The Failo Mentality

[Blarg]

Yes but the Indians have more movies made about them than the Steelers, Pirates and Penguins combined.

[Dick B Back]

So I think I've learned that you can't be a nutswinging failo. Is that correct?

[Vegas Halo Fan]

12 hours ago, Angel Oracle said:

Back in the 90s, we didn't have all of the different sources for information that we have today.    It was a little more blind faith back then.

IMO this is a huge factor in the discussions that we see now. There is a lot more information available, and it gets to us more quickly and in a lot of different forms.

[tdawg87]

Also, some of it can be hereditary, or at least learned. 

My dad grew up an Angels fan and went through the same tough times many here have gone through. Same with my brother. They both share a similar outlook on the Angels and possibly other things in life as myself. That is, it's great when they win but we generally expect to lose. 

I'm not a psychologist or anything but again, it's just the easy way of being a fan. When they win, it's a great feeling. When they lose, it's like "oh well that's what I expected anyway". 

I'm guessing those few who choose to not celebrate the positive and only look at the but's are just reacting in a way they understand. It can be grating sometimes, but it's just another perspective. 

Sometimes those who show nothing but negativity care TOO much. I went through a faze when I was younger where an Angels' loss made me legitimately angry. I'd throw shit and swear and it was kind of ridiculous. But I fucking loved the team. I watched them whenever I could and when they played well I was on Cloud 9. I just couldn't handle it when they played poorly. It affected my mood the next day.

The point is, some people get invested in the game more than others. Some take it far too seriously, but there's really nothing wrong with that. It is a game afterall, but to some people it can be much, much more than that. It was for me and I know I'm not alone. 

 

[Blarg]

1 hour ago, Dick B Back said:

So I think I've learned that you can't be a nutswinging failo. Is that correct?

Failos have no marbles.

[Kevin]

5 hours ago, Troll Daddy said:

Good times ... I remember buying a cheap ticket and walking down behind home plate and sitting by Salmon's wife and having a brief conversation with her in his rookie season. 

Did you have to explain to her why you were wearing a Yankees cap with a Dodgers jersey?

[Mark68]

9 hours ago, LAA Road Tripper said:

I watched ESPN's 30 for 30 on Cleveland over the weekend. That's the only city in America with at least three major sports teams and no championships in the last 50 years. Somebody mentioned that it can be difficult to do business there since there's a prevailing sense of pessimism. It got me thinking. What's the real difference between Cleveland and Pittsburgh? Both are rust belt cities, losing jobs to the new economy, not too far apart. But the contrast in psyche of the residents is huge and as insignificant as the subject of pro sports really is it's not a stretch to map that back to how the Steelers, Penguins and to a lesser extent the Pirates have done over the years compared to the Browns, Cavs and Indians.

Actually, Pittsburgh reinvented itself. It's now a hub of biotech and engineering, thanks in large part to Carnegie Mellon.

[ten ocho recon scout]

17 hours ago, Adam said:

The Braves are like 3-50. Are their fans Braivlos?

Yes. And the atlanta version of fabulous fabregas refers to their manager as "the fat cox", which is super immature of him.

[eaterfan]

7 hours ago, Mark68 said:

Actually, Pittsburgh reinvented itself. It's now a hub of biotech and engineering, thanks in large part to Carnegie Mellon.

Thanks for posting the truth on this. So many owners when they want a new stadium talk about the civic pride and rejuvenating a run down area thus improving the economy. They make it seem like a great investment for the city or region. In reality, while it may benefit the area immediately around the stadium it takes entertainment money away from the areas a little farther from the stadium. It just relocates economic activity and doesn't grow it. If the government is going to invest money in growing the economy its almost always better off investing in things like educational institutions like Carnegie Mellon or creating benefits for industries like electronics and biotech. 

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

Man this was a lot of shit to get through.  @mulwin444really told a story similar to mine. 

 

@Stradling I think this is a generational thing.  It also echoes your intense loyalty.  Fewer people care about baseball.  It's not America's pastime anymore (baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet.)

I am one that lived and breathed Angels baseball as a child, when all I knew or cared about what what happened on the field.  I only became interested (and prepared for the future) in the front office when Bavasi allowed a HOF to leave because he could find two 8-7 pitchers to replace. 

Growing up it was fun going to 2-3 Angel games per week and one on the weekends   I lived at the Big A in the 70s and 80s.  In the 90s I was in college and got married and life was busy so there was a disconnect, oh and the play, the uniforms, and stadium was were all bad.  But when I began making good money I bought season tickets (a dream I had Since being a kid.)

Aside from Vaughn, Disney was pretty cheap.  They weren't great baseball owners.  They were business owners. 2002 was magical.  Not our best time by far, but we managed to capture magic that eluded us in the playoffs prior (79,82,86.)  I was at all those playoffs.

