I've caught some of the infighting on here in bits and pieces. I really don't read the boards all that often anymore, so please excuse me for not being totally caught up and/or for butting in here. A few things caught my eye and just figured I'd try to offer an opinion. I'm kinda hoping this serves both as decent conversation, while also being a middle ground of sorts. And I apologize in advance if I ramble or you find it boring.

So... I used to do a pretty decent amount of posting on here. And to be honest, a lot (most) of those posts amounting to arguing. Back and forth with this person, back and forth with that person, and so on... And at the same time, falling into this camp, or that camp. This side or that side. Right/Wrong. And on and on (and on...) it went. Same argurements, same posters, same conclusions.

After awhile I kind of just stepped back and asked myself why I kept wasting my time with this? Is it enjoyable? What's to be gained by getting it online spats and pissing matches with fellow Bengals fans?

It took way too long to finally figure out that a.) this is a huge waste of time b.) I really don't care all that much about how others support this organization.

If I'm being honest, I think a lot of what made me get caught up in little b.s. disagreements, and bets, and what have you, was really two things: 1.) Being angry about the team and venting here, and 2.) Being right. I was pissed about the state of the team and was more than willing to argue with anyone who wanted.

Yet, no matter how many posts were made, by how many different people, people rarely changed the "type" of fan they were. And that was really the crux of most disagreements. The type of fan, the approach of the fan, the overall mindset. That is where I think most of the disagreements started. Not in the stats, not in X's and O's. But just a fundelmental difference in why they followed/watched/supported tbis team.

What I'm trying to say, is there's all sorts of fans, with all sorts of backgrounds, with all sorts of reasons they ended up here. None are right or wrong, and none are better or worse.

Some people watch and follow from the perspective similar to that of a GM, or like a fantasy team. That's cool. Some may enjoy tailgating and the gameday experience. And that's cool. Some are local, some aren't. Some young, some old. All cool. Once you consider all of this you come to realize this results in different expectations, different knowledge, different investment, different everything.

The point is, there's nothing to be gained by wasting time arguing with fellow fans. There's no right and wrong, and none of us are entitled to tell any other anything different. If fans want to vent and complain then let them. It's not your place to tell them otherwise. And if people want to look for bright spots, same thing. You're not changing peoples minds and you cant force people to adopt your thinking.

The fact of the matter is this: If this was a much better team, and a better organization, then you'd see little to none of this. This causes negativity, and this fuels the bickering.

My advice is this, save your anger and frustration for the product for the product, not fellow fans. Try as you might, you can't win arguments on here and there are no internet points. There's nothing to gain by spending post after post trying to convince others that they're wrong. Unless you count time lost as a net gain.

So anyhoo, hope this made some sense. I just think people get to caught up in bs on here. And that's no knock. I did too. It's to get caught up in. But, really, it just isn't that serious, is it? Make your points about the team, maybe share some laughs and move on. Getting caught up in all the melodrama just isn't worth it. Save that time and energy for literally anything else.

Just my 2 cents...

(10-15-2019, 11:24 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: I've caught some of the infighting on here in bits and pieces. I really don't read the boards all that often anymore, so please excuse me for not being totally caught up and/or for butting in here.  A few things caught my eye and just figured I'd try to offer an opinion. I'm kinda hoping this serves both as decent conversation, while also being a middle ground of sorts. And I apologize in advance if I ramble or you find it boring.

So... I used to do a pretty decent amount of posting on here. And to be honest, a lot (most) of those posts amounting to arguing. Back and forth with this person, back and forth with that person, and so on... And at the same time, falling into this camp, or that camp. This side or that side. Right/Wrong. And on and on (and on...) it went. Same argurements, same posters, same conclusions.

After awhile I kind of just stepped back and asked myself why I kept wasting my time with this? Is it enjoyable? What's to be gained by getting it online spats and pissing matches with fellow Bengals fans?

It took way too long to finally figure out that a.) this is a huge waste of time b.) I really don't care all that much about how others support this organization.

If I'm being honest, I think a lot of what made me get caught up in little b.s. disagreements, and bets, and what have you, was really two things: 1.) Being angry about the team and venting here, and 2.) Being right.  I was pissed about the state of the team and was more than willing to argue with anyone who wanted.

