What An Embarrassment

[stomperspc]

No offense (this usually means someone's getting ready to offend you, just not purposely) You guys sound like a bunch of cry babies.... If you want to be with a bunch of quiet and reserved people, go to the movies. As long as it never gets to personal insults etc.. I don't fault any team's fans supporting their team, and slamming their opponent, period. That's at the center of competitive sports.

It is difficult to explain to people why Yankee and Red Sox fans can be so annoying and frustrating if they haven't been to a lot of these games themselves. I thought rolliefingers summed it up nicely before. It has nothing to do with wanting them to be quiet and reserved, it is expecting visiting fans to understand that they are visitors and to dial it back a notch. Especially when your team is currently much better than the home team (which is true for both the Yankees and Red Sox). Their team is already better so why do they feel it necessary to scream in my face everytime their team scores a run?

I've been to Yankee and Red Sox games where I have been yelled at and/or had stuff thrown at me simply for cheering the Orioles. And when I say "cheering" I mean normal clapping, standing for a homerun, ect. When I go to a game to watch the home team play, I don't want to have to get in a shouting match with other fans. There is a big difference between playful bickering and being rude. If you've been to enough games where the Yankees and Red Sox are in two, you'll see that it reaches the latter level more often than not.

[Fan4Life]

It is difficult to explain to people why Yankee and Red Sox fans can be so annoying and frustrating if they haven't been to a lot of these games themselves. I thought rolliefingers summed it up nicely before. It has nothing to do with wanting them to be quiet and reserved, it is expecting visiting fans to understand that they are visitors and to dial it back a notch. Especially when your team is currently much better than the home team (which is true for both the Yankees and Red Sox). Their team is already better so why do they feel it necessary to scream in my face everytime their team scores a run?

Obviously many of us have different ideas about this... I found this to be a ridiculous comment. Others agree with it. For me, competitive sports is like war, asking your opponent to dial it down because they have the upper hand is just silly to me. The object is to win, as thoroughly and convincingly as possible. Fans should have the right to enjoy that. That's my opinion. I see others, like yourself, disagree.

This part I don't think is right

I've been to Yankee and Red Sox games where I have been yelled at and/or had stuff thrown at me simply for cheering the Orioles. And when I say "cheering" I mean normal clapping, standing for a homerun, ect. When I go to a game to watch the home team play, I don't want to have to get in a shouting match with other fans. There is a big difference between playful bickering and being rude.

Most on here aren't talking about the latter from what I've read.

[Conway12]

No offense (this usually means someone's getting ready to offend you, just not purposely) You guys sound like a bunch of cry babies.... If you want to be with a bunch of quiet and reserved people, go to the movies. As long as it never gets to personal insults etc.. I don't fault any team's fans supporting their team, and slamming their opponent, period. That's at the center of competitive sports.

I don't even disagree, I don't expect their fans to be quiet and reserved just because they are in Baltimore, and its foolish to think that way. What makes me angry is that I go to Orioles home game and its mostly Yankee fans, which I simply don't like on principle, its awful to sit at your home stadium and hear the majority of people cheering for the away team, and frankly its sad. I just can't wait until the O's are good so O's fans go to the game and we stop getting invaded from the north :angryfire: :cussing:

[Fan4Life]

I don't even disagree, I don't expect their fans to be quiet and reserved just because they are in Baltimore, and its foolish to think that way. What makes me angry is that I go to Orioles home game and its mostly Yankee fans, which I simply don't like on principle, its awful to sit at your home stadium and hear the majority of people cheering for the away team, and frankly its sad. I just can't wait until the O's are good so O's fans go to the game and we stop getting invaded from the north :angryfire: :cussing:

Can't argue with any of this and agree it sucks that this is how it currently is.. .

You will see threads this offseason, like every other one, where Group A is pushing to make some kind of splash by trading for or signing Player(s) X, yet Group B will point out the futility of that plan and how we should primarily stay the course until we are closer to the end of the rebuilding process before we make such a splash...

If you are in Group B, for me, you lose the right to complain about Yankee/Sox fans (the non-personal attack ones) at Camden Yards. it goes with that territory.

[Stacey]

Ultimately the Orioles are a business trying to sell a product. If the Orioles want my money, they have to put out a product that is worth my money.

