I'm dragging something from another thread to start off this one.



......I was a Redskins fan for most of my life (41 yrs) and of the NFC East the Giants are the team i most admire........


I never quite understood the "Fair-Weather" fan. How can one be a Redskin Fan for most of their 41 year life, then claim the Giants as their most Admired team in the NFC East, THEN pretend to drive the New England Patriots Bus all the way back to Foxboro, all in the same paragraph ??? :huh:

It's almost like your covering your next move. You started off as a Redskin fan, probably as a child, at some point you jumped on the Patriots' bus, I'm guessing back in 2002....now you speak of your admiration for the Giants, probably in the small chance that they win the Superbowl next year and this way you've already cleaned the dust off of one of the seats on that bus. :hee:

I believe for the most part that as a child, you pick your team...for whatever reason(s), you make your decision. I imagine most kids pick teams by either a favorite player(s), which seems to be the deciding factor now-adays OR they follow in their father's or family's foot-steps.

My father was not a sports fan but I was lucky enough as a child to have an uncle who planted the NewEngland seed long before I knew why I even liked my New England teams as they've had quite the roller-coaster ride thru-out my life. I am now and always have been, a PROUD Celtics, RedSox, Patriots and bruins fan. I never quite understood how or why people change teams?? It doesn't show much for their character in my opinion. I think some people just want to be on the winning team at any cost ...that they constantly jump the bus whenever the opportunity arises. Some people are fans of players, another thing I don't understand...when that player retires....what then?
Don't get me wrong, we all have favorite players. I used to LOVE to watch Michael Jordan play basketball, but I was NEVER a Bulls fan. I've seen terrible management/coach decisions being made by my teams yet I could never switch to heartfully cheering for another team. For crying out loud, if Larry Bird ran off with the Lakers back then, I wouldn't start wearing Blurple!!! I'd hate Larry for it for awhile, but I would never have become a Laker fan.

How does it happen?...

In fishing terms, that would be like being a founding member of Striped-Bass.com and then joining the S.O.L. team in the race for the Striper-Cup just because they had more fishermen and you thought you had a better chance of winning because you were on their team.

:hs: Can someone explain this to me??? :bs:

My feeling is that you should always root for the home team....period. If you root for another team other than the home team it usually means you were a fair-weather fan at the time you 1st decided to root for a team.....probably picked a winning team then because your home team wasn't doing good.

Its fine to respect another team but if they meet in the play-offs you better be rooting for the home team.

I also don't mind transplants...If your a Yank-mee fan and I ask you where you grew up....If you say jersey, I'm OK with that....but if you say something like Revere.....you're a GD Traitor

I believe for the most part that as a child, you pick your team...for whatever reason(s), you make your decision. I imagine most kids pick teams by either a favorite player(s), which seems to be the deciding factor now-adays OR they follow in their father's or family's foot-steps.

I liked what you said there.
I didn't think I ever had a choice.
New England born and raised. "Roller coaster" ride is right and no matter where I go or what they do, I will always be a fan of New England teams.
My guess is that people who switch around like that don't understand the meaning of the word loyalty.:behead:

Hey bloocrab, i'll try to elaborate my view,
eventhough that quote was taken out of context.
MikeP and i were talking about model franchises of the NFL.

You see, i am a fan of the GAME of football.
And, much to yer chagrin, that means being able to root for one's team from childhood
and still respect worthy opponents; especially within one's division,
as you would see them the most over the course of decades..........................

i never intimated that i was going to seek a seat on the NYG Bus,
merely voicing my respect for them as an original member of the NFL and my opinion of thier representation of the NFC East ~historically, competitively, and i respect thier recent dominance in last year's post season. that is all, and it does not make me any less capable of "driving the Pats Bus from Foxboro" to SB XLIII and beyond.

how did i become a Patriots fan, seemingly overnight?
point well taken and worth explaining.

NO, i did not join them in 2001-2002. They have been my "home team" since i moved to NE in 1999. however, my loyalty to The Skins prevented me from claiming them as my TEAM.

i am more than fanatical about football, having grown up in Oklahoma (GO SOONERS!!) where the pigskin is as revered as the rubber biscuit in these parts. FOOTBALL is one of the essences of Life to me, for better or for worse, and *i have considered a 12-step program in the past*. part of the OKlahoma dynamic is the absence of professional sports teams, which makes ALL teams available in that arena. being centrally located between Dallas, KC, St Louis; equidistant from Chicago to Houston/San Antonio; and the same distance from the East and West Coasts, roughly; do you begin to see my dliemma/options as a young lad? i LOVE Football, to a fault i am sure.

in short, i'm one of THOSE fans of the NFL that has thier home team (be it NFC or AFC) and then has an AFC/NFC (usually the opposite of one's Home conference) interest as well, prolly the home team of one's city if it happens to not be thier team already or there is that choice ~~STRICTLY and very simply out of my LOVE for the game and the sickness that has me choosing winners for each and every contest from week to week, among friends and not for gambling purposes. just for the sake of competition and in the spirit of "this team will win because of A, B, and C over that team". so, i have rooted for the PATS since '99; but did not claimed them, officially, at that time. ahhhh, but i digress.