Yet, no matter how many posts were made, by how many different people, people rarely changed the "type" of fan they were. And that was really the crux of most disagreements. The type of fan, the approach of the fan, the overall mindset. That is where I think most of the disagreements started.  Not in the stats, not in X's and O's. But just a fundelmental difference in why they followed/watched/supported tbis team.

What I'm trying to say, is there's all sorts of fans, with all sorts of backgrounds, with all sorts of reasons they ended up here. None are right or wrong, and none are better or worse.

Some people watch and follow from the perspective similar to that of a GM, or like a fantasy team. That's cool. Some may enjoy tailgating and the gameday experience. And that's cool. Some are local, some aren't. Some young, some old. All cool. Once you consider all of this you come to realize this results in different expectations, different knowledge, different investment, different everything.

The point is, there's nothing to be gained by wasting time arguing with fellow fans. There's no right and wrong, and none of us are entitled to tell any other anything different. If fans want to vent and complain then let them. It's not your place to tell them otherwise. And if people want to look for bright spots, same thing. You're not changing peoples minds and you cant force people to adopt your thinking.

The fact of the matter is this: If this was a much better team, and a better organization, then you'd see little to none of this. This causes negativity, and this fuels the bickering.

My advice is this, save your anger and frustration for the product for the product, not fellow fans. Try as you might, you can't win arguments on here and there are no internet points. There's nothing to gain by spending post after post trying to convince others that they're wrong. Unless you count time lost as a net gain.

So anyhoo, hope this made some sense. I just think people get to caught up in bs on here. And that's no knock. I did too. It's to get caught up in. But, really, it just isn't that serious, is it?  Make your points about the team, maybe share some laughs and move on. Getting caught up in all the melodrama just isn't worth it. Save that time and energy for literally anything else.

Just my 2 cents...

I'm just super super impressed that you have no edits in this.... and also not so impressed by imagining you putting  this in WORD first.

Either way, great sentiment.

We are fans of the same team, we're 0-6. There isn't anything to be cheery about them, not sure why people get angry at each other, but I'm definitely one to bite back if I'm bit. I'm allowed to hate the team I root for. People are allowed to blindly love the team they root for, also.

I would extend your thoughts on a "waste of time" in talking about the Bengals in an online forum to a "waste of time" to dedicate 3+ hours for watching them on Sundays, this year. Now, I just root for the Browns to lose.

In fact, I caught myself rooting for us to lose against the Ravens just so the Browns had no chance of taking the AFC N title. This is what happens when you live in CLE. Better we go 0-16 anyway at this point.

THe "waste of time" mentality can also be applied to Facebook. I can't tell you how much time I've gained by "signing off". I no longer feel a need to brag to anyone about something, I don't post incessant random pictures, I don't read about someone's new baby/wedding/birthday/etc., I don't make posts that nobody reads anyway and wait for the "likes". That "free time" gets replaced by something else, that is probably more valuable.

Since many of us don't live in Cincy and we don't spread like a virus like shittsburhg fans, this is one of the only spots to talk to another Bungles fan. I would say if we all watched a game together I bet there would be less fighting, in person.

My boy Wes drops one from the top rope on all the people who think I’m wrong around here. Idiots!

(10-15-2019, 11:53 PM)Vas Deferens Wrote: My boy Wes drops one from the top rope on all the people who think I’m wrong around here.  Idiots!

DOROTHY MANTOOTH IS A SAINT.

(10-15-2019, 11:24 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: I've caught some of the infighting on here in bits and pieces. I really don't read the boards all that often anymore, so please excuse me for not being totally caught up and/or for butting in here. A few things caught my eye and just figured I'd try to offer an opinion. I'm kinda hoping this serves both as decent conversation, while also being a middle ground of sorts. And I apologize in advance if I ramble or you find it boring.

So... I used to do a pretty decent amount of posting on here. And to be honest, a lot (most) of those posts amounting to arguing. Back and forth with this person, back and forth with that person, and so on... And at the same time, falling into this camp, or that camp. This side or that side. Right/Wrong. And on and on (and on...) it went. Same argurements, same posters, same conclusions.

After awhile I kind of just stepped back and asked myself why I kept wasting my time with this? Is it enjoyable? What's to be gained by getting it online spats and pissing matches with fellow Bengals fans?

It took way too long to finally figure out that a.) this is a huge waste of time b.) I really don't care all that much about how others support this organization.

