Hangouters have stopped being fans

[Avsfan]

Rooting for a team to be .500 gets really old...having an organization settle for .500 is downright sad, and disgusting.

[xKHx]

Tactical losses! I cheer for people hitting better and living up to there past stats I never cheer for loses it ruins the last inning and the hour that follows heh. All people are different who are you to say what a fan is or isn't. Fans are all that you have left on these boards because we defiantly aren't band wagon fans..... Sports guy wants the betterment of the team. You want them to win now he wants the to win next year or two years and he has given up on the season. Who is right who is wrong its for no one to decide. If you are your own man or woman then you will do your own thing no matter what. This is kinda elementary stuff that is why people are questioning your thread.

[Hank Scorpio]

First of all, you deserve some kind of an award. Isn't that the second time in as many days you worked "cromulent" into a sentence. That warrants some recognition.

I was genuinely asking the question...if I thought it was totally unwarranted I would have just locked it.

Hopefully this is the year they shake things up. Macphail's been quiet. Almost too quiet. I'm seem to recall in years' past hearing Flanagan and or Beattie and/or Duquette speaking publicly on the team's expectations with the deadline looming. I haven't seen a thing.

I don't think I can take credit for the first one - I *believe* that was TGO that used it before...

[Sapper]

Seriously I had been thinking about writing this for a while but SG's recent thread of "A losing streak is needed" put me over the edge.

People here seem to have stopped being fans of the Orioles. C'mon rooting for your own team to lose, not even tanking a la the Celtics with someone like Greg Oden availible in the draft. Just rooting for the team to lose so the FO will "Blow Up" the team.

I know the Orioles aren't any good and they have a lot of problems, but I still enjoy watching them and Rooting for them. Hoping against hope for a incredible win streak to put us back in contention, thats to me what being a fan is about.

One factor in my desire to have the team "blown up" if you will is that I don't really feel the same attachment to many of the players on this team as I have with teams past.

Jay Gibbons is a prime example. Everytime he opens his mouth he says something stupid and/or self-centered.

The stream of overpaid has-beens is hard to love too.

Face it, the current crop of "Orioles" are a shadow of the gamers we used to have on this team with real heart.

[Tx Oriole]

I do understand what SG is talking about. This team is far from what it needs to be. A nice win streak only gives some the hope that they can be in the playoffs so must hold on to Tejada, Cabrera and Mora. Can't make a trade now. Believe me I doubt very sirously that SG has quit being a fan of the O's. I know I haven't and i agree with what he posted.

[BillySmith]

If you don't see the hope in this team than there is something wrong. I'd take the young guys we have developing and our current rotation (without injury)- over just about any in the league- add to that Markakis, Roberts, and thought of what Tejada and/or Cabrera could net- and there is plenty of hope for me. Add to that the way we've handled the ridiculous amount of adversity this year, and how you can say "blow it up" and there is no hope is really beyond me... other than reasoning it's just the losing, pessimistic mentality that has become set in stone the past 10 years.

It's all ebb and flow. For the first time ever, I joined the blow it up crowd, when we were swept by the Nats. Now, Trembly seems like he has a brain, and the fresh blood seems to like to play the game. Now, I can agree with you.

What annoys me are the generic comments about needing to find a different way of doing things. If throwing the biggest money at the best FA's and overhauling your entire organization is not a good way, then I'm not sure what is. I suppose our GM's just don't know the exact time to trade their players for young up and coming studs. That, I can agree with, but not much more.

[Rex Thunder]

And i would say fans who have their head in the sand and think everything is good are poor fans.

Noone said everything is good. I for one, signed up here to have fellow O's fan to commsiorate with and vent after the moutning tough losses earlier this year. Misery loves company. But sometimes it does get tough to have so many fans acting as passenger seat GM's, proporting to know all the answers to cure the Orioles woes.

IN the end, as has been stated, we are all passionate fans who all want the same end result. We're just cut from different molds and have different ways of expressing our views.

I can see the point of Sports Guys "losing streak" comment, but I don't agree with that. I also am in the minority in thinking that we aren't as far away as some tend to think on here. Regardless if I'm right or wrong on that note, my heart is in the same place as everyone elses. I'm pretty sure of that.

