Hopefully, the anger and frustration have subsided, for most of us at least.
I don’t purport to have the answers; I just wish to make some observations.
I’ve been a Ticat fan since the early 60s and I can recall becoming quite distressed on many occasions over the years by what I saw on the field.
When we are passionate about our team, we tend to align our identity with it. As fans, I think we assume a disproportionate level of frustration and disappointment when things are going badly because we are unable to provide a physical, hands-on contribution towards the solution.
Our feelings of impotence overshadow our rationality, our patience wears thin, and we tend to lose our perspective.
In this forum, that translates into taking personal potshots at anyone who wanders into our line of fire.
There’s one thing I have learned over the years - as fans, our lives aren’t really changed by the quality of performance of the team (unless you keep betting the wrong way LOL.)
The sun rises once again and it’s business as usual the next day.
Not so for the players and managers though. Their livelihoods are dependent upon their performance for, no matter how forgiving the fans and sponsors are, they will not continue to support a team which is uncompetitive and provides no entertainment value.
The operative phrase there is “entertainment value?. Reasonable people do not expect to win every game (although that should be every competitor’s objective), but in a professional sporting event, we have a right to expect a decent competition.
When our players were being signed during the off-season, the majority of the fans and media were excited about the talent pool being compiled. Management appeared to be doing all the right things and we were far more pumped about the upcoming season than we were for any in recent memory.
That being said, why are some calling for the heads of the people who brought those players aboard?
Doesn’t that seem a little absurd?
While we all have ideas about what needs to be done, only those on the team or directly involved with its management can actually do anything about it.
I have held management positions in a number of industries and I learned that I didn’t always have all the answers. Sometimes the person on the shop floor had a better idea since he/she had a more hands-on perspective. I encouraged and relied upon the input of all my staff members, no matter what their positions.
Results are more important than egos.
I believe that the same applies to this team.
Every player, coach, and manager must contribute to the turnaround. It is unreasonable to expect one person or one transaction to be a magic bullet. This is a very talented group of athletes whose battle appears to be more psychological and attitudinal than physical.
The game film will clearly display the play execution failures and by paying careful attention to all the contributing elements (skill level, play calling, etc.), the appropriate changes can be made to improve the onfield performance in subsequent games.
The intangible mental adjustments must be made with a collective will. Unless everyone is onside with and committed to a plan of action, the spiral dive will continue.
No amount of cajoling or finger pointing by the fans will reverse the fortunes of this team. In fact, the negative energy is cumulative and counterproductive.
I suggest that we all try to refrain from hysteria and negativity. If this is not possible for you, you might be better off to stay away from this site until things get better – and they will.
Everything is cyclical. The bad times will pass. This team will right itself.
Cheers.