Talk me down from my ledge

[PuffyPig]

Originally Posted by fearofpopvol1

To me, it sounds like you're trying to remove the impossible emotional element of the game. 2010 was a disappointment with the way the playoffs played out and 1995 was going on 2 decades ago and 1990 was . It seems like you're confusing disappointment with people fearing the Reds will lose the series. No true Reds fan wants the Reds to lose their series.

People were rightly concerned last night, especially with the possibility of Leake pitching. Turns out those people were right. The momentum seemingly shifted last night and now the Reds are going to be in the same spot as the Giants tomorrow. Doesn't mean that the Reds will lose and it certainly doesn't mean those people won't be rooting for the Reds either.

You've made my point for me. Those posters are choking under pressure.

I realize most of them are still hoping the Reds will win. But when you post that it's basically a forgone conclusion that the Reds will lose a game that they are favoured to win, due to the disappointment of fans being worried of them losing, they are losing objectivity in the face of adversity. That's what choking is all about. Falling apart in the face of adversity. Letting their emotions run rampant with the objective truth.

I'm disappointed. I fear them losing. But I know they have a better chance of winning tomorrow because they are a better team than the Giants, are at home, and have an excellent pitcher going for them. I'm still objective in the face of adversity. Vegas will still have them as the favorite.

[Always Red]

If RZ were around in the early 70's, this place would have completely melted down.

The Big Red Machine, of legend, "choked" in 1970, 1972, 1973, and didn't even show up (like the 2011 Reds) in 1971 or 1974.

1975 was a do or die year. Sparky had to win it all that year, or probably lose his job. The Reds were a constant disappointment throughout those years, with all of the all stars and great regular season records. They "choked", seemingly every single year.

This is all part of the learning process for these guys, and the Reds have a great young nucleus intact, almost, but maybe not as good as those 70's teams.

Now, these guys may win this series, the NL championship, and go on to win the WS. Or, they may not. But I have faith that this is all building towards the future, and this team will continue to fill holes and get better.

This society has changed since the early 70's. it's all about "now", and "what have you done lately" and the latest and greatest sound bite. But real life isn't like that. The older posters will get this. This is a better team than 2010 and the disappointment of 2011. And next year these guys will have one more year of experience. The near future is very, very bright. And maybe the present is, too.

[Caveat Emperor]

The game has changed since the 70s -- it has to be about "now" because you usually can't afford to pay great players indefinitely or count on continued health and great depth every year.

[Ghosts of 1990]

Originally Posted by PuffyPig

Vegas will still have them as the favorite.

As of right now, dead even odds.

http://www.vegasinsider.com/mlb/odds/las-vegas/

Reds -103
Giants -103

Not necessarily.

[PuffyPig]

Originally Posted by fearofpopvol1

I never claimed the Reds were going to lose, I said they were in jeopardy of losing the series and getting swept at home. That's true. They lost the first 2. They've already lost the majority of their home games in this series.

I've already stated I hope that doesn't happen. Sounds like to me that you read too much into my post(s) without putting into context.

You are misquoting your post, presumably to change the meaning.

"In jeopardy of losing the series" means they are forced to play a game 5, which they might lose.

"In serious jeopardy of losing losing the series" means they have a real good chance of losing the last game.

That's a world of difference.

[fearofpopvol1]

Originally Posted by PuffyPig

You've made my point for me. Those posters are choking under pressure.

I realize most of them are still hoping the Reds will win. But when you post that it's basically a forgone conclusion that the Reds will lose a game that they are favoured to win, due to the disappointment of fans being worried of them losing, they are losing objectivity in the face of adversity. That's what choking is all about. Falling apart in the face of adversity. Letting their emotions run rampant with the objective truth.

I'm disappointed. I fear them losing. But I know they have a better chance of winning tomorrow because they are a better team than the Giants, are at home, and have an excellent pitcher going for them. I'm still objective in the face of adversity. Vegas will still have them as the favorite.

It's natural. It's human. You're in the moment.

Ever yelled at someone or said something inappropriate and then 30-60 minutes later realized that and regretted it? Chances are, you probably did so in the moment and without thinking about it.

We live in an instant world and that's part of the blessing and the curse of the information highway. We don't think before speaking. There's no need to belittle it. You don't have to like it, but it is what it is.

[Always Red]

Originally Posted by Caveat Emperor

The game has changed since the 70s -- it has to be about "now" because you usually can't afford to pay great players indefinitely or count on continued health and great depth every year.

Yes, but there is nothing new under the sun.

The Reds have locked up their best players for years.

[fearofpopvol1]

Originally Posted by PuffyPig

You are misquoting your post, presumably to change the meaning.

"In jeopardy of losing the series" means they are forced to play a game 5, which they might lose.

"In serious jeopardy of losing losing the series" means they have a real good chance of losing the last game.

That's a world of difference.

