To those whining about the fans

[fgssand]

Geez I missed my first home game in 4 years and I come to find out everyone thinks the world is coming to an end because of some booing and fans leaving early. (For the record I was watching my daughter who was cheering for the Hingham 5th grade team as we smoked Scituate 28 -0. I was with my 7 year old son as well and we had a blast throwing the ball around beside the field and getting a hot dog and soda for $2.00 ! I really have to stop thinking of the world in Gillette stadium prices LOL) But I will defer to fgssand on this one. If you went to the game and were unhappy with the crowd that is one thing. But if you were unhappy watching it on your TV tough luck. The guys who were season ticket holders back to the Foxboro/Sullivan days will tell you the fans used to always boo and on blowouts they have always left early . I have to been to as many games in the last 18 years as anyone on this board but you know what I wasn't there yesterday and I am in no place to criticize . Save the "If I was there ..." stuff and go and buy a ticket instead.

It's all your fault..........

 

[jeffbiologist]

Don't worry. No one here has ever confused you with being a Patriots fan.

So glad you can always be so posetive. Keep it up sport.

 

[BlitzFritz]

First, I love this thread. I dont know why, it feels so defining and raw.

Second, I was at the game.

Third, I didnt boo or leave early.

Fourth, the team played TERRIBLE and I felt no animosity toward my fellow fans when they boo'd or left early. The Pats did NOT show up to win. They played like a junior college team against a third tier Dolphin team. Everyone there paid their money, drove in terrible traffic etc (brought their kids) to see some real entertainment. It was pathetic.

Fifth, I think our fan base is pretty good in general. We sell out. Long waiting list. We tailgate. We cheer, and wear our jerseys. We roadtrip to enemy territory for some games. We expect Excellence.

I think BB would have boo'd if he were a fan last Sunday too.

 

[Tyler.Durden]

Fans= enjoy the good times, boo when times are no good.

Supporters= enjoy the good times and encourage during the bad times.

It's ok if you are a bandwagoner, but perhaps you should give your tickets to a supporter for the rest of the season.

 

[nashvillepatsfan]

Fans= enjoy the good times, boo when times are no good.

Supporters= enjoy the good times and encourage during the bad times.

It's ok if you are a bandwagoner, but perhaps you should give your tickets to a supporter for the rest of the season.

well said.

I understand the need to boo a team that sucks, but thats not the case. As Mo pointed out, we have alot to be thankful for. I think if the fans at the game were mad at the teams play, then leave. Which apparantly they did. Booing though, is a little much because of one bad game, especially given their history. But it is what it is.

 

[Squeeba]

After reading this:
Hobbs responds to Patriots fans - The Boston Globe

I just had to comment.


First off: this is Boston. Deal with it. If you want soulless cheerboxes: force a trade to K.C.

WTF does the team expect when they lay one of the most embarrassing eggs I have seen in a long time. Are we supposed to just cheer brainlessly when some of the worst football is being played since the Marion Butts days? All this 'they won 21 in a row" and "we were just in the Superbowl" talk is what it is...history. BB always preaches one game at a time and does not talk about the past unless it can help him win in the future. This was game 3 of the 2008/09 season (against a division foe no less) not part of some meaningless streak.

Now don't get me wrong, I was at the game Sunday and there were a fair share of pink hats booing in the first quarter and screaming for O'Connel. They are obviously clueless need to keep their pie hole shut.

But when the team that I love and support almost seems like they are not trying out there, don't give me a hard time when I have seen enough and leave in 4th qtr. during a blowout.

 

[PAPatsjunkie]

Get some perspective. Hobbs is right. How could you follow this team for more than the past 7 years and not be appreciate for what they have done? Just because they have a bad day does NOT mean they aren't trying out there. The booing was bad, but I was more pissed off at the fans leaving at the beginning of the 4th quarter. So ****ing spoiled. I just hope this means I will actually be able to afford tickets in the future.

