 40 years, I'd say.  They've been able to navigate the times without having to address larger social issues.  When baseball has had to step out of the sphere of its fans and into the public consciousness, it's usually because of labor strife or a guy like Pete Rose who stained the game.  Jackie Robinson day aside and retiring his number across MLB, I can't think of a time in the past 30 or 40 years where baseball addressed sociopolitical issues.  Maybe cancelling games after 9/11 but, IIRC, that happened because of security and uncertainty.  There's pink bats and stuff for breast cancer on Mother's Day, but that's not really going out on a limb.

Look at the demographics of the players, look at the demographics of the fans for MLB.  It's a lot of white people.  If MLB had the demographics of the NBA or the NFL, this would be an entirely different situation.  But since MLB's demographics are what they are, some want to ignore the social issues that the NBA and NFL want to address and pretend that this is the last bastion of sports (NHL and NASCAR too, but no one cares about the NHL and NASCAR) without sociopolitical leanings because...well, it has been for the last 30 or 40 years.  So if you're a baseball fan, you're not used to it and all of a sudden this is an atrocity.  In a time where everything gets politicized, in a time where everyone is bringing their social agendas to whatever table they can find, it shouldn't be a surprise that it's made it's way into baseball.  

 

[VaBird1]

8 hours ago, backwardsk said:

Bonds is a big 2A guy.  But also a Bernie Bro.   Go figure.  I kid, I kid.

But seriously though, I think Bonds’ reputation is shaped by the guys who covered him and didn’t like him.  You don’t hear bad things said about him from teammates.  I hated him when he played, but in hindsight, wished I was able  to enjoy his greatness.  Though I’m petty enough to be happy he’s ringless.

I was lucky enough to see him in A ball when he was still Bobby Bond’s kid.  His brief stop at that level was awe inspiring.  It’s nice that image comes to mind first when I think of him, not the later stuff.

[Roll Tide]

6 hours ago, Mr. Chewbacca Jr. said:

I really like the Hangout. Been a longtime reader, recent poster. It's easily the most knowledgeable community of Orioles fans. Tony, you deserve props for building it.

I'm just going to be honest right now, because I think it's important to be transparent - but Tony, you're one of the most political posters on here. There's a no politics rule, but you're one of the first people to get into it. You've frequently called things misinformation or shut down threads just because you don't agree with it. I keep hearing about this no-politics rule, but it always makes me chuckle because it's really not led by example at all. Take this thread, for instance. 

It's pretty naive to expect politics to never enter sports discussion. From Jackie Robinson to Mohammad Ali, there's always been athletes using their platform to advance social change. So, I don't think we can hide from any political discussion like it's the boogeyman. We're all adults here. It's okay to disagree with each other.

But, it's Opening Night - and we finally have baseball to talk about. Instead, we're talking about this. 

I hope this isn't the end of the Hangout. But, if this sorta thread continues to become the norm, then it really isn't the Hangout anymore. Tony, I'm actually pretty good friends with your daughter and know you're a good dude. I completely disagree with your politics, but that doesn't stop me from respecting you as a person and being absolutely interested in your baseball insight.

Baseball is baseball. It's basically the same game since 1890 or whatever. But, the world has changed dramatically since then. In another 100 years, baseball will still be baseball. And the world will be dramatically different again. Baseball is a constant refuge in a sea of change. That's why many of us love it so much and why we've come together as a community. Let's focus on that and leave the rest for the ballot box.

 

 

I don’t disagree with everything you are saying here. But, I will say that being the principle has it advantages. You are ultimately playing in someone else’s sandbox. So if you want to play you are required to do what I say (As it refers to Tony)not what I do!

What I like here at the Hangout is the ability to discuss the Orioles, Ravens etc in a moderated environment. Which is a lot better than at sites where foul language is the norm, gang piling on, and sometimes worse for having a differing opinion. It’s usually handled here pretty swiftly.

I go to places like BSL and when you don’t fit in with the norm you are bashed relentlessly. What is the fun in that? Also what is the fun in everyone agreeing all of the time? 

Ive personally had pain with a lot of the sports related political stuff as far back as Colin Kaepernick nonsense. As a veteran of the army respecting the flag and showing respect hits home for me. I referee football games at the high school and rec level. Seeing the disrespect there is disgusting. 
 

I believe in freedom and justice for all and believe with some change we can be a better nation. I don’t think theft, vandalism, and egregious behavior gets us any closer to that goal.

I think the the event of May 25, 2020 was wrong and disgusting in so many ways. Any intelligent person watching the film could draw that conclusion. I think that common sense also has to prevail in these situations. On 6/12/2020 the conduct of the individual was very different.