in 2004, when Joe Gibbs came back into the The Redskins fold, i gave Snyder and Mr Gibbs two years to keep me as thier fan. it was a difficult decision, but with so much of the PATS in my face ~ such as, the combined genius of Coach Bill and misters Pioli and Kraft affronting me, with the witnessing of THAT dominant D, with the development of Brady into who he is today unfolding before my very eyes, and by the supreme nature of what the Patriots Franchise means to the NFL ~at the end of the 2006 season my decision was clear and definitive. and, i would say, not without merit and well before the vaunted off-season aquisitons that lead to the 2007 starting roster. *i have witnesses who are prepared to provide sworn affidavits to the date of my switched allegiance*

lastly, i would argue, that i am not fair-weather nor band wagon jumping! simply stated, i am aware of my surroundings and choosing to support MY home team. as far as whether or not i grew up in NE is concerned, that is a privelege that i was not afforded as a young boy, but a luxury i am more than HAPPY to indulge in ~NOW, and until my last breath. did ya read any of the stuff i slammed the Bolts Page with? when i join, i join wholeheartedly, bro! better late than never, i always say! the more the meerier, eh bloo? and, not without some degree of forceful *encouragement/coercion* from my Local #7 Ironworking bretheren :heybaby: :heybaby:.

Joined the SOX in '99 after my first Fenway visit to America's Most Beloved Ballpark. ya talk about yer no brainers!! it took me all of about two innings ~the intimacy of Tha Pahhhk, the unparalleled fan base knowledge and Love of the game, and the rabidity of Red Sox Nation has "fit me like a glove" since i first set eyes on The Olde Town Team and inimitable Fenway Park. also, i was still pissed off about the last strike and was living in Pro Sports' barren wasteland, SW FL, prior to moving to New England. BORING!!! although, some very fine inshore fishing to be had down there! :fishin:



Sooooooooooo, like it or not, youse guys are stuck with me and i don't leave so easily as it seems.
if i may borrow from Elvis Costello, ".........my aim is true." :wave: :wave:

Bassdawg –

Your play on words are impeccable. :claps: If you could work a plug half as good as typing a whacked out explanation…. You’d make one heck of a fisherman. God help those fish if you can ever come up with a “Talking” lure <<:chatter:>>. You could probably sell saltwater to Striped Bass. In saying that, you have the right to your opinion and the way you perceive a “True” fan of the sport and equally, I have mine
.
Fortunately for me, my brain is not the size of an olive (at least not according to my last CT scan) and I still cannot understand how one can change teams at such a ripe age due to relocation. Perhaps you are in fact, a fan of the GAME and only wish that you could truly develop the LOVE for 1 single team. Sure, you can respect other teams, most fans do, but they don’t suddenly lose faith in their team and start calling that other team, THEIR team. You reference MikeP, (sorry for dragging you into this Mike) …to my knowledge, Mike is originally a New Yawker ?? (I think), Mike now lives on the Cape. Mike may respect the Patriots but he certainly did not lose his dedication to his life-long team, the Giants. I also don’t see Raider Ronnie getting Tattoo-ed any time soon with :patshelmet: due to him living in this area. Its called devotion, whether you’re happy with the coach or how the owner is doing business, it’s win or lose. What happened to that “loyalty to the skins” you once had??? Does this mean that if you happen to relocate again, that intimate feeling you got the first time in “Tha Pahhhk” would suddenly pass like gas after eating a can of Boston baked beans...:bshake: ?? …And let me guess, when the Celtics win the Championship, you’ll suddenly have green in your veins and be a Celtics fan too,,, right? :laughs:

Ya know what? You can route for any team you’d like, you can call yourself a “Fan” of a different team every year for that matter, or just play it safe and call yourself a fan of the game – the choice is yours. We each apply our own label to ourselves in which can be read in many different ways. I was hoping to come to an understanding as to why grown men change teams. I have yet come to truly understand why. I was hoping, due to the dialog that you can sometimes put on these boards, that you would be able to convince me of this rational reason. Reading thru your explanation along with many of your posts whether fish related or not, I perceive you as a happy-go-lucky guy who is looking for that click or right group to fit in with. And I’m not making this about YOU or me, there are many people out there who “jump fence” when the opportunity arises, I’m just not one of them. I was a fan when Grogan couldn’t do it; I was a fan when Eason became the only QB to not complete a single pass as a starting QB. I was a fan when,…$^%*&%…(yes, I still shudder when I say his name)…Bill Buckner failed to place the glove on the field and allowed the ball to pass between his legs….it sucks, but it’s part of being a TRUE fan. I sat thru the shame so now I can STAND in the Glory.

Oh well, I still don’t get it………BUT……..,,,, welcome aboard. Don’t think your getting a seat in the front of the bus however, you gotta start in the rear with an aisle seat and respectfully work your way up.

....My guess is that people who switch around like that don't understand the meaning of the word loyalty.:behead:....


If only his first 2 wives knew how he felt about being loyal...:eek5:





<<joke>>

Hey, bloocrab!

Thanks for the compliments, and i have landed some nice feesh on wood, although i do prefer bait. interestingly, my persuasive abilities have been documented with awards and sales records in various industries my whole life. just am not a fan of the dishonesty behind "most" sales positions........................

However, i will respectfully disagree with your MikeP and Raider Ronnie analogies being applied to my situation. since i never reely had a home team, being raised in SOONER Country. i know that it is difficult to understand, if ya have'nt lived it. it is true that i chose the redskins at an early age and that they were the team of my childhood. so, in that case you have a point and i will concede to some degree of disloyalty for switching to YOUR Patriots, but when is enuff ~~ENOUGH!??!

