I need to be a better fan

[OriolesMagic83]

2 hours ago, ChosenOne21 said:

Thank you for saying that. I think there's a lot of people here who need to hear that. Watching people in the game thread basically begging the baseball gods for more runs so they could relax when we were up by four in the seventh inning and have one of the best bullpens in baseball just makes me sad. This is probably the best Orioles team in two and a half decades and so many people don't seem to be enjoying it because they're STILL convinced it's all going to come crashing down.

I don't remember this much negativity in the game threads during the down years.  Maybe there wasn't as much to worry about because the O's were going to choke most of the time.  No one bothered posting "We're going to get swept" because if the O's had lost the first 2 games in a series against a good team, there was a huge chance they were going to get swept. 

[Can_of_corn]

4 minutes ago, OriolesMagic83 said:

I don't remember this much negativity in the game threads during the down years.  Maybe there wasn't as much to worry about because the O's were going to choke most of the time.  No one bothered posting "We're going to get swept" because if the O's had lost the first 2 games in a series against a good team, there was a huge chance they were going to get swept. 

The folks being negative today were nowhere to be found during the down years.

[Pickles]

How you wear losses is on you.  I used to wear Ravens losses badly, but I've grown out of that.  Orioles success has always been so rare I've always dealt with it as found money so it doesn't upset me if they lose in the end.  I really just think it is a matter of maturing and that is just time.

However, what I don't like, and I won't comment on the game threads, because I almost never venture there, but the daily lineup thread.

Every single day, no matter the lineup, there's 5-6 negative comments.  No matter what.

 

[Frobby]

I tend to be very intense during the games, very philosophical in between the games.  The players seem to be able to get over a loss, so why shouldn’t I?

[Sports Guy]

I care way less about when a season ends for my favorite team than I used to. Having kids changed that for me. Hell, just getting married changes my fandom in some ways but kids changed it a lot.

I can’t imagine dealing with what @Malike described but just having your focus on them is enough to change things.

[NCRaven]

Took my son to a Stallions game when he was 10 years old.  Midway through the third quarter, guy sitting in front of us looked back at Eddie and asked “is he always this bad?”  
 

My son said “you should see him at Orioles games, he gets a lot worse than this.”

[AdamK]

I was too young for the last WS win, and I suspect it's been too long anyway for those who weren't too young. So having not having a reference point is hard.

When a friend's team wins it all I usually grill them to see how it feels and how that championship success at the end may have changed their perspective on the path to get there. Did their team look like a championship team early, or at all? Were there at set backs? Was it just a matter of getting hot at the end? Etc... Also, how do they feel watching games the next season knowing the path won't be perfect?

The benefit of this type of reference point only comes after you know they've won it all. We don't have that (but want it badly), so it's hard to show grace along the way.

 

Until then, the highs are high and the lows can snowball. I get why people need to steer clear of here when they're losing because for me it hurts enough to want to not confront it. How does one process "pain"? Everyone copes differently.

 

I don't watch baseball. I watch the Orioles... Exclusively. No other team makes transports me back to feeling like a kid, when life was simpler. 

[Fiver6565]

I stopped going to the game threads as much because it’s so over the top in there. God forbid the team go down by two runs in game one of a series - that’s it, we’re getting swept!  Or give up a leadoff double in the late innings while up four runs - here we go, they’re going to blow it!  That’s not fandom to me. Fandom should include SOME degree of faith in your guys. Not blind faith mind you, but some degree of belief that these players should have earned by now, at 85-51 as I write this.
 

I also think that part of the issue with people freaking out over every blown save, bad pitch, bad AB, etc is that most people don’t ever watch other teams - just Os games. And understandably so. But this year I got the MLB.TV package, even tho I can’t watch the Os that way. As Ive watched throughout the season, I’ve seen that The same crap that happens to the Os happens to pretty much every team - good teams and bad ones. They all have perceived crappy players their fans probably never want to see in the lineup (most have a few). They all have a reliever or two who have no idea where the ball is going and might give up a bomb at any minute. They all have starters who can barely get through five innings from time to time. They all have big innings and then forget how to hit for the rest of the game. They all have a rookie who’s due for a breakout, and a veteran who’s been hot and cold. They’re all clamoring for some dude in AAA to replace a washed up guy at the bottom of the roster. 

