I've seen the terms "Warner Bashers" and "Warner Haters" thrown around quite a bit on these boards. The truth is, though, I have never come accross a Ram fan who seeks to "bash" Warner or who "hates" Warner.
Rather, what most of us who have been assigned with this label do "bash" and do "hate" is the neverending, mind-boggling, bordering on psychotic, cult-hero worship, whining that some fans continue to engage in over Kurt Warner's departure.
So, to avoid any confusion in the future, here is how I feel and, I believe, how most of the "Warner Bashers" feel about the subject.
1. Kurt Warner will always have a special place in the hearts of Ram fans. His play from 1999-2001 was an integral part of the Rams' success over that span, as well as the Super Bowl win.
2. While we were disappointed to see him decline in 2002 and lose his job in 2003, we disagree with those who believe that the team made an error in transitioning to Marc Bulger. Although Kurt demonstrated this year that he still can play, at this point, we believe Marc Bulger is the right choice for the team.
3. We do not completely agree with the "Martz as villain viewpoint" with respect to Kurt Warner. While Martz did send mixed signals and seemed to contradict his own statements regarding his intentions during 2002-03, Warner also played a role in his own departure by making statements that alienated him from the team, allowing his wife to do so as well, and being less than forthcoming (or, alternatively, deluding himself) regarding his physical condition at times. It was a bad situation all around, and needed to end.
4. Some of us believe now that Martz should be replaced. That does not, however, mean that we believe that has anything whatsoever to do with Kurt Warner.
Like it or not, that is how we feel.
And one final thing which needs to be addressed:
5. Its time to move on. Kurt has been gone for a full season, and he's not coming back. He is not relevant to discussions about the current team any more than the 1,000,000,000 other "what ifs" that could be posed. As a result, we find it annoying when people try to inject his name into every conversation, regardless of the subject matter.
So, that's it. That's how we feel. If you want to call us "Warner Bashers," go ahead. Some people have no regard for the truth.
-12-28-2004, 10:32 AM
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