After reading loads of threads on here over the last two / three years I've noticed that there is a a split in the posters. On the one hand we have the realists as I like to call them. Those that can actually see what is going on and DEMAND that thing change. Then we have the other bunch. The Happy Clappers. Those that refuse to believe that anything is wrong and defend the current status quo because it's their status quo and they like it as it is. Although on here they point to, well what's the alternative? But, here's the thing, the realists are willing to hold their hands up and say they were wrong and admit to certain improvements that may occour from time to time. The Happy Clappers on the other hand do not, and will never ever, ever, change. If changes are made to staff and coaching then that then becomes the new status quo and they start to defend that no matter what. And so the debates will continue for ever.
You don't have to be a Happy Clapper to understand that the team needs stability, and that a chain of new quarterbacks and new coaches has brought us to where we are today. You can't jettison a whole administration because it fails to produce victory after two seasons. If you do, you'll get a new group that will have to climb up the learning curve before anything positive happens. What needs to be done to help this franchise is fire Ireland, bring in a respected GM with a proven track record, and get a dominant offensive line together that will open holes for the backs and give Tannehill time to throw, in that order.
There are much more than two camps. You could think the organization needs a new GM, coach, and QB; you could think nothing needs to be changed; you could think just the GM needs to be changed; you could think just the QB and GM need to be changed; and so on. Frankly Im in the camp that thinks the GM definitely needs to be changed and maybe the coach. I also think anybody who thinks we need a new QB is nuts. He has completely carried this offense this year behind one of the worst offensive lines ever, and a nonexistant running game.
If you're going to go to an extreme and call one side the 'Happy Clappers', the other extreme isn't the 'realists', it's the 'Suicide is Painless' club. Calling the side you feel you're on realists and denigrating a side that you don't happen to agree with is just done to try and get a reaction from them. Anyway, the vast majority of this forum, >99% are in the middle and are better described as what you're calling realists.
Just like politics there are 2 polar extremes to any fan base. Those who trash the team no matter what's going on. One bad game by the QB and he's a bum. One questionable coaching decision and he should be fired. And then there's the camp that you describe pretty well, although I doubt they will take well to being called happy clappers. I think it's much more fair to call them very loyal fans. Most of us like to think we fall somewhere in the middle, but everyone on this board has ventured a little too far one way or the other in their posting careers.
Think it comes down to peoples home equity situation. If you're under water, you're probably angry with everything. Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
Actually, for me, I have developed a "Fan System:" Each morning I wake up and roll the dice. Depending on which number it lands on, determines which type of fan I am. For example, yesterday I rolled a 5, which meant I had to be "Manically Depressed Fan", therefore I called out sick to work, stayed in bed, clutched my pillow and cried, while screaming "WHY?!?!?!" all day. Today I rolled a snake eyes, which I am not looking forward to, this means I have to be "Dirty Fan" and stop every Patriot fan I see (I live in Rhode Island), and twerk for them while wearing my Dolphins underwear.
I dunno. I thought the Dolphins were going to be 8-8 last year which is the epitome of average, and I was labeled one of the biggest homers on the board. Hell, there's a lot of revisionist history from posters who say they were against Parcells being hired, but I know for a fact there was very, very, very, very few of us, and I was one of the more vocal. But I'm still branded a homer or happy clapper. There are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy more overly angry and negatively emotional posters than there are blind homers on this site. Its not even close.
During Monday Nights' game while they were talking about everything, my wife was like: "This crap has been going on for a while now and they still haven't figured out who the bully was?"
You forgot the Nasgul. They were once Men. Great Kings of Men. Then Sauron the Deciever gave them Nine Rings of Power. Blinded by their greed, they took them without question, one by one, falling into darkness. And now they are slaves to his will. They are the Nazgûl, Ringwraiths, neither living nor dead. At all times, they feel the presence of the Ring, drawn to the power of the One. They will never stop hunting you
I don't agree with the last sentence. I think there are probably just as many blind homers as overly negative fans. I think the problem is sometimes folks on this board are lumped in with others because of a particular viewpoint. For example, like yourself where you're pointing out instances where you've been not so homeristic there are instances where I've been homeristic and overly positive about many aspects of this team but those are ignored because of my stance on Ireland. I'm lumped in as being just as negative as the spam accounts that sign up, get banned, and sign up again, simply because of my stance on Ireland. Anything else I say positive about the team is largely ignored because people on this board can't get past my Ireland stance. FWIW, I don't consider you a blind homer at all. Probably much more positive than negative (and I don't think that's a bad thing), but not a blind homer. But if you or anyone else were trying to prove that I don't think you can use examples of a player or coach before they were a Miami Dolphin like you are with Parcells. Maybe you felt that way after he was hired too, but part of what makes someone a very loyal fan aka homer is the fact that they support any and all Miami Dolphins regardless of circumstances. How they felt before or after that player is a Dolphin has little bearing to what type of fan one is, IMHO.
There are really no "happy clappers." Being a fan is commitment regardless of results. "Fan" is, after all, short for "fanatic." A fan will root for the team despite an 0-16 season and never even begin to consider changing team allegiance, looking forward instead to somehow doing better next season. He or she will applaud anything the team does well even in the middle of disaster, but that doesn't preclude their demanding change that will improve the results on the field. Take, for example, firing Ireland. He's shown himself to be incompetent at managing the franchise. But suppose that he addressed the tight end, wide receiver, linebacker and pass rushing defensive end situation this past offseason, knowing full well that he couldn't get to the offensive line, so he saved on cap room, intending to address the OL this coming offseason and draft. Suppose further that he gets three or four stud offensive linemen who dominate the LOS, and all of a sudden Tannehill has time to throw to Wallace, Keller and Gibson (who come back), holes are opened for the running backs, and we mount long drives that keep the defense fresh. If the fans then change their minds, think that Ireland was a genius all along and forget about having demanded that he be fired because they are, after all, fans, are they "happy clappers" or "realists?"
If being a realists consists of constant whining, wearing a grocery bag over your head and posting the GM's business card online then count me out. Running around with your hair on fire is no way to go through life. I want no part of such childish actions.
condescending (adj) 1. snobby: behaving toward other people in a way that shows you consider yourself socially or intellectually superior to them
This is ridiculous. There is a whole middle ground of fans between the two types you mentioned. I consider myself an optimistic and hopeful fan, but I certainly don't think everything is sunshine and rainbows. And there are a lot of other posters who are like me in that regard.