I'm a better Rams fans than you...

[theodus69]

I said I drink better beer than you guys..........You here me...TX where are you??????

[MoonJoe]

"Annual Nut Kick" Now that's funny! Sometimes it's weekly for me!

I realize this post maybe inspired by another, but I'd like to address it here. The word "Fan" comes from "fanatic", for which I think we all qualify here. Positive, negative, informed or clueless, it doesn't matter. I have read the posts, we're all in!

I live in city of former Rams fans who can't believe I still follow them. I live in a city that abandoned their team and I still follow them. I believe in a team that was failed by their league miserably at least twice. They allowed the move and they allowed the Patriots to cheat them out of a Super Bowl. I fly to a different city every year to see my team play (and probably lose lately) because it's the only way I can see them in person. And every time they play my heart rate goes up, my language goes down and my family leaves the house, and I still follow them!

Am I the biggest fan on this page? Hardly! A Scott flies in to the states twice a year to see them play. There are guys on this site that can break down players in the draft by memory and I have no idea who they are talking about and I have learned more about defenses from guys on this page then I ever knew possible. But I don't think "level of fanhood is a real competition, if you do, I think your missing the point!

Bottom line, to me, if your a regular poster with an opinion, whether I agree or not, your a fan. Whine, piss, moan, cheer, thump your chest, live in denial, wish forever that your team could come home, get angry when you agree with someone and shed a tear when the one of the members takes a hit on the outside world. But do me a favor, go outside this site if you looking to question someones "fanhood" my friend, your knocking on the wrong door here!

Joe

[Fat Pang]

Originally Posted by moloch41

Well, here's an instance where we disagree. I think that when people criticize the team for moves that were or weren't made, they criticize the team and the coaching staff- while people who defend the team attack fellow board posters and question their intelligence.

I just don't see it Moloch. Last season was a almost a complete washout, we all agree on that, but the extent to which you can apportion blame to a specific individual or group is always debateable. We've always had those kinds of verbal set-to's on the boards and they always get fairly heated.

I can't remember when anyone who objected to some of the treatment dished out to Linehan and the team on these boards went out of their way to insult someone's intelligence. I can remember very clearly however, those people who took a more positive view, being labelled as 'sheep', being accused of favouring carnal knowledge with sheep and being accused of lacking reading comprehension skills. In my view, some of what went on last season and was allowed to go on was unacceptable.

But, as I've said before, these things do get fairly heated and so its to be expected I guess. No-one forces me to be here and so I have to read what I want to read, ignore what I don't and let the rest take care of itself.

Originally Posted by moloch41

[Well, this is true- but what has this organization done in the last half dozen years to give me hope? I've been a Rams fan since I was a kid in the early 80s- and even though that support hasn't wavered, I'm not blind enough to think this is the NY Yankees of the NFL. I remember the 90s very clearly and know that this franchise has fielded a loser fan more often than fielding a winner. Our free agent and draft acquisitions of the past 20 yrs haven't exactly been stellar and are often made to save a buck.

I share that pain to an extent. The decisions regarding Kevin Greene, London Fletcher, Jerome Bettis and others have often left me shaking my head. I deplored the decision to take Lawrence Philips, I kept hitting my head off the desk when we took Trung Canidate and I just sat and laughed hopelessly when we drafted Eric Crouch. Martz you can blame for some of the recent screw-ups, but I'm not convinced that the Front Office are serving the franchise's best interests.

Don't think that because people don't find the need to criticise the organisation for the same reasons that you might, that they're not critical per se. They are, but they choose to fight their battles over other things.

Right now, I see little to criticise. Bruce's departure hasn't made me happy, but our approach in FA has been the right one in my eyes. There's no-one out there who can upgrade our team by themselves.

That doesn't make me a genius anymore than it makes you intellectually challenged.

And I don't think that was Barry's point.

[Beta Ram]

All fans are created equal...

[ramsanddodgers]

Originally Posted by Alpha Ram

All fans are created equal...

I can hear George Orwell now... "Some animals are more equal than others". :l

[AlphaRam]

There are two behaviors that I do not accept from other Rams fans.

1. Booing of the team.
2. Stating that our team sucks.

Both are unacceptable and if you do either one, then, yes, I am a better fan than you.

[RamFan_Til_I_Die]

Originally Posted by Alpha Ram

All fans are created equal...

2 AlphaRams? I'm not sure this board can handle it....the universe may very well be torn asunder.

[moklerman]

First, there are guys(Tony Banks) who deserved to be booed. Cheering crap accomplishes less than booing your own team.

Second, when we ***** and boo and criticize, among other things, it means we care.

In recent threads, it seems that pessimists complain about the Rams and optimists complain about the pessimists.

[moloch41]

Originally Posted by AlphaRam

There are two behaviors that I do not accept from other Rams fans.

1. Booing of the team.
2. Stating that our team sucks.

Both are unacceptable and if you do either one, then, yes, I am a better fan than you.

You obviously are not from Philadelphia...