I think what's happened is that you've misinterpreted my posts, based on dialogue I had with another poster that started before the post you quoted. Have you read all of the posts I made in this thread? It doesn't seem like it.

I said it would be a choke job if the Reds get swept at home and lost the series. That's my opinion. I never claimed it was a foregone conclusion that they were getting swept at home, but rather, that they were in serious jeopardy of it happening. That's true. They've already lost 2 out of 3 games against them at GAB.

I personally feel more positive about tomorrow's game than I did the one today and am hoping for the best.

[PuffyPig]

Originally Posted by fearofpopvol1

It's natural. It's human. You're in the moment.

Ever yelled at someone or said something inappropriate and then 30-60 minutes later realized that and regretted it? Chances are, you probably did so in the moment and without thinking about it.

We live in an instant world and that's part of the blessing and the curse of the information highway. We don't think before speaking. There's no need to belittle it. You don't have to like it, but it is what it is.

It is certainly not my intention to belittle anyone, and I apologize if it's coming across like that.

[fearofpopvol1]

Originally Posted by PuffyPig

It is certainly not my intention to belittle anyone, and I apologize if it's coming across like that.

I didn't think you were belittling specific people, but rather, just the idea of people thinking before speaking. My point is that it's natural because of the internet and the way it works.

[nate]

Originally Posted by PuffyPig

Those posters are choking under pressure.

This line deserves a

High five!

[Vottomatic]

Hey man, there's golf and to be played and tennis to be served up. More important things than a friggin' baseball game.

[westofyou]

Originally Posted by Always Red

If RZ were around in the early 70's, this place would have completely melted down.

The Big Red Machine, of legend, "choked" in 1970, 1972, 1973, and didn't even show up (like the 2011 Reds) in 1971 or 1974.

1975 was a do or die year. Sparky had to win it all that year, or probably lose his job. The Reds were a constant disappointment throughout those years, with all of the all stars and great regular season records. They "choked", seemingly every single year.

This is all part of the learning process for these guys, and the Reds have a great young nucleus intact, almost, but maybe not as good as those 70's teams.

Now, these guys may win this series, the NL championship, and go on to win the WS. Or, they may not. But I have faith that this is all building towards the future, and this team will continue to fill holes and get better.

This society has changed since the early 70's. it's all about "now", and "what have you done lately" and the latest and greatest sound bite. But real life isn't like that. The older posters will get this. This is a better team than 2010 and the disappointment of 2011. And next year these guys will have one more year of experience. The near future is very, very bright. And maybe the present is, too.

I like being old for many reasons, having the ability to reason with that "little voice" has gotten easier as the years go by, peace of mind is greater than anything when it comes to fandom

Even if the reds lose I'll treasure this season, because it's the season that defines a team and not the post season

Maybe the press sees it different, maybe the culture of me demands chest thumping gorilla moments

But I don't, it's been a magical season so far and whatever happens tomorrow might sting, but it can't change that

At least to me, the rest of you deal with your own little voice

[Patrick Bateman]

Originally Posted by westofyou

I like being old for many reasons, having the ability to reason with that "little voice" has gotten easier as the years go by, peace of mind is greater than anything when it comes to fandom

Even if the reds lose I'll treasure this season, because it's the season that defines a team and not the post season

Maybe the press sees it different, maybe the culture of me demands chest thumping gorilla moments

But I don't, it's been a magical season so far and whatever happens tomorrow might sting, but it can't change that

At least to me, the rest of you deal with your own little voice

Great post and sums up my thoughts too.

I can say that we haven't found out anything about the Reds we didn't already know. We knew they could lose 2 games in a row to San Fran. We knew there was at best a 15% chance of winning the WS.

In the end, being tied 2 to 2, with home field advantage doesn't seem so bad in a vacuum. If we'd won the last 2 games, everybody here would be in a frenzy after declaring the season over after the first 2 losses.

If the Reds win tommorow, it will be the best game of my life as a Reds fan (I'm 24), and for most others, they have to look back to 1990. The WS is not everything. We need to enjoy the wins we do get.

As a Blackhawk fan, I used to live and die with every playoff game because I had never experienced anything like the playoffs before (Hawks, Reds, Bengals never had done anything). When they won the SC it was great, but the last 2 seasons have given me humility. No team is indestructable. They all lose, and it's never fun. But it's never, ever over (perhaps as the Giants are proving right now), and the mere fact that all of our emotions are this riled up is fun. When the Hawks won the SC, there were very few dramatic moments because it was too easy. It was great in the end, but being able to face these emotional games is a different kind of fun. If winning was so easy, it would not be nearly the feeling that it is.

Maybe we win, and if so, it's going to be a really fun day. If we lose, well, we will have to wait another time for that moment, as they just simply don't come around very often.

[Caveat Emperor]

Originally Posted by westofyou

I
Even if the reds lose I'll treasure this season, because it's the season that defines a team and not the post season

Yet, there's a reason we hang banners for world series titles and not great regular seasons.

Championships matter.