Simply, i couldn't take it anymore! :af: :af: :af:

Knowing what i know about The Game, being inundated season after season with the GREATNESS that is taking place at Foxboro, and seeing the deplorable dysfunction that has become the DEADskins it was becoming increasingly impossible for me to validate the insanity of Snyder and his dismantling of my "childhood" team. joined them in '66, so i lived thru the '72 Dolphins, the Cowboys of the '90's, and Snyder ~the early years.......................

And, NO! i will not be changing teams again, no matter where this life and my career interests take me. after all, i WAS with the Skins for 41 years, win or lose.

soooo, do ya think that the entirity of Red Sox Nation was born and bred in Boston? it is possible for one to see a team they like, root for them, and not be from that city, bloo? how else do the BRUINS become my team, since my youth. Betcha didn't know that one! and yes, i haven't been able to KNOW them like you know them ~only worshipped them from afar. that is until i moved here in '99. i am HOPEFUL that this mngmt and coach will put it all together. hated the Thorton trade. :fishslap: :fishslap:

Thanks for the spot on the proverbial bus and i was only quoting you when i referred to "my driving the bus" to SB XLIII and beyond. i am more than happy to find a seat in the rear, *stuffed in the overhead compartment, or clinging to the rooftop luggage rack!* *makes no nevermind to me, just happy to be aboard, Boss bloo...................*

As to your reference to my peerceived wanting to fit with some sort of clique, nothing could be further from the truth, although i respect your right to judge me and my posts.

if anything, i've alienated many and would be considered by most to be the least desirable to fish with. that is until you actually take the plunge and get to know me, in the surf......................

i do have a core group of guys that i surfcast with, and have met many people "out there" along the Striper Coast and have enjoyed each aquaintance immensely and am pretty sure that the experience was reciprocal, at least for the time that it was. i am an over-the-top/all or nothing sort of character and, for the most part of my life it has served me well, hurt me on far less occasions, and it is inescapable as that is what makes me who i yam and who i'll always be. with age i've mellowed, man you should've seen me in me twenties, thirties even!!!!

Thanks be to God that by His Grace, His Spirit has set me free from some of my earlier negative addictions and extremes. Thanks be to Him, as well for His Provision of our majestic shores and His Bounty that is our beloved prey!! i would be far less acceptable without Him and much more insane without this sport that we ALL require to keep us intune with God, nature, and self. HALELLUJAH, Abba Father, HALELLUJAH, Amen!! :wave: :wave: :wave:

Hope to have the opportunity to meet ya at RISAA,
i'll be the one they're pointing at while i'm talking with me hands
prolly relating some inane story about "the one that got away", or
espousing my opinion about the coming 162 games for our Hometown 9, or the Green 5, or the Black and Gold's misery, or
the possible free agents and draft picks for the Red, White, Pewter, and Blue's championship drive..............:musc: :musc:

Hey, bloocrab!

Thanks for the compliments, and i have landed some nice feesh on wood, although i do prefer bait. interestingly, my persuasive abilities have been documented with awards and sales records in various industries my whole life. just am not a fan of the dishonesty behind "most" sales positions........................

However, i will respectfully disagree with your MikeP and Raider Ronnie analogies being applied to my situation. since i never reely had a home team, being raised in SOONER Country. i know that it is difficult to understand, if ya have'nt lived it. it is true that i chose the redskins at an early age and that they were the team of my childhood. so, in that case you have a point and i will concede to some degree of disloyalty for switching to YOUR Patriots, but when is enuff ~~ENOUGH!??!

Simply, i couldn't take it anymore! :af: :af: :af:

Knowing what i know about The Game, being inundated season after season with the GREATNESS that is taking place at Foxboro, and seeing the deplorable dysfunction that has become the DEADskins it was becoming increasingly impossible for me to validate the insanity of Snyder and his dismantling of my "childhood" team. joined them in '66, so i lived thru the '72 Dolphins, the Cowboys of the '90's, and Snyder ~the early years.......................

And, NO! i will not be changing teams again, no matter where this life and my career interests take me. after all, i WAS with the Skins for 41 years, win or lose.

soooo, do ya think that the entirity of Red Sox Nation was born and bred in Boston? it is possible for one to see a team they like, root for them, and not be from that city, bloo? how else do the BRUINS become my team, since my youth. Betcha didn't know that one! and yes, i haven't been able to KNOW them like you know them ~only worshipped them from afar. that is until i moved here in '99. i am HOPEFUL that this mngmt and coach will put it all together. hated the Thorton trade. :fishslap: :fishslap:

Thanks for the spot on the proverbial bus and i was only quoting you when i referred to "my driving the bus" to SB XLIII and beyond. i am more than happy to find a seat in the rear, *stuffed in the overhead compartment, or clinging to the rooftop luggage rack!* *makes no nevermind to me, just happy to be aboard, Boss bloo...................*

As to your reference to my peerceived wanting to fit with some sort of clique, nothing could be further from the truth, although i respect your right to judge me and my posts.

if anything, i've alienated many and would be considered by most to be the least desirable to fish with. that is until you actually take the plunge and get to know me, in the surf......................

i do have a core group of guys that i surfcast with, and have met many people "out there" along the Striper Coast and have enjoyed each aquaintance immensely and am pretty sure that the experience was reciprocal, at least for the time that it was. i am an over-the-top/all or nothing sort of character and, for the most part of my life it has served me well, hurt me on far less occasions, and it is inescapable as that is what makes me who i yam and who i'll always be. with age i've mellowed, man you should've seen me in me twenties, thirties even!!!!

