Being critical vs being cynical

[Sug]

Definitions

cynicism - The belief that the worse about people or the outcome of events.

being critical- marked by a tendency to find and call attention to errors and flaws.

I think there are several posters in here that believe they are being critical of the team, when the reality is that they are truly cynical. I am going to call out Mixum on this for sure, but I also hope that some of you need to understand the difference. When you deal in always predicting absolute failure, you are being cynical. Many posters are cynical when it comes to Greg Oden. I have no problem with people being critical of Greg Oden, and dealing with the facts. I do have a problem with cynical people deciding that his career is over. The same goes for the way people attack Nate and the team in general.

I say be critical, but please avoid being cynical because it makes you look ignorant.

We are 35-20 right now, 4th place in the West.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Sug all of your posts and threads are a disaster! GOD! I just want to kill myself reading this stuff ...








*ahem*

 

[Sug]

Sug all of your posts and threads are a disaster! GOD! I just want to kill myself reading this stuff ...

Feel free?

 

[Boob-No-More]

I say be critical, but please avoid being cynical because it makes you look ignorant.

Unfortunately, we have a few regulars here who are both simultaneously. They are called trolls and lead pathetic, lonely lives and, therefore, feel the need to draw attention to themselves with their deliberate public displays of ignorance. It really takes away from the enjoyment of this board and results in a lot of unnecessary arguing and negativity during what should be a very enjoyable season.

Well, at least it doesn't take away any of the joy I feel while watching the games and cheering for the team, but it does often make coming here to chat with my fellow Blazer fans a bit of a downer. Why can't people just enjoy the team's success without their own personal agendas?

BNM

 

[barfo]

Is this really cynicism, or is it pessimism?

barfo

 

[Pinwheel1]

Well, at least it doesn't take away any of the joy I feel while watching the games and cheering for the team, but it does often make coming here to chat with my fellow Blazer fans a bit of a downer. Why can't people just enjoy the team's success without their own personal agendas?

BNM

So true. I find myself going from a high to a low in the matter of seconds of logging on. But it is true of all websites. (College too) But being stuck in another state that does not talk about the Blazers, I need my fix. So the internet is my only connection with other blazer fans. Otherwise there is no way I would submit myself to the frustration.

I would love to find a site where morons were not aloud. But then i am not sure they would always let me in. LOL

 

[Nikolokolus]

So true. I find myself going from a high to a low in the matter of seconds of logging on. But it is true of all websites. (College too) But being stuck in another state that does not talk about the Blazers, I need my fix. So the internet is my only connection with other blazer fans. Otherwise there is no way I would submit myself to the frustration.

I would love to find a site where morons were not aloud. But then i am not sure they would always let me in. LOL

Alas I share a similar problem. This place is like the village of the damned.

 

[Boob-No-More]

So true. I find myself going from a high to a low in the matter of seconds of logging on. But it is true of all websites. (College too) But being stuck in another state that does not talk about the Blazers, I need my fix. So the internet is my only connection with other blazer fans. Otherwise there is no way I would submit myself to the frustration.

I would love to find a site where morons were not aloud. But then i am not sure they would always let me in. LOL

You know it's funny, but I never remember the old BBF, or even ESPN, boards being this full of negativity, even during the John Nash/Steve Patterson era when the team was winning 27 and 21 games. Now that we're on track to win 50+ games and make the play-offs, some people seem don't seem to be happy about the progress the team has made and want to piss and moan about every little thing. It seems like a few Portland fans have forgotten how to enjoy winning (or, simply prefer whining).

I know pretty much all the regulars left BBF in a fit due to the over zealous moderation, but I'm seriously considering going back over there. The problem is, if enough of us went back, the trolls would just follow. They are desperate for attention. So, they'll just go where the action is and pollute any forum that starts to look worthwhile.

BNM

 

[yenniedn]

So true. I find myself going from a high to a low in the matter of seconds of logging on. But it is true of all websites. (College too) But being stuck in another state that does not talk about the Blazers, I need my fix. So the internet is my only connection with other blazer fans. Otherwise there is no way I would submit myself to the frustration.

