Game thread forum a mess...

[WVRedsFan]

Just a suggestion.

I've been around here a long time. Probably too long for some people, but last year we had a game thread in the Reds Live forum that degenerated into what we saw tonight. Do we need two game threads? Apparently we do. I'm as annoying as the next person, but what went on tonight was shameless. I quit in the 4th inning. It's just too much for me to bare.

If there is to be a game thread (and I like it when I'm on the road away from my TV and without my XM), let's have one where actual baseball discussion is the rule and not the exception. Yes, I'm a grouchy old guy, and I know my constant harping on our putrid offense and fragile bullpen, but tonight, time after time, and for most nights this season, it has been shamefully horrible. No scores, no intellignet discussion, etc. I thought the ORG game threads were civil and mods didn't have to watch every post.

Just a suggestion.

[paintmered]

Game threads are a privilege, not a right. So if last night's performance repeats itself, the game thread will be closed. If someone starts a new thread, that will be closed as well.

Chat is an excellent alternative for posters. The rules are much more relaxed compared to the game threads. If some of the board traffic moves to chat, it will solve a few problems. First, the threads won't be so big, so they should be easier to follow. Also, this should help with our bandwidth issues (threads with 1,000+ posts and 30,000 views are resource intensive). So please consider going to the chatroom instead tonight.

[remdog]

I've contended for a long time that too many people use the game thread as a chat room while the real chat room is ignored.

The nice thing about chat is that it is 'self-cleansing'. When you log off it's gone and doesn't eat up space by being archived.

Another feature that I like is that you can converse privately with someone while still chating to the general populace.

Rem

[coachw513]

With this my first full year in RZ I've been interested in following some game threads and have clearly come to the same conclusion every single night...unless you want to truly be miserable and feel awful about the Reds and every single mistake, DO NOT FOLLOW ALONG...it's a simple premise, if a player has a previous record of doing something poorly and is on the RZ hit list (Milton, Castro, now add Ross), then the moment they don't succeed you know the board will explode with negativity...if a player with a poor track record is doing well (Lohse and the bullpen for ex.) their good results are going to be downplayed because we all know he stinks anyways...and expect a firestorm when the opposing forces of nature collide when Griffey and Dunn's names are invoked...

Count me among those who can't handle that much negative emotion at the end of a day, when enjoying and rooting for the Reds is a joy in my life...I rooted like heck for Milton last night, I forgave Griffey and wondered how frustrating it must be for a HOF CF to have to learn a new position knowing your personal pride is on the line...I got excited for Ross because he looked much better at the plate and I will be confident the next time Coffey takes the mound...why???...because it's just a heck of a lot more fun rooting for this team for finding reasons why not to root for them...

I have no problem with the intellectual debate that baseball brings (should he have pinch-hit, did he leave that pitcher in too long, why did he swing at the 2-0 pitch???) but on game threads the raw emotions render the debates unintellectual and simply become "he sucks" posts...I recognize folks' rights to let loose like that, but I've realized I just can't get sucked into it and feel good about watching or listening to the game...

I hope I'm not out of line in my thinking...

[RFS62]

Originally Posted by coachw513

With this my first full year in RZ I've been interested in following some game threads and have clearly come to the same conclusion every single night...unless you want to truly be miserable and feel awful about the Reds and every single mistake, DO NOT FOLLOW ALONG...it's a simple premise, if a player has a previous record of doing something poorly and is on the RZ hit list (Milton, Castro, now add Ross), then the moment they don't succeed you know the board will explode with negativity...if a player with a poor track record is doing well (Lohse and the bullpen for ex.) their good results are going to be downplayed because we all know he stinks anyways...and expect a firestorm when the opposing forces of nature collide when Griffey and Dunn's names are invoked...

Count me among those who can't handle that much negative emotion at the end of a day, when enjoying and rooting for the Reds is a joy in my life...I rooted like heck for Milton last night, I forgave Griffey and wondered how frustrating it must be for a HOF CF to have to learn a new position knowing your personal pride is on the line...I got excited for Ross because he looked much better at the plate and I will be confident the next time Coffey takes the mound...why???...because it's just a heck of a lot more fun rooting for this team for finding reasons why not to root for them...