If I'm being honest, I think a lot of what made me get caught up in little b.s. disagreements, and bets, and what have you, was really two things: 1.) Being angry about the team and venting here, and 2.) Being right. I was pissed about the state of the team and was more than willing to argue with anyone who wanted.

Yet, no matter how many posts were made, by how many different people, people rarely changed the "type" of fan they were. And that was really the crux of most disagreements. The type of fan, the approach of the fan, the overall mindset. That is where I think most of the disagreements started. Not in the stats, not in X's and O's. But just a fundelmental difference in why they followed/watched/supported tbis team.

What I'm trying to say, is there's all sorts of fans, with all sorts of backgrounds, with all sorts of reasons they ended up here. None are right or wrong, and none are better or worse.

Some people watch and follow from the perspective similar to that of a GM, or like a fantasy team. That's cool. Some may enjoy tailgating and the gameday experience. And that's cool. Some are local, some aren't. Some young, some old. All cool. Once you consider all of this you come to realize this results in different expectations, different knowledge, different investment, different everything.

The point is, there's nothing to be gained by wasting time arguing with fellow fans. There's no right and wrong, and none of us are entitled to tell any other anything different. If fans want to vent and complain then let them. It's not your place to tell them otherwise. And if people want to look for bright spots, same thing. You're not changing peoples minds and you cant force people to adopt your thinking.

The fact of the matter is this: If this was a much better team, and a better organization, then you'd see little to none of this. This causes negativity, and this fuels the bickering.

My advice is this, save your anger and frustration for the product for the product, not fellow fans. Try as you might, you can't win arguments on here and there are no internet points. There's nothing to gain by spending post after post trying to convince others that they're wrong. Unless you count time lost as a net gain.

So anyhoo, hope this made some sense. I just think people get to caught up in bs on here. And that's no knock. I did too. It's to get caught up in. But, really, it just isn't that serious, is it? Make your points about the team, maybe share some laughs and move on. Getting caught up in all the melodrama just isn't worth it. Save that time and energy for literally anything else.

Just my 2 cents...

Probably the first post I have ever agreed with you on.

Be negative. Be positive; enjoy the team or dislike the team. No problem with that.

But don't be overbearing and toxic; it takes the enjoyment out of everything and spews more negativity and hate towards others.

(10-16-2019, 09:51 AM)Truck_1_0_1_ Wrote: Probably the first post I have ever agreed with you on.

Be negative. Be positive; enjoy the team or dislike the team. No problem with that.

But don't be overbearing and toxic; it takes the enjoyment out of everything and spews more negativity and hate towards others.

I believe in freedom of speech.

I also believe in freedom to not read or not react or not internalize other people's gripes, complaints, etc. Either way, this is a great Bengals board that provides an outlet for joy or pain should folks need to express theirs. I cannot criticize or be upset at other Bengals fans for voicing their opinions. Yes, I have called some thoughts on here dumb, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be free to express their idiocy, nor should I be restrained for calling that out and vice versa.

To me, it's ok for people to be super bummed and vent. I don't agree with the seriousness of a lot of it, but that doesn't mean I'll get upset at or wish to control them. Everyone is different in that regard, I guess.

(10-15-2019, 11:24 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: I've caught some of the infighting on here in bits and pieces. I really don't read the boards all that often anymore, so please excuse me for not being totally caught up and/or for butting in here.  A few things caught my eye and just figured I'd try to offer an opinion. I'm kinda hoping this serves both as decent conversation, while also being a middle ground of sorts. And I apologize in advance if I ramble or you find it boring.

So... I used to do a pretty decent amount of posting on here. And to be honest, a lot (most) of those posts amounting to arguing. Back and forth with this person, back and forth with that person, and so on... And at the same time, falling into this camp, or that camp. This side or that side. Right/Wrong. And on and on (and on...) it went. Same argurements, same posters, same conclusions.

After awhile I kind of just stepped back and asked myself why I kept wasting my time with this? Is it enjoyable? What's to be gained by getting it online spats and pissing matches with fellow Bengals fans?

It took way too long to finally figure out that a.) this is a huge waste of time b.) I really don't care all that much about how others support this organization.

If I'm being honest, I think a lot of what made me get caught up in little b.s. disagreements, and bets, and what have you, was really two things: 1.) Being angry about the team and venting here, and 2.) Being right.  I was pissed about the state of the team and was more than willing to argue with anyone who wanted.