So while I can see the "purpose" of this thread- and again, think it was good intentioned- from someone who just doesn't like the constant pessimism, I do also think it's just a product of a different mind looking at the same canvas with different eyes.

[Hank Scorpio]

If someone has time, I'd like to see the last time a team was dismantled in the way that is so often suggested. I'm not saying I necessarily disagree with the theory, but I think the reality and/or implementation is much more complex than that.

[Winning_Season]

There are many problems with the Orioles. and at 16 most of my life I have seen nothing but frustrating losing seasons.

However, no matter what the situation is I love the game of baseball and no matter the situation I love watching my team win.

To me this is the definition of being a fan, and it seems that many hangouters expecially the ones whose post numbers are in the thousands would disagree with that statement

[BillySmith]

There are many problems with the Orioles. and at 16 most of my life I have seen nothing but frustrating losing seasons.

However, no matter what the situation is I love the game of baseball and no matter the situation I love watching my team win.

Well, heck, bro, didn't know you were 16. Way to stick up for yourself. I totally know where you are coming from. Alright, everyone loses, except W S and those that agree with him. C'mon you old farts, this 16 y o stood up and took your hits without resorting to being offensive. Good for you, dude.

[Rex Thunder]

The young guys we have developing? Markakis. Reimold? Maybe. A big maybe. Who else?

Funny how you point to the young players as hope and then say we shouldn't get more.

Wo wo wo, hold on there bro. I didn't say we shouldn't get more. I'm just saying we don't need to BLOW IT UP! There is a quite big difference there- sorry I didn't spell it out for you. I think if we rid ourselves of the logjam at first, trade Tejada and/or Mora if possible- maybe Cabrera... include a handful of others- Huff, Gibbons, Payton, Patterson. I think we'd be fine with a couple of those players- just not all. I also think Millar, if we end up with him, is a GREAT guy to keep aorund. He still has a few years and is a great presence in the clubhouse, and easy to root for. If we add a Teixeira or someone else to the lineup with some pop, perfect! I also like Hernandez for quite a few years till Wieters is ready.

This team is only a few parts from a major turnaround. If we flip our one loss record, we're suddenly above 500 and in contention for at least a wild card spot- and to me- that's realistic for next year. And that doesn't even come close to telling the story. We are NOT THAT FAR OFF. We need to make some moves- YES, but we do not need to blow it up!

[Big Al]

If someone has time, I'd like to see the last time a team was dismantled in the way that is so often suggested. I'm not saying I necessarily disagree with the theory, but I think the reality and/or implementation is much more complex than that.

The Marlins seem to do it after they win a world series

[Bosibus]

Those who don't want change are the poor fans.

And those who want change are the greatest fans of all time???

I think we all want change, I definetly want change. But the idea is there is no point of "WISHING" for a losing streak so that we can blow it up. This is a total pessimistic view of things. Hopefully, we win some games, our youth shows improvement, and we make the necessary changes to field a baseball team that people enjoy.

Personally, the Os make me mad as hell and I criticize them all the time, but I will still root for them even if they were in last place, and I am not a poor fan, I am a rich fan.

[Sports Guy]

There are many problems with the Orioles. and at 16 most of my life I have seen nothing but frustrating losing seasons.

However, no matter what the situation is I love the game of baseball and no matter the situation I love watching my team win.

To me this is the definition of being a fan, and it seems that many hangouters expecially the ones whose post numbers are in the thousands would disagree with that statement

You act as if we don't want to see the Orioles win long term.

Again, you just don't get it.

[blueberryale77]

"Hangouters have stopped being fans."

It's a generalization. I'm a Hangouter. I'm still a fan. I took it personally and I think justifiably so.

He's welcome to express his opinion like everyone else here. Make a statement like that, others are going to take it personally and get critical.

What makes a fan a fan is different and/or relative to everyone.

OK, fair enough. I can certainly see how the title could be taken personally, but when I read the whole post I didn't see it as being intended to insult anyone individually or collectively as much as it was intended to have a little shock value and maybe get us to examine what kind of fans we are in troubling times. It honestly did make me do a little thinking about my own negativity.

(Note: I actually started typing when there were only about 6 responses to the thread all of which seemed fairly harsh to me, but my boss walked into my office for a moment and low and behold there were about 15 more posts ahead of mine, several of which were also defending WS, by the time I ended up clicking the submit button.)