(except the Braves - that team is truly ridiculous)

It’s reassuring in an odd way, and indicative of the ups and downs of a baseball season, and the Os are in so much better shape on a lot of these things than people here realize sometimes.  Watching say, the Rays - another very good team - blow a save brings me almost as much pleasure as seeing the Os earn one. I highly recommend the package 
 

I’ve never been a championship or bust type of fan either. I think that’s an issue here too. People have been concerned about our ‘playoff rotation’ for a couple months already. Meanwhile I’m just happy to still be paying attention as the calendar turns to September. Do I want to see our guys win a WS?  Damn right I do, almost as bad as they want to win one.   But mostly I want to be entertained, I want to enjoy watching the team night to night. And this team has certainly delivered that for me, and then some.  In baseball particularly, for me anyway, it is absolutely more about the journey than the final destination/result. The stories within the season - can Mateo find his April magic again? Can RMC keep mashing as he overcomes the vertigo? Can Gunnar win ROY?  What player is going to make me go ‘wow’ next? Seeing players debut with their families going nuts in the stands. The development of the sprinkler thing and the bird bath. All that and so much more make following the team worthwhile. The wins help, but if we had 8-10 less wins and we’re battling for the final WC spot instead of the division, my enjoyment of the season would be identical for all these reasons. 
 

This is why football will never replace baseball as my fav sport. We’re all part of the daily grind, supporting these players through their various ups and downs, individually and as a group.  That’s what being a fan means to me. And I’m having the time of my life. 

[Greg Pappas]

I was about to post a similar thread, but despite my memory issues, I recalled this thread.  I still find myself enjoying sports less and less.  The issue is not my teams, but myself.  It's a sad reality that I'm bothered when my team doesn't win, or does win, but wins in a way that is not how I wanted them to!  LOL!  It's ridiculous.  Frankly, I'm somewhat ashamed.

The O's are very likely going to the playoffs.  But instead of being happy about that, I'm more concerned with how awful we've been and how little I expect from them as the post-season draws near.  A real fan loves his team and sticks with them, through thick and thin.  It's absolutely okay to be critical, even frustrated, at times, but when those are the default and dominant expressions, it makes me feel... less than.  It's like this with all my favorite teams (O's/Ravens/Terps). 

It's therapeutic, in a way, to reveal such truths.  But the quest to find a way to enjoy sports again, to enjoy what my teams are doing, is a process that is taking longer than I'd hoped.  

[interloper]

Don't be too hard on yourself OP. We've all been there. For me, I usually hit a frustration point mid-late season and then start to just accept things. Baseball is a very weird, very inscrutable game sometimes. I've driven myself a bit nuts this season with the Adley thing because it's one of those baseball things that just doesn't make a lot of sense. Same with the pitching injuries. 

Each season is a little narrative. This one will be the year we had a bunch of injuries, the year of the RISP regression, the year of the rookie struggles, the year of the questionable Elias trades, the year we couldn't follow up on the 100-win season, etc. And yet - it will be a playoff year. And that's the only goal of every regular season: make the playoffs. Hopefully our playoff narrative will change this time around. 

[spleen1015]

I've found the older I get, the less interest I have in watching my teams lose. It's a waste of time so I find something else to do. Watching my team lose is not enjoyable so I'd rather do something I'd enjoy. It's not like I'm that old either, just 47.

I get a lot more enjoyment out of watching good games with other teams, to be honest. Watching the Bills in the first half last night was fun. The Redskins/Bengals game was fun to watch. Man City and Arsenal on Sunday was great. The Chiefs/Falcons game was a good game. There were a few decent college football games this last weekend as well.

I'll watch the game to start tonight and if the O's are down 3-0 after the 1st inning, I'll find something else to do, probably watch some of the other MLB games that have playoff implications.