Thanks be to God that by His Grace, His Spirit has set me free from some of my earlier negative addictions and extremes. Thanks be to Him, as well for His Provision of our majestic shores and His Bounty that is our beloved prey!! i would be far less acceptable without Him and much more insane without this sport that we ALL require to keep us intune with God, nature, and self. HALELLUJAH, Abba Father, HALELLUJAH, Amen!! :wave: :wave: :wave:

Hope to have the opportunity to meet ya at RISAA,
i'll be the one they're pointing at while i'm talking with me hands
prolly relating some inane story about "the one that got away", or
espousing my opinion about the coming 162 games for our Hometown 9, or the Green 5, or the Black and Gold's misery, or
the possible free agents and draft picks for the Red, White, Pewter, and Blue's championship drive..............:musc: :musc:




I'm not buying 1 word of this!
Redskins fan for 41 years, Pats start getting good and you loose your loyalty of the Redskins and now a Pats fan :gu::gu::gu:
"You couldn't take it anymore"
Couldn't take what?
Snyder or loosing ?

....switching to YOUR Patriots.....

Based on the statement above, you TRULY do not understand what it means to be a TRUE Patriot fan. They are not "MY" Patriots, but in fact...OUR Patriots, our being anyone who is a TRUE Patriot fan. There's no "I" in team in New England. Let that be your 1st lesson before grabbing the handrail near the door of the bus. :uhuh:



...and RRonnie, "Boss bloo" (thanks for the title Bdawg)...predicts that just like with his Redskins, after a couple of skunky seasons, this "Bassdawg" will again, "lose it" and not be able to "take it anymore" and move on to another sport that he'll call his own,........maybe playing Polo on a Llama? ?? :lama:

One little correction Gil--I'm from RI originally, not NY, but I was a Giants fan growing up becuse, number one, my dad was, and number two, the Pats had been in existence only a year and they played in some joke outfit called the American Football League, which didn't even have a TV contract yet.

There are plenty of people in SE Mass and RI who are over 50 and were Giants fans because they were as close to a home NFL team as you could get. Some stayed loyal, some switched to the Pats after the merger, and especially after Grogan came along and the Pats got good for a few years.

Being a Giants fan between 1964 and the early 1980s wasn't easy. We had coaches that made Rod Rust and #^&#^&#^&#^& MacPherson look like the second coming of Lombardi. :hihi:

"You couldn't take it anymore"
Couldn't take what?
Snyder or loosing ?

YES, that was part of it.

The biggest part i couldn't handle anymore was the dominance of the PATS, right before me very eyes. My living in the heart of Patriot Nation and the urging of my Ironworking Bretheren to climb on board was also a huge factor. Hey, it's my cross to bear boyz! Can't help it if i recognize GREATNESS in its purest form. And i won't be switching, EVER! Trust me, this was a hard choice and i still have feelings for my childhood sweetheart, just chose to marry up, so to speak and could careless whether my fanhood comes into question (re: ESPN commercial) :humpty::humpty:.

Raider Ronnie, it's never too late.................
YOU too can recognize dominance and supremecy and
i know a good tattoo artist should you decide to join Patriot Nation. :wave::wave:

A Redskin fan for 41 years, and in that 41 years they gave you 3 superbowl Victories.....yet you expect a Group of Red Sox/Patriots fans (teams that gave us pretty much NOTHING until this CENTURY) to buy that you "Ran out of Patience" with the Redskins, who haven't given you a championship in a mere 15 years, and that's why you switched......I, Sir, am not buying it.

Based on the statement above, you TRULY do not understand what it means to be a TRUE Patriot fan. They are not "MY" Patriots, but in fact...OUR Patriots, our being anyone who is a TRUE Patriot fan.

To borrow from Ordway,

"Sweetheart, you're making my point!"
once again you've taken a few words out of context
and expounded upon them by twisting them to fit your cliche's...................

That comment was with regards to my prior position, PRE-Patriots Designation, and was referring to you and YOUR TRUE team when i was nowhere near the bus. do any of my posts since claiming them doubt that i claim them as OURS? though you may not agree, it does nothing to change my position.

Sooooooo, here's a more pertinent question for ya. Do the Krafts spend millions in marketing, and TV contracts, and the construction of Patriot Place to narrow thier fanbase or BROADEN it?

Does anyone else miss the old school "Pat the Patriot" logo?
i remember it fondly from YOUR early years.............:kewl: :kewl:

think i'll go buy an old school hat today, out of respect for the teams gone by. and i do remember the Grogan/Eason/Fairbanks(OU connection)/Smurliss/Fryar/Tippet/Sam "the Bam"/Morgan/ Capiletti/
Plunkett/Hannah/Franciss/pre-Kraft years. respected them all from afar, as a FAN of this GAME that we all Love......................

Always thought they were a tough-nosed team and destined for a better fate, someday. Didn't you guys pick up Rod Choate under the Fairbanks Era? Sooners LB, back in Chuck's days at Norman ~i think:wave:??

YES, that was part of it.