Yet, no matter how many posts were made, by how many different people, people rarely changed the "type" of fan they were. And that was really the crux of most disagreements. The type of fan, the approach of the fan, the overall mindset. That is where I think most of the disagreements started.  Not in the stats, not in X's and O's. But just a fundelmental difference in why they followed/watched/supported tbis team.

What I'm trying to say, is there's all sorts of fans, with all sorts of backgrounds, with all sorts of reasons they ended up here. None are right or wrong, and none are better or worse.

Some people watch and follow from the perspective similar to that of a GM, or like a fantasy team. That's cool. Some may enjoy tailgating and the gameday experience. And that's cool. Some are local, some aren't. Some young, some old. All cool. Once you consider all of this you come to realize this results in different expectations, different knowledge, different investment, different everything.

The point is, there's nothing to be gained by wasting time arguing with fellow fans. There's no right and wrong, and none of us are entitled to tell any other anything different. If fans want to vent and complain then let them. It's not your place to tell them otherwise. And if people want to look for bright spots, same thing. You're not changing peoples minds and you cant force people to adopt your thinking.

The fact of the matter is this: If this was a much better team, and a better organization, then you'd see little to none of this. This causes negativity, and this fuels the bickering.

My advice is this, save your anger and frustration for the product for the product, not fellow fans. Try as you might, you can't win arguments on here and there are no internet points. There's nothing to gain by spending post after post trying to convince others that they're wrong. Unless you count time lost as a net gain.

So anyhoo, hope this made some sense. I just think people get to caught up in bs on here. And that's no knock. I did too. It's to get caught up in. But, really, it just isn't that serious, is it?  Make your points about the team, maybe share some laughs and move on. Getting caught up in all the melodrama just isn't worth it. Save that time and energy for literally anything else.

Just my 2 cents...

We need an alert put out for Wes, he was obviously kidnapped a few years ago.

Nice post, now expose your real identity and give us Wes back!!

I don't know that I argue with anyone here. Perhaps I do once in awhile, but since my brain is still connected to my 60 year old body I'll make the case that my brain is also 60 years old and liable to make the extremely rare mistake that I refuse to admit to. 
Why, you people who disagree with anything I've ever said, written or otherwise deceminated online all suck to the nth degree. 
Ok, maybe that's a bit harsh. I'm sometimes right and wrong with the opportunity to be right more often than wrong. Does that satisfy anyone? No? Well boohoo.. I'm over it. See how easy that is?  

(10-15-2019, 11:24 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: I've caught some of the infighting on here in bits and pieces. I really don't read the boards all that often anymore, so please excuse me for not being totally caught up and/or for butting in here.  A few things caught my eye and just figured I'd try to offer an opinion. I'm kinda hoping this serves both as decent conversation, while also being a middle ground of sorts. And I apologize in advance if I ramble or you find it boring.

So... I used to do a pretty decent amount of posting on here. And to be honest, a lot (most) of those posts amounting to arguing. Back and forth with this person, back and forth with that person, and so on... And at the same time, falling into this camp, or that camp. This side or that side. Right/Wrong. And on and on (and on...) it went. Same argurements, same posters, same conclusions.

After awhile I kind of just stepped back and asked myself why I kept wasting my time with this? Is it enjoyable? What's to be gained by getting it online spats and pissing matches with fellow Bengals fans?

It took way too long to finally figure out that a.) this is a huge waste of time b.) I really don't care all that much about how others support this organization.

If I'm being honest, I think a lot of what made me get caught up in little b.s. disagreements, and bets, and what have you, was really two things: 1.) Being angry about the team and venting here, and 2.) Being right.  I was pissed about the state of the team and was more than willing to argue with anyone who wanted.

Yet, no matter how many posts were made, by how many different people, people rarely changed the "type" of fan they were. And that was really the crux of most disagreements. The type of fan, the approach of the fan, the overall mindset. That is where I think most of the disagreements started.  Not in the stats, not in X's and O's. But just a fundelmental difference in why they followed/watched/supported tbis team.

What I'm trying to say, is there's all sorts of fans, with all sorts of backgrounds, with all sorts of reasons they ended up here. None are right or wrong, and none are better or worse.

Some people watch and follow from the perspective similar to that of a GM, or like a fantasy team. That's cool. Some may enjoy tailgating and the gameday experience. And that's cool. Some are local, some aren't. Some young, some old. All cool. Once you consider all of this you come to realize this results in different expectations, different knowledge, different investment, different everything.

