For everyone that didn't give up!

[over the mountain]

stating you dont think we will make the playoffs is one thing. saying "skins suck", which a couple people on here did, is a whole nuther thing.

go skins!

[saden1]

Originally Posted by over the mountain

stating you dont think we will make the playoffs is one thing. saying "skins suck", which a couple people on here did, is a whole nuther thing.

go skins!

Don't beat around the bushes, you're referring to me and I have the negative reputation to show for it. I still don't know which one of my posts you find objectionable only that I "posted 'skins suck' about 6 weeks ago" and that I'm "not a true fan but a realist."

Anywho, I forgive you...next time just respond to my post and let me know why you disagree.

[skinsguy]

Actually, the only opinions about my posts here that I'm really concerned with are the opinions of the moderators and administrators. If others don't like the contents therein, then well, they can skip over it. Most of the time I believe I post pretty good reasons for my point. They might only make sense to me, but honestly, #1 is who I'm concerned about first anyways..lol!

[724Skinsfan]

I take it "Redskins rool, [Opponents] drulel!" doesn't cut it? :cheeky-sm

Sometimes the old gut feeling is all I have to go on. I watch every game and can see how good we can be, but upon further analysis the stats can show that we are subpar. When I make a prediction it's based what I think we are capable of, but not based on what we have accomplished statistically. I realize that stats aren't the only variables used to make a prediction formula, but they're used more often than not as reasoning behind predictive behavior. As a fan of my team, I throw out the logical analysis for a more skewed fanatical perspective. I see teams that lead the the league in rushing, but quickly recall some amazingly long runs that supports those stats. I see a QB who's accuracy % stinks, but then remember that the game was very cold and windy, thus effecting his accuracy and catchability...

I have no idea where I was going with this post...

[birdz4gibbs]

it hasn,t been easy but in the end i know that joe wil direct and guide this team and organization when times are tough such as this year and i couldn,t be happier to see our skins be right in the hunt for the postseason.

[skinsfan69]

Originally Posted by jsarno

The Redskins have rewarded our faith with an intensely important game in week 17. There have not been many of us that remained faithful and believed in the 07 Skins, but those that have...pat yourselves on the back. You are a solid reason why the Skins have been successful lately. Faith is a powerful thing.
I'm going to take the high road here. I could write a list of people (a long list mind you) that gave up on this team, and some that made threads about our demise, but instead of dwelling on that, I am inviting everyone to enjoy where we are RIGHT NOW. We have a chance to make the playoffs with only 1 more win. Win and you're in. It doesn't get much better than this. For as corny as this sounds, let's all join together and enjoy this as a whole as only we can do as the best fans on the planet.
I forgo any grudges I have on posters here that have been less than optimistic, and I look forward to ALL OF US enjoying a victory over hated Dallas to get into the playoffs. Who's with me?

I threw in the towel after the Buffalo game. I didn't even care anymore about this season after what happened to ST. But now I don't want it to end. I guess faith is a powerful thing and I can't wait until Sun. I think the guys are playing on pure emotion right now.

[EternalEnigma21]

I think this thread, and so many others, is just another hammer strike driving a wedge between people who come to a virtual place to share and discuss feelings about a team. It's just done in a manner that can easily be defended by aloofness.

I'm not a hater or a blind homer, but more of a realist and a very dedicated fan, but I have got to say I'm personally getting sick of the bickering and snide comments going on on this forum. I think its getting out of hand and I am starting to feel alienated by the whole conflict.

A difference in opinions is fine, and I would expect it is welcome, but by classifying people in 2 categories and dismissing someone else's statement based on where you associate their loyalites (hater-ade, kool-aid, etc...) you exercise a prejudice that limits what you can take away from a site like this. My feeling is that when people partake in this, they tend to get caught up in more and more personal attacking and bickering, which clutters an otherwise top notch fan discussion board.

I also seem to take more offense to the threads that get started after positive things happen with the team. I kind of expect that there will be ignorant reactionary threads and posts from people speaking from emotion after they are hurt by their team losing. I don't agree with it, but I understand that a lot more than someone waiting for a win or a streak so that they can call out those people, and further drive the divide because they've got a grudge, and I hate that when I get on this site to discuss exciting things about my team I have to read garbage posts and threads calling other fans out for not believing enough, or not being right in their predictions... Maybe it just blindsides me, I don't know... I don't understand the idea that because someone didn't predict a win they can't enjoy it.