The biggest part i couldn't handle anymore was the dominance of the PATS, right before me very eyes. My living in the heart of Patriot Nation and the urging of my Ironworking Bretheren to climb on board was also a huge factor. Hey, it's my cross to bear boyz! Can't help it if i recognize GREATNESS in its purest form. And i won't be switching, EVER! Trust me, this was a hard choice and i still have feelings for my childhood sweetheart, just chose to marry up, so to speak and could careless whether my fanhood comes into question (re: ESPN commercial) :humpty::humpty:.

Raider Ronnie, it's never too late.................
YOU too can recognize dominance and supremecy and
i know a good tattoo artist should you decide to join Patriot Nation. :wave::wave:

I am surprised by your latest post, The Dad, as you are usually the voice of reason.
Pile on, if you must. Please read the above. More importantly,

Perhaps why i switched is somehow also related to my SOONERS,
because in Norman and across the State of Oklahoma we are used to National Championship Caliber College Football. In fact, we still hold the two longest undefeated streaks in NCAA DivI History under Coaches Bud Wilkinson and Chuck Fairbanks.

That being said, i do empathize with your above post Kevin, having been there for three Orange Bowl debacles and the single greatest CHOKE job in Collegiate History at the hands of Boise State two years ago. That was Buckner squared, from my perspective. ironic that both crushing defeats happened in AZ, one year apart from each other and both in the football arena :huh:.

Albeit a short ride, the 2003 "bullets in my tank" fiasco by the SOX manager 'whose name will not be mentioned' felt like a swift kick to me jumblies and resonates still every time that the walk to and from the mound gets replayed in my mind. that one hurts very badly to this day, and is at least a taste of what you "lifers" know far better than i ever will.

Doesn't make me any less of a FAN, just makes me a NEWER one.
Also ironic that they almost go undefeated, AFTER i join Patriots Nation.

"......the things that make you go, hummmm?"

just joshing, hell i predicted them to go 38-0!! but that's just me, i'm crazy like that.
anybody else okay with 37-1? :humpty: :wave: :wave: :humpty:

A Redskin fan for 41 years, and in that 41 years they gave you 3 superbowl Victories.....yet you expect a Group of Red Sox/Patriots fans (teams that gave us pretty much NOTHING until this CENTURY) to buy that you "Ran out of Patience" with the Redskins, who haven't given you a championship in a mere 15 years, and that's why you switched......I, Sir, am not buying it.

They also lost some of the early Super Bowls too, before they finally won. They were consistently in contention under George Allen.

1991 was quite a few years before 2008 but that didn't make me switch loyalties, even after the Giants got smoked against the Ravens. And had a few playoff flops along the way, and suffered through Ray Handley as the HC of the NYG :rollem:

Does this make BassDawg a "pink hat"?


Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Not piling on......just stating, like I said before, you should always stay a fan of your team....through good times and bad.....Faith will soon be rewarded.

Can you imagine how good it will be, if you're a cubs fan, when they finally win it all

:lurk:

:hang: :eyes:Man, I've sold articles less wordy than some of the replies here. Where do U find the time. I can't do it and I don't even have a real job!!!!! Come on fish, for God sake, come on!!! :gorez: :deadhorse: :bshake: :grins: :cheers2:

That's COOL, Kevin!
Point well taken. and yes, they'll be able to
ride up to the podium on thier hoverboards.
it's still way off for the woeful Cubbies, imho.

I hear ya, MikeP!!
George Allen, to this day is my favorite Skins HC.
Class Act all the way and the epitome of old school
NFL football. LOVED those teams, too. Starting to
tear up, just thinking about them days...............

Funny stuff, feeshbones :rotflmao: :rotflmao:
My 5yo daughter has two pink hats and a purple one that she wears regularly. she loves
Big Papi, Beckett, Manny, Tek, YOUK, Pedroia, Ellsbury, Lowell, and Pap, among others!
she's been saying, "CRUSH it, Papi.........CRUSH IT!!" since she was 3.
me and the bride will be taking her to THE Park for her first game this summer :jump:

at least i got it right for her, eh?
and doan worry, i'm sure she'll grow out
of the "pink hat" stage, soon enuff :kewl: :kewl:

Man, I've sold articles less wordy than some of the replies here. Where do U find the time? I can't do it and I don't even have a real job!!!!!

Am down in SW FL, for some court chit with my 17yo son from a previous situation.
LOTS nad LOTS of time to kill, ThomCat.
goin' for sum snook and reds tonight :happy: :happy: :happy:

How's the flukin' look for this year?
Stocks still up?

Thomcat.........you ain't fooin' anybody, if you got time to draw up all them smilees...AND color them in as nice as you do, you definately have time to type some junk up like the rest of us. :hee:

This is all in good fun - at least from my end it is.


:rotf3: I still don't understand why Bassdawg doesn't just admit he's a "fair-weather fan" who convenviently moved to New England just in time to get on the bus...........................like he would have been a Patriots fan had he stayed in Oklahoma, right??? ....:hee::rotf3::laughs:............:rude:

YES, that was part of it.

The biggest part i couldn't handle anymore was the dominance of the PATS, right before me very eyes. My living in the heart of Patriot Nation and the urging of my Ironworking Bretheren to climb on board was also a huge factor. Hey, it's my cross to bear boyz! Can't help it if i recognize GREATNESS in its purest form. And i won't be switching, EVER! Trust me, this was a hard choice and i still have feelings for my childhood sweetheart, just chose to marry up, so to speak and could careless whether my fanhood comes into question (re: ESPN commercial) :humpty::humpty:.

