Fan Base

I'm not one to to start threads on here but after reading through the forums I felt compelled. One of the reasons I have always been a Steelers fan is because of the fan base. When I was a kid and we were winning all the Superbowls it was exciting to watch the fans and the way they pulled together as a fan base. I could tell there was something different about all of us that bled the black and gold. Even though I was a farm kid from Iowa I could relate to blue collar/hard workers from the Burg. As time wore on, I got older and, through technology, the world opened up, however, my opinion of the Steeler fan base never changed. More so, it became stronger as it became easier to compare it to the brainless masses that follow the other teams. One has to go no farther than to log on to our hated rivals websites and you will know exactly what I mean (if you have to debate whether the Ravens overpaid for Flaco or not you don't deserve to even watch football). Where I'm going with this...where was I going with this?...leads me to this message board. I tried and tried and tried and tried...to get on the "official" Steelers message board for quite some time and was unsuccessful, however, I followed a majority of you here because I enjoyed what each of you had to offer. Whether it was your football knowledge, humor or a combination it was fun to watch you interact and I wanted to be a part of it. I have always enjoyed the friendly debates and enternal optimism that some fans have possessed. This past season/off-season I have noticed people becoming more argumentative and a little less cordial in the behavior. I'm not the message board police and am not telling people how to behave. Really, I'm just hoping that some of you remember why you are here and that you are amongst fellow fans/friends. I'm hoping a majority of this is because most of us are not accustomed to the unknown that this next season seems to be bringing in. I guess I'm one of those that don't mind the unknown and love the bumpy ride that is being a fan of the greatest team in sports. Anyhow, I'm not looking to accomplish anything with this but hope that get back to what makes this board great!

 

Having an underperforming team will bring out the best and worst in people. Also, the fans that come here are among some of the most passionate and opinionated (in a good way) so there is undoubtedly going to be conflict.

At the end of the day, we are all fans of the team and have one goal in mind... to see Lombardi trophy #7, #8, #9 and so on in the Steelers trophy case.

 

And Scott Chab the ONLY thing that will bring that about is for them to do EXACTLY what I say and disregard all other opinions on this or any other board! LOLOLOLOL! I really think for the most part people get along really well here. I don't mind passionate debates as long as people don't insult each other personally or question someone's fandom. Some people know how to hate a person's opinion and still like the person. Some don't. I can only think of one person on this board that I just absolutely can not tolerate and that's saying something because there are a lot of members here.

 

And all this time, I thought we were friends, BFT. Thanks for stabbing me in the back, man.

In all seriousness, I hear what Iowa's saying but this board would be a pretty boring place for me if we all shared the same opinions. Healthy debates and disagreements on any number of topics Steeler related makes this board interesting. As long as we don't get too carried away and start to cross over into personal insults we're all good. I try not to do that but I'll admit it's tough with a couple of my MB compatriots. What gets me riled is when another's opinion is deemed idiotic or stupid by someone else. You can say all day long that you're not saying the person is stupid or idiotic, just their opinions, but essentially you're insulting them personally when you call their opinions names. If I give my opinion, tell me why you disagree with it and make your case. I'll listen to you and may even come around to your way of thinking in time if you make a good case. Let's fight like brothers (and sisters darcrav - lol) and at the end of the day realize that we are all Steeler fans and we're all after the same goal, more Lombardis for the trophy case!

 

LOL Jack! You caught me!

 

Hmmm interesting. Now I want to know who BFT's mystery man is... I know I've rubbed some people the wrong way on here

There's character's of all kind here, that's fore sure... And I've had plenty of good debates... Some of them heated for sure. I tend to get annoyed lately just because I'm not really happy with the direction the FO is going in, in terms of how they handle the cap. Often times if you question the front office you get the "well what do you know" and the feeling that if you don't agree with everything the FO does then you're not really a good fan.

All in all though a lot of knowledgeable people here.