I would love to find a site where morons were not aloud. But then i am not sure they would always let me in. LOL

Truly . . . ironic.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Truly . . . ironic.

You know, I just let the spelling faux pas go when I first read it, but you're right it works with either spelling

 

[Minstrel]

You know it's funny, but I never remember the old BBF, or even ESPN, boards being this full of negativity, even during the John Nash/Steve Patterson era when the team was winning 27 and 21 games.

Raised expectations actually lead to greater negativity, as counter-intuitive as that is. I've seen active Yankees and Lakers forums during their multiple-championship periods, and every loss produced lots and lots of vitriol. When the "stakes" rise, set-backs are handled much more poorly than when the set-back is just one of many.

Of course, when the team is bad, everyone is at least mildly negative, so that's no fun, either.

There's never a time when large, active team forums are generally positive over long periods of time. At least, not that I've seen. There's always at least a vocal minority of people who are desperate to be satisfied/comforted but never are.

 

[yenniedn]

You know, I just let the spelling faux pas go when I first read it, but you're right it works with either spelling

Maybe he meant to spell it that way . . . in which case, he's a genius!!!

 

[e_blazer]

Frankly, I think some people here are cynically critical.

Or is that critically cynical?

 

[andalusian]

Is this really cynicism, or is it pessimism?

barfo

Let's not rule out botulism...

 

[THE HCP]

You know it's funny, but I never remember the old BBF, or even ESPN, boards being this full of negativity, even during the John Nash/Steve Patterson era when the team was winning 27 and 21 games. Now that we're on track to win 50+ games and make the play-offs, some people seem don't seem to be happy about the progress the team has made and want to piss and moan about every little thing. It seems like a few Portland fans have forgotten how to enjoy winning (or, simply prefer whining).

I know pretty much all the regulars left BBF in a fit due to the over zealous moderation, but I'm seriously considering going back over there. The problem is, if enough of us went back, the trolls would just follow. They are desperate for attention. So, they'll just go where the action is and pollute any forum that starts to look worthwhile.

BNM

Make sure you let me know where you go. I always enjoy reading your crappy posts!

 

[oldmangrouch]

You know it's funny, but I never remember the old BBF, or even ESPN, boards being this full of negativity, even during the John Nash/Steve Patterson era when the team was winning 27 and 21 games. Now that we're on track to win 50+ games and make the play-offs, some people seem don't seem to be happy about the progress the team has made and want to piss and moan about every little thing. It seems like a few Portland fans have forgotten how to enjoy winning (or, simply prefer whining).

BNM

Wow, I really have to disagree. Back in the "old days", there was a significant group of posters who HATED anybody in a Blazer uniform. The number of posters leveling unreasonable criticism at the players has shrunk to a mere handful.

The problem is, the rules have changed. It used to be that if you said anything positive about the team, you were labeled an "apologist." Now, if you point out even the most obvious problem, you are a "whiner." People with honest opinions get lumped in with the trolls.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Make sure you let me know where you go. I always enjoy reading your crappy posts!

Is there no safe haven. I TOLD you they'd follow.

JK

BNM - Happily bringing you crappy posts (in various forums) for over 1/15th of a century.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Wow, I really have to disagree. Back in the "old days", there was a significant group of posters who HATED anybody in a Blazer uniform. The number of posters leveling unreasonable criticism at the players has shrunk to a mere handful.

I remember it differently. During the actual jailblazer era, the team was still winning (right until the very end), and so that appeased many posters.

By the time the team really and truly sucked, many of the knuckleheads (Rider, Bonzi, Sheed, etc.) were gone. The team lost a ton of games, but it was hard to hate on guys like Viktor, Ha, Joel, Martell, or even Telfair. They did their best, but they were either very young, or not very good (or both). For the most part, people realized it was a rebuild with youth movement and the expectations were pretty low.

Of course, there was criticism of Nash/Patterson, and Zach and Darius, but that didn't start right away. People were in love with Zach during that Dallas series, and the following season when he became a starter and averaged 20/10 for the 1st time. And, there was a honeymoon period with Darius, too.

BNM

 

[gambitnut]

I remember it differently. During the actual jailblazer era, the team was still winning (right until the very end), and so that appeased many posters.

