- Joined
- Mar 19, 2006
- Messages
- 33,965
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I wanted to "get into" the NEM apology thread, but this isn't about him, or people he's apologizing to, or whether he should or not, or... yadda yadda yadda. My "opinion" would just piss people off, because it doesn't take into account for Everything In The Past, or even much of it. I've seen posts here that make me go "my God," and not only from the principles in this current back-and-forth. This place has made my blood boil at times too.
But I also agree with those who emphasize the football aspect. So here we go: we have here, on this board, is a wealth of football knowledge and expertise.
We have everything from salary cap mavens, to former players at different levels, all the way up to Grogan's contributions (not on the forums of course, but still, think about what that says about this site.) We have people here who live and breathe football, and sometimes what I read here (in the aggregate) makes the supposed experts and pundits look like lighweights.
I've only been here less than a year, but the place is special.
This post isn't supposed to be a knock on any of the "combatants." From what I've seen I just don't get the backstory, and I am happier for it.
This is just one individual's perhaps naive attempt to say, look at what we have here. I know sometimes it's past the point where people can lay down their differences and do this. At times, I'm living proof myself.
When I've been in that situation, I realize often that I and my opponent thought of our own rights, and the other guy's civilities. Were we both to reverse that, I think we'd make far fewer eyeballs bleed on the forum page.
Why? Why just disregard righteous indignation, when you just know the other guy has done x, y, and z, and not only deserves whatever you can throw at him on the screen, but maybe legal action too?
Because this is a damn fine site. It's simple. This place outclasses every other team fan site I've seen in a number of ways, from the game breakdowns every week, to the salary cap expertise you can find here, to the exclusive content you can reach from the main forum page.
This has to sound preachy, and I guess it's unavoidable to an extent. If the battles just exceed this post to the point that it's totally not applicable, fine.
All I wanted to do was point out that this place is a treasure. When we post here, we can be the "typical online feud community" attached to the site, or we can reflect the knowledge, effort, and experience many here attach to their Pats fan status.
Again, this is going to read as a rant, and an "easier said than done" bromide at that. I can't help it, been up all night coughing my lungs out, and signed on to see, well, "the conflict" back in action.
And I thought to myself, it's too damn bad that a group I've come to regard as almost "professionals" among fans, in terms of knowledge, end up going over their personal conflicts, animosities, past unforgiveable actions, etc.
I am asking each of us to look to an ideal, that is, civility. Ideals always sounds like horse-sh**... and I am not "in the know" enough to even know just how much it sounds like horse-sh** to different personalities here.
But is it truly impossible to keep that ideal in mind?
If it's not impossible, just from one poster to another (and another, and another...)
Remember why we're all here - the Pats. Remember who we are - Pats Fans. Remember which Pats Fans we are... some of the best ones on the planet, no pun intended. Think of everything that's here that you can't get anywhere else. Then think of what we present to the casual onlooker, if he pops into the forums and sees all this hate. Think of what we're presenting to each other.
Okay, like I said, I've been up all night, and have to go strum my six string and sing kumbaya for an hour or two. Hope this rant doesn't add fuel to any fires, and doesn't look too horribly assinine.
PFnV
But I also agree with those who emphasize the football aspect. So here we go: we have here, on this board, is a wealth of football knowledge and expertise.
We have everything from salary cap mavens, to former players at different levels, all the way up to Grogan's contributions (not on the forums of course, but still, think about what that says about this site.) We have people here who live and breathe football, and sometimes what I read here (in the aggregate) makes the supposed experts and pundits look like lighweights.
I've only been here less than a year, but the place is special.
This post isn't supposed to be a knock on any of the "combatants." From what I've seen I just don't get the backstory, and I am happier for it.
This is just one individual's perhaps naive attempt to say, look at what we have here. I know sometimes it's past the point where people can lay down their differences and do this. At times, I'm living proof myself.
When I've been in that situation, I realize often that I and my opponent thought of our own rights, and the other guy's civilities. Were we both to reverse that, I think we'd make far fewer eyeballs bleed on the forum page.
Why? Why just disregard righteous indignation, when you just know the other guy has done x, y, and z, and not only deserves whatever you can throw at him on the screen, but maybe legal action too?
Because this is a damn fine site. It's simple. This place outclasses every other team fan site I've seen in a number of ways, from the game breakdowns every week, to the salary cap expertise you can find here, to the exclusive content you can reach from the main forum page.
This has to sound preachy, and I guess it's unavoidable to an extent. If the battles just exceed this post to the point that it's totally not applicable, fine.
All I wanted to do was point out that this place is a treasure. When we post here, we can be the "typical online feud community" attached to the site, or we can reflect the knowledge, effort, and experience many here attach to their Pats fan status.
Again, this is going to read as a rant, and an "easier said than done" bromide at that. I can't help it, been up all night coughing my lungs out, and signed on to see, well, "the conflict" back in action.
And I thought to myself, it's too damn bad that a group I've come to regard as almost "professionals" among fans, in terms of knowledge, end up going over their personal conflicts, animosities, past unforgiveable actions, etc.
I am asking each of us to look to an ideal, that is, civility. Ideals always sounds like horse-sh**... and I am not "in the know" enough to even know just how much it sounds like horse-sh** to different personalities here.
But is it truly impossible to keep that ideal in mind?
If it's not impossible, just from one poster to another (and another, and another...)
Remember why we're all here - the Pats. Remember who we are - Pats Fans. Remember which Pats Fans we are... some of the best ones on the planet, no pun intended. Think of everything that's here that you can't get anywhere else. Then think of what we present to the casual onlooker, if he pops into the forums and sees all this hate. Think of what we're presenting to each other.
Okay, like I said, I've been up all night, and have to go strum my six string and sing kumbaya for an hour or two. Hope this rant doesn't add fuel to any fires, and doesn't look too horribly assinine.
PFnV
