... I repeat though, nobody that really matters reads any of the stuff posted on these boards. And none of their decisions are based on coming to a blog. So, again, don't take yourself, your posts or anyone elses on this board too seriously. It's just chatter!...
I would rephrase that to "nobody that really matters SHOULD read any of the stuff posted on these boards." I'm sure that the coaches tell the athletes to stay away, yet I'm equally sure that some of them can't resist peeking in to see what is being said about them. I'm also absolutely positive that some parents read this because I have talked to several of them.
While it's true that, to some, these threads are "just chatter", they do have the potential to have an effect on the players that read them, or become aware of what is said here. Make no mistake, fans, whether chattering on chat boards, or whether in person, can affect the results. That's obvious enough from the facts that home teams always have an advantage, and from the fact that coaches and players always want the fans to be loud, and supportive, and from the fact that teams with loud, supportive fans tend to do better than those without.
Let's look at a hypothetical example. Suppose a team has a star, who keeps leading them to victory. Finally, in one game, he fails, and instead makes a mistake that costs the game. Suppose, on the one hand, that the fans turn on him, and say bad things about him. If he becomes aware of it, will that affect his play going forward, and if so, will the effect be positive? Suppose on the other hand, that even after his mistake, the fans continue to support him and the team, and perhaps even show up when the team returns home with signs of support, so that when the team comes home with heads down, they look up and to their surprise, find supportive fans. Will that affect their play going forward, and if so, will that effect be positive?
I've seen both of the above happen, and the effect is exactly as you'd expect. One tends to have a negative effect, the other a positive one. Never underestimate the fact that fans can and do affect the players.
One of the reasons I am so impressed with this team is that, despite the fact that much of this board was openly hostile and critical of them all year, they never let it affect them, and they kept playing hard, for themselves, and did manage to achieve at least some goals, being bowl eligible, and beating Miami.
There is another thread about the negativity in the chat thread. I've been in there, and am not comfortable in there, but I think that it's a far better place for negativity than the discussion threads as it leaves nothing behind to read later.
In any case, as a believer in free speech, I think people have a right to say what they want, where they want it. I just think they should think about the impact they might have when they do choose to say it. As I said in another thread earlier this year, my personal rule is that I try not to post anything on here about any player that I wouldn't say directly to that player if he were in front of me.
Last Edited: 11/29/2014 10:58:20 AM by L.C.