On the flip side, I don't understand why after every loss some jack ass starts a new thread with a title like, "Gibbs must go" or "Fire Gibbs", but doesn't back up his assertion with any kind of poignant observations, and quickly leads to . That crap absolutely unnerves me, but I expect it more, I guess.

Anyhow, I just want to ask anyone that cares or feels the same way to take a moment before you post or start a thread and ask, "How does this contribute to the content on this site?"

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by canthetuna

I think this thread, and so many others, is just another hammer strike driving a wedge between people who come to a virtual place to share and discuss feelings about a team. It's just done in a manner that can easily be defended by aloofness.

I'm not a hater or a blind homer, but more of a realist and a very dedicated fan, but I have got to say I'm personally getting sick of the bickering and snide comments going on on this forum. I think its getting out of hand and I am starting to feel alienated by the whole conflict.

A difference in opinions is fine, and I would expect it is welcome, but by classifying people in 2 categories and dismissing someone else's statement based on where you associate their loyalites (hater-ade, kool-aid, etc...) you exercise a prejudice that limits what you can take away from a site like this. My feeling is that when people partake in this, they tend to get caught up in more and more personal attacking and bickering, which clutters an otherwise top notch fan discussion board.

I also seem to take more offense to the threads that get started after positive things happen with the team. I kind of expect that there will be ignorant reactionary threads and posts from people speaking from emotion after they are hurt by their team losing. I don't agree with it, but I understand that a lot more than someone waiting for a win or a streak so that they can call out those people, and further drive the divide because they've got a grudge, and I hate that when I get on this site to discuss exciting things about my team I have to read garbage posts and threads calling other fans out for not believing enough, or not being right in their predictions... Maybe it just blindsides me, I don't know... I don't understand the idea that because someone didn't predict a win they can't enjoy it.

On the flip side, I don't understand why after every loss some jack ass starts a new thread with a title like, "Gibbs must go" or "Fire Gibbs", but doesn't back up his assertion with any kind of poignant observations, and quickly leads to . That crap absolutely unnerves me, but I expect it more, I guess.

Anyhow, I just want to ask anyone that cares or feels the same way to take a moment before you post or start a thread and ask, "How does this contribute to the content on this site?"

What a tremendous post, canthetuna.

You pretty much touched on a lot of my sentiments that I probably didn't put into words so well. It's disappointing to see the site go this route with such a divide. In 2005, we were 5-6, many of us thinking the team was dead. Then they reeled off the five straight wins. But never during that season did we have such a divide on the site, with people pointing fingers back and forth at each other, insisting that one side is all about blind faith and the other side is all about being negative all the time.

It's disappointing to see the pointless bickering, and disappointing to see threads started like this one where the author takes a passive aggressive approach to basically saying if you didn't believe the Skins could win, he'll "forego any grudges on posters here that have been less than optimistic." To me, that essentially says if you didn't believe they could win, you're less of a fan than him.

And to see the moderators, in any way shape or form, defend the author of this post is extremely disappointing. I understand the point of the mods throughout this thread: people who predicted the demise of the Skins were wrong. But go back and read the first post in this thread. That was not the point of the thread. The point was to be passively derisive of anyone with a negative viewpoint:

There have not been many of us that remained faithful and believed in the 07 Skins, but those that have...pat yourselves on the back...

I'm going to take the high road here. I could write a list of people (a long list mind you) that gave up on this team, and some that made threads about our demise...

I forgo any grudges I have on posters here that have been less than optimistic.

Gave up on the team? Last I checked, nobody stopped being a fan just because they thought the team wouldn't do well.

Would have been nice to see the mods take leadership to strike down this type of instigation. A bit disappointing and alienating, as ctt mentioned.

[mheisig]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

Gave up on the team? Last I checked, nobody stopped being a fan just because they thought the team wouldn't do well.