The point is, there's nothing to be gained by wasting time arguing with fellow fans. There's no right and wrong, and none of us are entitled to tell any other anything different. If fans want to vent and complain then let them. It's not your place to tell them otherwise. And if people want to look for bright spots, same thing. You're not changing peoples minds and you cant force people to adopt your thinking.

The fact of the matter is this: If this was a much better team, and a better organization, then you'd see little to none of this. This causes negativity, and this fuels the bickering.

My advice is this, save your anger and frustration for the product for the product, not fellow fans. Try as you might, you can't win arguments on here and there are no internet points. There's nothing to gain by spending post after post trying to convince others that they're wrong. Unless you count time lost as a net gain.

So anyhoo, hope this made some sense. I just think people get to caught up in bs on here. And that's no knock. I did too. It's to get caught up in. But, really, it just isn't that serious, is it?  Make your points about the team, maybe share some laughs and move on. Getting caught up in all the melodrama just isn't worth it. Save that time and energy for literally anything else.

Just my 2 cents...

Put 'em up, put 'em up! Which one of you first? I'll fight you both together if you want. I’ll fight you with one paw tied behind my back. I’ll fight you standing on one foot. I’ll fight you with my eyes closed

(10-16-2019, 09:30 AM)RunKijanaRun Wrote: DOROTHY MANTOOTH IS A SAINT.

Don't tell me that someone took her to a nice seafood dinner and then never called her again?! 

Wimp!!!

Haha, really I try not to post neg on here or get in the middle of a rant.
I am always trying to find a way to help the team, IE FA's that fit good and good drafts.
All that's outa my hands anyways, so why should it upset me? Let the boys play and the chips fall as they do, I'll just keep offering advice.

(10-16-2019, 12:13 PM)PhilHos Wrote: Don't tell me that someone took her to a nice seafood dinner and then never called her again?! 

Yup. WHAMMY. 

The responses are a reflection of how the team performs.
Some people choose to focus on the good vs the bad, but that's their choice.
For those getting upset about certain posters, you can always block them or ignore them.
But I agree, trying to stifle someone's opinion by driving them away from the message board is not the answer.

(10-16-2019, 12:36 PM)ochocincos Wrote: The responses are a reflection of how the team performs.
Some people choose to focus on the good vs the bad, but that's their choice.
For those getting upset about certain posters, you can always block them or ignore them.
But I agree, trying to stifle someone's opinion by driving them away from the message board is not the answer.

 
Our so-called pro football team cannot compete in the nfl.We have guys that are just horrible and we need many many new and better players and until they get a GM and a pro-scouting team,we are just going to get players that NO ONE ELSE would ever draft.I mean,to draft Nick Vigle from Utah state,I mean com on,its so insane I cannot believe they think they can win ANYTHING with these guys. The Reynolds guy,I think number 55 is outplaying most everyone in our secondary and to watch Bates and number 22 try and tackle these HUGE tightends on the ravens it was laughable.those guys are HUGE AND MOSTLY MUSCLE.We need bigger stronger men and for years this is the way they draft.Most of our secondary was manhandled by the ravens as they are bigger,stronger and faster. Going up against guys that are 6ft 6 or 6ft 7 and 280 and can outrun you and outmuscle you,its so embarrassing and I am thinking its going to happen again this sunday.If they EVER want to win anything,they have to draft better and coach better.ZT is trying for sure,but he is way over his head,Welcome to the AFC NORTH,zt

(10-16-2019, 12:36 PM)ochocincos Wrote: The responses are a reflection of how the team performs.
Some people choose to focus on the good vs the bad, but that's their choice.
For those getting upset about certain posters, you can always block them or ignore them.
But I agree, trying to stifle someone's opinion by driving them away from the message board is not the answer.

the block ignore thing doesn't really work

(10-16-2019, 01:23 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: the block ignore thing doesn't really work

I think it does. I've done it with a couple people. But I'm curious why you don't think it does?

(10-16-2019, 01:31 PM)ochocincos Wrote: I think it does. I've done it with a couple people. But I'm curious why you don't think it does?

Because Block only blocks PEOPLE. It doesn't block negativity. 

(10-16-2019, 01:37 PM)PhilHos Wrote: Because Block only blocks PEOPLE. It doesn't block negativity. 

Just block everyone being negative. It might mean there's very little to read, but still