I’m glad that the Orioles are opening tonight and we will finally be able to focus on the Os, rebuilding baseball, and hopefully progress.

Cheers!

 

[Ruzious]

There's been absolutely no good reason mentioned for having political talk on this site.  Hasn't it already been tried a couple of times and failed?  Nothing has changed that will make the outcome any better.  If anything, it'll be worse - and probably much worse.  

[Roll Tide]

2 minutes ago, Ruzious said:

There's been absolutely no good reason mentioned for having political talk on this site.  Hasn't it already been tried a couple of times and failed?  Nothing has changed that will make the outcome any better.  If anything, it'll be worse - and probably much worse.  

Politics causes arguments in families. It would be a disaster.

I wonder if the site is being sold?

[Ruzious]

7 hours ago, Hank Scorpio said:

I don’t like when Pearl Jam tells me I’m an ahole for voting against Hillary Clinton, either. How about shut up and play Jeremy?!!! I didn’t pay $100 for tickets to listen to your punditry.

Peace and blessings my friends! We are all O’s fans. At least we’ve got that in common.

Lol, don't go to a Pearl Jam concert if you don't want to hear their librul views.  They've been doing that at their concerts from day 1.  Watch their MTV Unplugged concert - see what he writes on himself.  A plug for Unplugged.     

[MikeAD]

I can’t think of five times politics interfered with discussion in the 17 or so years I’ve been around here. I wanted to reply last night but thought I’d wait. I don’t even know what MLB has “done”, I guess I don’t pay close enough attention. Whatever it is I can’t imagine It would impact talking about our Birds. 

[weams]

Good Morning.  The site is not being sold. Tony told you what his very personal issue is. Lets back away from the political discussion now. 

[DirtyBird]

@Tony-OHBased on these feelings, think you should make @Eric-OH take the "OH" off his twitter handle.

[DrungoHazewood]

I've loved The Hangout for almost 20 years.  I've written for it, I've occasionally represented it in press boxes (a long time ago), and I've had countless wonderful conversations about the Orioles and baseball and a million other things here.  Tony's done a great thing in running this site.  I hope it's around for many more years.

[forphase1]

Tony, just wanted to say I agree with you 100%.  For me sports should be an escape, a break from the 'real world' crap we deal with on a daily basis.  Over the past decade or so, I've slowly stopped being an NBA and NFL fan, largely due to all the social issues that are constantly intruding into the game.  Baseball was still my refuge, a place where the issues of the day weren't constantly thrown into my face,  where I could just relax, and set aside the partisanship that is dividing us so greatly.   But that's being lost.

   I paid for mlb.tv early last week,  but I'm calling today to see if it's too late to get a refund and cancel it.   My enjoyment of the game will be greatly diminished due to the patches being worn and other possible constant reminders of the daily strife.  Sadly, this baseball, and sports in general, fan is about to check out completely.  Protest all you want,  say whatever you'd like before or after the game...but during that short 3 hour or so window of game/air time, let's leave the devisive issues aside.  

 

[DrungoHazewood]

47 minutes ago, Ruzious said:

There's been absolutely no good reason mentioned for having political talk on this site.  Hasn't it already been tried a couple of times and failed?  Nothing has changed that will make the outcome any better.  If anything, it'll be worse - and probably much worse.  

I post sometimes on the fourms on Billjamesonline.com.  They allow political discussions.  There are three or four regular posters there who probably start 1/3 of the threads, that I have to have on ignore because every single thread they post in becomes a ugly name-calling flame war.  The worst disputes on the Hangout are nothing compared to what happens there.  You could start a conversation about Al Kaline's batting stance, and there's a good chance you're going to get called a dirty %$#%$ing Marxist Fascist loser.

The no politics rule here is one of the things that keeps this a really good forum.

[DirtyBird]

9 hours ago, interloper said:

 

Exactly. 

Just another white dude thinking he understands BLM better than the people actually suffering from the systemic racism. Please do explain how you're an expert on black lives and what the movement means Tony. I've seen enough unprovoked police brutality in the last 4 months to make me physically sick. I also have to laugh at people continuing to believe in some ANTIFA bogeyman that Fox news continues to push. Please. We lead the world in school shootings and COVID cases but god forbid we have a couple people throw a brick through a window. 

Wanting to rid the site of politics is in itself political, obviously. It's also just impossible unless you wanna bring out the ban hammer en masse. It's a historic time in our country so the best course is to let things breathe here. We were talking baseball just fine.

Whatever. Do whatever you have to do to. There's certainly more to worry about than the fate of this website. 

#BLM

Do we also lead the world in black people killing one another? I'm not sure, because you didn't mention that.