Would have been nice to see the mods take leadership to strike down this type of instigation. A bit disappointing and alienating, as ctt mentioned.

Just to piggyback on that, I'm willing to go so far as to say that everyone who posts on here on a regular basis is a fan. With the exception of the occasional douchebag who comes here trolling or selling something, everyone is here because they love the Redskins.

If you weren't a fan you wouldn't hop on the internet almost every day and write post after post about the 'Skins and argue the finer points of the team. If you weren't a fan, why would you spend hours and hours of your life and rack up 1000, 2000, 5000, 10,000+ posts about the Redskins? Of COURSE you're a fan, based on the sheer amount of your own personal time you devote to discussing and thinking about this team.

What pisses me off more than anything is the people making broad, sweeping declarations that "so-and-so" isn't a fan, after one negative comment said in frustration. That's as reactionary and asinine as the "negative nelly" who gets on here after a loss and demands that Gibbs be fired. There's zero difference.

Look, I have my share of disagreements on here with people, and some on a regular basis. Not to call anyone out, but for one reason or another I find myself on opposite sides of arguments with certain people about 99% of the time. But I'd never call them lesser fans or NOT fans at all. The simple fact that they are on here dicussing this at all means they are a fan.

A fan cares about their team, through thick and thin. Anyone who's even consistently watching the Redskins at this point in the season, after what the team has been through, is a fan in my book. Yes, it's annoying when after a tough loss someone jumps on here, creates a new account, demands someone's head, and leaves just as quickly. Hell, anyone who's watched this team be abysmal over the last 15 years is probably fan simply for sticking around.

I'd say the simple fact that someone cares enough about the team to GET angry about it proves "fan" status. If they weren't a fan, they'd probably just say "oh well, tough break" and forget about it.

There's personality clashes all the time, good arguments, bad arguments, and plainly illogical rambling, but questioning someone's "fan status" is just as "ridicules" as it comes.

We might go 0-16 in 2008, and you're damn right I'm going to complain about it the entire time. And I'll be right back in 2009 to watch every game.

[MTK]

Kinda funny that the people that are against this 'divide' amongst the fans aren't doing much to help things by shooting down this thread as being stupid and/or retarded.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

Kinda funny that the people that are against this 'divide' amongst the fans aren't doing much to help things by shooting down this thread as being stupid and/or retarded.

Any thread contributing to, or causing, a divide between fans is retarded.

You know well and good I've hit people on both side of the fence with the "retarded thread" label.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

Any thread contributing to, or causing, a divide between fans is retarded.

You know well and good I've hit people on both side of the fence with the "retarded thread" label.

And I'm saying bashing on a thread contributing to, or causing, a divide between fans is also retarded and in the end is only contributing to the problem.

Let's face it the divide isn't going to change. Rather than sweeping it under the rug and pretending it's not there, why not get it out in the open and figure out why people think the way they do?

[mheisig]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

Kinda funny that the people that are against this 'divide' amongst the fans aren't doing much to help things by shooting down this thread as being stupid and/or retarded.

Fortunately this thread seems to have progressed with some thoughtful discussion.

It started out "retarded" for sure, but we're now actually talking about some of the problems and discussing it in a rather productive way.

[MTK]

I think there's some legit discussion going on here. Perhaps it didn't start off on the right foot, but for the most part it's swung away from the extreme that it started off on.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

I think there's some legit discussion going on here. Perhaps it didn't start off on the right foot, but for the most part it's swung away from the extreme that it started off on.

I'll agree there's legit discussion now, so thanks to the Warpath community, we turned this thread into something not retarded at all. There's definitely good discussion now, it's just nice to see it acknowledged that the thread did not start out so well. I'm just interested in seeing the divisive stuff come to an end, to the extent possible.

Posters need to remember one of the forum guidelines is to agree to disagree. If someone has a negative viewpoint, don't let it bring you down to the point where you bicker with them, just say well I think you're wrong, explain why you think so, and move on. And if someone is going on blind faith and being a total homer, don't let their beliefs annoy you to the point where you start calling them Kool Aid drinkers and bickering. Just say well I think you're wrong, explain why you think so, and move on. We can debate thoughtfully without bickering.