Raider Ronnie, it's never too late.................
YOU too can recognize dominance and supremecy and
i know a good tattoo artist should you decide to join Patriot Nation. :wave::wave:



I'm all set!
Wiining or loosing is not what made me a Raiders fan when I was a kid (6 or 7 years old)

They also lost some of the early Super Bowls too, before they finally won. They were consistently in contention under George Allen.

1991 was quite a few years before 2008 but that didn't make me switch loyalties, even after the Giants got smoked against the Ravens. And had a few playoff flops along the way, and suffered through Ray Handley as the HC of the NYG :rollem:

I still get chills in the back of my neck when i hear that name!!!!!:hang:

Thomcat.........you ain't fooin' anybody, if you got time to draw up all them smilees...AND color them in as nice as you do, you definately have time to type some junk up like the rest of us. :hee:

This is all in good fun - at least from my end it is.


:rotf3: I still don't understand why Bassdawg doesn't just admit he's a "fair-weather fan" who convenviently moved to New England just in time to get on the bus...........................like he would have been a Patriots fan had he stayed in Oklahoma, right??? ....:hee::rotf3::laughs:............:rude:

most definitely, bloocrab!
i'm always up for intelligent discourse
with some good clean fun thrown in there :kewl:

i moved to NE for personal and family reasons,
re: my mom and sister moved to NPT and JMSTN, respectively.
i absolutely LOVE it here and married a Saugus girl within my first year.
Boston, and its environs, is my kind of city on all levels ~ especially the people.
cain't claim to be a New Englander, but i doan see me living
anywhere else until the Good Lord calls me Home.

the sports scene isn't too shabby either :as: :hihi: :as:
Fair-weather Fan, HELL nah! Bandwagoneer, by its strictest definiton ~yes.
how is the Foxboro KOOL- AID these days bloo? "Shaken, not stirred"

:rotf3: I still don't understand why Bassdawg doesn't just admit he's a "fair-weather fan" who convenviently moved to New England just in time to get on the bus...........................like he would have been a Patriots fan had he stayed in Oklahoma, right??? ....:hee::rotf3::laughs:............:rude:[/QUOTE]




Fair weather for sure !:deadhorse:

Ya GOT ME there, RR kid!

How will i ever be able to GO awwwn?





HERE WE GO :patshelmet:....................




HERE WE GOOOOOOOO!!!

Thomcat.........you ain't fooin' anybody, if you got time to draw up all them smilees...AND color them in as nice as you do, you definately have time to type some junk up like the rest of us. :hee:

This is all in good fun - at least from my end it is.

Gotta appreciate an art lover!:cheers: Besides it's either this or back to cleaning up the yard. :yak6::btu:

:( - This thread has been Interupted for a Favre moment. I saw his interview last night, claims he has "nothing more to offer the game"..........There are PLENTY of QBs I'd get rid of before him. A TRUE LOVE for the game is what he had, and a little talent ta-boot. ;)
A sad loss to the game of football. I understand his decision, respectfully.



Now back to our regularly scheduled program......


Fairweather Fan = by definition, "A fairweather fan is a fan that roots for teams that are playing well. Being a fairweather or band wagon jumper fan is more popular than being loyal to one team. According to Robert Thompson, director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University, this is due to free agency, national coverage of sports teams such as ESPN and a reluctancy to embrace losing teams



Put that shoe on Bassdawg, it fits like OJs glove :behead:

:uhuh: Couldn't agree with ya more Thomcat -

...here's a blast from the past in relation to this topic...:rollem:

Does it really matter? I say the more the merrier.
Besides how can you NOT be a Pats fan?
It doesn't bother me who is and who isn't a Pat's fan though there have been some good points raised here.
One thing I know for sure is that if we as fans hadn't suffered for 40 years that 2001 Superbowl would not have been so sweet.
I have never seen a State in such euphoria.
People walked around smiling for weeks.
The other Superbowl wins did not have the same effect as that first one. That is a feeling that can only come from thousands of heartbreaks.

I also was a Skins fan for years , first off when my sister moved down
to Maryland in 75 and even more so after I met my wife! Her uncle was the team doctor for 27 years :rotf3:and I got to meet the players in the locker room :p
I lost interest in the Skins after Jack Kent Cook died and my wifes uncle retired, But I still remember them good old days!
(Jack was a wild Guy)

Go Patriots .....

ps, what team did you hate ? DALLAS....lol

LOL! I used to hate the Raiders (scary weirdo men dressing like women in the stands).
I don't hate any teams now.
There are some places I hate them playing though, Denver for one.
It's so loud.

VB - yes, Dallas....without a doubt. Not sure if it's for the right reasons though -

I did respect Danny & Crew thru the mid 80's, how could you not.......but something happened in the early 90's :rollem:....when I developed that strong "disliking" toward them. Not so much what they accomplished or how stocked they were with talent, but I guess that with a combination of some close friends who are Cowboy DIE-Hards and absolutely LOVED the fact the Pats couldn't get it done and constantly reminded me of that. Seeing as how I couldn't "hate" my buddies, I think I developed a "hate"...for their team. .....oh yeah, and I "hate" the Giants right now. :D

In all honesty, I DON'T believe they were the better team. Did they deserve to win ?? ABSOLUTELY! They wanted it more. The better team went returned home crying....as well as their fans....but enough of that, still trying to put that behind me.