If I went to my favorite restaraunt that I had been going to for years and ordered-- let's say a steak-- and found out that my meat was overcooked, the potatoes were mushy, the service was bad and the atmosphere had gotten worse... well I'd put that little mental note in my back pocket and say, 'ok, let's try again in a couple months, it was just a bad night for the cook/waitress'.

I go back to the restaraunt a couple months later and order the same meal. My steak is overdone, potatoes are still mushy, my waitress has an attitude and once again, the other patrons are so loud and obnoxious I can't hear myself think. I compare my new mental note with the one I had in my backpocket and realize... why do I like this place so much? They used to have really good food and friendly service, but this is ridiculous now.

After two disappointing trips, who here would not be thinking about maybe going to Outback next time instead? That's reasonable, right?

For the Orioles, it's been ELEVEN SEASONS.

Eleven trips to my favorite steakhouse. Each one a disappointment.

I'm sticking by them-- god only knows why-- but this thread is making people like me out to be some sort of traitor if I suddenly complain to the management "Hey man, this is my eleventh time here and each time you guys have had lousy food and lousy service, I'm really wondering if it's worth spending my money here-- I mean, the Ravens are right up the street, and the Caps aren't far from here either... what's going on? When am I going to get the quality food I got in '97?"

I honestly would not want to hear from the manager "We're working on it, we're getting better, please keep coming back". Would you? The answer is NO YOU WOULD NOT. Most people wouldn't (and typically don't) stand for this kind of insulting service. There are way to many other places to eat a steak or eat any kind of meal and feel like you are getting value. If the Yankees are Ruth's Chris, I may be PO'd about spending $100+ on a filet, but damn if they don't make a fine steak.

If the Orioles want me to come back and give them all my money, I want service. I want quality. I don't want to hear how I'm not a fan if I'm bailing out of going to the Yankees game out of embarassment. I don't really want the embarrassment of people walking by me and telling me "How can you eat there? It's so dirty, the service is awful and Ruth's Chris is soooo good". I may not be a fan if I stopped going to games after the 1998 season, sure. But it's 2009 and the Orioles have nothing to show for themselves. They wasted 9 of those years doing nothing.

The Orioles need to do a lot of buttering up to a lot of people. It's not really a surprise people don't want to go to the games. Who want's to eat a bad meal over and over again? It's masochistic.

This is perfect. I don't know why professional sports is the only industry where people are expected to blindly support no matter what the quality of product.

The thing is, I DO go back for that bad meal over and over again. But going to see the Yankees and Red Sox is like going to that restaurant and in addition to the food being bad, I also get food poisoning and the waitress punches me in the kidney.

[emmett16]

Hey, shocker...this isn't about the O's!

It's about the fans. Yup, Baltimore, what a disappointment. This may be a rant, but it deserves t be seen by most in the main Orioles Talk section.

According to Roch Kubatko, tonight's attendance was 25,063. He joked that there were "063" O's fans. You know what? He was closer than you could guess. As soon as I walked past the corridor and into the seating area, I let out a "Crap. They're everywhere". A sea of navy and white. You know what I'm talking about-- Yankees fans.

It was embarrassing. Try 80% Yanks, 20% O's. That bad. There may have been all of 10 O's fans in my section (totally filled). What I don't get is this city's fans ***** and moan about the Yankees and Red Sox fans coming into town and making it "their South stadium" but we do nothing about it. Hellooo, go to the game! The prices aren't bad....get a couple of friends to go and head down to the Yard. Until you stop being a hermit and refusing to go to Yankees or Sox games, or until the O's are winning, they will still be there. Doing there "Let's Go Yankees" and "Jor-Ge" chants.

And you know what? It's just disappointing. I could see Tillman, Matusz, and Hernandez talking and looking around the stadium. They looked shocked at how few O's fans there were. Barely any orange in the whole place.

Like it or not, they will all be there tomorrow and the game after that. Until we show some fightin' back power.

I might get crushed for this - but in my opinion, and in my brief experience (I'm only 29) Baltimore AND Washington have been huge band wagon cities - reason being all sports teams are awful. O's won in '83, Skins won in '91, Ravens won in 2000??? - In DC, I see more Cowboy flags than skins - in Baltimore I see more yankees and sox fans than O's. I think this is simply because our teams are bad. In DC the transient nature of the residents also plays a role.

