Fellow Bobcats,

I hope you will allow me to get something off my chest that has been brewing for quite some time.  I have refrained from posting on here for a long time (pre-crash).  Yet, I wanted to share the reason that I choose to remain in the shadows rather than post.

Since I left arrived in Athens in 1992, I have been a loyal Bobcat supporter.  When I first arrived in Athens, the Marching 110 and athletic events were my "release".  I learned very quickly how great Bobcat athletics were.   At the same time, I also learned that MAC sports (and Bobcat athetics) could leave your frustrated.  Yet, I had been bitten by the "Bobcat Bug".   I didn't miss a home football game in five years and traveled to numerous away games.  I didn't miss a home basketball game (men's or women's) for four years.  I went to baseball, volleyball (before it was "cool"), track and field, cross-country, etc.  When I left school, I continued to follow and go to games as various Bobcat teams came to my neck of the woods.  I never stopped and will never stop being a "Bobcat". 

All of us share different reasons for why we love Ohio University.  Yet, regardless of our various stages of life, backgrounds, and experiences, we are all Bobcats.  We have different reasons for being here....but the fact that we are here tells us we all share the bond of Ohio University athletics.

When I first discovered the message board a few years ago, I was thrilled.  For the first time, I felt I had a place to go to find other loyal Bobcats and to get more information than what I could find on the university website or through minimal coverage on the sports media outlets.  I was excited to find a place so that I would be able to find "real" information.  I sought out recruiting, game, and personnel scoop.  I found myself checking the message board every day to get my "Bobcat fix".  It has gotten to the point that my wife refers to Bobcatattack as my girlfriend.

Yet, what has come to disappoint me so much over the post few years is the level of hate, vitriol, and cynicism.  I do understand that we may get frustrated over a lost game, a bad coaching decision, a player making a dumb decision on/off the field, a lost recruit, etc.  We are all entitled to our opinion and that is part of the fun of a message board.  Yet, why do I feel as if so many on this board use this place to simply air personal vendettas, individual attacks, and anger.  It is disappointing to me as a Bobcat fan that  many don't see the harm in all of this.

It is beyond belief that people "call each other out" on an allegedly "civil discussion forum".  It is appalling that I find out that posters are threatening others and even their children (no less a model student-athlete) via private messages.  It is disgusting to hear of these types of things.

I am proud of my two degrees from Ohio University.  I was proud to be in the 110.  I am a teacher and when my kids tell me I am doing a great job I try to deflect all credit to Ohio in hopes that some of them will matriculate to Athens.  Yet, the behavior on here is just as embarassing as having to explain to non-Bobcats about party school reputations, daylight savings/Palmer riots, school of engineering "issues", etc.  I have a hard time defending those things and the lack of civility on this forum is also defenseless.

Before I get the inevitable, "You don't have to read posts and our come here.", let me offer this rebuttal.  The ones who need to not come here are the ones who don't have the best interest of Ohio University and Bobcat athletics at heart.  The words that we say on here will have little to no bearing on the lives and/or outcomes of Bobcat athletics/athletes.  Yet, the negativity that is being bred on this message board is draining the enjoyment of Ohio University athletics from at least one fan!

Maybe I have selective memory, but it does seem like post crash comments have contained more individual attacks than normal with posters attacking each other ad nauseum.

Hopefully it's just winter blah cabin fever induced vitriol.

You also need to know who you can have a civilized conversation with and who you can't. I've seen worse forums than this one in that regard.

Nice post by the way.....stick around......hopefully the next few months will bring more positive attack free posts.

As an infrequent poster as well, I belong to the same group as does BobcatWarrior and agree with his statements. I thank him for putting down what I believe many of the peripheral readers of this forum must feel.  I am not here to read personal attacks and slams. That this forum may not sink to the levels of other forums is not important to me.  Without resorting to censorship, we need to set the standard where civility is valued and diversity of sports opinions is cherished. 

 I am reminded of the words of Theodore Roosevelt from his April 23, 1910 speech, “The Man in the Arena.”

 “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.  The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes up short again and again; because there is no effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strives to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows in the end triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly.  So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

Go Ohio!

Good post.  I post infrequently for some of the same reasons.

At the same time, Andrew Ruck is right.  In the grand scheme, this board isn't that bad. However, my attitude has always been that this isn't an NFL fan board or even an OSU board.  It's Ohio University and that entails a smaller, more personal alumni/student community.  For that reason, we need to push things towards the conversations and tone we'd have face-to-face.  Bobcat Attack should have fewer bitter, hostile posts and less tolerance for them.  Obviously, you're not going to hit that as an ideal but it's a goal. 

And I would take it a place where BW stops short: I think this board, however small, does have some resonance outside cyberspace.  This is one of the main faces of Ohio U athletics if you poke around the internet.  That's how I found it.  You never know when a prospective student, recruit, community member, family member, etc., is reading.  It's something to keep in the back of one's mind when you post.  How precisely do you want to represent your university? 

I'm not expecting roses and candy hearts but it's always good to try and do a little better as a community. 

The Doc sets a good standard.

Very true.