[Fiver6565]

On 9/4/2023 at 11:03 AM, Fiver6565 said:

I stopped going to the game threads as much because it’s so over the top in there. God forbid the team go down by two runs in game one of a series - that’s it, we’re getting swept!  Or give up a leadoff double in the late innings while up four runs - here we go, they’re going to blow it!  That’s not fandom to me. Fandom should include SOME degree of faith in your guys. Not blind faith mind you, but some degree of belief that these players should have earned by now, at 85-51 as I write this.
 

I also think that part of the issue with people freaking out over every blown save, bad pitch, bad AB, etc is that most people don’t ever watch other teams - just Os games. And understandably so. But this year I got the MLB.TV package, even tho I can’t watch the Os that way. As Ive watched throughout the season, I’ve seen that The same crap that happens to the Os happens to pretty much every team - good teams and bad ones. They all have perceived crappy players their fans probably never want to see in the lineup (most have a few). They all have a reliever or two who have no idea where the ball is going and might give up a bomb at any minute. They all have starters who can barely get through five innings from time to time. They all have big innings and then forget how to hit for the rest of the game. They all have a rookie who’s due for a breakout, and a veteran who’s been hot and cold. They’re all clamoring for some dude in AAA to replace a washed up guy at the bottom of the roster. 

(except the Braves - that team is truly ridiculous)

It’s reassuring in an odd way, and indicative of the ups and downs of a baseball season, and the Os are in so much better shape on a lot of these things than people here realize sometimes.  Watching say, the Rays - another very good team - blow a save brings me almost as much pleasure as seeing the Os earn one. I highly recommend the package 
 

I’ve never been a championship or bust type of fan either. I think that’s an issue here too. People have been concerned about our ‘playoff rotation’ for a couple months already. Meanwhile I’m just happy to still be paying attention as the calendar turns to September. Do I want to see our guys win a WS?  Damn right I do, almost as bad as they want to win one.   But mostly I want to be entertained, I want to enjoy watching the team night to night. And this team has certainly delivered that for me, and then some.  In baseball particularly, for me anyway, it is absolutely more about the journey than the final destination/result. The stories within the season - can Mateo find his April magic again? Can RMC keep mashing as he overcomes the vertigo? Can Gunnar win ROY?  What player is going to make me go ‘wow’ next? Seeing players debut with their families going nuts in the stands. The development of the sprinkler thing and the bird bath. All that and so much more make following the team worthwhile. The wins help, but if we had 8-10 less wins and we’re battling for the final WC spot instead of the division, my enjoyment of the season would be identical for all these reasons. 
 

This is why football will never replace baseball as my fav sport. We’re all part of the daily grind, supporting these players through their various ups and downs, individually and as a group.  That’s what being a fan means to me. And I’m having the time of my life. 

Apparently this post of mine from one year ago killed this thread, as it was the last before today's bump.  In re-reading that, I am reminded (by a past version of myself, LOL) of why I love this sport.  It was actually a bit invigorating reading that back to myself.  LETS GO BIRDS!

[Too Tall]

I don't think there is any way to be a sport's fan and not require some form of therapy. For me, OH is my therapy center. If you invest any part of your being in a sport's team, there is no prescription for tranquility. You just have to come to a strategy that best allows you to follow your team. Mine for the most part is to walk away and turn it off. Wife gets mad at me because I won't keep watching a game when we are losing or playing poorly. Says I'm not a real fan. She's probably right but I don't view watching poor performance of any kind as a good use of time. I also don't get too much into second guessing or modern statistical analysis. Not interested in coulda - woulda - shoulda and though I am awed by all the data, it's just too much for me to digest and use. I let you all do that for me. If I think it's over the top I may say something but mostly enjoy the read. In this way, OH has helped me get through the down years and the good ones too. And it's also great in between. 

So, in some fashion, we are all addicted to a game - a team. The trick is to remember this is entertainment - not life. And that can be hard. Now beat the Damn Yankees and make me feel better cause the way you've been playing is killing me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Uli2001]

The thing I hate about being a fan is the anxiety before big games. You know this is just a game, and you know you don't control the outcome. But it doesn't matter. It can become debilitating if you allow it. I have become better at this as I got older.

[Frobby]

I don’t think there’s a fan alive who wouldn’t be frustrated with their team in this situation.