 

What? BFT came has a mystery man? When did he come out and what will this mean for the board?

 

LOLOLOLOL! You guys are just WAAAAY too much!!!! LOLOLOLOL!!!! It's neither of you but I can honestly say there is only one single person on here who I have totally blocked. You know it can't be you Lizard because I'm too pro military to do that! And Steel you know it can't be you because remember when I even tried to help you find a cheap hotel in Pittsburgh? So it's not you guys. But who isssss this "mystery" man?????

 

I didn't see this post before I just put my last one but I was actually gonna say that you knew who it was but then I decided not to because I didn't wanna put you under the immense message board scrutiny of having everyone try to get you to spill the beans. There's two other people besides you on this board who knows who it is. This is an elite group sworn to absolute secrecy that would face the punishment of banishment to a Ravens fan board if they ever revealed this reviled person. LOL.

 

YEP!!! DON'T TASE ME BRO!!!

 

:bye:

 

HA! I didn't even know that little smiley thing existed! That actually made me laugh out loud!

 

Like Scott said, there's a bit more arguing and conflict right now because we've had two very mediocre seasons and there's a ton of uncertainty for next year too. That results in people bashing players and coaches, then others come in and defend those players and coaches, and there you have the arguments. Winning would erase most of that. Losing results in more negative posts which by itself causes conflict. Some people can't stand to see anything negative written about the Steelers. Again, winning will put a stop to that.

I think it's good to have a little bit of conflict, it keeps things fresh and interesting, as long as people aren't attacking each other personally.

As for this hated mystery person, I wonder if it's me. I can definitely rub people the wrong way, but I try not to make it personal.

 

Nope. It's not you. Here in America we love our neighbors to the north.

 

Steelers fans are just like every other fan base out there, there are just more of them.

They are not more or less passionate, or more or less knowledgable, or more or less supportive than any other fan base.

I know its an unpopular opinion, but its my 2 cents...

 

I like reading all the different viewpoints, but really dislike when people post opinion only with no supporting reasoning. If you're going to say so and so sucks or this idea/opinion is not good, please provide some spec of thought or else you just look like a douche who wants to crap on someone's thread.

 

Its not you...Its the only person on here I have ever blocked

 

What do we have here?

A feelgood thread?

Does that feel foreign to anyone else?

I do really like this thread but I don't think i've seen anything in a while on here that is beyond normal.

I enjoy the camaraderie between you guys but things aren't so hot right now in the burgh, so some cynicism and pessimism is to be expected considering how high our expectations usually are.

 

Exactly

 

Am I that mystery person? I guess I'll know if you don't respond....LOL

I know I rub some people the wrong way but wouldn't life be really boring if everyone just agreed?

 

This is just stupid.

LOL! Just kidding with you. Actually, I agree with you wholeheartedly! People kind of look dumb and like they are incapable of giving a supporting thought when they do that kind of thing.

Another thing that bugs me is when someone does give a reasonable supporting opinion but they are still blasted for it and I speak from experience - lol! I said last year that, IMHO, Mike Wallace was one of the most one dimensional WRs in the NFL. I commented that he had below average hands, did not run crisp routes, was below the line in YAC, did not fight for the ball, trapped the ball against his body, did not catch it at its highest point and was a selfish teammate. You would have thought, judging from the reaction of some, that I had committed blasphemy.

It's the same thing when I defend Todd Haley and give my reasons. Haley is probably as big a jerk as many seem to think he is. BUT, I thought he could be good for Ben because...BA and Ben had gotten too close (vacations together, homes next to each other in GA, etc.) and that Haley would not just give Ben his way all the time. I really thought Haley would protect Ben from Ben and would force Ben to be more disciplined and the end result would be that he would keep Ben more upright and healthy and prolong his career. Boy, have I gotten slammed by some people for that logic.

But I digress. I guess I've crossed threads here so I'll quit now so the MB police don't show up, haha.