By the time the team really and truly sucked, many of the knuckleheads (Rider, Bonzi, Sheed, etc.) were gone. The team lost a ton of games, but it was hard to hate on guys like Viktor, Ha, Joel, Martell, or even Telfair. They did their best, but they were either very young, or not very good (or both). For the most part, people realized it was a rebuild with youth movement and the expectations were pretty low.

Of course, there was criticism of Nash/Patterson, and Zach and Darius, but that didn't start right away. People were in love with Zach during that Dallas series, and the following season when he became a starter and averaged 20/10 for the 1st time. And, there was a honeymoon period with Darius, too.

BNM

For the most part, I'd say we have had two main groups over the years. Back in the "jailblazers" years, the people who only care about winning were very happy for the most part, while the people who have a hard time rooting for players that aren't great people couldn't bring themselves to be as happy. Then we got rid of the questionable characters, but lost many games. Even the fans of nice players weren't happy with the record, but at least they were happier than the people who felt that we had torn apart a good thing to appease a vocal minority. Now, we have a young team that is winning and should continue to do so for quite some time, and I haven't heard anybody claim that our players are bad people that I can remember. Everybody should be happy, right? In theory, yes, but I think Minstrel is right about the raised expectations. Now we don't just want to win, we want, to borrow a chess quote, to crush our opponents' egos. Maybe a championship or 10 will make everybody happy.

 

[Ed O]

Of course, there was criticism of Nash/Patterson, and Zach and Darius, but that didn't start right away. People were in love with Zach during that Dallas series, and the following season when he became a starter and averaged 20/10 for the 1st time. And, there was a honeymoon period with Darius, too.

But what criticisms of THIS team or players started right away?

I love Oden, and I'm really excited about his potential, but no one started calling him "injury-prone" or a "bust" until he got hurt for an entire year and then got hurt in his first game back.

KP has been considered a god (if not the God) by many on this forum until it's become clear that he is risk-averse in midseason and may have just blown a big opportunity to improve the team.

Zach and Miles and PatterNash all got the benefit of the doubt, as well... until they screwed up. Some people kept giving any one of them the benefit of the doubt longer than others felt was reasonable (I defended Zach past when he was drafted; others defended Nash until the day he was shit-canned) but very few people were negative from day one.

I don't see anything particularly different now except that the community is bigger.

Ed O.

 

[Paxil]

Gambitnut... there usually is no end to people who can't be satisfied like that. After 10 there would be 11... 15 20... anything less = FAILURE!

I love the quote "we want to crush our opponents egos"... LOL... sounds like a Rudy quote.

ED O, KP forgives you for your lack of faith.

I think some cynical Blazer fans just do it is a warped defense mechanism... either they are right or the team they love wins. Either way they feel good about themselves I guess.

 

[Ed O]

ED O, KP forgives you for your lack of faith.

I wasn't stating that was my position. I was stating it was a possible position. Unless you would argue he's not risk-averse in mid-season... I'd be interested in seeing an argument that he's not.

Ed O.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

I wasn't stating that was my position. I was stating it was a possible position. Unless you would argue he's not risk-averse in mid-season... I'd be interested in seeing an argument that he's not.

Ed O.

Blazers were one of the most talked about teams during the trade deadline with one of the most sought after trade assets. The Blazers weren't playing well going into the trade deadline and the public opinion seemed to be a trade is needed.

Big risk to KP's public image and success in this year's playoffs to not turn Raef's contract into a contributing vet . . . so by not trading he risked his god status as a GM and this year's playoff success . . . luckily, he is not risk adverse.

 

[LittleAlex]

Gambitnut... there usually is no end to people who can't be satisfied like that. After 10 there would be 11... 15 20... anything less = FAILURE!

I love the quote "we want to crush our opponents egos"... LOL... sounds like a Rudy quote.

ED O, KP forgives you for your lack of faith.

I think some cynical Blazer fans just do it is a warped defense mechanism... either they are right or the team they love wins. Either way they feel good about themselves I guess.

This is the truth. Cynicism is a great defense against disappointment. After being a fan of this team for a long time I am somewhat sympathetic to this and guilty of it from time to time. There have been many very disappointing moments in Portland's history.