The Raven's fans have been much stronger and have built a foundation(because of the superbolw win), but besides them, all the other teams have the visitors come in with their fans in abundance. This will not change until we have a good team.

[Why Not?]

No offense (this usually means someone's getting ready to offend you, just not purposely) You guys sound like a bunch of cry babies.... If you want to be with a bunch of quiet and reserved people, go to the movies. As long as it never gets to personal insults etc.. I don't fault any team's fans supporting their team, and slamming their opponent, period. That's at the center of competitive sports.

Well, from my experience, it pretty much ALWAYS gets to personal insults, followed by cursing, then beer-throwing, etc. When "slamming" something is a primary purpose for checking out a baseball game, I think there's a problem. It drives people away...especially those with kids in tow.

Maybe my age is speaking here, but that's not what I'm going to a game for. I love baseball, I want to watch it and discuss it. I want to cheer the good plays and boo the bad plays and I want to cheer those plays loudly and with enthusiasm.

Sorry, it's not "supporting your team" to yell at a guy sitting in the row in front of you that his team sucks.

"Burnett was throwing really well tonight," Roberts said. "But when that guy in Section 335 threw his beer on that Yankee fan, I knew I could take A.J.'s fastball the other way."

It's all about drunk muscles. It's a step away from having a pecker-measuring contest. It's childish and, well, just dumb. If that's what a day at OPCY is going to be, I'll take my family to a minor league game.

[Shellax]

I have not gotten a chance to read through the whole thread yet so I doubt I am saying anything particularly innovative but here it goes anyway.

Firstly, I completely understand both sides of the argument/discussion and many a valid point has been made. For me personally, though, I do my part in taking back the yard. I suppose the sense of want and obligation are due to being a dweller in the fine city of B-more. Of course it pains me to witness OPACY overridden with fans on the opposition at a rate of 75% or higher. It is also difficult to see (at times) my team look like a AAA club next to the MFY and PHN. You know what though? The two games that have been the most fulfilling and awesome to view in person this year, in my opinion, would be Opening Day and the 11-10 history making come-back victory over the bloody Sox. Are those few and far between now????...Well yes but we have to believe that things are looking up. It would be different if we were running out scrubalicious retreads but most of our players are young, endlessly talented yet impressionable guys. They aren't used to this and we don't want them getting used to it. We want to keep them here and we want them to be here.

I will be there tonight cheering my full head off for the O's and booing T-bag (I know, get over it). It is and will be a beautiful day weather-wise and I can't think of a better way to spend the evening than to be at the ball park. Go O's!!

In closing, yes my friends think I am nuts (bird-brained is a term often used) but I would be nuts regardless so what the heck.

[Fan4Life]

Well, from my experience, it pretty much ALWAYS gets to personal insults, followed by cursing, then beer-throwing, etc. When "slamming" something is a primary purpose for checking out a baseball game, I think there's a problem. It drives people away...especially those with kids in tow.

Maybe my age is speaking here, but that's not what I'm going to a game for. I love baseball, I want to watch it and discuss it. I want to cheer the good plays and boo the bad plays and I want to cheer those plays loudly and with enthusiasm.

Sorry, it's not "supporting your team" to yell at a guy sitting in the row in front of you that his team sucks.

"Burnett was throwing really well tonight," Roberts said. "But when that guy in Section 335 threw his beer on that Yankee fan, I knew I could take A.J.'s fastball the other way."

It's all about drunk muscles. It's a step away from having a pecker-measuring contest. It's childish and, well, just dumb. If that's what a day at OPCY is going to be, I'll take my family to a minor league game.

I don't disagree with anything you've written. The posters I was addressing earlier were not speaking of these types of incidents.

[Smokin' Joe O]

I'm shocked with the tone here...

Why would you go to games when the team sucks and they will probably lose?? Because, you're supposedly a fan!! If you choose to attend or not attend based on how good the team is, then you're not a true, loyal fan.

Notice, I'm not saying everyone who follows the O's has to go to several (or even any) games each year. I'm just saying that people should attend/not attend regardless of the success of the team if they consider themselves true fans.