But my kids started getting older and I couldn't spend my weeks nor weekends at the stadium anymore.  And the team in my eyes has underperformed greatly.  

i don't even know where to put the blame on this team - which in my opinion has been set up for success since 2002.   Is it Arte's fault?  Horrible contracts, but hell he opened his wallet.  Is it the GMs fault? Good deals and bad deals.   Scouting' fault - Trout is God, but we are piss poor with youngers?  Sosh's fault? Playing poorly with a good roster or making lemonade from lemons?   Players fault?  Phoning it in, not living up to contracts?

I don't know.  I love to bitch and gripe.  I bitch about drivers in front of me 24/7.  I bitch about colleague and clients and other athletes on my kids soccer teams. I bitch about coaches and customer service I encounter.  I still love shopping and eating at places where I have gripes. I still love attending my kids sports even if it is insufferable.  I still love the Angels.  

Strad, this is a compliment: you're the Peter Pan of AW.  You did it right for you.  You had sons and you managed to bridge the connection with them, that your father did for you and your brother.  Enjoy it.  It's a rarity.  Be glad you possess it.  

I wanted that once but life changed. The Angels aren't my priority.  They are much lower than third, but I commend

@Chuckster70 for placing them there.  

Strad i find you question too often why people don't have the same love, patience, tolerance, passion or enthusiasm for the Angels as you do.   I don't.  Most people don't.  

You are probably the last of a dying generation where baseball is king. It by most accounts is an old white Guy's sport.  You're aging gracefully into it.   It suits you.  The rest of us just catch a glimpse of that spark every now and then, whether we watch 16 or 162 games a season. 

The Angels are enjoyable for me when they do well and are fun to watch.  They are like playing hot wheels with my son. Nostalgic.  

[Adam]

I love the Angels. Truly the only sports team I care about. I am totally fine with them sucking. I get plenty of enjoyment from game to game. I'm excited when they beat the Mariners in June. They have a piss poor roster of players and their one chance this year was to light it up on the mound. Their three best arms (potentially) are on the DL. I don't think I'm a failo for believing the Angels are a 75-80 win team

[LAA Road Tripper]

8 hours ago, Mark68 said:

Actually, Pittsburgh reinvented itself. It's now a hub of biotech and engineering, thanks in large part to Carnegie Mellon.

Well, admittedly the analogy isn't perfect. On the other side you can point to the Cleveland Clinic's success in healthcare. Sports aside the cities are more similar than different. The focal point of my post was to illustrate how sports success translates into how a populace perceives itself. 

[VariousCrap]

Due to all the injuries, I'd say the Angels chances of making the playoffs this season are slim and none.  

I keep watching because I love baseball, I love the Angels, I get to watch Mike Trout play everyday and I know there is always a chance the team proves me wrong.  For example, I never would have expected the Angels to be 5-1 in their last six games, but they are.  They have elevated their game and it has been so much fun to watch.  For fan to stop watching just because the odds are not in their favor would make that fan miss a great stretch of games like the Angels are currently on.  I don't want to miss it.

[failos]

Bump

[Angelsjunky]

Aside from the trollish maneuver, it is an interesting bump - and quite depressing. Five years...and not one iota of improvement on the major league level.

If we squint just right, we can say two things in the positive: One, the farm is a bit better, with more high upside prospects (if still paper-thin), and two, we've got a couple more bonafide superstars in Ohtani and Rendon. So there's that.

But the "hope springs eternal" line is verging on parody. Truly, you never know when things can "magically" turn around, but the fact that we haven't seen it in the past five (seven, really) years, is troubling.

[failos]

Just now, Angelsjunky said:

Aside from the trollish maneuver, it is an interesting bump - and quite depressing. Five years...and not one iota of improvement on the major league level.

If we squint just right, we can say two things in the positive: One, the farm is a bit better, with more high upside prospects (if still paper-thin), and two, we've got a couple more bonafide superstars in Ohtani and Rendon. So there's that.

But the "hope springs eternal" line is verging on parody. Truly, you never know when things can "magically" turn around, but the fact that we haven't seen it in the past five (seven, really) years, is troubling.

It was not a trollish maneuver, you dolt

[Angelsjunky]

Just now, failos said:

It was not a trollish maneuver, you dolt

[Blarg]

On 5/18/2016 at 3:42 PM, Blarg said:

Failos have no marbles.

http://i.imgur.com/5LEyUsW.gif

That was Ohtani telling Pujols it's time to retire. 

[Stradling]

I doubt I want to read this from the beginning 

[Stradling]

10 minutes ago, Stradling said:

I doubt I want to read this from the beginning 

Never mind , I am fucking awesome in this thread.  

[Angelsjunky]

Just now, Stradling said:

Never mind , I am fucking awesome in this thread.  

[Stradling]

6 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

Don’t know what it is but I like that you had it readily available.  

[Stradling]

Also I am pretty sure @Angelsjunky and I are about the same age based on the story he recently told.  

[tdawg87]

10 minutes ago, Stradling said:

Don’t know what it is but I like that you had it readily available.  

You can search "jerk off" in the gif thing up by the emojis.

[tdawg87]