GO REDSOX!!!


p.s. = Hate is a strong word I don't like to use. ... please interpret my useage of the word meaning..."strongly disliked". :)

Don't care how strong of a word it is...I HATE the Yank-mees.

Never was a fan of the Cowboys, never understood why they are "America's Team" always thought it should be The Patriots (Red,White,and Blue and Patriotism) or The Steelers (Strong Blue-Collar references)

Ya GOT ME there, RR kid!

How will i ever be able to GO awwwn?





HERE WE GO :patshelmet:....................




HERE WE GOOOOOOOO!!!






So who will be your next team when the Pats eventually suck again and loose year in year out :deadhorse:

Put that shoe on Bassdawg, it fits like OJs glove

Hey, bloo!:wave: :wave:

One man's definiton and a piece of parchment paper
does not a cobbler/tailor make....................

Last word on yer twisting of my words.



There is, in my humble opinion, a DISTINCT difference between
a fair-weather fan and a bandwagoneer.

A fair-weather fan would be one that leaves at the first sign of trouble or a series of losses. then returns when the wins come back. one not capable of "weathering" the WINS and the LOSSES that every team experiences. Sort of a flip-flopper of sorts. With a team, not with a team, then back with them when the W's start showing up again. 41 years with one team does not a f-w fan make. i've felt the highs and the lows of that tenure and have some very fond/hurtful memories and do not regret any of it. it was a thrilling ride. if i was a f-w fan, i'd have left the SOX in '03 and would be GONE from the Patriots before they left the lockerrooms in AZ. just not who i am, no matter how hard RR and bloo try to make it that way :kewl: :kewl:

A bandwagoneer is a fan that sees a good thing, and jumps ship as the band and the music of victory sways them. one who revels in the champagne and confetti and is liable to change with each party and each TEAM ~as they become more and more successful. this type of fan is capable of shifting like the sands of the Cape's outer beaches. moving from team to team, conceivably within the same season even, and ~more likely~ from year to year. 2 teams within a 42 Year Fandom does not a bandwagoneer make, although in its looser definition i will concede that my SWITCH could fall under this umbrella, perhaps the outer edge of that umbrella. if i was a full fledged BW fan, then i would have joined the PATS in 2001, and it just didn't go down like that, gents :as: :as:

in closing, i won't be going anywhere boyz!! as i've said before you're stuck with me NE ~~whether you, bloo, like it or not, i could care LESS. my actions are based in TRUE fandom as I understand it, and apparently i am not alone.

thanks VB and Plum Crazy for your welcoming tenor.

:pats: :pats: :pats: :pats: :pats:

So who will be your next team when the Pats eventually suck again and loose year in year out :deadhorse:

Ahhh yes the pot stirrer speaks!

RRonnie, as i've said before there is plenty of room
on the Bus to Super Bowls XLIII, XLIV, XLV!

*If ya join in the off-season, then ya won't be bandwagonning and The Good Lord above knows
that you've "weathered" this STORM loooooong enuff:*
:raiders: :raiders: :raiders:

Ahhh yes the pot stirrer speaks!

RRonnie, as i've said before there is plenty of room
on the Bus to Super Bowls XLIII, XLIV, XLV!

If ya join in the off-season, then ya won't be bandwagonning and The Good Lord above knows
that you've "weathered" this STORM loooooong enuff:
:raiders: :raiders: :raiders:

Ronnies a true fan, not some flip-flopping, pink hat wearing bandwagon jumper. Even though the Raiders stink, he still backs them 100% and puts up with a heaping pile of crap from the homers.....thats a loyal fan.

I'll give Ron credit too....all the crap he gets here about the Raiders he still comes back and stays on their side.

Ease up there Tony and Kevin.............:deadhorse:
just having some fun and poking back.

Ronnie, you DO KNOW that i'm joshing you within the context of this thread, right?
funny thing is, i thought Tony and The Dad would get it too!:bounce: :bounce:

so much animosity and seriousness, LIGHTEN up gents!!!

Spring is just around the corner, and soon we'll be singing the praises of them SOX. does anyone else see Ellsbury for Rookie of the Year? This should be a great year for Drew, Dice-K, Manny, Ortiz, et al...........

just hope that Lugo comes on board and doesn't end up being a liability with his glove, and his bat could improve a notch or two as well. i really like the kid from the farm at shortand hope that he continues to improve. the young arms should be impressive as well, this year. only time will tell.

No Animosity there just given Ron some credit thats all....nothing aimed at you

Thanks Kevin, and i do appreciate your take on this subject.
you always bring a real and fresh perspective to these pages.