 

[Squeeba]

I am a season ticket holder and have been a fan for over 30 years so I have plenty of perspective. Have the Pats built themselves into some sort of sacred idol that we have to bow down to and accept what ever they put on the field? Don't dare look BB directly in the eyes! Really?!?

It comes down to you have to give the fans something to cheer about.

The Pats were horrible on Sunday and the true fans have every right to tell them so.

 

[nepatz11]

The reason I whine about the fans is this: (1) Statistics have shown that when a team gets a false start penalty on offense the odds of their drive not being a scoring drive go up significantly. That is a statistical fact. Crowd Noise clearly creates false starts and can therefore have a huge tangible impact on the game.

(2) Both communication and Time outs are an important part of football and noise hinders communication at the line and increases the liklihood of errors and wasted timeouts. Clearly having less timeouts is a disadvantage to a team

(3) This is more anecdotal but some players are intimidated by being on the road in intimidatign situations.


In regards to point 1 let me say that the Key penalty that may ultimately end the drive that might make the difference in the game may not be on a third down in the fourht quarter it may be on a first down in the first quarter. THAT IS WHY YOU MAKE AS MUCH NOISE AS YOU CAN EVERY PLAY WHEN YOUR TEAM IS ON DEFENSE FOR THE WHOLE GAME AND THEN MAKE ABSOLUTELY NO NOISE WHEN THEY ARE ON OFFENSE!

You are right to say that the crowd would not have prevented 38 points from being scored but what if the crowd made a ton of noise on the dolphins first scoring drive and got a false start and instead of converting a third down they came up 3 yrds short because of the penalty and then say Kevin Faulk returns the punt for a touchdown it is a different game. Who knows all I can say is it would have increased our chances.

Screw the "Ra Ra Sis Boom Ba" BS or the "Im a better fan than you" I think the crowd at Gillette sucks because they are irrational. They could potentially be statistically helping their team win and they choose not to. That is dumb if you are a fan of the team. End of discussion!

 

[Squeeba]

If the fans as the 12th man was so important, then the Kraft's should have not built an open ended stadium. Even with the fans at their craziest, Gillette just is not built to keep the noise in.

The old Foxboro stadium was much louder.

I still don't care what anyone says, if your team is getting destroyed by one of the worst teams in the league, the last thing you should be doing is looking to blame the fans.

 

[Nunchucks]

I'll just say this, if the Patriots put crap on the field then they deserve to be booed. People pay a lot of money to see them COMPETE against teams and as long as they are competetitive, they deserve nothing but our outmost respect. However, that piece of crap that was supposedly a football game that happened on Sunday was deserving of boos. That was not competition, that was a mockery of a football game.

Whenever the Patriots play like that, I'll boo em, cause they deserve it. I would never boo them if they showed theselves to be competitive, but trash is trash and we don't have to sit there and smile and cheer when there s crap on the field.

It isn't about what they did last week or the week before, it is about this very game...the philosophy the Patriots are supposed to be preaching....yet, they are talking about how they have earned the right to not be booed...Bullsnotty I say...practice what you preach

 

[signbabybrady]

To all the people complaining the "fans" were booing, what is the next biggest complaint about the crowd at Gillette?


I'll save you the time of thinking because it can hurt sometimes. The next biggest complaint or maybe even the biggest complaint is that the crowd is a corporate crowd that is there to drink and not real fans. So when these guys boo you turn around and complain about the real fan base.

 

[nepatz11]

Foxboro had two open ends and was more open than Gillette. Gillette is plenty loud when people make noise. It has nothing to do with the Krafts or the stadium.

Also as for booing I generally have ABSOLUTELY NO problem with it I just think when a team wins 21 in a row then throws in a complete dog they should get a free pass and some support. We as a fan base have had quite a ride. The facts of life in the NFL is that these games happen from time to time when it happens to your team once in every 22 games I'd say as a whole your team is still doing damn good. Trust me if they go out and lay eggs in SD and SF and then come home and play vs Denver like they did in Miami I will be the first one to Boo them for lying down in the face of Brady's injury.