Oden is a special case. Portland has a bad, bad history with talented centers. They are either crippled early (Walton, Bowie), are only available to the team after their skills fade (Sabonis), or they got paid a ton to suck ass (Dudley). Duckworth is probably the only center the team has had that had few problems and was a good player. I, and others, hoped Oden would be different. Unfortunately as of right now you can't really say he has been. There is a feeling of Daja Vu with his situation that other teams may not have.

That isn't really an excuse, but I can see where cynics in Oden's case are coming from.

 

[tlongII]

I have no problem with various P.O.V.'s on this board. I've always enjoyed seeing differing perspectives on the team. Currently my opinion of the team is extremely positive. Possibly too much so. Reading negative posts helps keep my over-confidence in check to a certain degree.

 

[MARIS61]

You know it's funny, but I never remember the old BBF, or even ESPN, boards being this full of negativity, even during the John Nash/Steve Patterson era when the team was winning 27 and 21 games. Now that we're on track to win 50+ games and make the play-offs, some people seem don't seem to be happy about the progress the team has made and want to piss and moan about every little thing. It seems like a few Portland fans have forgotten how to enjoy winning (or, simply prefer whining).

I know pretty much all the regulars left BBF in a fit due to the over zealous moderation, but I'm seriously considering going back over there. The problem is, if enough of us went back, the trolls would just follow. They are desperate for attention. So, they'll just go where the action is and pollute any forum that starts to look worthwhile.

BNM

To be fair Boob, I better warn you in advance that I also have been mulling over making the move back to BBF. What drove me away was the mods who suddenly came there from other (Lakers) boards to treat us rudely, and of course that damn Canadian R-Star whose only purpose seemed to be to fan the flames.

What I miss from over there was a collectively higher understanding of the game of basketball, which of course makes the conversation much more interesting. I find myself simply dropping out of threads after a page or 2 here as they often contain nothing of value to me, and a lot of purely hateful attacks on posters.

Being an eternal optomist can be trying in this environment.

 

[tlongII]

To be fair Boob, I better warn you in advance that I also have been mulling over making the move back to BBF. What drove me away was the mods who suddenly came there from other (Lakers) boards to treat us rudely, and of course that damn Canadian R-Star whose only purpose seemed to be to fan the flames.

What I miss from over there was a collectively higher understanding of the game of basketball, which of course makes the conversation much more interesting. I find myself simply dropping out of threads after a page or 2 here as they often contain nothing of value to me, and a lot of purely hateful attacks on posters.

Being an eternal optomist can be trying in this environment.

Really? It seems like we have the same posters here that we had over there.

 

[andalusian]

Really? It seems like we have the same posters here that we had over there.

Yeah - but there JJack was the scapegoat - and now it's Sergio. No wonder Maris is upset...

 

[MARIS61]

Really? It seems like we have the same posters here that we had over there.

We lost several good ones in transition, there were already posters in place here before the move, and there have been some band-wagoneers coming on board lately.

Hmmm, am I being critical or cynical here?

 

[mook]

To be fair Boob, I better warn you in advance that I also have been mulling over making the move back to BBF. What drove me away was the mods who suddenly came there from other (Lakers) boards to treat us rudely, and of course that damn Canadian R-Star whose only purpose seemed to be to fan the flames.

What I miss from over there was a collectively higher understanding of the game of basketball, which of course makes the conversation much more interesting. I find myself simply dropping out of threads after a page or 2 here as they often contain nothing of value to me, and a lot of purely hateful attacks on posters.

Being an eternal optomist can be trying in this environment.

I find it much easier to just skim a lot. When the posters I like pop up in a thread, I'll read. The rest I don't really even bother considering unless one of the posters I like has made a comment about them. On a busy day, I'll only read my four or five favorite posters, on a lazy day or a day with lots of Blazers news, I lower the bar substantially.

The internet is just too big and fascinating to get bogged down in petty fighting on one message board.

My scanning style is why I was always a lousy moderator the few times I've tried it. I'd rather just ignore the idiots than let them bother me. Reading this thread, I'm actually suprised that several seem so annoyed. I literally hadn't noticed them.