[rolliefingers]

I've been to Yankee and Red Sox games where I have been yelled at and/or had stuff thrown at me simply for cheering the Orioles. And when I say "cheering" I mean normal clapping, standing for a homerun, ect. When I go to a game to watch the home team play, I don't want to have to get in a shouting match with other fans. There is a big difference between playful bickering and being rude. If you've been to enough games where the Yankees and Red Sox are in two, you'll see that it reaches the latter level more often than not.

Yes, there's this as well. It'd be one thing if they were cheering but being good sports about it. I have no problem getting into playful "your team sucks / no yours does" banter, but the crap I've seen goes far beyond that. It'd also be tolerable if the teams were on roughly the same level (i.e. Yankees and Red Sox) but really - you'd have to be a real a-hole to not only come to OPACY, but insult O's fans for sitting in their own stadium.

I can remember several times where I've been asked why I even bother to follow the O's anyway, since of course they haven't won in a while. I then try to point out to them 1964-1975, plus the late '80s, but of course they don't care about that because...if you actually knew your Yankee history, would you really be coming down to Baltimore to taunt Orioles fans for no reason in the first place?

And don't get me started on the ushers, who have clearly been instructed not to protect Orioles fans from abuse, lest that upset the apple (money) cart.

Throw all those facts into a blender, and you've got a nice tasty "Why rolliefingers doesn't go to OPACY for Yankees or Red Sox games" smoothie.

[rolliefingers]

I don't disagree with anything you've written. The posters I was addressing earlier were not speaking of these types of incidents.

Well, it happens. And again, living in SC probably means that you haven't "been there" (in both senses of the term) as much as some of the complainers have been. Believe me, it's brutal.

[riprulz8]

It does stink that Orioles fans are drowned out in their home park. But the problem, and I think it was mentioned somewhere in the other thread, isn't so much fans coming down 95 from Boston or New York, it's the national spread of the so called Red Sox and Yankees Nations.

Also, the Baltimore-Washington Area has brought in people from all over the east coast over the past 20 to 30 years. There are thousands and thousands of New York/New Jersey and New England transplants that now live in Maryland. I think anyone that went to school at UMD or Towson would agree that it seems like half the students are from these areas. These people retain their fandoms, as is their right, and they take advantage of the opportunity to see their teams at OPACY. It's very similar to the great amounts of Steelers fans in Ravens Stadium every year.

In an ideal world, OPACY would sell out every night, and Os games would be the toughest ticket in town. But baseball isn't like that in most cities. Most stadiums don't sell out. So teams like the Red Sox and the Yankees flood into our park 12 or so times per year, bringing with them their trademarked obnoxiousness and inflame the true fans that haven't washed their hands of this team and its ownership.

And I don't necessarily buy the idea that if the Orioles turn it around, the fans will come back, and the Sox and Yanks fans will stop invading our fair city. It's simply not their nature. Even when we're succeeding these cretins are still going to keep showing up because they can't see a game at Fenway or in the Bronx. It's just an unfortunate part of the Orioles experience at this point. I hope it changes, but I have serious doubts.

Spoken like someone who hasn't been to a Ravens-Steelers game in over a decade. As a season ticket holder, I haven't missed a game in my history and have been to all the Steelers-Ravens games. I ASSURE you that there are NO MORE than 3-4K Steeler fans out of 80K in the stadium, and this has been the case for years now.

It is true that in the Raven's early years that there was an influx of SteAler* fans, but our fanbase had been torn apart for 13 years, and it would take time building it back up.

[carolinaoriole]

I live in South Carolina

I go to 5 or 6 games a year.

I have only been to games when the yankees or red sox are playing.

And when I am there I give em hell and always leave believing that i made there time at camden yards uncompfortable.

I also give give all yankee and red sox fans down here where I live a very hard time.

I can not imagine not doing it this way.

I can only speak for myself as a bit of a southern red neck but if I had season tickets I would find a yankee or red sox fan and burn the darn things in front of them before I turned tickets in so that they could go to my ballpark and cheer for the cheaters and evil players in front of my Orioles

[Hans Moleman]

I mean really? Someone started this thread trying almost decrying the lack of O's fans? I mean really?

If anyone is to blame it's the Owner who hasn't fielded a winner in over a decade. Winning puts butts in seats, plain and simple.

Maybe if the Owner and GM were interested in putting a winning (or atleast watchable) product on the field last season and this season, and maybe even next season, than more people would come out.

What a funny thread.