I happen to disagree with you here. As a company, they are asking for you to invest not only your time, but your money as well in their product. If they continue to put out an inferior product, then you should have the right to complain. Someone said that no organization would want to put out a loser intentionally and I think that is true- but I think there are plenty of organizations out there that could care less as long as they turn a profit. The only reason they would want to win is so they can turn a bigger profit. Yes, I know it's a business, but part of running a business is customer satisfaction and with the price of tickets, NFL merchandise, and concessions- they should be damn sure they are putting out the best product possible.

[cfh128]

I get the point this thread is trying to make, but I am not necessarily buying it. There are a lot of optimistic people at this site, and there are some bitterly pessimistic people too. The pessimistic ones have absolutely no problem raining on the optimistic ones parade. So don't get upset if the optimistic people aren't always thrilled to hear, oh for example, how our defense is horrible, our offense is atrocious, our front office is incompetent, bulger sucks, our cornerbacks are pathetic, this team hasn't done anything right in 10 years, etc. It gets old. You have every right to say it, dont get me wrong. But if you are going to dish it out, you better be able to take it.

[Nick]

I don't challenge a person's status as a fan, because who am I to tell someone else they're a better or worse fan than another? I also don't particularly care when people are negative about something. I'm negative about stuff as well sometimes. What gets under my skin is when a fan of a team is negative with just about everything. When people go out of their way to criticize everything and can't acknowledge the positives of a situation, I think it can get rather tiring.

[Chris58]

I don't understand fans who find nothing good to say about the team they are a supposed to be fans of. What is it that keeps these folks in the "fan" category? If every move is wrong, every play bad, the players are duds, the coaches are losers, the management is terrible, why not find another team that would make them happier? I suspect that for these fans, the Rams aren't the only disappointment in their lives.

[ramsanddodgers]

I also don't particularly care when people are negative about something

Ahh, Nick. I must have caught you on a bad day awhile back then? But I digress....

I can be a fan of a team and at the same time not be fully supportive of players who I feel are not, IMHO, earning the exorbitant paychecks they have no problem cashing. Just because a player is considered to be in the top 5 or 10 at any said position doesn't mean they are worthy of the fat paycheck, but more the norm is that there are often not many good (do I daresay great?) players at a given position that they are often overpaid compared to the results they achieve.

So, while I can express my disappointment with my team or any particular or group of players on my team it doesn't mean I am any less a fan, it simply means I had higher expectations and am disappointed (once again) by the accomplishments of said team or players.

I also realize that like most things in life (global warming/cooling?) winning and losing can be considered cylclical.

I just keep hoping we get back to the winning cycle sooner rather than later.

My bumper stickers, license plate frame, window clings, and magnetic decal are still on my Dodge RAM pickup.

There may be more knowledgeable or even fervent fans but I am not sure that makes them MORE of a fan than I.

[AlphaRam]

Originally Posted by moloch41

You obviously are not from Philadelphia...

I happen to disagree with you here. As a company, they are asking for you to invest not only your time, but your money as well in their product. If they continue to put out an inferior product, then you should have the right to complain. Someone said that no organization would want to put out a loser intentionally and I think that is true- but I think there are plenty of organizations out there that could care less as long as they turn a profit. The only reason they would want to win is so they can turn a bigger profit. Yes, I know it's a business, but part of running a business is customer satisfaction and with the price of tickets, NFL merchandise, and concessions- they should be damn sure they are putting out the best product possible.

No, I am not from Philly, but I have been a member of the Eagles message board longer than I have been a member here. I am married to an Eagles fan. I have eaten a cheesesteak at pat's and at Chickie & Pete's. I drove the wrong way on Broad Street because i didn't want to take a different way. In December, I was in a bar with 100 Eagles fans, one Rams fan, and a Redskins fan. Eagles fans have nothing on me.

Here I am in my Archuleta jersey getting my picture taken at the Linc...holding up a bus load of Eagles fans so i could get my picture taken.


I have no problem with people complaining about the Rams. I stated the two points that I feel are out-of-bounds.. The front office has pissed me off for decades. Gus Frerotte pissed me off when he fumbled that snap on the 1/2 yard line against the Shehawks. I never said that people shouldn't complain....but you don't tell your wife that she sucks if she gets the flu, do you?

[moloch41]

Originally Posted by cfh128

I get the point this thread is trying to make, but I am not necessarily buying it. There are a lot of optimistic people at this site, and there are some bitterly pessimistic people too. The pessimistic ones have absolutely no problem raining on the optimistic ones parade. So don't get upset if the optimistic people aren't always thrilled to hear, oh for example, how our defense is horrible, our offense is atrocious, our front office is incompetent, bulger sucks, our cornerbacks are pathetic, this team hasn't done anything right in 10 years, etc. It gets old. You have every right to say it, dont get me wrong. But if you are going to dish it out, you better be able to take it.

Well, the point of my post wasn't to criticize people for being positive and it's not able not be able to "take it". My point is that when people aren't being positive their criticism is almost always directed at the team or moves that were made, etc... But it seems when people try to defend the team, they do so by attacking the other posters, trying to act like thier knowledge is far superior, questioning thier loyalty, etc... It's all just very silly.