Oh yeah and to the guy who said " whenever the Pats put crap on the field i will boo them" let me just remind you that compared to every other NFL team over the past few years the Pats have put much much less "crap on the field" than any other team. It is all relative in my opinion which is why I am willing to let one bad game slide.

 

[Nunchucks]

Foxboro had two open ends and was more open than Gillette. Gillette is plenty loud when people make noise. It has nothing to do with the Krafts or the stadium.

Also as for booing I generally have ABSOLUTELY NO problem with it I just think when a team wins 21 in a row then throws in a complete dog they should get a free pass and some support. We as a fan base have had quite a ride. The facts of life in the NFL is that these games happen from time to time when it happens to your team once in every 22 games I'd say as a whole your team is still doing damn good. Trust me if they go out and lay eggs in SD and SF and then come home and play vs Denver like they did in Miami I will be the first one to Boo them for lying down in the face of Brady's injury.


Oh yeah and to the guy who said " whenever the Pats put crap on the field i will boo them" let me just remind you that compared to every other NFL team over the past few years the Pats have put much much less "crap on the field" than any other team. It is all relative in my opinion which is why I am willing to let one bad game slide.

Yep, they have been awesome the this decade, a trure pleasure to watch. Does that mean I have to suck it up and smile when they play like a pathetic bunch of clowns?

I will be watching once again when they come off the bye week, ready to cheer for them to be competetive. They don't have to win for me to cheer them, they just have to play like they care about winning the game.

 

[nepatz11]

Alright thats fair they did look completely pathetic and maybe that is why some people booed.

 

[Leave No Doubt]

To all the people complaining the "fans" were booing, what is the next biggest complaint about the crowd at Gillette?


I'll save you the time of thinking because it can hurt sometimes. The next biggest complaint or maybe even the biggest complaint is that the crowd is a corporate crowd that is there to drink and not real fans. So when these guys boo you turn around and complain about the real fan base.

Exactly,see my post under the Hobbs' thread. I'll take passion over blah anyday.

 

[Squeeba]

I'm with you Nunchucks.
Practice what you preach.

I am loyal crazed fan and I will be right in my Patriots man room watching them hopefully destroy the mighty (if you listen to talk radio) 49er's on the 5th.
But if they stink it up, they should hear it.
Good job guys! Try harder next time! How about we stop keeping score like in the pee-wee leagues?

As far as the stadium, I would love to see a footprint of Foxboro superimposed over Gillette. The fans are much further away and higher from the field now. Not to mention the huge gap where the lighthouse / bridge is.

 

[nepatz11]

I got season tickets in 1990 When I was 11 years old. I started going to games in 1988 which if I remember correctly was a 5-11 year. I don't forget what things were like then. That is why I have a hard time booing after one game no matter how terrible. Trust me 3 or 4 of these in a row and I will be booing loudly because of the lack of effort.

 

[JoeSixPat]

When a team that has won 18 in a row and 21 consecutive regular season games and had the first undefeated 16 game season and won 6 Division championships and 4 Conference Championships and 3 World Championships in 7 seasons gets boo'd at home during their third game of a season coming off of back to back wins following the season ending to their HOF QB...

...their fanbase sucks. Anyone trying to argue against that is just rationalizing. Other fanbases may boo, Pat's fans may have deservedly in their first 41 years of the franchise's existence, but none has experienced what this decade's teams have given this ever expanding and increasingly unworthy collection of whiners.

So what's the official ruling from the "good fan" rulebook?

How many non-competitive performances are the Patriots allowed given their past success before its no longer prohibited to boo.

Certainly no one is advocating that they be cheered for that performance.

Shall everyone remain dead silent at Gillette for the next game?

Everyone is WAY overthinking this. Arguing otherwise is just rationalizing.

I've got a crazy idea - when they are playing well cheer them. When they are playing poorly boo them.

Seems fair, no?

 

[italian pat patriot]

seeing fans leaving so early from the stadium (also if the performance was really bad)
was not the best to see...

pity and sad (imho)