I have no problem with the intellectual debate that baseball brings (should he have pinch-hit, did he leave that pitcher in too long, why did he swing at the 2-0 pitch???) but on game threads the raw emotions render the debates unintellectual and simply become "he sucks" posts...I recognize folks' rights to let loose like that, but I've realized I just can't get sucked into it and feel good about watching or listening to the game...

I hope I'm not out of line in my thinking...

You're right on target, IMO.

It's too bad, really. Those threads used to be a lot of fun.

[Ltlabner]

Chat is an excellent option IMO. Then again, GAC pays me to say that, so take it for what it's worth.

[WVRedsFan]

Originally Posted by coachw513

I have no problem with the intellectual debate that baseball brings (should he have pinch-hit, did he leave that pitcher in too long, why did he swing at the 2-0 pitch???) but on game threads the raw emotions render the debates unintellectual and simply become "he sucks" posts...I recognize folks' rights to let loose like that, but I've realized I just can't get sucked into it and feel good about watching or listening to the game...

I hope I'm not out of line in my thinking...

You hit the nail on the head. I'm not going back to review last night's debacle, but the whole thing was never about the game. All of a sudden the game thread broke into a gang fight over rep points that wouldn't go away. Although PMR kept trying to get everyone back on track, it just kept going on. There was no real discussion over strategy, just who sucked the most. Griffey makes a mistake and all of a sudden we need to bring up a rookie to replace him. Huh? Most baseball towns have their heroes, but here we have our goats and they outweigh good play. It's a junior high study hall complete with spit wads and a seventh grader pleading with the teacher that it's really not their fault that the spit wad hit someone in the eye.

I don't put myself in the category of great posters like Cyclone, Stormy, and RFS62, but it's no wonder their presence is missing most of the time. I'm going to skip the game thread for awhile. My life is full of too much negativity to continue it for 100 posts of bladerdash like most of the game threads have become.

[redsrule2500]

What was wrong?

[REDREAD]

Originally Posted by redsrule2500

What was wrong?

I came in late.. I missed the first half. I'm guessing that if you read the first 30 pages, you will see what they are talking about.

The second half of the game thread seemed ok to me.

[Reds Fanatic]

The sad thing about last night's game thread is it just a handful of people that are screwing up the game thread for everyone else. We had a few people break well known board rules then spend more time complaining about how the rules are stupid. Then people starting complaining about rep points which led to other people complaining about how they have lost rep points and what they lost points for.

As far as the rules go if you don't like the rules here go elsewhere. No one is forcing you to post here but game threads are not the place to complain about the rules of the board.

As far as rep points go if you have a problem PM the person that gave you rep points or ignore it. I have lost rep points one time and while I didn't agree with it I just ignored it and moved on. Taking well over 20 posts of a game thread to talk about rep is a total waste.

[Unassisted]

When a poster's posts in a thread contribute negatively to your enjoyment of the board, that's a perfect opportunity to use your negative rep. The rep system isn't just about handing out shiny gold stars for delightful posts. You were also issued a stick at the same time you got that carrot.

[lollipopcurve]

have clearly come to the same conclusion every single night...unless you want to truly be miserable and feel awful about the Reds and every single mistake, DO NOT FOLLOW ALONG...it's a simple premise, if a player has a previous record of doing something poorly and is on the RZ hit list (Milton, Castro, now add Ross), then the moment they don't succeed you know the board will explode with negativity...if a player with a poor track record is doing well (Lohse and the bullpen for ex.) their good results are going to be downplayed because we all know he stinks anyways

I have to agree. I've found myself gravitating away from game threads and away from posting in others because of this trend.

[BRM]

Originally Posted by remdog

Another feature that I like is that you can converse privately with someone while still chating to the general populace.

Rem

Really? I didn't know about that feature. Good to know.

I read through last night's game thread this morning. Wow is about all I can say. I'm glad I wasn't around last night.

[membengal]

As a general rule, I avoid game threads when the Reds are losing. Perspective can run short. Understatement of the year.

Tell you what though, one of these years when the Reds go 162-0, then we will finally have some satisfied folks...

[jojo]

Originally Posted by Ltlabner

Chat is an excellent option IMO. Then again, GAC pays me to say that, so take it for what it's worth.

I'll say it----for half the price...