2011 Holmgren Report: Running Backs
February 17, 2011Cleveland Cavaliers At The All-Star Break
February 17, 2011With the collective bargaining situations going on in the NFL and soon in the NBA, I have had a lot of interesting conversations with my friends. Lately we’ve been getting more philosophical regarding how sports are today. We’ve been talking about the three-way permutation of relationships between owners, players and fans and how dysfunctional it seems to be in all phases in every sport in Cleveland. It led to an interesting hypothesis that maybe as fans, we should mock and potentially even taunt our own players after they lose a rivalry or divisional game.
The truth is that players have more in common with each other than they ever will with fans ever again. Culturally, experientially and economically it does make sense. I get the sense that in “ye oldern days” when player movement wasn’t quite as rampant and communications weren’t as developed, players and fans at least had some geographical things in common. They lived together at church and at the super market, etc. But now that sports are big business filled with celebrities and many if not most players are changing teams multiple times in their career, the players and fans have never been further apart.So, as a fan, how do we get the Browns to actually care about beating the Steelers, Ravens and Bengals as much as we care? Obviously coming out to the stadium and cheering loudly is a big part of it, but we do that already. That has been taken for granted. In fact, if a fan base isn’t stepping up we sometimes even see athletes call out the fans. That won’t always work, but it is a clear attempt by the player to get the fans on the same page. Maybe it is time for fans to flip the script.
Next year when the Browns play the Steelers, if they lose, maybe we shouldn’t tell them “Good game” or “You’ll get ’em next time.” Maybe we should say, “Wow, you guys got punked by those guys” or say, “Man, I thought you had a lot more pride than that.”
As you can see from my examples, I am not attacking them personally or saying anything about their family members or mothers. This is Cleveland. We reserve that kind of talk for David Wells’ bullpen sessions.
I don’t know if it would actually work, or if it would backfire. It is just a thought that I have been discussing with some people. The fans and the players have never had less in common. The financial divide isn’t going to be decreased anytime soon even with some kind of victory by the owners. But maybe we can get them to feel the teeth of the rivalry the way we do by showing them just how much it means to us when they win and lose those games. We’ll do it lovingly just like you would your brother or friend after an embarrassing defeat.
What do you think?
17 Comments
Meh. Cleveland fans already have a reputation for bad-mouthing their own players. Just ask Derek Anderson or Eric Wright’s dad. Not the answer.
Not sure this would help our (or any other city’s fans’) claim as being the “best fans in the world”……
I’ll continue to take a word of advice from my mom….If I can’t say anything nice, I won’t say anything at all.
I do think that the Fans, who are ultimately paying for the entire enterprise, are getting eliminated from the equation. Who do you like? The Owners? Or the Players? How about the Fans? I vote for lower ticket prices.
If Fans are not feeling the love, we should feel compelled to not pay for the product.
Shaun Rogers carefully considers my pointed, constructive criticism with a scowl, then looks at the fragrant box of donuts clutched in his paw. Looks back at me, back at the donuts. Face brightens. Kicks my butt with one massive arm and leg while masticating a fresh glazed. Drops me, drops bag, wipes hands on my jacket, posse guy pulls up in Escalade and opens door for him. Bye, Shaun, let’s talk some more later. Dolly back, fade to black.
That probably helped.
This is something I’d see backfiring before doing any good. The perception in the status quo is that free agents dont wanna come here, imagine if we gave em hell for not winning rivalry games how much worse that perception could be.
“Shaun Rogers carefully considers my pointed, constructive criticism with a scowl, then looks at the fragrant box of donuts clutched in his paw. Looks back at me, back at the donuts.”
AND THE DONUTS ARE NOW DIAMONDS!!!
I will continue to root and not get nasty. And when we finally get the team that does win a championship I have faith it will be a team that does, in fact, embody and resemble our region and our fanbase. As an idiot once said the opposite of… winning isn’t just winning, it’s also how you do it.
How could it possibly backfire? The players leave? They do that already. I’m on board with this. Nothing classless, just a reminder that as professionals they should do their job and care about it too.
Let me ask a different question:
Do the fans even matter in this day and age?
It honestly feels like most players couldn’t care where they play, and seem to think that the fans are rooting for them personally more than the team.
Boobie Gibson and LeBron James both referred to “real fans” as though they meant “MY real fans”. I’m not sure players can be made to see that we root for teams, not individuals, and I’m not sure it would matter if they were.
There are a few exceptions. For one, Josh Cribbs seems to “get” Cleveland… I can’t think of too many more.
You need to be 40 before the harsh truth crystallizes. Fans care way more about the players than vice versa. Players can’t afford to care as there is too much money on the table. Careers are short so they become mercenary. Yes, they have to play as a unit to win games. Yes, they have to say they right things to sell the product. Still, it’s fun to imagine that they do care, especially when the home team wins a championship.
sports fandom is the modern expression of a basic human instinct, tribalism.
like: i haven’t lived in NEO since 1979, but you’re all still my people.
it’s unrealistic to expect our athletes to approach this level of passion and commitment to the tribe that employs them. but it would be nice if they respected the impulse and valued the die-hard fanbase. it’s what enables their payday.
this is what really bugs me about lebron: he walked out on his tribe because he thinks there are better tribes than ours.
in theory, you should be able to pick your tribe. but i don’t think that works when you’re from NEO. not for me anyway.
The hell with the Browns, Tribe and Cavs!!! Im looking forward to rooting for real Cleveland football! The Lingerie League!!!! GO GIRLS GO!!!!!!
The days of Bernie Kosar are over as sad as it is to say. He wanted to play here. Even Victor Martinez did. Those days are long gone and it is sad, especially for kids and teenagers who love the teams.
In football for sure, it’s hard to blame them. Football players are disposable commodities.
In basketball and baseball, it seems, there would be more room for players who want to be loyal to a team. Yet, I see less loyalty, if any difference at all.
I honestly think isn’t a great idea. You know some ppl will have witty ways of voicing their displeasure, however it could go seriously down hill if it catches on with the “masses” ie. the masses are stupid
Man, Craig, I thought you were more clever than that.
I’m not attacking you personally or saying anything about your family members or mother, but this is WFNY, and we deserve better posts than this.
This blog needs to be converted to one cheering for the Steelers – at least as far as the football coverage is concerned. Or change the title to “Waiting for Next Century” – at least as far as the Browns are concerned. Sad, but true.