Hope to run into you at RISAA, maybe tip some brews
and put a face with the posts?? :wave: :wave:

Bdawg - 2 wrongs don't make a right in my mind . . . .. <<???>>

Ok so VB didn't stick with his team either. Did you think that if a respected S-B member shared your "team-changing" behavior that it would justify the action ? And if you read a little deeper into Plumcrazy's post, you may see things in a better light :think: // This thread was intended to try and help me understand why someone would change teams after being a fan of a certain ONE for an extended period of time. VB didn't justify anything in my mind, he definately wasn't as FULL of ...ahem, excuses as you were. He stated his why, it didn't help me understand anything, I guess I will NEVER understand, AND - if you go back to one of my earlier posts, I NEVER said that you could not be a Patriots fan, (I don't have that authority) not that I'd try to stop anyone <even you> from becoming a fan anyhoot - The bigger the fan base, the better. Whatever gave you the impression that I would not want to share the honor of being a N.E. fan with you? I'm not a hater dawg - :lm:

And yes, I'm guilty of twisting some of your words, but with a twisted tongue, I'm sure you can understand how that happens. :p

You are what you are OR in Dennis Greens' words, "you were who we thought you were".......:rotflmao:

Welcome aboard, and thank you for helping me understand that I will never understand. :hee:............see, you actually DID accomplish something in this thread.

The older you get the better you steal chicken.

http://www.nflnut.com/store/media/PatsPinkThrowbackHat.jpg

Ahhh yes the pot stirrer speaks!

RRonnie, as i've said before there is plenty of room
on the Bus to Super Bowls XLIII, XLIV, XLV!

*If ya join in the off-season, then ya won't be bandwagonning and The Good Lord above knows
that you've "weathered" this STORM loooooong enuff:*
:raiders: :raiders: :raiders:


REAL fans don't jump ship when things go bad, team sucks,team owner/ management turn in whack jobs,:raiders:
I give MUCH credit to the REAL Pats fans who suffered over 30 years of Bill Sullivan owning the team and them being one of the laughing stocks of the league, and deep down I'm happy for them being on top and enjoying winning :wave:
Fans who jumped on the wagon once the winning started are frauds and I'll bet be jumping off when the loosing starts!:thanks:

.... when the loosing starts!...


SLOW DOWN Ronnie, we ain't in any rush to go back in time. Sure loosing can be tolerated somewhat, but not shame-ful losing as in the past. :D


**From our buddy B-Dawg = *If ya join in the off-season, then ya won't be bandwagonning ....

:D........Gee - Bdawg, what a GREAT philosophy you have there, first ya put the shoe on, then you insert it in mouth - I think it's best you stay away from this thread, less doing more harm to one-self. :rotflmao:

Hey bloobloo!

I thought you were more sensible than that,
yet it's quite obvious that you fail to see the humor.
i was being blatantly sarcastic to exagerrate a point.

do ya really think that i yam THAT shallow and transparent?
wide open enuff for you? ga ahead, take your cheap shot!!

Doood, your mojo is taking some serious hits right now.
In with anger and out with serenity. likewise, my fandom does not
require your validation, and your narrowmindedeness only limits
YOUR own abilities of perception, not everyone else's.

hang in there ~with age one gathers wisdom, with forgiveness one gains understanding, and with Love comes joy and peace. that is unless yer too busy bashing that which you clearly ~in your own words~ DO NOT understand.

you cain't be serious, bro :rotf3: :rotf3: :rotf3:

The stripers can't come back soon enough.
I would rather sit next to a transplant fan than sit next to anyone wearing any other teams colors.
You can sit next to me BDawg:bl:

:huh:...Plum, I can't say I agree with you on that one.

I won't use your "transplant" description because I can't say I consider a F-W-Fan a transplant.... but in using your example, personally,,,I'd rather sit next a TRUE Redskins fan while the Patriots played the Redskins than sit next to someone who I think jumps on the next best thing.

Picture this for a moment,,, ........for the next 5 seasons, the Washington Redskins turn their organization into a lethal football winning machine :rollem:, then the Redskins end up facing the Patriots in the Superbowl.

Who is someone like BassDawg going to be routing for? (Sorry for using you as an example again Bdawg, but you make it so easy, plus I thought/hoped you could take it even though your last post reads like you're starting to take this $H!t seriously) :D

What would someone like Bdawg say then ?

"GO REDSKINS!!!, ...yeah I like(d) the Pats, but I was born and raised a Redskin Fan!! ..//rah/rah/rah..:musc:"

It's one thing becoming a "transplant" fan for reasons of relocation while the team is not dominating the league. But when it's too coincidental, and the reasons provided are like a sponge or cottage cheese///???///....it's more than "transplant" to me.

Yep, I'm still :deadhorse:........winter ain't over yet. :hf1:

All transplants can be successful if the soil is prepared and in season.:rolleyes: Except in New England...the weather here is too unpredictable

I'm waiting for the lilac buds. They never lie.
Bloo- you have every right to feel anyway you want to.
Life's too short to think so much about this thing that has you buffaloed.
It is what it is.
There's plenty room for everyone on the bus.
The horse is really, really dead now.:wave:

...The horse is really, really dead now. :wave:


Coming from a man of reason, AGREED. I will retire this horse to the gloo-factory. :)


To ALL those who enjoyed and participated in this thread - :cheers:

To ALL those offended, :huh:....get over it, "Life is too short = Clammer"

To ALL those who read but were afraid to participate due to fear of what the internet civilization would think of you........:bshake:

:agree: :agree: :agree:

not taking anything seriously, bloo!


just addressing your posts. i absolutely agree with
plum crazy, vb, and others. will sit next to ya anytime, bloo.

and for the LAST TIME. i won't be switching again, kinda funny how
you feel it's necessary to keep what iffing my fandom. and it IS
a relocation-heart-of-Patriots Nation-thang, bloo.
Peace, bro

Free manure and lots of it.........come and get it :laugha: